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I'm designing a 12,600 sf 1 story commercial building. Half will be "B" (offices) and half will be "S1" (Mod. Hazard storage). The way I'm reading the IBC, the building would only need a sprinkler system if the S1 use was over 12,000 sf total. But given that the S1 area is half that, I believe that it doesn't need a sprinkler system. Is this correct? Also, given the different use groups, do I need to provide a 1 or 2 hour rated wall between "B" and "S1"? I'm thinking yes? Thanks for...
A 1 or 2 hour rated wall on a slab on grade, is the base of the wall supposed to be fire caulked if the drywall is tight to the floor? IBC 2022. there are bottom of wall fire resistive joint systems that show a gap in drywall that is filled with caulk but ive never specified it this way, only at top of walls or other locations that have a legitimate gap in construction. I have seen UL wall assemblies that show an optional sealant at the base but no fire caulk specified. I have a builder...
I getting involved with projects that are designing airport traffic control towers around the country. I know this type of building is modified under chapter 4 of the IBC for special detailed requirements. For 412.2 IBC 2021, there is a paragraph, and associated table (412.2.1.1; other editions have similar requirements) that specifies the type of construction that the tower will need to comply with based on the height to cab floor. For a a tower with a cab floor height of 87 feet, this...
Thread 'Firestopping details in plan set'
I have a general question regarding firestopping details, and how much detailed information architecture firms are typically including in their plan sets. Up until this month, the firm I'm with had a staffer who was involved almost exclusively with firestopping -- we relied on this person heavily for her expertise. With her input, we had been including the 8 1/2 x 11 pdfs of UL # details for project specific penetrations, opening treatments, etc. -- and we've been importing them into our...
Hi all, I have an existing 2 story building, where the first floor was a bar. New owner wants to convert the second floor to extend seating upstairs. First floor is 1,000 SF with 47 occupant load and has 2 exits. Internal stairs lead to the second floor which is 800 SF and would have 48 occupants (or less). There is an exterior door on the second level that leads to a 200 sf balcony with stairs that go down to ground level. Does the use of the exterior stair qualify as the level of...
I am doing plan review for a fire alarm system that is being installed in a R2 NFPA 13R sprinklered triplex. I am guessing that they are only installing the FACU because of the need to monitor the sprinkler system. The FACU is going to be installed the riser room and includes the following: a flow sensor, smoke detector, a pull station. I am new to reviewing this stuff because the fire dept did this in my last job. Questions: Is it OK to have just this one pull station, or do they need pull...
I know this has been discussed many times but I feel like meeting the code in this particular instance results in a worse outcome. This is about the handrail extension at the bottom of a flight of stairs. This is an interior exit stair at the ground floor. The recessed door was necessary because we couldn't swing the door out over a public sidewalk. The code says to provide the handrail extension in red. I'd like to do the extension in blue that turns the horizontal portion of the extension...
Where am I going wrong, or am I? Given: Type IIB, 2 story, A4 For allowable area calculations with frontage using the 2018 IBC: First is frontage using 506.3.3, equation 5-5 If= [ F/P-.25 ] W/30 If= [ (604/7980)-.25 ]30/30 If= [ .756 - .25 ] 1 If= .506 * 1 If= .506 Next is allowable area using 506.2.3, equation 5-2 Aa= [At + (NS * If) * Sa Aa= [28,500 + (9,500 * .506)] *2 Aa= [28,500 + 4,807] *2 Aa= 33,307 * 2 Aa= 66,614 (total of floors) or 33,307 per floor Now, same building using...
I have a school project under construction with one of the learning stairs that are all the rage in schools now. My detail consists of cold form metal framing with a ¾” T&G structural concrete panel floor. On top of the concrete panel I call for a continuous layer of ¾” fire treated plywood sub-flooring to act at a nailing surface for a ¾” hardwood flooring finish. I have used this detail on numerous school projects without issue until now. The FT plywood has been installed and in a...
Simple question - maybe? For one-hour horizontal floor/ceiling assembly with type x 5/8” gyp bd on ceiling side of assembly – where miscellaneous fasteners are screwed into type x gypsum board/metal stud to attach strapping for ductwork or hanging fire suppression piping– what is needed (if anything) at these fastener locations to maintain assembly rating? And where can this info be found in IBC or other - to have as reference? Fastener type and install by associated trade. For commercial...
Thread 'Egress Issue?  I don't think so... but?'
Designed a 6 unit R-2 Building, two units per floor split down the middle with a stair accessible to both units on every floor, front and back - BASIC. Inside the front door of each unit is a small area with a coat closet directly in front of you, 4'-6" away from the entry door; the coat closet door and the unit entry door walls are parallel. Coat closet door is 2'-8" wide, entry door is 3' wide. 3rd party code review says the coat closet MAY impede egress. 1- difficult to respond to a...
