I'm doing this project for school with regards to seismic design loads on buildings using the Equivalent Lateral Force (ELF) method. The problem is that I need the weight of the buildings I'm calculating the forces for. So my questions are what are typical dead loads for residential and commercial buildings and what are typical floor areas for residential and commercial buildings. Again I just want typical values. Any links to websites would also be appreciated. TIA.
As an engineer you should have had a design guide handbook to include all the information. Building dead loads codes are different from place to place.
It's not a structural project though so I wasn't looking for anything too in depth. I'm doing an analysis for the revision of the seismic hazard maps in my area and the effect it would have on building cost. Part of the analysis involves calculating the seismic force which requires estimating the weight of the building. To do that I need dead load values and the floor areas. But I'm not designing a particular building so I think a design handbook might not be necessary. I was just hoping for a ballpark figure since it was just an estimation. I tried searching online and in the library but didn't find what I was looking for so I decided to ask here hoping someone with experience could help me out.
Please see Charlotte video in nearby thread for example of what modern residential apartment buildings must withstand.
generally 20 psf dead load, 10 live load for ceiling joists per floor. 10 psf dead load for roof (snow and whatnot).
