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Floor Load Calculations

6 years ago

Looking to provide a load of 800kg on existing flooring (floorboards) over a 2.7sqm area. Is there a calculation tool to determine if existing bearers and joists will manage the load and/or does this seem relatively plausable?

Qld house (1940's)...Raised 900mm from ground level, concrete peirs

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Comments (3)

oklouise
6 years ago
much too important to risk on guess work as you can't predict the transferred load on the few cms outside that area and suggest an assessment of the whole floor from a structural engineer is a worthwhile investment
Glen Reus thanked oklouise
PRO
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hi

You will need some info before you can calculate this with span tables, but on the face of it you will need an engineer for something this heavy.

Firstly, there are two types of load. One being dead load (eg walls, roof, flooring etc and essentially anything that is permanently part of the structure) and live load (eg people, furniture and anything movable).

Failure to account for live load is what happens when balconies collapse.

When calculating spans, the maximum floor mass (dead load) is assumed at 40kg/m2 in AS 1684.4.

If you are wanting to add 800kg over the 2.7m2 you are talking about approx 300kg m2, or nearly 8 times the maximum mass.

You are already overloading the floor without getting into calculating what the existing floor can take.

With this kind of weight I would be definitely speaking with an engineer.

Before you do speak with an engineer, there are a couple of questions that need answering first. What size are the existing joists (eg 90 x 45), then what are they set out at. If they are eg 450 or 600 centres, then the centre of each joist will be 450mm or 600mm away from the next one.

Then you need to know the size of the bearers and again what they are spaced at, along with the space between the stumps and their sizes. I would also take along a series of pics of the underside showing the condition of the bearers, along with either some specs of the stump footing size and depth. If you don't have specs I would have a scratch around and see if you can measure the width, then poke down with a rod to see the depth. It's rough but it will give you a good starting point.

An engineer will then tell you what reinforcement is needed or what your options are.

Cheers.
Glen Reus thanked User
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Glen Reus
Original Author
6 years ago
As an overview was thinking a raised shower/bath base (1.5m x 1.8m). Loads calculated as per the following: Bath tub @ 65kg, 250 litres of water @ 250kg and then floor surface.

Similar to a raised wooden floor, was thinking concrete sleepers (something different), allowing water seepage through gaps, though are 33kg each and would require x 11, and then a human @ 100kg.

Can introduce additional floor joists. Stumps are relatively close as used to contain the old cast iron bath.

Appreciate the thorough response, and will action all of the above.

Regards

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