What is Floor Loading
Floor Loading can also known as the load that a floor of a unit or building may be able to carry or withstand when the load is distributed in a uniform manner. In Singapore, it is usually calculated in kilonewton per meter square or KN/m2. It is sometimes also known as live load.
For example, if the floor loading of a warehouse or factory unit is 10 KN/m2 or 10 Kilonewton per metre square, it means that every square meter of floor space is able to withstand 10 Kilonewton of load if the load is distributed in a uniform manner.
If you have heavier products or machines, higher floor loading may be required depending on the type of products or equipment. Factories or warehouses with higher specifications such as higher floor loading and incoming power supply will usually cost more in terms of construction cost due to the additional resources required.
Converting Kilonewton (KN) to Kilogram-force (Kgf)
If we were to convert 1 Kilonewton to Kilogram-force, we would get 101.9716 Kilogram-force. Therefore 10 Kilonewton will be equivalent to about 1019.716 Kilogram-force.
Spaces with Higher Floor Loading
Units on the ground floor usually have a higher floor loading than upper floor units. If you require an industrial space with higher floor loading, you may consider going for ground floor units. For example, the floor loading of a ground floor unit may be 20KN/m2 and 15KN/m2 for the upper levels. They may also be some buildings where the floor loading of the top floor units is the same as that of the ground floor units. Floor loading may vary for different industrial buildings and can range from anywhere around 5KN/m2 to 20KN/m2 depending on the specifications of the building.
Why Do We Need to Know The Floor Loading
For certain types of products or for some companies, especially if you intend to stack or rack up your items, you may need to do some planning so as not to exceed the maximum floor loading of the warehouse or factory unit. However, not every company would require such high floor loading and it really depends on the types of products or equipment that you plan to store or use within your industrial space.