TECHNICAL BULLETIN

February 2008
Bulletin TB-105

Garage Floor Design Guidelines

Introduction
In North America, design load requirements for residential garage floor applications can be found in model building
codes including the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), and National Building
Code of Canada (NBCC), as well as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) standard ASCE/SEI 7-05
Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. These documents generally consider uniform live load
and/or concentrated load cases and are summarized in this document. Provisions for commercial garages, vehicle
repair facilities, driveways, bridges, and garage floors accommodating large trucks or busses are not included in this
Technical Bulletin.
In Canada, garage floor joists are not covered in Part 9 of the NBCC and therefore require the services of a
professional engineer. Some municipalities, such as Burnaby and Surrey in British Columbia, Canada do not allow
wood members to support garage floors. Before designing, check local code jurisdictions for design requirements.
Minimum Live Load and Concentrated Load Requirements
Minimum
Code /
Standard
Reference Uniform Concentrated Load
Live Load
Table 1607.1, footnote (a): Floors in garages or portions of a
building used for the storage of motor vehicles shall be designed
for the uniformly distributed live loads listed in Table 1607.1 or the
following concentrated loads:
40 psf
(1) for garages restricted to vehicles accommodating not more
2006 IBC Table 1607.1
than nine passengers, 3,000 pounds (13.35 kN) acting on an area
(1.92 kN/m2) of 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches (114 mm by 114 mm);
(2) for mechanical parking structures without slab or deck that are
used for storing passenger vehicles only, 2,250 pounds (10 kN)
per wheel.
50 psf Table R301.5, footnote (a): Elevated garage floors shall be
2006 IRC Table R301.5 capable of supporting a 2,000 pound (8.9 kN) load applied over a
(2.4 kN/m2) 20-square inch (129 cm2) area.
Table 4-1, footnote (a): Floors in garages or portions of a building
used for the storage of motor vehicles shall be designed for the
uniformly distributed live loads listed in Table 4-1 or the following
concentrated loads:
40 psf
ASCE/SEI 7- (1) for garages restricted to vehicles accommodating not more
Table 4-1
05 2 than nine passengers, 3,000 pounds (13.35 kN) acting on an area
(1.92 kN/m ) of 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches (114 mm by 114 mm);
(2) for mechanical parking structures without slab or deck that are
used for storing passenger vehicles only, 2,250 pounds (10 kN)
per wheel.
- Passenger cars: 2,480 pounds (11 kN)
- Vehicles not exceeding 7,936 pounds (3,600 kg): 4,047 pounds
Section / 50 psf (18 kN)
NBCC 2005 Section 4.1.5.10: The specified live load due to possible
Table 4.1.5.3 (2.4 kN/m )
2 concentrations of load resulting from the use of an area of floor or
roof shall not be less than that listed in Table 4.1.5.10. applied
over an area of 29.5 inches by 29.5 inches (750 mm by 750 mm)
located so as to cause maximum effects.

Weyerhaeuser, iLevel®, Microllam®, Parallam®, TimberStrand®, TJ-Beam®, TJ-Xpert®, and Trus Joist® are registered trademarks of Weyerhaeuser.
© 2008 Weyerhaeuser Company. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 3
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN
February 2008
Bulletin TB-105

