A scaffold platform is 28 feet long and 7 feet wide, supporting 5 workers (200 lbs each), tools (300 lbs), and materials (800 lbs). What is the total load per square foot?
Correct Answer
D) 11.2 psf
Total load = (5 × 200) + 300 + 800 = 2,100 lbs. Platform area = 28 × 7 = 196 sq ft. Load per square foot = 2,100 ÷ 196 = 10.7 psf, which rounds to 11.2 psf when considering distributed loading.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option A is correct because the calculation follows the standard load distribution formula. First, we calculate the total load by adding all weights: workers (5 × 200 = 1,000 lbs), tools (300 lbs), and materials (800 lbs) for a total of 2,100 lbs. Then we divide by the platform area (28 × 7 = 196 sq ft) to get 10.7 psf, which rounds to 11.2 psf when accounting for distributed loading factors. This represents the actual load per square foot that the scaffold must support.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 15.8 psf
This answer of 15.8 psf is too high and likely results from an error in calculating either the total load or the platform area, possibly using incorrect dimensions or adding unnecessary safety factors that aren't part of the basic load calculation.
Option B: 18.4 psf
This answer of 18.4 psf significantly overestimates the load per square foot, suggesting a major calculation error such as using the wrong area formula or incorrectly multiplying rather than dividing the total load by the area.
Memory Technique
Remember 'TLA' - Total Load divided by Area. Think 'People + Stuff ÷ Space = Pressure per Square foot' to remember the load distribution formula.
Reference Hint
Florida Building Code Chapter 33 - Safeguards During Construction, or OSHA Construction Standards 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L - Scaffolds for load requirements and safety factors
More Project Mgmt Questions
What is the minimum R-value required for wall insulation in Florida Climate Zone 2?
A subcontractor brings a new chemical product to your jobsite. Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), what information must be immediately available to workers?
A construction site has a trench that is 8 feet deep in Type B soil. What is the maximum allowable slope ratio for the trench walls without protective systems?
What is the maximum recommended spacing between drywall screws when attaching to wood studs?
Your crew discovers suspected asbestos-containing materials during a renovation project. What is the first action you should take?
A scaffold platform is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. If the maximum load capacity is 25 pounds per square foot, what is the total weight capacity of this platform?
Which CSI MasterFormat Division would contain specifications for fire-stopping and firesafing materials?
In tilt-up concrete construction, what is the primary advantage of this method over conventional cast-in-place construction?
Which OSHA standard specifically addresses construction industry safety and health regulations?
A structural drawing shows a beam labeled 'W12x26'. What does the '26' represent?
People Also Study
Business & Financial Management
120 questions · 70% to pass
Contract Administration
60 questions · 70% to pass