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Thread 'Coolers in Exitway?'

The exit pathways in the sketch below run either side of a kitchen in a commercial restaurant and discharge to the exterior. Wouldn't adding beverage coolers on both sides of a portion of the exit way make that portion an extension of the Kitchen thus violating the prohibition of exiting thru a kitchen?

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Thread 'CAH1 Group B Guard Infill Loads'

This cycle I am currently working on an infill load being added to the model codes, IRC & IBC, and are hoping to gain some feedback from for those of you here on the forum. The proposals are S80-25 IBC Section 1607.9 RB53-25 IRC Section Table R301.5 Besides the information in the monograph, we have a webpage with more detailed and up to date information, which will be being updated through the entire code cycle for these proposals. https://railingcodes.com/icc-2025-group-b/ Looking...

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Thread 'ENT used as a low voltage cable sleeve?'

Does anyone know of a listed assembly when electrical non-metallic tubing (smurf tubing) is used as a through penetration sleeve for low voltage wires in a one hour wood framed wall assembly? The sleeve sizes are 1, 2, and 3 inches.

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Thread 'Door Classifications & Sizing in IBC'

Are there door classifications for the International Building code? We do a lot of projects in New York city & we list the doors as class1 or class2, etc. Does the International Building Code have a similar classification? I could not find anything, or maybe I need to look at the IFC code? Also is there an Egress capacity calculation for each door. In NYC we use 0.2" per occupant.

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Thread 'Equipment platform?'

Any thoughts on whether or not a wood framed equipment platform is allowed in a IIB building? What about a wood structure that stuff hangs off of? 505.3 Equipment platforms in buildings shall not be considered as a portion of the floor below. Such equipment platforms shall not contribute to either the building area or the number of stories as regulated by Section 503.1. The area of the equipment platform shall not be included in determining the fire area in accordance with Section 903...

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Thread 'Demising Wall in Existing 1 story building Questions'

I'm working on a commercial TI project in an existing 9,000sf 1 story building with a gable roof. There is an attic space above with wood trusses. There are vented eaves and an open ridge with 4" shingle over ridge vent. Currently, there is a single tenant in the space and the plan is to subdivide the building into two tenant spaces and a new 1 hour demising wall will be provided. The wall will need to go up into the attic space up to the sloping roof sheathing. Do I need to do anything...

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Thread 'Multi Story area with Stacked Mezzanines'

We have a 2 story UL area building with a set of mezzanines in an open room. Its set up with a ground floor/ mezzanine / second floor / second mezzanine. We need the floor to be a floor as it has enclosed offices & restrooms How would you count the area of the area per 505.2.1 - IBC 2021 This is all one room / space. IBC 505.2.1 stats that is the floor area of the room / space in which its located. My interpretation is (GROUND FLOOR + SECOND FLOOR) / (GROUND FLOOR MEZZANINE / SECOND...

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Thread 'Using Prescriptive Fire Resistance (CH 7) to Design Fire-rated Assemblies'

I am an architect in Indiana. I am working on a 12,000 SF +/- type V-A church project. The owner does not want to install a sprinkler. Indiana is presently governed by the 2012 IBC with Indiana amendments. Indiana has an amendment which allows for a fire area to be up to 7,000 regardless of occupant load, so I broke the building into three wings (Fellowship, Sanctuary, and Education), which are separated by a 2-hour fire barrier to create three separate compliant Fire Areas. Although...

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Thread 'Partially sprinklered school'

IBC 2018 Illinois location K-12, Group "E" Type IIB construction of new addition Two-story building addition, 10,500 SF / floor New addition to be fully sprinklered. Existing school buildings are not sprinklered -- one is type IIB, one is type VB. School addition is to be placed between two existing and separate campus buildings. Each existing building is between 10 and 30 feet of separation, but will be connected by small new corridor "connectors". Given the size of the new floors, I...

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Thread 'Group S - 1 or Group - U for a metal-covered open storage structure?'

How do I classify a 20 feet high , 4,000 square foot, metal-covered open storage structure? Group S-1 or U? It will have uninsulated metal roof panels, exposed steel columns, and uninsulated metal wall panels on the north and west sides, with loading access from the south and east sides. It is intended for storage of items that can be exposed to the weather. Can I consider it a shed, thus go for Group U, or not?

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Thread 'Daycare Center_Outdoor play area requirement'

Hi, This project is in Anaheim, California. We are working on Tenant Improvement for day care center required to have Conditional Use Permit. Our occupany load is 45 children and 4 employees. When we designate the area for outdoor play, do we require 45 x 75sqf = 3,375sqf or Can we have a shift plan for outdoor activity spliting the kids group into 3, 15x75sqf= 1,125sqf Thank you!

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Thread 'Change of Occupancy R-1 to R-2'

I have an existing old motel building that a non-profit is renovating and changing from an R-1 to an R-2 to provide affordable housing using federally funded dollars. We are a VB Construction, 8,962 sf total, single story. We will be adding a sprinkler system (NFPA 13R). Some units will be getting new flooring if they haven't been updated already. All units will be getting a small kitchenette to include small sink, fridge, and stove. (see attached plan) I have a few questions: 1. Along...

