Enough is Enough: A novel assessment of imposed loads in offices

The Tuesday Group is proud to present one of the construction sectors leading voices in sustainable construction for a lunchtime online CPD talk discussing his most recent work on imposed loads and buildings. His work focuses on radically reducing embodied carbon through innovative design, reuse of materials, and evidence-based engineering.

It’s an open secret that codified imposed floor loads for buildings are largely based on historical precedent, rather than robust statistics or real-world data. The most significant surveys of real office loading were undertaken in the 70s and 80s, and found little evidence of design values ever being reached, even in unusual circumstances. Office use has evolved since then, with the move to digitalisation, lightweight computer hardware, open-plan layouts, and remote working, yet the loads used by today’s designers typically exceed minimum codified values, driven instead by market expectations, or the perception of increased flexibility. Although the appropriate balance between safe conservatism and structural efficiency has long been debated, the climate emergency gives this a renewed focus, particularly given the importance of imposed loads in the reuse and adaptation of existing structures.

The project responds to the absence of up-to-date data on office floor loadings, aiming to establish realistic, evidence-led values. It introduces a virtual sampling method, using Monte Carlo analysis to assess load distributions across varied office layouts, furniture types, occupancy patterns, and rare loading scenarios, all informed by physical surveys. The resulting dataset supports statistical analysis of load characteristics and recurrence, highlighting key design and usage factors, and advancing reliability-based structural design.

About the speaker:

Will Hawkins, MIStructE MEng PhD - Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Bath

His work focuses on radically reducing embodied carbon through innovative design, reuse of materials, and evidence-based engineering. In 2025, he was awarded the Derrington Construction Award Medal by the Institution of Structural Engineers for his groundbreaking paper on regenerative design. Holistic regenerative design: the Common House by Common Practice - The Institution of Structural Engineers

Will’s current research challenges outdated assumptions in building design—such as imposed floor loads—and introduces data-driven methods to improve efficiency and sustainability. His projects blend advanced analysis with real-world impact, offering fresh insights into how we can build smarter, lighter, and greener.

We look forward to seeing you online!