Dead Loads¶

The Dead Load module builds assemblies. An assembly is one building component, a roof, a floor, or a wall, listed as the materials it is made of. Each material carries its unit weight, and the assembly adds them up to a dead load in pounds per square foot (psf). Materials come from a library of more than 300 entries, from custom materials you create, or from a spreadsheet import.

Key Features¶

• One assembly per building component, each with a running total in psf
• A library of more than 300 materials in eleven categories, filtered as you type
• Custom materials, kept in the project or shared with every new project
• Bulk import from CSV, TSV, or rows pasted from a spreadsheet
• A module report listing every assembly and material

Adding the Module¶

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the structure name in the sidebar
2. Select Dead Load

The module opens straight into the Assembly Editor with one assembly, named Default Assembly. Rename it and start adding materials.

The Assembly Editor¶

The editor has the material library on the left and the assembly on the right.

Adding Materials to an Assembly¶

1. Type part of a material name in the search box, for example membrane or deck
2. Hover the library row. A + button appears at its right edge
3. Click +. The material drops into the assembly and the total updates
4. Repeat for each material, then click Save Assembly

Assemblies¶

Adding an Assembly¶

1. Click Add Assembly at the top of the module summary
2. Name the assembly
3. Add its materials from the library
4. Click Save Assembly

Name assemblies for the component they describe, such as "Typical Roof Load" or "Exterior Wall", so the report reads clearly.

Editing an Assembly¶

1. Click Edit Assembly next to the assembly in the summary
2. Remove a material with the trash button at the end of its row, add others from the library, drag rows by their handle to reorder them, or rename the assembly
3. Click Save Assembly

Deleting an Assembly¶

1. Click Edit Assembly to open the editor
2. Click Delete at the top right

Material Library¶

The built-in library holds more than 300 materials with their unit weights, organized by category:

• Ceilings
• Clay Masonry Walls
• Concrete Masonry Walls
• Coverings, Roof, and Wall
• Floor Fill
• Floors and Floor Finishes
• Floors and Walls, Wood Framing (Douglas Fir)
• Frame Partitions
• Frame Walls
• Solar Panels
• Vegetative Roofs

Custom materials add their own categories to the list, so a project's library can also show categories like Framing, Mechanical, or Roofing.

Custom Materials¶

Create a material for anything the library does not have: joists at a given spacing, a sprinkler allowance, a mechanical allowance.

1. Click + New Material in the editor
2. Category: type to search the existing categories, or type a new name to create one
3. Material Name: the name as it should read in the report
4. Weight: the unit weight in psf
5. Make available for new projects: check this to add the material to your organization's library, so it appears in every project created from now on. Leave it unchecked to keep the material in this project only
6. Click Create

Creating a material does not add it to the assembly. Set the filter to Custom Materials to find it, then click its + like any other row.

Importing Materials¶

Import a list of materials from a spreadsheet in four steps.

1. Import Data: click Import Materials in the editor, then upload a CSV, TSV, or text file, or paste rows copied from a spreadsheet into the text box. Click Continue
2. Preview and Configure: check the parsed rows. Prose detects the delimiter and treats the first row as a header; change either if your data differs. Click Next: Map Columns
3. Column Mapping: match your columns to Category, Component, Weight, and Unit. Columns with those names are mapped for you. The validation preview reports any row that cannot be imported. Click Import N Rows
4. Import Options: choose Make available for future projects to add the materials to your organization's library, or Store Locally Only to keep them in this project. Click Import N Materials, then Done

The imported materials appear in the library under Custom Materials, in the categories named in the data.

Required Columns¶

Sample Data¶

category,component,weight,unit
Roofing,Standing seam metal roof,1.5,psf
Roofing,Rigid insulation - 4 in.,1.2,psf
Mechanical,HVAC allowance,5,psf

Summary View¶

The module summary lists every assembly with its materials, each material's weight, and the Assembly Weight total. Edit Assembly beside each one reopens the editor. The same table prints in the report and appears under the structure in the Project Summary.

PDF Export¶

1. Click the Export PDF tab on the module page
2. Review the report in the viewer
3. Click the Save button in the viewer toolbar to save the PDF

The module report carries the project header, your company information, and every assembly with its materials and totals. The same pages appear in the project report exported from the Project Summary.

Deleting the Module¶

1. Hover the Dead Load entry under the structure in the sidebar and click its three-dot menu (⋮)
2. Select Delete Module
3. Confirm with Delete Dead Load

Best Practices¶

• Create one assembly per distinct component: roof, each floor type, each wall type
• Order materials as they occur in construction, top to bottom, so the report reads like a section
• Keep allowances for sprinklers, mechanical, electrical, and lighting as their own custom materials so they can be reused
• Compare the total against typical values for similar assemblies before using it

Code Reference¶

• ASCE 7 Section 3.1.1: Dead loads are the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into the building, including fixed service equipment
• ASCE 7 Section 3.1.2: The actual weights of materials and constructions are used, or values approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction where definite information is lacking
• ASCE 7 Section 4.3.2: Partition load of at least 15 psf, a live load
• ASCE 7 Commentary Table C3.1-1a (Table C3-1 in ASCE 7-10): Minimum design dead loads
• ASCE 7 Commentary Table C3.1-2 (Table C3-2 in ASCE 7-10): Minimum densities for design loads from materials

These commentary tables list typical values, and many of the library's defaults are based on them. Section 3.1.2 governs the weights you design with.