The Charles Pankow Foundation has announced the award of a new research grant to University of Colorado Boulder and Principal Investigator Dr. Ross Corotis, P.E.

 
Dating back to the 1800s, there have been live load surveys and analyses, particularly of area-dependent loads in office buildings. While some occupancy loads have received careful examination, there has been no systematic review and consideration of reliability-based scenarios for assembly requirements. The driving rationale for the present study, therefore, is a modern determination of these loads. The critical benchmark of success for this research will be a more consistent, reliable, and economic design load for assembly areas in buildings, enacted first through the ASCE/SEI 7 Standard, and subsequently by adoption into the International Building Code and materials standards.
 
 
Providing invaluable industry insights to the research team are the members of the Industry Advisory Panel:
  • Ron Klemencic, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
  • Bruce Ellingwood, Colorado State University
  • Eric Giannini, Portland Cement Association
  • Cole Graveen, Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc.
  • Jim Harris, J.R. Harris and Company
  • John D. Hooper, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
  • John Peronto, Thornton Tomasetti