In the given two-occupancy example, which total occupant load is correct?

In the given two-occupancy example, which total occupant load is correct?

• A. 460
• B. 500
• C. 540
• D. 600

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that you must treat each space separately and then add their loads together. For each occupancy, use its area and the code’s occupant load factor to figure out how many people that space can hold. Typically you convert area to people by applying the occupant load factor for that space (either by dividing the area by the square-foot-per-person factor or by multiplying by the people-per-area factor, depending on how your code table is written). Once you have the occupant load for each occupancy, you add those two numbers to get the total occupant load for the two-occupancy scenario. This ensures you’re accounting for the capacity of both spaces and gives the total the code requires for things like egress calculations. In the given example, following this method yields the correct total that the problem expects.

The key idea is that you must treat each space separately and then add their loads together. For each occupancy, use its area and the code’s occupant load factor to figure out how many people that space can hold. Typically you convert area to people by applying the occupant load factor for that space (either by dividing the area by the square-foot-per-person factor or by multiplying by the people-per-area factor, depending on how your code table is written). Once you have the occupant load for each occupancy, you add those two numbers to get the total occupant load for the two-occupancy scenario. This ensures you’re accounting for the capacity of both spaces and gives the total the code requires for things like egress calculations. In the given example, following this method yields the correct total that the problem expects.