How is the gross occupant load factor defined?

• A. Measured wall to wall
• B. Measured usable area
• C. Measured ceiling height
• D. Measured exit widths

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the gross occupant load factor uses the gross floor area, which is measured wall-to-wall. In other words, you take the total floor area bounded by the interior surfaces of the exterior walls, without subtracting non-occupiable spaces, and use that area to determine how many people the space can accommodate. This contrasts with usable (net) area, which would use the space that is actually usable for occupancy and exclude certain spaces. Ceiling height isn’t part of the definition, and exit widths are used later for egress calculations based on the occupant load rather than defining how the gross factor is determined.