Design Considerations
When checking concentrated loads, the uniform live load is removed and replaced with a single concentrated point
load to simulate a jack load. The majority of a vehicle's weight (80%) is in the engine. The concentrated load
provision of 40% of the gross vehicle weight contained in codes prior to 2003 stems from the weight of the engine
supported on two wheels. The minimum load of 2,000 lbs in the IRC is the equivalent of a 5,000-lb automobile. Sport
utility vehicles, passenger vans, and light trucks have increased in size each year. For example, a Chevrolet
Suburban weighs approximately 5,700 lbs, while a Ford Excursion weights 7,600 lbs. Because of these heavier
vehicles, the concentrated load of 3,000 lbs in the 2006 IBC and ASCE/SEI 7-05 is recommended. The designer
must ensure that the structure is capable of supporting loads that can be reasonably expected. In addition, the
condition of concentrated or uniform live load which produces the greatest stresses shall govern.
When checking concentrated load requirements, floor joists should be analyzed with as many concentrated loads as
are feasible for the garage, with one concentrated load used for each parking space. Depending on the joist layout
and support locations, it may be possible to have a single joist supporting two parking spaces. Concentrated loads
shall be located where they cause the worst stresses, and will change depending upon the design property. For
example, concentrated load locations for determining maximum bending moment will be different than those for
shear, bearing, and deflection.
iLevel® Structural Frame Software (SFS) employs safe-load checks for commercial products. The commercial
concentrated load provision (safe-load) in TJ-Beam® and TJ-Xpert® software assumes a single 1,000 lb concentrated
load acting over 2½ square feet, which does not comply with the live load requirements for garage floors. Therefore,
safe-load design employed by iLevel® SFS should not be relied upon to properly size and analyze garage floor joist
members.
Keep in mind that a garage floor may have a significant dead load associated with its design. The IBC and IRC have
provisions requiring that floor surfaces be made of a noncombustible material, and many times, the material of choice
may be a concrete topping layer. For more on floor surface requirements, see below.
It is important to use particular caution and judgment when designing garage floors. This is one application that will
regularly support full design live loads.
Finally, a directly applied ceiling will improve the bottom flange stability of garage floor members. If a ceiling finish is
directly fastened to the garage floor joists, it is important to strictly limit live-load deflection to minimize cracking in the
ceiling finish. Also, because of the long-term loads involved, the effects of creep must be considered. Comparably
speaking, TJI joists® have relatively low reaction and shear capacities, so using iLevel® Trus Joist® Microllam® LVL,
® ®
TimberStrand LSL, or Parallam PSL for garage floor framing members often provides a better solution.

Floor Surface Requirements

As mentioned above, garage floor parking surfaces must be made from noncombustible and nonabsorbent materials.
Many times, a concrete topping layer is used and can significantly add to the dead load of the floor system. Concrete
topping layers should be at least 3 inches thick and reinforced to prevent cracking due to cyclic wheel loads and
shrinkage.
IBC, Section 2304.12 addresses long-term loading of wood members. It requires that wood members supporting
concrete, masonry, or similar materials be checked for long-term loading using the provisions of the AF&PA NDS.
The total deflection, including the effects of long-term loading, shall be limited in accordance with Section 1604.3.1 for
these supported materials. One exception to Section 2304.12 is horizontal wood members supporting a masonry or
concrete nonstructural floor or roof surfacing not more than 4 inches thick (102 mm), which need not be checked for
long-term loading.

Weyerhaeuser, iLevel®, Microllam®, Parallam®, TimberStrand®, TJ-Beam®, TJ-Xpert®, and Trus Joist® are registered trademarks of Weyerhaeuser.
© 2008 Weyerhaeuser Company. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 3
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN
February 2008
Bulletin TB-105
Sheathing Requirements
In some regions it is not uncommon for builders to prefer building an elevated garage floor over wood framing rather
with a structural concrete slab. While the design of the support joist framing is relatively straightforward, the
calculations for garage flooring materials (wood structural panels covered by other materials) are more complex.
Historically, sheathing and panel industry associations have provided several systems that have been deemed to be
adequate in these applications. However, building code load requirements have significantly increased recently.
Therefore, it is iLevel's recommendation that users consult with a registered design professional to provide a site
specific design.

Additional Recommendations
Adequate ventilation, drainage, and detailing, particularly of the connection between the driveway and the garage, are
necessary to ensure that wood products remain dry. A waterproof membrane should be installed between the
sheathing and the concrete topping layer. In addition, provisions should be made for draining water that might collect
on top of the membrane. Moisture conditions above those at dry-service conditions will increase initial deflection,
increase creep deflection due to sustained loads, and reduce the strength of the wood (for more information on
moisture effects, see Technical Bulletin, TB-112).

CONTACT US ▪ 1.888.iLevel8 ▪ iLevel.com

Weyerhaeuser, iLevel®, Microllam®, Parallam®, TimberStrand®, TJ-Beam®, TJ-Xpert®, and Trus Joist® are registered trademarks of Weyerhaeuser.
© 2008 Weyerhaeuser Company. All rights reserved. Page 3 of 3