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Thread 'Fire Separation Distance Between New and Existing Building with Windows'

Hi there! Recent grad, intern architect and second time poster. I'm working on a project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and am using the 2021 IBC and commentary. To say I'm a bit overwhelmed is an understatement. I have a conundrum (at least for me, hopefully not for you all). I've attached a picture to explain some of the options I've been exploring. I have a site that has a 0'-0" grade at the entrance on one side of an existing building, and a 17'-6" grade at the entrance on the opposite side of...

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Thread 'Mercantile vs Storage'

I have a 20K sf space. The company sells construction supplies. They have about 500 sf of office space, an area with a cashier's desk that is about 400 sf. The rest of the space is all warehouse. they use the warehouse for their stock, but it is not open to the public. The public is only allowed in the 400 sf area where they conduct the transaction. I have classified the space as S-1 with accessory business and mercantile use. They want to store more than the allowed flammable...

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Thread 'Technical report writing for inspectors'

Does anyone know of any online report writing classes for inspectors? Thanks Joe

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Thread 'Shared corridor between tenants'

Hey folks, I'm working on a commercial business project where there will be two tenants in the same building. The project will be infilling an existing shell space for a new tenant. Tenant #1 owns the building and has had free, unencumbered access to the two restrooms shown. They are leasing space to Tenant #2. As you can see, this will cause issues with access to each others' space. My thought is that each door (1, 2, and 3) will all need card readers and door hardware on timers with...

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Thread '6 Feet Ramps Either Side Landing'

I've got (2) 6 feet long ramps either side of a landing. The ramps are at 1:12 slope and therefore do not rise more than 6". No handrails required....correct?

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Thread 'Apartment Building Demising Wall Extension'

Hello, I have a question: I am designing a 3-story apartment building in Texas. See attached partial floor plan, in the middle of the building, where the demising wall (shown as gray thick dashed line) is located, there is a recessed area with one side opening to public sidewalk in the north. I made the exterior walls around the area fire rated but left the two 4 ft windows (each for the units on both sides) in the area not fire rated to save some cost. Do you guys think the city would be...

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Thread 'CBC 504.4 Number of Stories - TABLE 504.4 - ALLOWABLE NUMBER OF STORIES ABOVE GRADE PLANEa, b, n'

For example for Type V-B building, S (with area increase), occupancy A-1, when it says 1 stories above grade, does that mean it has to be on the ground floor? or does that mean it can be occupy 1 stories throughtout the whole high rise building?

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Thread 'Old code books'

Daughter works in the church office, they are doing spring cleaning and found these. Free for cost of postage. The ufas seems to have a 1985 date.

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Thread 'I really just need to know!'

I rent a commercial space in the sfv for my business. One of 12 small wearhouse/office buildings on the property. My unit is 1,200sf built in 1968 and has one store front door and one Rollup door which is a few feet next to the store front door. The store door opens into a reception type area(10x15 followed by restroom a small hall and a door opens into the main room. The roll up door opens into a (10x26) room that also stops with a door that also opens into the main room . The main room...

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Thread 'Business Use with Assembly Spaces and Accessory Use rules'

Thoughts on this scenario: Business use building, office use, with assembly areas (meeting rooms) within the office use. Assuming all of the meeting rooms meet this criteria: then the meeting rooms would never be classified as assembly use. But how many meeting rooms can I have? What if 1/3 or 1/2 of the space is meeting rooms, but each individual room has an occupant load of less than 50? Then each room stays as a group B occupancy, but does this create a complication if 1/2 the space is...

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Thread 'PTAC/PTHP on a FRR Exterior Wall'

Should these be included in the maximum openings percentages in Table 705.8 or are they treated as ducts and air transfer openings per 705.10?

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Thread 'New Definition Approved Today LANDING at ICC Code Hearings'

Add new definition as follows: LANDING. The portion of a walking surface required for direct access to or from an adjacent, door, stair, flight of stairs, ramp run, or elevator. The newly approved code change clarifies the distinction between a landing and a floor within the IBC and IFC. This change defines a landing as the specific portion of a walking surface needed to transition safely on stairs, ramps, or at doorways, distinct from the broader term floor. Previously, the code used...

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Thread 'Exit Through Intervening Space'

Opinions please on whether the arrangement below is compliant. This is the back of house plan of a food service establishment that uses real firewood for some cooking. The wood is stored in stacks in the Utility area. The door circled in orange out of the Kitchen is not a required exit but I would like to treat it as an exit. The Utility area is under roof but open to the atmosphere at the left end as it is closed off with a chain link fence with gate. My question is: are the exit paths in...

