Existing building, just a few years old, under the same code administered when it was originally constructed. 2 story, VB, NFPA 13, non-sep. mixed use B,M,S1,A2 (A2 most restrictive). 2 suites were left unfinished core shell spaces, main suite consistes of a small warehouse, offices, conference room. Proposal now to make one of the 2 unfinished units an apartment (they call it a "caretaker suite"). Does not work as a live-work due to the restrictions. A few questions for a meeting...
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I'm hoping to confirm my understanding that a vertical opening in a non-rated floor assembly that is only connecting two stories does not need to be a rated shaft assembly. The building is IIIB, Two stories, and sprinklered. Although per NCBC 717.6.3, I don't think it being sprinklered makes a difference. As long as we comply with #2 the walls around the mechanical shaft do not need to be rated. We comply with 712.1.9 but i don't know that this section applies because it says it pertains to...
2018 IBC w/ NC amendments
Are windows permitted on an interior wall of an exit passageway? The way I read section 1024.5, the answer is no. When I read the commentary, it appears that window assemblies tested as wall assemblies are be permitted.
Thanks
I need a scan or a photo of the section from BOCA 1970 (or some year as close to 1970 as possible) on Certificates of Occupancy. For 1970 it was section 120.1 -- the number might be different in other years. I have the language from my state's adopted version, but we revised that section and I need the BOCA model code language as a comparison.
If anyone has access to an unedited BOCA Basic Building Code from 1970 or thereabouts, please contact me -- or just post a scan of it here. I'm...
typically a Townhouse gypsum separation wall extends to the interior side of the exterior sheathing of the perpendicular exterior wall. Of course the exterior sheathing is fire rated and extends 4' to each side . My questions are...1. can the separation wall terminate into solid blocking within the wood framed exterior wall...solid 2 x 6's..rather than the back of the exterior sheathing. 2. If there is a gap between the separation and the exterior sheathing..1" or so..can that gap be filled...
Per Ch 29 of the IBC the prescribed distance to travel in a factory setting is 500 feet or approved distance by the AHJ. Is it the intent of the code to have the path completely indoors or can an exterior path comply as in a campus type setting?
Thanks!
New PEMB building, unconditioned, no utilities, used for storing grounds maintenance equipment storage. Curious about the different ways I see this classified?
So is there a reason why several of the entries (B, E, I, etc) do not have a dividing line between the male and female columns as do the A occupancies? I would think there would be a reason but the only thing that would make sense is that you do not divide the occupant load into 2 sexes which is not correct...any thoughts?
Thanks!
Massachusetts State Building Code 9 or 10th edition table 307.1 (1) MAQ hazardous material limits.
Need reference standard, code verse industry standard for calculating the quantity include the container full or empty.
Thank you
This may be a stupid question...
What do the dashes in table 508.4 means?
For example if you look at B to R is a dash, but R to B is a value (1 or 2)
Multifamily Project, 1-hour Wood I-Joist Floor Assemblies with a 1-hour rating:
I'm having trouble finding any ceiling radiation dampers for wood I-joist floors. It seems like they are only fire tested with wood truss floor assemblies. I'm not sure why this is. Anyone know why this might be and if there is a code acceptable path towards ceiling radiation damper in 1-hour I-joist assemblies? Or is this an AHJ question?
I recently observed a large apartment project in Florida, where the entire structural system was built out of cast-in-place reinforced concrete. What stood out was the method: large steel gang forms, resembling container boxes, were craned into position to create one apartment “box” at a time. Concrete was poured in place, allowed to cure, then the forms were stripped and moved to the next unit.
The end result looks like a stack of concrete boxes, side by side and then above, until the...
We are doing a partial alteration to a 4 story office building in Ohio in 2025. On the first floor there is a cafeteria and seating area. The cafeteria is set up like what you would find in a hospital. You enter the cafeteria from an atrium on the first floor, you have several options to grab food from food stations on a tray, and then check out at the cash register and proceed to sit down in the next room at a table and eat.
I am analyzing the occupant count for the entire building and...
CBC 420.4 Automatic Sprinkler System says:
Group R-2.1 occupancies shall be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.2.6.
But 903.2.6 says:
An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout buildings with a Group I fire area.
This makes no sense, that an R-2.1 occupancy would contain Group I fire area.
