Engineering and Construction

The live load on a roof takes into account the weight of repair personnel and temporary storage of construction or repair materials and equipment on the roof. Roof live load is generally given as 20 psf acting on the horizontal projected area of the roof, Figure 3.4.


This applies to a roof that will not be used in the future as a floor. If the building is expected to be extended vertically in the future, the roof live load is the floor live load for the anticipated future occupancy. Additionally, if the roof is to be landscaped, the load due to the growth medium and landscaping elements must be considered as dead load on the roof.