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Type B - Co Working Occupant Load Calculation

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thomasfagan

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Nov 16, 2020
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4
Location
oregon
I am working on a remodel of a 3100sf single story office building. The owner would like to remodel into as many 1-2 person private offices (80-120sf each) as possible to rent out to individual tenants with shared bathrooms, conference room, ect. I am wondering if the occupant load should be calculated based on 150 gfa for the whole building (typical type B approach) or if each individual tenant space should have its own calculation.
 
Welcome!!!

So I imagine, you have taken out the knife and divided this building up in a lot of ways.

So what is the maximum number of offices you have come up with????
 
I think we are likely to end up with 18-20 individual offices. No matter which way it is sliced up it seems unlikely to me that it could get above 49 occupants, so it hardly matters for means of egress. May come into play for fixture counts though? Also other areas I am not thinking of currently.

If it were a larger building though it would be a more impactful distinction. I am still interested in generally how the building code treats multiple tenant type B occupancies. This is my first time working on the typology and it doesn't seem to be clearly addressed.
 
thomasfagan said:
I think we are likely to end up with 18-20 individual offices. No matter which way it is sliced up it seems unlikely to me that it could get above 49 occupants, so it hardly matters for means of egress. May come into play for fixture counts though? Also other areas I am not thinking of currently.

If it were a larger building though it would be a more impactful distinction. I am still interested in generally how the building code treats multiple tenant type B occupancies. This is my first time working on the typology and it doesn't seem to be clearly addressed.
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It is all a B occupancy, so

Some people figure by sq ft

Some people figure by number of offices, even though not in the book directly.

In away it is case by case, because of some of the ways offices are laid out. Like an open office concept, and now the "concentrated business" in the IBC

And as you say, once you get a bigger area, the codes start kicking in a little more.

Give it a few days, and you should get other takes.
 
To determine the occupant load of the building, it will be based on 150 sq. ft. gross per occupant for the entire building area.
 
Check the wording in your book



1004.5.1 Increased Occupant Load

The occupant load permitted in any building, or portion thereof, is permitted to be increased from that number established for the occupancies in Table 1004.5, provided that all other requirements of the code are met based on such modified number and the occupant load does not exceed one occupant per 7 square feet (0.65 m2) of occupiable floor space. Where required by the building official, an approved aisle, seating or fixed equipment diagram substantiating any increase in occupant load shall be submitted. Where required by the building official, such diagram shall be posted.


1004.5 Areas Without Fixed Seating

Exception: Where approved by the building official, the actual number of occupants for whom each occupied space, floor or building is designed, although less than those determined by calculation, shall be permitted to be used in the determination of the design occupant load.
 
So is it legal for the designer to submit a given occupant load, and the BO look at it and approve or disapprove it?

Such as in this case, say they divde the place into six offices, and the designer assigns an occupant load of say 15, with a note, that these are single rentable private offices.
 
cda said:
So is it legal for the designer to submit a given occupant load, and the BO look at it and approve or disapprove it?

Such as in this case, say they divde the place into six offices, and the designer assigns an occupant load of say 15, with a note, that these are single rentable private offices.
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Here in CT that would require a formal code modification request submitted to both the local BO and the State BO.
 
cda said:
I see from steveray that CT deleted that decrease section.

Wonder why
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not sure the exact reason. In addition to that deletion, we also delete the exception to calculate stairs capacity at .2" per person in a fully sprinklered building, its .3" per person all the time. These two code amendments combined make renovation work in multi-story building challenging from an egress perspective. And don't get me started how our State Fire Code tramples all over the IEBC.
 
Tim Mailloux said:
not sure the exact reason. In addition to that deletion, we also delete the exception to calculate stairs capacity at .2" per person in a fully sprinklered building, its .3" per person all the time. These two code amendments combined make renovation work in multi-story building challenging from an egress perspective. And don't get me started how our State Fire Code tramples all over the IEBC.
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That is why you get the big Monopoly bucks.
 
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