Manufacturing vs industrial occupant load

[chris macko]

Looking at table 1004.5 for occupant load, there is a line for H-5 fabrication and manufacturing areas with 200sf/ person.
I've always read that as fabrication and/or manufacturing, both within an H-5 occupancy, but some other fellow architects I work with are making the argument that it's fabrication under H-5 and/or manufacturing under any occupancy.
I'd think general manufacturing falls under Industrial areas at 100sf/ person, but I'd like to hear what other people think.

 

[Msradell]

I believe it's actually a situation that can change based on what's being manufactured. Some manufacturing requires quite a bit of space while other manufacturing is done strictly at workbenches. I don't believe it's a case where one-size-fits-all.

 

[chris macko]

Wouldn't that be the same case for office space? The code tends to apply a worst case number to cover the bases against future reconfigurations. Every industrial building I've ever done has had much fewer people than the code values, but that doesn't stop the reviewers from requiring those loads to be used.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Chris I believe you are correct. If the manufacturing does not have an H-5 hazard associated with it then the OL is 100 sq ft per person

[F] FABRICATION AREA. An area within a semiconductor fabrication facility and related research and development areas in which there are processes using hazardous production materials. Such areas are allowed to include ancillary rooms or areas such as dressing rooms and offices that are directly related to the fabrication area processes.

[F] 307.7 High-hazard Group H-5.
Semiconductor fabrication facilities and comparable research and development areas in which hazardous production materials (HPM) are used and the aggregate quantity of materials is in excess of those listed in Tables 307.1(1) and 307.1(2) shall be classified as Group H-5. Such facilities and areas shall be designed and constructed in accordance with Section 415.11.

306.1 Factory Industrial Group F.
Factory Industrial Group F occupancy includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, repair or processing operations that are not classified as a Group H hazardous or Group S storage occupancy.

 

[LeanToniac]

I’ve always interpreted the line for H-5 fabrication and manufacturing areas as referring specifically to fabrication within an H-5 occupancy, meaning it’s not a general rule for any manufacturing. The distinction seems to be that H-5 refers to high-hazard areas, which would need a more stringent calculation. General manufacturing, as you mentioned, would likely fall under industrial areas at 100sf/person.
I remember working on a project that involved some H-5 facilities, and we had to dive into the specifics of occupant load and space use. We also ended up referencing some cool insights from modutek.com on improving silicon wafer processing, which helped us understand how precision and safety measures affect the space planning in these types of facilities.