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Thread 'Mixed Occupancy F-1, A-3, B, sprinklered, IIB, Non-separated'

I have an existing F-1/B building that is partially sprinklered (currently separated with a 3-hr fire barrier). Total 36,370sf. We are going to sprinkler the whole building as we technically have a COO in expanding F-1 into the current non-sprinklered portion of the building that is open space. There is office space that is also getting expanded into the leftover open space (B). They want to add a large break room that is most likely going to be more than 750sf or 50 persons. I have a...

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Thread 'Stair(s) to Roof - Structure with Firewalls'

4 story building divided by Firewall to meet area limitations IBC 2018 1011.12 Stairway to roof. Requires a stairway for roof access Due to the Firewall this would technically be two buildings would it require a stair from each side of the firewall to extend to the roof? or is it acceptable to have only a stair on one side of firewall access roof.?

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Thread 'School Kitchen Occupancy Group'

IBC 2018 Project: K-12 school addition, including new cafeteria and kitchen This'll be an easy one, but I've managed to confuse myself. Could someone point me to where K-12 kitchens are classified? I understand that the cafeteria is an "E" -- unsure about the kitchen. Our proposed kitchen is about 2800 SF on a total floor level area of about 10,000 SF. Thanks in advance.

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Thread '2 exit stairs required?'

I’m designing a 2,900 SF 2 story sprinklered building in Florida that has a dentist office on Level 2 and an open parking lot below. There is an elevator and stair leading up to the office on the north side. I have a second exit stair leading down to grade on the south side of the building. I’m posting this to see if you all agree I need this second stair. The occupant load is 20 and if I were to remove the second stair and only use the first stair for emergency egress, the maximum...

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Thread 'Fitout years later, toilet rooms required for shell prior to fitout?'

I'm working on a project in Delaware and the client plans to build the core and shell and fit-out the building a few year later when they have more money. They will be the sole occupant so there will be no other tenants. The core and shell will include the exterior assemblies, main electrical rooms, one tele data room to support cameras, egress stairs, and elevator hoist ways (no elevators installed). The question is since this will be sitting empty for years and they will not be using it...

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Thread 'Are Fire Alarms Required in a Level 2 Alteration?'

Is a new fire alarm system required in a existing suite / building undergoing a minor alteration? The building is fully sprinklered, but there's no fire alarm other than what's required by IFC/CFC 903.4. We searched every room and didn't find a single strobe, smoke detector, or anything fire alarm related. Alterations are relatively minor, so the tenant understandably doesn't want to spend more money on a new alarm system than the alteration. Project is in a medical office suite, Group B...

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Thread 'Separated/Nonseparated Occupancy Floors in Same Building'

The 2021 IBC commentary on 506.2.2 Mixed-Occupancy Buildings, Example 3 on Page 5-20, works through a four-story building which has different types of mixed occupancy on the different floors. I worked through this example then read the commentary and disagreed with their conclusion that the third floor can be considered nonseparated occupancy. In their analysis they only discuss the allowable areas but don’t discuss allowable number of stories, I think the third floor should be separated...

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Thread 'Zoo Egress Code - The Lion Enclosure'

I just wrapped-up a meeting with an architect and a zookeeper. Where the zookeeper is wanting to violate every egress code there is :) There are 3 swinging man doors entering a Lion enclosure. Inside this enclosure there are 6 separate "dens" each den has it's own animal door leading outside to the habitat area. and the den area is separate from the human area with gates (a main gate enter the den area and each den has it's own gate). However there are times when they bring lions through the...

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Thread 'Floor dampers'

Given a 1-hr floor ceiling assembly an a VB, R2, consisting of gypsum panel on the bottom, open web floor truss, 3/4" subfloor, and gypcrete floor surface. Each unit has an air handler within the unit. The steel ducts run down from the unit into the rated floor system and supply the unit air conditioning through the floor. So no through penetrations of the FC assembly, but a top membrane penetration of the FC assembly. Each unit is isolated with its own air handler and duct system so no...

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Thread 'Spaces with One Exit'

Just verifying that I am correct in that a space enclosed by low walls is subject to the requirements of table 1006.2.1 with respect to the number of exits required. Assuming everything else is compliant, the seating area in the sketch below requires 2 exits, correct? (Assembly occupancy, sprinklered building, mixture of fixed and moveable seating).

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Thread 'Luxury Storage occupancy?'

We have a client looking to build some luxury storage units. Most likely VB, <10,000SF per building. Each building would have multiple units, each with it's own half bath, AC, etc. Ideally they would like to have the option to sell these under a horizontal property regime (TN condos). If they were purely storage they would be S-1 nbd. In addition to storage for when you have too many Porsches; many competitors are marketing them as 'man caves' or places to base a storage based business out...

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Thread 'Hotel Definition'

Hi guys, I hate to even ask this question, but can anyone help me with the IBC definition of Hotel? We are having a somewhat ridiculous discussion with lawyers and city planners, revolving around the question of short-term rentals versus hotels. I am trying to find a path in the IBC to show that this particular project is considered a hotel. Here are some quick details. There is a historic business that the fire marshal and I have designated as an R-1 Hotel. It is a bunch of bungalows...

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Thread 'Wall rating for ice vending and cleaning gear in hotel'

I am looking at an existing design , high rise hotel, where the original design shows a small recess for the ice vending machine and the cleaning staff gear room walls rated 1 hr. What would be a possible reason for that, for a fully sprinklered building? Looking at section 420.3 and table 1020.2 I understand that 30 minutes rating is adequate. Am i missing something?

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