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In a proposed VB 2 story above grade building with F-1/B occupancies (non-separated and non-sprinklered), is the building limited to 1 story per Table 504.4? The main floor has half F-1, half B and the second story is B only. Most examples I see have occupancies where separation is called out in Table 508.4, but where separation is not required by the table do you simply say, “since the F-1 is not actually on the second story, it is allowed”? 2021 IBC and thanks for looking.
I apologies in advanced for what seems like the ramblings of a madman. NFPA turns my brain to mush and this is the result. I have a multistory R-2 building, 5 stories above grade sprinklered. From what I understand NFPA allows the entire floor to be considered an area of refuge if sprinklered. Does that mean 7.2.12 still needs to be followed for Areas of Refuge? When you get to 7.2.12.12: "...in other than a building that is protected..." The way I am interpreting this is that...
Thread 'Stair width requirement comment'
I am working on a base building plan for a future retail tenant, which includes two egress stairs and one elevator serving the 2nd floor. I received the following comment: "The egress width at the base of the rear stairs appears inadequate to support the occupant load from the 2nd floor, as well as the combined occupant loads of tenants 1-A and 1-B. Please demonstrate compliance and provide calculations (2018 VCC 1005.3.2, 1005.6)." My understanding is that I need to provide 0.2 inches of...
Thread 'Egress thru Intervening Space - toilet room lobby?'
Michigan building code 2015 I have a bank we are designing. There is the main bank area. Then a arched opening to a "back of house" area where the toilet rooms, mechanical and break room are located. Only one means of egress is required for the occupant load and travel distance. The exit door in the break room is just employee convienence. The owner wants to place a passage door separating the bank from the toilet rooms. This would not be locked. However i feel this triggers the...
Thread 'Doors in exit access corridors'
I've been doing it wrong for 50 years! In looking up the code trail for something, I happened to look (again, for about the ten thousandth time) at IBC section 1005.7.1, which applies to doors opening into exit access corridors. I don't know how many times I have read that section, but it's a lot. And I have always assumed doors flush with the corridor walls, so I viewed it as requiring that when a door is swung (almost) 180 degrees open, it can't rest more than 7 inches off the wall. And...
This came up as a permit comment, and there are some adjacent issues I'm looking for clarification on. IBC 2021. Section 704.9 requires that all fire rated columns have some form of impact protection applied to prevent forklifts, hand carts, pallet jacks, etc from hitting them and knocking off the fireproofing. That makes sense, but when we have fire barriers and fire walls in the same building that have overhead doors in them, I don't see anything requiring impact protection for those doors...
Thread 'NCBC 713.12 Shaft Enclosure Top'
Hi Everyone, Project is a 3 story, NFPA 13R sprinkled, Construction Type VB, R-2 Apartment in North Carolina. 5 total units sharing 1 stair. The stair is an exterior stair. During plan review the AHJ is saying this is a stair shaft and needs to be treated as such. We have a 1 hour fire barrier separating the stair from the dwelling units. The entire roof of the building is a 1 hour rated roof per UL P531. When plans were submitted I showed the 1 hour fire barrier stopping at the 1 hour...
If you have a (i-4) on the 1st floor of a 3 story, sprinklered, Type VB building with (B)'s on the 2nd and 3rd stories, is the floor rating 1 or 2 hours? Does this one apply.. https://up.codes/viewer/wisconsin/ibc-2015/chapter/5/general-building-heights-and-areas#508.4 or does this one apply... https://up.codes/viewer/wisconsin/ibc-2015/chapter/7/fire-and-smoke-protection-features#707.3.10
Guys, seeking wisdom from the mass here. One story strip mall reconstruction project in California. Interior ceiling spaces are mostly suspended ACT. A plan check comment came back asking "if the gypsum board ceiling is suspended, provide the manufacturer specifications for the T-bar support or provide a weight calculation that it's less than 4psf including the T-bar". Do you know where I can find specs for ACT suspended ceiling that would satisfy this? I can't go to Amstrong and ask for...
Hi all. We completed a new commercial retail building in PA that features two egress stairs as well as a LULA elevator in 2022. The building is two story (sales floor on the ground floor and admin offices in the second floor). After the building has been occupied for a year, we built a new communicating stair for the sales people to access the second floor offices. The communicating stair is not an egress component. The code inspectors agree with this. The bottom of the stair feeds into a...
IBC 2018 K-8 Elementary school addition -- classrooms and cafeteria I have a question regarding occupancy load for an elementary school cafeteria. I'm using the 15 net figure, and just calculating using the total SF of the cafeteria. The cafeteria has a pass-through / circulation space function, but otherwise is a dedicated dining space only (not a multi-use space). Am I able to subtract some amount of circulation space from the occupancy? The tables will always be set up in place, but I...
