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OBC DIVISION B · PART 4 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN

What live loads must residential floors be designed for in Ontario?

Table 4.1.5.3. sets residential floor live loads: sleeping and living quarters in dwellings are designed for 1.9 kPa (about 40 psf), with higher loads for exits, corridors and assembly areas.

Code reference — verbatim
The specified live load on an area of floor or roof depends on the intended use and occupancy and shall not be less than the uniformly distributed load patterns prescribed in Table 4.1.5.3. For residential areas, the Table prescribes 1.9 kPa for sleeping and living quarters in apartments, hotels, motels, boarding schools and colleges.
OBC Division B, Article 4.1.5.3. and Table 4.1.5.3.
What this means in practice

Live load is the weight of people, furniture and movable contents — as distinct from dead load (the structure itself) and snow load. The 1.9 kPa residential value is the basis of the joist, beam and lintel span tables used for houses under Part 9, which is why those tables cannot be applied to, say, a home gym with heavy equipment, a waterbed showroom, or a residential floor supporting a corridor (2.4 kPa) or exit (4.8 kPa). Concentrated load checks in Table 4.1.5.9. apply in addition. When a renovation changes a floor's use — such as converting a house to office space — the floor must be re-evaluated for the higher live load of the new occupancy.

Plain language

Home floors are designed for normal living: people, couches, beds — about 40 pounds on every square foot. Change the use to something heavier, like an office or gym, and the same floor may no longer be strong enough on paper.

Related questions

How is the design snow load calculated in Ontario?What loads must a guard (railing) resist under the Ontario Building Code?

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This page is provided for general information. Building code requirements depend on your specific project, occupancy and municipality, and code editions change. Always verify requirements against the current Ontario Building Code and confirm with your local building department.