Building Code Glossary
Factored Load: Building Code Definition
How the IBC 2009 define factored load, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Factored load is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Structural Design. The code's own words are: “The product ofa nominal load and a load factor.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IBC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 4 chapters of this corpus, most often in Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009), Structural Design (IBC 2009), Masonry (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Factored Load — IBC 2009, Structural Design:
The product ofa nominal load and a load factor.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Factored Load is defined once in this corpus, in the Structural Design chapter of the International Building Code (IBC) 2009:
The product ofa nominal load and a load factor.
Where factored load is used in the code
The term appears in 4 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Glass and Glazing | IBC 2009 | 14 |
| Structural Design | IBC 2009 | 9 |
| Masonry | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IBC 2009 | 1 |
Factored Load compared with Design Strength
These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 46 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.
| Wording unique to it | |
|---|---|
| Factored Load (IBC 2009) | ofa, load |
| Design Strength (IBC 2009) | strength, resistance, reduction |
Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between factored load and design strength.
The terms factored load is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what factored load covers:
- Load Factor — IBC 2009: A factor that accounts for deviations of the actual load from the nominalload, for uncertainties in the analysis that transforms the load into a load effect, and for the probability that more than one extreme load will occur simultaneously.
Factored Load: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Structural Design | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Glass and Glazing (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Design (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Masonry (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Load Factor | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Load Factor: Building Code Definition
- Design Flood Elevation: Building Code Definition
- Loads: Building Code Definition
- Seismic Design Category: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of factored load?
The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Structural Design as: “The product ofa nominal load and a load factor.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on factored load?
In this corpus the term is used across 4 chapters, led by Glass and Glazing in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is a factored load?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Structural Design: “The product ofa nominal load and a load factor.” It is defined in IBC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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