/ Hub · IMC 312 · Loads
Load calculations fail when the envelope is fiction.
IMC 312 requires heating and cooling loads to be calculated. Florida humidity, glass, and ventilation makeup are where those calculations become comments — or change orders after the RTU is ordered.
What a defensible load file includes
- Envelope takeoff that matches the architectural drawings actually submitted
- Orientation, glass SHGC/U-factor, and shading that exist, not a generic Miami typical
- Occupancy and lighting that match the energy forms
- Outdoor-air and exhaust-makeup loads, not “infiltration covers it”
- Latent load in a climate where moisture, not just dry-bulb, sizes the coil
- Room-by-room or block loads consistent with how the system is actually zoned
- Method named: ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183 or an approved equivalent using IECC Chapter 3 [CE] design parameters (educational IMC 312)
- Equipment schedule capacity traces to the load file — same story as ventilation schedule and controls
Schedule without a load file
Oversizing short-cycles and humidity; undersizing is owner risk. Escalate unusual envelopes, large OA, kitchens, labs, humidity-sensitive occupancies, and existing buildings with unknown envelope.
Free working tools: HVAC load-calculation checklist (EN) · ES · Florida envelope compliance reference
Related: IMC 312 Daily Code Talk · Ventilation hub · HVAC vs construction type
Send the architectural set
Plans, elevations, and any energy forms already started. Masterbuild will say whether the next step is a load file, a full permit set, or a review of someone else’s calculation.
Send Project Background+1 (786) 398-6940 · osmany.portal@masterbuildconsulting.com
Masterbuild provides engineering services under a written scope. Nothing on this page is project-specific engineering advice, a code interpretation for your project, or a representation about permit approval.