liquor warehouse live load

huangyhg

liquor warehouse live load....
alrighty, now that i've got your attention!
seems to be a little disagreement between the architects and the engineers.  arch. propose a mezzanine for a liquor store is 125 psf, and us engineers think 250psf is the more appropriate live load.
i've calculated that 12oz. beer cans (full) per cubic foot weigh 42 pcf.  stacked 8 feet high is 336 psf.  obviously you cant stack cases of beer solid on a mezzanine - you need pathways to access this beer.  so it would seem that the 250 psf would be appropriate.
a penny for your thoughts.
ibc table 1607.1 calls for 125 psf for light storage and 250 psf for heavy storage, but it also states "shall be designed for heavier loads if required for anticipated storage".
that shouldn't even be an argument.  i would start at 250 and go up if necessary.
the 250 psf is the way to go. what do architects know. just kidding.. not... lol
the heavy liquid adds up in hurry! i would figure the height of the shelf and how much liquor can be stacked. then i would use density of water to compute total weight. then i would divide by mezzanine area and she what you come up. i would use the heaviest load which is conservative.
regards,
lutfi
while all of our codes usually deal with a uniform live load across a floor, keep in mind that they also provide for smaller concentrated loads. in your case, you've correctly done some calculations to get a handle on what you really have as far as weight.
i would go a few steps further:
1.  be sure in your calculation of 336 psf that you account for pallet spaces, rack legs causing gaps in the product, etc. - otherwise you are way too conservative.
2.  determine a two-tiered approach.  directly under the product you will have the heaviest weight.  in the aisles you will have product plus whatever moves that product plus the guy moving the product.  the larger support   
a side issue perhaps, but what is the structural system? composite framing would be convenient because the composite flexural strength and stiffness are often overkill by very large margins. in other words, you might not need much extra to get your upper-end load of 336 psf, relieving your need to spend more time thinking about this.
now where's my penny?
14159
i'd be inclined to go 250psf or higher.
what happens when they stock up for christmas and decide to just pack the whole area solidly? or use it for temporary storage the day a big load gets delivered.
also depending on the structural system, don't forget that the worst loading situation can be when every second bay is loaded.