weight on floor joists

Maccapacca · 28 Apr 2015 at 16:52

Zefan said:
By these calculations, your floor isn't fit to support two people stood within a metre of each other... although maybe "not designed" to do it, I bet you can stand next to someone for a long time in that room and not experience any falling-through-the-floor moments.

That would be a live load which is double the dead load.

Maccapacca · 28 Apr 2015 at 16:54

jaket said:
So thats 75KG per m2 ?

Answered I think

http://www.convertworld.com/en/mass/Kilonewton.html / http://justplainobvious.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-many-kg-in-kn.html

0.75kn into KG = 76.82KG per metre squared

Pool is

Weight when filled 487kg (1,071 lbs) plus mother (75kg)
480 litres of water which is 80% filled.
165cm x 145cm = 2.39m2

So roughly 209kg per m2

Don't forget you and the midwife and anyone else

Zefan · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:03

maccapacca said:
That would be a live load which is double the dead load.

So, 2 people within a metre is the limit in that case? You're telling me that if there are 3 people standing next to each other the floor is at risk of breaking? Give over.

Jez · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:03

This thread makes me wonder what older floors are capable of supporting, those calculations make his floor look extremely weak indeed.

Is this truly a case of "they dont make them like they used to" or are these calculations being interpreted incorrectly?

Maccapacca · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:07

Zefan said:
So, 2 people within a metre is the limit in that case? You're telling me that if there are 3 people standing next to each other the floor is at risk of breaking? Give over.

Not necessarily breaking but deflecting so much it cracks all your plasterboard joints if they started jumping up and down

Maccapacca · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:16

Jez said:
This thread makes me wonder what older floors are capable of supporting, those calculations make his floor look extremely weak indeed.

Is this truly a case of "they dont make them like they used to" or are these calculations being interpreted incorrectly?

That's what it looks like, some osb board and 2 x 2

cheesyboy · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:19

Holy smokes :eek:

is that ^ really how they make floor joists now?

Derek W · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:30

cheesyboy said:
Holy smokes is that ^ really how they make floor joists now?

It is a good system to use (material wise) compared to a standard joist as it uses more of a 'steel beam' design but the problems will arise when its overloaded and the web part (osb) will deflect / twist. Not all developers / house builders use them though.

Jez · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:35

Those look absolutely appauling, my old house has approx 9*3" solid joists by comparison! :eek:

You can snab a bit of osb by hand :/

Raymond Lin · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:39

Zefan said:
So, 2 people within a metre is the limit in that case? You're telling me that if there are 3 people standing next to each other the floor is at risk of breaking? Give over.

maccapacca said:
There's your loads, I'd say a pool of water is a dead load rather than a live load in which case you have 0.75kn/m2

Between Zefan's guess work or Maccapacca's Mathematics.

If it's my house, I know what the right course of action would be.

Maccapacca · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:41

What you don't appreciate is the Construction industry is constantly being squeezed for time, profit, sustainability, carbon reductions and design. Solid timber joists are extremely expensive in comparison and the additional work involved makes it slower on site. Note there is no noggins and bracing between the I beams to stop them twisting.

To be fair apart from wanting to have a swim in your bedroom they are perfectly capable and adequate.

Zefan · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:41

Raymond Lin said:
Between Zefan's guess work or Maccapacca's Mathematics.

If it's my house, I know what the right course of action would be.

Would love to see a party at your place - "No you can't come in this room, we've already reached maximum capacity! Oh alright I guess you can come in, as long as you stand at least 2 metres away from others at all times :cool:

"

Raymond Lin · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:46

Zefan said:
Would love to see a party at your place - "No you can't come in this room, we've already reached maximum capacity! Oh alright I guess you can come in, as long as you stand at least 2 metres away from others at all times "

You can make fun all you like, you can prove us wrong by try overloading your house with dead load 3 times over and report back.

sansnom · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:49

Wow...and I thought my victorian terrace with solid 3inch by 10 inch joists was scary and I've been tip-toeing around the upper floors while they renovate scared i would fall through the floors or would crack the joists if I moved too much.

Not to de-rail the thread but I'm curious now, what would those old joists be able to carry load-wise? never seemed particularly strong to me.

Jez · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:51

sansnom said:
Wow...and I thought my victorian terrace with solid 3inch by 10 inch joists was scary and I've been tip-toeing around the upper floors while they renovate scared i would fall through the floors or would crack the joists if I moved too much.

Not to de-rail the thread but I'm curious now, what would those old joists be able to carry load-wise? never seemed particularly strong to me.

Sounds about the same as my house...they would take an awful lot i would imagine (i seem to have absolutely loads of noggins everywhere too) but id be interested too

UTmaniac · 28 Apr 2015 at 17:54

I love it when I see threads on fishkeeping forums about keeping 4-foot plus (240 litres and above) fish tanks on anything but the ground floor, or can this random piece of furniture become a permanent stand for the tank.

"If three grown men can stand there (or sit on it) in a line for a few minutes, it will be fine."

Very scary line of thinking! :eek:

dbmzk1 · 28 Apr 2015 at 18:39

I've had a good 15-20 people jumping up and down like idiots in my living room before now and the floor didn't decide to collapse. Pretty sure a floor should be able to survive things like that! Granted my house was built in circa 1900, ie properly, but still!

rah^ · 28 Apr 2015 at 18:56

UTmaniac said:
I love it when I see threads on fishkeeping forums about keeping 4-foot plus (240 litres and above) fish tanks on anything but the ground floor, or can this random piece of furniture become a permanent stand for the tank.

"If three grown men can stand there (or sit on it) in a line for a few minutes, it will be fine."

Very scary line of thinking!

Wondering if its time to move my 2ft cube and contents off the first floor back down to the hallway. I mean its been there a year I really should eh!

sansnom · 28 Apr 2015 at 19:43

dbmzk1 said:
I've had a good 15-20 people jumping up and down like idiots in my living room before now and the floor didn't decide to collapse. Pretty sure a floor should be able to survive things like that! Granted my house was built in circa 1900, ie properly, but still!

you'd be surprised, most of the stock of the 1900's was very very poorly built, particularly post-war.

Is your living room on the first floor? you may not see it but the joists will probably have started sagging. If they creak a lot when you move that's a good indication they have.

jaket · 28 Apr 2015 at 19:44

None of this makes much sense... I think it's stumped the customer service manager for sure!!

Macca can you explain the weights..... Loading / Dead Load / Live Load

Baring in mind this pool is a birthing pool so will only be up for maybe a day would this be considered Live Load as its only temp? We have a TV Bed/Chest of draws next to each other so surely this is over 150kg thus over the weight limit.
Thanks for comments have made me and wife giggle!

weight on floor joists

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