Is there a code that details how negative a commercial kitchen should be in relation to the dining room? Or if there's no code- what is ideal?
Still trying to figure out how TVs or furniture hanging on fire partitions affect their fire listing :-( Looking at UL263 reference in the UL site, the article "Loading of Test Specimens" refers: UL 263 requires the load applied to test samples to be based upon the limiting conditions of design as determined by nationally recognized structural design criteria. If I am reading this correctly, the UL263 tests of a 1 hr wall assembly have been carried out with the vertical loads allowed to...
What is the occupancy of a coffee roasting facility in California? Is it an F-1?
Michigan Building Code 2015. Vb construction fully fire suppressed. Apartments. We only need a 1/2 hour rating on the separation between corridor and apartment. We have an issue where they have installed the tub enclosure of the apartment on the corridor wall. There is no drywall behind it so only the corridor side has gyp. We are trying to use section 722 of calculated fire resistance that we can use 1 layer of 5/8" gyp board which has a 30 minute rating on the corridor side. That...
The proposed camp has platform tents with electrical and water, and communal type buildings (dining hall, clubhouse). Leaning towards IRC for tents but by definition the intended use is R-1.... other buildings should fall under assembly. Plans submitted are minimal at this point, trying to determine occupancy type(s) at this point. Possible issues with accessibility and fire protection. All feedback is appreciated.
Would someone be able to help me classify which type of building a commercial pavilion would be? I am putting together some guidelines for a 30 x 36 ft pavilion for a park but the language in the 2024 codes don't seem to include this type of structure. I am thinking A-2 or A-5 would apply, but the structures given as examples for these classifications are a bit more extreme than what I'm going for. People may eat at these pavilions (pre-prepared meals like sandwiches or snacks) but cooking...
50 CFM ceiling exhaust fan-4" duct in a wood framed-1 hr rated ceiling: What are people here doing to protect the penetration of the membrane? It seems to me a Fire Damper at the fan is required or encase the fan and duct all the way to the exterior with FR gyp bd. Any exceptions? the AHJ does not know at the moment.... All ducts are within the units, go horizontally directly to the exterior wall, and do not penetrate any fire partitions. The runs are under 20' Project is in NY state-...
I am working on a small cafe tenant improvement project being reviewed under the 2018 IBC and 2018 IEBC, project is in Minnesota. Previous use was a cafe serving coffee, tea, and smoothies. New use is a cafe serving coffee, tea, smoothies, and sandwiches. Both uses are considered A-2 restaurant occupancy. I'm attaching a pdf of the existing and proposed plan. The only work involved is new kitchen equipment, new finishes, and relocating one wall. I am considering this a Level 2 Alteration...
When calculating the net occupant load of a room the math almost never results in a whole number. In those cases do you round your math up or down? As an example, I do a lot of school work, and we typically try and keep classrooms under 1,000sf as to not require two exits and exit doors that have to swing in the direction of egress travel. But say you have a 985sf classroom with an occupant load factor of 1 person per 20sf. This works out to a calculated value of 49.25 people in that...
On a large lot with many multi-family buildings, where is the line between two buildings placed for determining fire separation distance? Must this line be equidistant to both buildings?
Thread 'Name That Violation - IBC Version'
Hint. It is less than 80" in height above the floor.
I'm currently working on the schematic design for a dental office in Tampa Florida. It has a small overall footprint @ 2,700 sf. Because of the tight site, we're looking at raising the office up to the second floor and floating it over a small parking lot below on Level 1. Also on Level 1 will be a small lobby, elevator and stair access to the floor above. Actual enclosed space on Level 1 will only be a few hundred square feet, so the aggregate area of the building will be around 3,000...
Hi there - I am in the process of opening a pickleball facility in 24800 sq ft warehouse in Massachusetts. I am going for a special permit as it is currently zoned industrial. There doesn't seem to be any reason why it wouldn't be granted I've been told. But I am told that I need to install showers due to the codes in MA. I notice that indoor batting cages & dance studios do not have them. Are the under a special code other than recreational? I would think mine is very similar to...
A client is asking me to investigate Code Requirements for sprinklers in a swimming pool pump room and provide sprinkler design. This is an open swimming pool, not covered. Applicable Codes are UFC/IBC/NFPA. I have not found any hints of a Code for a pool pump room requiring sprinklers. I cannot think of a reason to spend money on such a project. Is there anything I am missing? This is (obviously) a G project.
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