# Floor Live Load Lookup

Pick an occupancy and read the characteristic live load in kN/m².

- Page: https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/live-load
- Category: Code Lookup (https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/c/code-lookup)
- Chinese version: https://jianzhujisuan.com/zh/live-load.md
- Data checked: 2026-10-25

## Quick result

With the default inputs (Occupancy Residential, dormitory, hotel, office, ward, nursery, Tributary area 30 m²): **Characteristic live load 2.0 kN/m²**

## Inputs

| Parameter | Type | Default | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupancy | select | Residential, dormitory, hotel, office, ward, nursery | — |  |
| Tributary area | number | 30 | m² |  |

## Formula

- **Characteristic value**: Table 5.1.1 by occupancy
- **Beam reduction**: item 1 above 25 m² ×0.9; others above 50 m² ×0.9
- **Column/foundation**: item 1: 25 m² ×0.9, 50 m² ×0.85; others: 50 m² ×0.9, 100 m² ×0.85
- **No reduction**: never when designing the slab itself
- **Separate items**: partition weight, equipment, fire engines

## Worked example

Office floor, 30 m² tributary area: characteristic load 2.0 kN/m²; beams may use ×0.9 = 1.80 kN/m², columns and foundations also 1.80 kN/m² at this area. The slab itself stays at 2.0 kN/m².

## Questions

### Is 2.0 kN/m² enough for a home - what about furniture or an aquarium?

2.0 kN/m² is about two adults per square metre: a statistical service load, not a capacity limit. The slab also carries dead load and uses load factors, so real reserve is much higher. But concentrated items need checking: a 1.5 m aquarium holds close to a tonne, roughly 7 kN/m² over 1.5 m², so keep it near a beam or wall and watch the span.

### Why no reduction for slabs but reduction for beams and columns?

It is probability. A slab is unlikely to be fully loaded over its small area, so its full intensity is assumed; a beam or column spans several rooms, and the chance of all being packed at once falls as the area grows, which is why the reduction increases with area.

### Do partition walls count as live load?

No - partition weight is dead load. Light partitions may be smeared as an equivalent uniform dead load (around 1.0 kN/m² depending on height and spacing), but masonry partitions must be entered as line loads in the analysis.

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