§3.1 — Dead Loads §3.1
Definition and Scope
Dead loads consist of the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into the building
including, but not limited to, walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions,
finishes, cladding, and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, and
fixed service equipment including the weight of cranes.
- › §3.1.1: Weight of construction — self-weight from unit weights in Table C3-1
- › §3.1.2: Floor fills, finish, ceiling, MEP — typically specified as area loads
- › Movable Partitions: Treated as live load when movable; treated as dead load when fixed. Minimum 0.96 kN/m² (20 psf) per §4.3.2 when movable.
Table C3-1 — Minimum Densities for Design Loads App. C, Table C3-1
| Material |
Density (kN/m³) |
Density (pcf) |
Category |
Notes |
| Normal-weight Concrete (NWC) | 23.56 | 150 | Concrete | Includes reinforcement allowance |
| Lightweight Concrete 110 pcf | 17.27 | 110 | Concrete | Structural LWC |
| Lightweight Concrete 100 pcf | 15.71 | 100 | Concrete | Structural LWC |
| Steel | 77.01 | 490 | Metal | — |
| Aluminum | 26.60 | 169 | Metal | — |
| Brick (solid, clay) | 18.85 | 120 | Masonry | — |
| CMU Block (normal-weight) | 17.27 | 110 | Masonry | — |
| Timber — Douglas Fir | 5.65 | 36 | Timber | — |
| Timber — Southern Pine | 6.28 | 40 | Timber | — |
| Granite / Marble | 26.38 | 168 | Stone | — |
| Soil (dry sand/gravel) | 15.71 | 100 | Soil | §3.2 lateral earth |
| Soil (saturated) | 18.85 | 120 | Soil | §3.2 lateral earth |
Table 3.1-1 — Minimum Design Dead Loads (Area Loads) §3.1, Table 3.1-1
| Component |
Load (kN/m²) |
Load (psf) |
Category |
| Ceramic / Quarry Tile 25 mm | 0.53 | 11.0 | Floor Finish |
| Ceramic Tile 13 mm | 0.27 | 5.5 | Floor Finish |
| Hardwood Flooring 25 mm | 0.14 | 2.8 | Floor Finish |
| Carpet + pad | 0.05 | 1.0 | Floor Finish |
| Mortar Bed 25 mm | 0.57 | 12.0 | Floor Finish |
| Gypsum Board 16 mm (1 layer) | 0.24 | 5.0 | Ceiling |
| Acoustic Tile (suspended) | 0.10 | 2.0 | Ceiling |
| Built-up Roofing (BUR) | 0.35 | 7.0 | Roofing |
| Concrete Roof Tile | 0.77 | 16.0 | Roofing |
| Gravel Ballast 25 mm | 0.43 | 9.0 | Roofing |
| Metal Deck (corrugated steel) | 0.14 | 3.0 | Roofing |
§3.2 — Forces Due to Soil and Hydrostatic Pressure §3.2
Lateral Earth Pressure (H load)
In addition to the dead loads listed in §3.1, structures below grade must be designed for the
lateral pressure of adjoining soil. Per §3.2, soil loads and hydrostatic pressure are classified
as H loads in ASCE 7-16 §1.2.2 and enter load combinations per §2.3.1 and §2.4.1.
- › Active earth pressure: Ka = (1 − sin φ) / (1 + sin φ)
- › At-rest earth pressure: K₀ = 1 − sin φ (normally consolidated)
- › Hydrostatic pressure: γ_water = 9.81 kN/m³ (62.4 pcf)
- › H loads appear in LRFD combos with factors 1.6H (unfav.) or 0.9D + 1.6H
✓ Implemented in Structural Analyser
- › js/asce7/ch3-dead-loads.js —
window.ASCE7_Ch3: 50+ materials from Table C3-1 & Table 3.1-1
- › Dead Load Calculator — Tools tab in the app: stack layers, compute kN/m², apply UDL to beams
- › 5 preset floor systems: RC slab, flat slab, composite, BUR roof, timber
- › Direct integration with load cases — applies to selected DL load case