Does a patio canopy need to be rated (soffit and beams above/columns supporting) in an I-2, Condition 1, VA? TAble 601 states all primary structural members and 704.10 talks about structural members in the exterior wall or ON THE OUTSIDE OF A BUILDING/STRUCTURE. I have a hip roof all around this one-story building and the front and back patios have gable trusses that sit on the main room and then extend out over the patios/walk entrance. To rate or not to rate?
I'm needing a UL rating for a 2 hour metal stud wall that will be built in a PEMB, perpendicular to the roof purlins. I have one building that has an S-1 occupancy on one end with a B occupancy in the remaining building. The 2018 IBC is requiring a 2 hour fire barrier wall, separating the 2 occupancies. I can find 1 hour details, such as HW-D-0489 but none that show 2 hour. What do you suggest? Maybe there is a "work around" I'm unaware of. The S-1 area is 1,230 sf, the B occupancy...
I'm currently design a 1 story building with all the rooftop equipment located in a louvered mechanical yard at the center of the rectangular footprint, far from the building edge. Would I be smart to still add a 30"-36" parapet all around or is that not necessary in this case? I'd prefer not to. Thoughts? Thank you.
I'm reviewing plans for a major addition to a large trucking company terminal building. They will be basically doubling the size of the existing terminal. The existing terminal has 60 truck bays, the addition will add another 40. The plans show parking spaces at one end of the terminal for twenty (20) fork lifts, with what appears to be thirteen (13) charging stations, plus one spare circuit. The fork lift parking and charging area is all in one end of the open (indoor) terminal building...
We are planning the renovation of a number of existing fire stations. The renovations very from minor interior changes to more major additions. Per current Ohio building code, fire stations are essential facilities and that all NEW stations are required to have a tornado shelter. The question is, at what point does a renovation of a existing facility trigger the addition of a shelter? My thinking is that a level 3 alteration of more than 50% would require a shelter but that level 1...
Hello, We are owner's rep to a school district and their architect is calling for two of the buildings to be type II-A, the other building is Type II-B. The owner wants them all to be Type II-B. I am far from a code expert so am hoping I can get some help here. How can we get these two buildings to be classified as type II-B? They are two story, non-compustable structure, sprinklered. About 60,000 sqft each. IBC 2024. Any direction you can provide is appreciated! thank you
Thread 'Stockroom Egress Pathway Separation'
Has anyone come across an easy and cost effective solution to create pathways compliant with 1014.2 exception 2.4 thorugh a stockroom adjacent to an M occupancy? This is an interesting situation - we had an existing warehouse that was used mostly as an M but also as an S; the tenant operates a rental business for event furniture and equipment (chairs, tables, etc.). They wanted to create a dedicated retail storefront area in the front of their tenant space (bottom left 2,024 SF)...
In a fully sprinklered building with MNS, I have a corridor a 125 cm wide corridor, with three steps in the middle, connecting two levels with a small elevation difference. I am calculating the capacity at 0.15 inch (3.8 mm) per person. Do the three steps require adjusting the capacity factor to 0.2 inch (5.1 mm) use for stairways? If yes, I should replace the steps with a ramp. Where do we stop counting steps as "means of egress components other than stairways" from IBC ed 2021, 1005.3.2 ?
I have an I-2, Condition 1, Type VA memory care facility that I am working on. Section 407.3 talks about corridor walls can be smoke partitions in accordance with 710 unless required elsewhere in the code. My plan has units along the exterior perimeter of the building with common spaces on the interior and the corridor makes a rectangle. We are bearing on the unit/corridor wall so that wall is rated as required by Type VA. The other corridor wall is separating amenities such as beauty...
I am reviewing a project that has four separate Type II-B F-1 occupancy buildings and a single Type V-B U occupancy building on the same single lot. All the buildings are detached from each other, but also close enough to each other that imaginary lot lines would need to be considered between the buildings unless IBC 705.3 exception no. 1 is used. The designer does want to look to IBC 705.3 excep. 1 to treat all five buildings effectively as a single building, but then wants to take it a...
Has anyone provided a sliding door assembly that is egress compliant when it's the egress door from a balcony to a hotel guestroom? I have used a lift and slide before, but wondering if there are other mfrs to look at as well. I understand water performance is an issue, but if there's one that stands out among the sliding doors . . .
Hello to All. Doing a plan review of a new construction college residence hall, [R-2]. Designer has used the exception in the FCNYS D105.1 to avoid having to have aerial fire apparatus access road. The exception states in part ... and having fire fighter access through an enclosed stairway with a Class I Standpipe, in conformance with NFPA 14, from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to all roof surfaces. Designer shows access to the roof via an enclosed 2-hour rated...
Thread 'Looking for corridor duct exception in current code'
The old 2001 IBC CBC had this exception for duct penetrations into corridor walls. I cn't seem to find where this exception migrated into the current code, or if it is still allowed:
I am referencing the 2021 IBC as adopted in Maryland. In Type IIB construction, primary structural members such as columns and beams are not required to be fire-resistance rated per Table 601, unless another code provision—such as proximity to property lines, occupancy separations, or specific use conditions—requires otherwise. Did I interpret correctly? Thanks,
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