Which statement best describes the floor-area method for calculating occupant load?

Which statement best describes the floor-area method for calculating occupant load?

• A. It relies on the number of fixed seats.
• B. It uses gross floor area.
• C. It uses floor area per person to calculate load.
• D. It uses exterior dimensions of the building.

Answer: (C)

The floor-area method determines occupant load by applying an area-per-person density to the space’s floor area. In practice, you take the space’s floor area (the area that can be occupied) and divide it by the prescribed occupant-load factor for that type of occupancy. The result is the estimated number of people allowed. This emphasizes how densely people are expected to occupy a space, rather than counting seats or using the building’s exterior size. For example, if a 3,000-square-foot room has an occupant-load factor of 150 square feet per person, the occupant load would be 20 people. The method is not about fixed seating or exterior dimensions; it centers on how much floor area is available per person.

The floor-area method determines occupant load by applying an area-per-person density to the space’s floor area. In practice, you take the space’s floor area (the area that can be occupied) and divide it by the prescribed occupant-load factor for that type of occupancy. The result is the estimated number of people allowed. This emphasizes how densely people are expected to occupy a space, rather than counting seats or using the building’s exterior size. For example, if a 3,000-square-foot room has an occupant-load factor of 150 square feet per person, the occupant load would be 20 people. The method is not about fixed seating or exterior dimensions; it centers on how much floor area is available per person.