Hospital Inventory Load Survey

An extensive live load survey is conducted on a medium size hospital to provide data and illustrate the technique of inventory surveying. A preliminary survey defines room uses and major sources of load. Recording forms are then constructed and manufacturers' literature consulted to construct transfer functions. Results are presented in the form of frequency histograms grouped according to general region use. Three regions (diagnostic and treatment, patient rooms, and surgery) have approximately the same loading characteristics, while laboratory loads are about double. Present design loads for hospitals are seen to be approximately equal to the 99 percentile of the survey load. The relation of survey load to lifetime maximum load depends on the frequency of load change and the characteristics of the extraordinary load, both of which are a function of the particular room use. All region uses exhibit a relationship between floor area of a room and mean load.