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Live Load & Dead Load Calculator

Calculate dead loads (slab, beam, column, wall, floor finish) and live loads per IS 875, ASCE 7, BS 6399, EN 1991. Includes load take-down to foundation.

Structural Loads Structural engineers, building designers, architects Commercial Intent: VERY HIGH

Engineering Formulas

Slab Dead Load

DLslab = ts / 1000 × 25 kN/m³
RCC density: 25 kN/m³

t_s: Slab thickness (mm)

DL_slab: Slab dead load (kN/m²)

Beam Dead Load

DLbeam/m = (b×d)/10⁶ × 25 kN/m³
Beam self-weight per unit length

b: Beam width (mm)

d: Beam depth (mm)

Wall Dead Load

DLwall = tw / 1000 × Hw × γwall (kN/m)
Brick: 19 kN/m³, Block: 15-20 kN/m³

t_w: Wall thickness (mm)

γ_wall: Wall material density (kN/m³)

H_w: Wall height (m)

Floor Finish Dead Load

DLfinish = tf / 1000 × γfinish
Tile: 22, Marble: 27, Granite: 28, Screed: 24 kN/m³

t_f: Finish thickness (mm)

γ_finish: Finish material density (kN/m³)

Live Loads Per Code

Residential: 2.0, Office: 2.5-3.0, Commercial: 4.0
Storage: 5.0-7.5, Parking: 2.5 kN/m²
IS 875 Part 2, ASCE 7 Table 4-1

LL: Live load (kN/m²)

LL_partition: Partition allowance (kN/m²)

Load Take-Down

Total/floor = (DL + LL) × Afloor
Column load = Σ(floor loads)
Factored = 1.5(DL + LL)

A_floor: Floor or tributary area (m²)

Worked Example

4-Story Residential Building (IS 875)

standard: is875buildingType: residentialfloorArea: 100slabThicknessMm: 150beamBmm: 230beamDmm: 450colBmm: 300colDmm: 300wallType: brick230wallHeightM: 3wallLengthM: 10finishType: tile20partitionLoad: 1numFloors: 4roofType: non-accessiblesnowLoad: 0

Slab DL

150/1000 × 25 = 3.75 kN/m²

Beam DL/m

(230×450)/10⁶ × 25 = 2.59 kN/m

Wall DL

0.230 × 3 × 19 = 13.11 kN/m

Finish DL

0.020/1 × 22 = 0.44 kN/m²

Total DL/floor

3.75 + 2.59 + 13.11 + 0.44 + 1.0 = 20.89 kN/m²

LL/floor

2.0 (resid) + 1.0 (part) + 0 (snow) = 3.0 kN/m²

Service Load

20.89 + 3.0 = 23.89 kN/m²

Col Axial Load

23.89 × 100 × 4 = 9,556 kN

Result: Service load = 23.89 kN/m², Factored = 35.84 kN/m², Column axial = 9,556 kN

Engineering Notes

IS 875 Part 1 provides unit weights of building materials. Part 2 provides imposed (live) loads.

ASCE 7-16 Table 4-1 gives minimum uniformly distributed live loads by occupancy.

For load combinations, use 1.5(DL+LL) per IS 456 or 1.2DL+1.6LL per ASCE 7.

Live load reduction: IS 875 allows 5% reduction per 100 m² above 100 m², max 25%.

For seismic design, use mass = DL + 0.25LL (IS 1893) for seismic weight calculation.

Assumptions

• Material densities are standard values (RCC: 25, Brick: 19, Steel: 78.5 kN/m³)

• Floor area = tributary area for beam/column loads

• All floors have identical construction

• No reduction for large floor areas (live load reduction not applied)

• Roof live load code values for non-accessible roofs

Common Mistakes

✕ Using gross floor area instead of tributary area for beam loads

✕ Forgetting to include partition load allowance

✕ Not checking roof live load vs snow load (use the larger)

✕ Using total slab load for beam design without considering tributary width

✕ Ignoring live load reduction for large tributary areas (IS 875 allows reduction)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between dead load and live load?

Dead load (DL) includes all permanent construction materials (slab, beam, column, wall, finishes). Live load (LL) includes movable loads (people, furniture, equipment) specified by building codes.

What is load take-down?

Load take-down traces loads from roof to foundation: roof → upper floors → ground floor → column → footing. Each level accumulates loads from above plus its own self-weight.

How do I determine live load for my building?

Live loads are specified by building codes: IS 875 Part 2 for India, ASCE 7 Table 4-1 for US, BS 6399 for UK, EN 1991-1-1 for Eurocode. Values depend on occupancy type.

What is the partition load allowance?

Partition load (typically 1.0 kN/m²) accounts for internal non-load-bearing walls. Codes require this when partition locations are not fixed during design.

What is the load factor for ultimate design?

IS 456 / ASCE 7 / EC2 typically use 1.5(DL + LL) for the ultimate limit state. Some codes differentiate: 1.2DL + 1.6LL (ASCE 7) or 1.35DL + 1.5LL (EC).

Should I include snow load in dead or live load?

Snow load is typically treated as a live (imposed) load in combination equations. It is not always applicable — depends on geographic location and climate.

What is a typical RCC density?

Reinforced cement concrete (RCC) density = 25 kN/m³ (≈2,500 kg/m³). This includes both concrete (24 kN/m³) and reinforcing steel (≈1 kN/m³ contribution).

How is column axial load calculated?

Column axial load = accumulated loads from each floor above × floor area served. For interior columns, tributary area is typically one bay in each direction.