To determine the occupant load for a building that contains two or more distinct occupancies, the total occupant load for the building is determined by calculating the occupant load of:

• A. the occupancy that is the largest in square footage.
• B. the occupancy that has the highest degree of hazard.
• C. the occupancy that has the greatest means of egress.
• D. each occupancy separately and then adding them together.

Answer: (D)

When a building has multiple distinct occupancies, the total occupant load is found by calculating the occupant load for each occupancy separately using its own per-square-foot factor, and then adding those loads together. This reflects that different spaces can be occupied simultaneously, and each space’s design requirements (egress, fire protection, safety) depend on how many people it could hold.

So, determine how many people each occupancy could have based on its area and its specific load factor, then sum those results. This approach ensures the total accounts for all spaces, not just the largest area or the space with the highest hazard or greatest egress, which could lead to underestimating the total number of occupants.