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Thread 'Landing at Base of Ramps'

I know ramp landings need to be 60" x 60" minimum, but I thought I saw a code section that says landings at the base of a ramp need to be 72". Am I hallucinating?

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Thread 'Can I simply add fire ratings ?'

While protecting columns, can we simply add fire ratings achieved by different rating methods? I mean, if we have a column with 1 hour of fire rating based on vermiculite or intumescent paint and we enclose it in gypsum boards calculated for say 1 hour, do we get a two hours fire rating on the column?

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Thread 'Extents for fire protection of structural framing at fire barriers'

Per 707.5.1 (IBC 2021), any structural framing supporting a fire barrier needs to be fire rated to match the rating of the fire barrier. How far past the wall does that need to extend? Say I have a fire barrier running a long a column line, would I just need to protect the steel along that line, or would I need to go 1 bay back from it as well to leave some fire protected steel to support the steel supporting the wall? Logically a single unbraced line of steel doesn't seem to offer much...

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Thread 'IBC Art. 903.2.1.5 - sprinklers in A-5 accessory use areas >1,000 sqft'

According to art. 903.2.1.5: "Group A-5. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided for all enclosed Group A-5 accessory use areas in excess of 1,000 square feet (93 m2)." Does this refer to the aggregate area, or standalone fire areas of 1,000 square feet? In an outdoor swimming pool installation I have 900 square feet of storage on ground level some 20 feet away from the pool water surface, and another 500 square feet at 10 feet below that , separated by a concrete slab. Both areas...

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Thread 'Single Exits - 2020 BCNYS Sec. 1006.3'

Hello All, Long time reader, first time posting. I am currently reviewing a proposed house of worship (A-3) under the 2020 Building Code of New York State. This is in reference to the second story of the assembly space - see below. The occupant load of the second story is 46 and the common path of egress travel is 73’-10”. Per Section 1006.3.3 Single Exits. A single exit or access to a single exit shall be permitted from any story or occupied roof where one of the following conditions...

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Thread 'How to inspect balcony framing through soffit vent?'

Many of you know that California Health and Safety code requires inspection of balcony framing every 6 years. The industry has responded by designing soffit vents with removeable covers, however, these are much more expensive than a typical fixed mesh soffit vent. Do any of you know if it is possible to inspect balcony framing via a borescope or endoscope poking through soffit vent fixed screening?

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Thread 'Can the Kiosk standing space overlap Travel Path in NYC Building Code?'

Can the kiosk standing space overlap the travel path in NYC building code? I've done some work for an architect who always wanted to avoid this, but I was looking in the 2022 NYC building code to see if I could find anything about this. Some of my colleagues have said that if there is a fire, there is not going to be anyone there so it is not an issue but I was trying to find out if there is anywhere in the code where they say this is allowed. It just says that the travel path cant have any...

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Thread 'Double fire wall opening protective t716.1(2)'

For a double fire wall, per the 2021 IBC and 2021 NFPA 221. Given a required 2-hr fire wall, with the option to construct 2 1-hr walls. A proposal for 2 1-hr walls constructed so that their is a single opening not supported by either wall so that either wall could collapse and the door would remain. 2021 IBC t716.1(2) incudes a new line for NFPA 221 fire walls, which indicates a single opening protective of 1-hr. This is a deviation from NFPA 221 which does not contain opening...

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Thread 'Country Club in Wisconsin 2015 IBC'

We're doing an addition to a country club in Wisconsin. 99% of our projects are workplace interiors, so I'm not very familiar with the country club occupancy classification for my plumbing calcs. So, from table 2902.1, I'm looking at A-2 (restaurants, banquet halls, etc.) which asks for 1 WC per 75 occs. each gender. instead of the above category (bars, taverns, dance halls, etc.). Which requires 1 WC per 40 occupants. But I'm questioning myself. Is A-2 (restaurants, banquet halls the...

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Thread 'IBC 2021, Table 721.1(2)'

Are there visual wall designs to go with the verbiage designs? I've got to relay this information to the novice builder!

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Thread 'Marina Comfort Station - Occupancy Classification?'

I'm having a tough time determining the occupancy classification of a new free-standing comfort station at a county park marina. The building has (1) male and (1) female multi-user toilet room with (2) showers each and a family use toilet room. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks.

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Thread 'IBC exterior deck'

2018 IBC. I have a design using the IBC for a residential deck. It is woefully short on details. Some are pretty easy to call using the IBC, others not so much. Why they chose to do this is a bit of a mystery, but it is their choice. One thing I don't see is any specific requirement for lateral load support specific to exterior decks. IBC 1604.9 says the lateral force resisting system must meet the code and ASCE-7. The engineer has not specified any specific lateral load resistance...

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