Capacity Factor - Occupant load
Welcome to our Occupant Load Calculator page. This tool helps you calculate the total occupancy of a floor based on the group of occupancy and floor area. Understanding the occupant load is crucial for ensuring safety and compliance with building codes.
How to Use the Occupant Load Calculator
Select Occupancy Group: Choose the appropriate group of occupancy from the dropdown menu.
View Group Details: The selected group's name, stairways width, and level components and ramps width will be displayed.
Enter Total Occupancy: Input the total occupancy of the floor.
View Results: The calculator will display the total stairways width and total level components and ramps width required for the floor.
Occupant Load Factors
The occupant load factor is the amount of floor area per person required for different types of occupancy. Here are the factors for various groups:
Group A: Residential - 12.50 sqm/person
Group B: Educational - 4.00 sqm/person
Group C: Institutional
Indoor patients area - 15.00 sqm/person
Outdoor patients area - 10.00 sqm/person
Group D: Assembly
Concentrated use without fixed seating - 0.65 sqm/person
Less concentrated use without fixed seating - 1.40 sqm/person
Fixed seating - In case of assembly occupancy having fixed seats, the occupant load shall be determined by multiplying the number of seats by 1.2.
Dining areas and restaurants with seating and table - 1.80 sqm/person
Group F: Mercantile
Street floor and sales basement - 3.00 sqm/person
Upper sales floor - 6.00 sqm/person
Storage/warehouse, receiving and the like - 20.00 sqm/person
Group E: Business - 10.00 sqm/person
Group G: Industrial - 10.00 sqm/person
Group H: Storage - 30.00 sqm/person
Group J: Hazardous - 10.00 sqm/person
Capacity Factors
The capacity factors for stairways and level components and ramps are as follows:
Group A: Residential - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group B: Educational - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group C: Institutional - Stairways: 15 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 13 mm/person
Group D: Assembly - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group E: Business - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group F: Mercantile - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group G: Industrial - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group H: Storage - Stairways: 10 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 6.5 mm/person
Group J: Hazardous - Stairways: 18 mm/person, Level Components and Ramps: 10 mm/person
Important Notes
Gross Area: All factors are expressed in gross area unless marked net.
Dormitory Occupancy: Occupant load in dormitory portions of homes for the aged, orphanages, insane asylums, etc., where sleeping accommodation is provided, shall be calculated at not less than 7.5 sqm gross floor area/person.
Special Areas: These include gymnasium, table tennis room, billiard room, and other gaming rooms, library, swimming pool, and the like.
Fixed Seating: In case of assembly occupancy having fixed seats, the occupant load shall be determined by multiplying the number of seats by 1.2.
Car Parking: Car parking areas under occupancy other than storage shall also be 30 sqm per person.
Benefits of Using the Occupant Load Calculator
Safety Compliance: Ensure your building meets safety regulations.
Efficient Planning: Optimize space usage based on the calculated occupancy.
Easy to Use: Simple and intuitive interface for quick calculations.
By using our Occupant Load Calculator, you can ensure that your building is safe and compliant with all relevant codes. This tool is essential for architects, engineers, and building managers who need to determine the maximum occupancy of a space.
Related Keywords
Occupant load
Floor area calculation
Building safety compliance
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Total occupancy calculation
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Institutional occupancy
Assembly occupancy
Mercantile occupancy
Business occupancy
Industrial occupancy
Storage occupancy
Hazardous occupancy
Car parking occupancy
Feel free to use the calculator above and explore the detailed information provided to ensure your building's safety and compliance.
Capacities of means of egress
Exit capacity is the number of people that can pass through a stairway, and level components (door and corridor) and ramps. The total capacity of all the respective means of egress serving a floor shall be sufficient to allow egress of the entire population of the floor.
b) The unit of exit width, used to measure the capacity of any exit, shall be 500 mm. A clear width of 250 mm shall be counted as an additional half unit. Clear widths less than 250 mm shall not be counted for exit width.
c) Width per person for stairways, and level components and ramps shall be determined using the capacity factors in accordance with this calculator.
For example, if an exit doorway measures 1000 mm in clear width, it would be defined as providing exit capacity for 1000/6.5 occupants, that is, 153 persons (say 150 persons) and number of such exit doorways can then be calculated depending on the occupant load.
d) When calculating stairways, level components and ramps and other exit means, the capacity of the entire system shall have to be based upon the minimum capacity available from any part of the system. The corridor, if so provided shall also to be planned with consideration of exit access adequacy for the number of occupants. Further, consider the situation of doors opening to an exit stairway.
If the stairway provides an exit capacity of 150 persons, and the doors leading into the stairway provide an exit capacity of 153 persons, the overall exit system would be considered to provide the minimum exit capacity of only 150 persons afforded by the stairway. The exit planning will be limited by the most restrictive exit calculation under the means of egress.
e) In the procedures for determining required egress capacity, the number of required means of egress is based on a floor-by-floor consideration, rather than the accumulation of the occupant loads of all the floors. However, the number of means of egress cannot decrease as an occupant proceeds along the egress path.