So my client asked the State Fire Marshal, and got the following response:
Based Table 504.3 an R-2.1 can be constructed with a...
South Dakota - where state rules allow quite a bit of commercial work before you are required by law to have an architect (SDCL 36-18A-9).
So we have an existing brick building with wood-frame interior from 1890 where the second floor is having a Level 3 alteration to reconfigure 3 apartments. It is not a change of use as there were 3 apartments before however this is a major gut and redo. The ground floor tenant space is a retail store, was originally a bank wayyy back when.
Ignore...
Working on a restaurant project in a Type-IA structure. We have a Pollution Control Unit (PCU) that's required to be within a 1-hour rated enclosure. There are some existing plumbing drain lines at the ceiling that run along one side of the room, but we are not allowed to have any pipes within our rated enclosure that do not serve the PCU. The building inspector said we can soffit around these pipes with a UL-listed/tested assembly.
I have been all over the USG, UL, and other sites (plus...
I would like to validate my interpretation of the Draftstopping requirements as they apply to this portion of the stated project and appreciate any effort towards this end.
Project Info: I-1 Condition 1 Occupancy, Type VB Construction, One Story w/ Ventilated Attic
Please refer to the image attached/below:
Red lines - Draftstopping required by 708.4.2; Item 2 (Corridor and Sleeping Unit Separation Fire Partitions)
Blue lines - Draftstopping omitted per by 708.4.2; Exception 2 (Corridor Fire...
City hall has single-accommodation restrooms. They want to install a lever handset than on the hallway side has a programmable combination lock, so that only users with the valid access code can enter the restroom, like this:
Problem is, when a person is using the restroom, they need another a privacy lock so that someone else who already knows the combo won't accidentally open the door on hapless user.
The city manager wants to add another deadbolt with a thumbturn on the restroom...
I have an existing building where the exit and exit discharge are the same component.
I'm doing an addition to the building against the existing exit discharge.
To deal with this I have created an exit passageway between the existing building and the addition, which basically moves the exit discharge to another location.
So what was an exit discharge in the existing building now becomes an exit access, and the exit access travel distance remains unchanged.
Does this sound code compliant so...
All, I'd like some help interpreting intermediate handrails when my occupant load would not require an intermediate handrail, but Commentary Figure 1014.9 wants us to provide handrails along the path of travel.
I have a Golf Clubhouse with 5 total exits and an occupant load of 290, non-sprinklered. All exits are accessible. Our main entrance has a ramp to the side and we want to keep our sidewalk 10-0" wide to give the grand affect. I'd like to go even wider to 16'-0" to match the width...
Hi All,
I've a project with renovating an existing 18 Stories historic high rise building under IEBC Alternation Level-2. However, the section about level-2 alternation from 2018 IEBC doesn't mention anything about smoke control. Does a new smoke control system still need? A tricky situation is that the building has an old exterior fire escape as part of the stairway and can't be considered as a smoke-proof enclosure. In this case, Is a stair pressurization system still needed? Thanks all.
Is a handrail required in the middle of a set of exterior 14' wide, 2-riser steps leading from a pedestrian way to a sidewalk? There are handrails on both ends.
This condition does not seemed to be governed by section 1014.9:
I am working on this interior space, where within this space it has 3 doors leading out: one through a pre-function room that is connected to the common corridor (the main entrance of the space), one directly to a stairs, and another to the back of the corridor that leads to a second stairs.
However, the existing exit doors of the "prefunction room" has limited load capacity. Since load egressing through intervening space is required to be added, using the main entrance as one of the...
I have been asked to inspect the firestopping in a 4-story, Type II-B university classroom building that is undergoing moderate renovation. Other than the stairwells, elevator shaft, an emergency electrical room and a BDA room, there are no rated walls in the building. Two new large vertical ducts start on the third floor and run through the fourth floor to the roof. The architect has required them to be enclosed in a 2-hour shaft (just on the fourth floor) AND has required fire dampers at...
In the sketch below, building 1 is a new, 2,100 small Type IIB food serving building with 8" cmu exterior walls, no openings, and a small overhang on the lower left corner. Buildings 2 and 3 are existing open air gathering places with about 4 to 5 feet overhangs. If I'm reading table 705.5 correctly, the walls of the new building need to be rated 1 hour, correct? If so, doesn't the block carry an inherent 1 hour rating and therefore I am OK?