Load factor calibration for the proposed 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada: Statistics of loads and load effects

The 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) will adopt a companion-action format for load combinations and specify wind and snow loads based on their 50 year return period values. This paper summarizes statistics for dead load, live load due to use and occupancy, snow load, and wind load that have been adopted for calibration, and a companion paper presents the calibration itself. A new survey of typical construction tolerances indicates that statistics for dead load widely adopted for building code calibration are adequate unless the dead load is dominated by thin, cast-in-place concrete toppings. Unique statistics for live load due to use and occupancy are derived that pertain specifically to the live load reduction factor equation used in the NBCC. Statistics for snow and wind loads are normalized using the 50 year values that will be specified in the 2005 NBCC. New statistics are determined for the factors that transform wind speeds and ground snow depths into wind and snow loads on structures.