The in basket: I was waiting in the the Kingston ferry’s vehicle holding area the other day when I noticed an odd sign facing the traffic waiting to board. It read, “Maximum Uniform Live Load 500 PSF.”
I wondered what it meant, and who it was intended to inform.
The out basket: Ian Sterling of Washington State Ferries replied, “There is a state law that specifies in part that you must conspicuously post maximum safe load limits, in pounds per square foot (kilograms per square meter), of floors elevated above ground level, and pier structures over the water in all cargo areas. So, the sign is primarily for truck drivers.”
I suppose the signs exist on all ferry terminals, but I must never had been in a position to see one before.
Sooooo……my question then is, what’s the difference between a live load and a dead one besides the fact that the dead one isn’t breathing anymore?
The “dead load” is the weight of the structure itself: the pier, road surface, and buildings. The “live load” is the weight of everything on the structure: vehicles and people.