2018 IBC 1009.7 for an exterior area for assisted rescue. Given an exit stair with the exit discharge not at grade, using an exterior landing and stair to grade. The 2nd paragraph says that where the ED does not include an accessible route from the exit to the public way, an exterior area of assisted rescue shall be provided on the exterior landing. The exterior stairs are part of the ED. The commentary for this section then says you have two options: either the exterior area for...
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I have a covered walkway that runs alongside a site fountain. Are railings required If the distance between the top of the wall and bottom of the water containment area is less than 30"? I've seen plenty of instances where there are no railings alongside a water feature, see 2nd image below for an example.
Hello,
2015 IBC & IEBC
Proposed project is a currently operating furniture store -- almost entirely showroom space -- very small receiving area where unpacking occurs
Freestanding building, approx. 16,000 SF single story with partial basement (unused except for storage).
IIIB construction type (interior and exterior walls are masonry)
I had an owner of a furniture call me and let me know that the City had informed him that his building is not code compliant due to the lack of sprinklers or...
My understanding is that the required egress width cannot be reduced along the path of travel to a public way, but that the overall pathway width can, as long as the required width is maintained. Correct? In the example below, the width between exterior walls at the exit door from the interior to exterior is wider to accommodate door maneuvering clearances, but due to site constraints, the pathway walls reduce to 4'-8", but the minimum 3'-8" (44") egress width is maintained.
We have a pending application under review for a new medical facility. It's not a hospital, but it's a diagnostic clinic associated with a hospital and will include an MRI facility within the building. Type II-B construction, sprinklered.
As is usual (at least around here) the detailed design of the sprinkler system is a deferred submittal. What got my attention is a note on the building construction drawings that the water service for sprinklers will be verified at the time of the...
This is a project I'm not the architect on, so didn't provide the detail, but I have been asked about it by the contractor (am an in-house architect for the contractor). They had an inspector ask for a rating for the detail below. I told them she asked because they penetrated the 2hr UL U419 assembly by screwing through the two layers of drywall into blocking in the assembly. They responded with "it's no different than hanging cabinets on a fire rated wall and we do that all the time"...
Has anyone come across this situation. We are getting complaints about the odor from a cannabis extraction facility. does the building code address ventilation for odor outside of the facility. or has any jurisdiction added any requirement to the local code to address this issue.
Hello all,
We have a metal building with a mezzanine. Offices are on the rated mezzanine, separate occupancy in the rest of the building. and the walls supporting the mezzanine are rated. The rated west exterior wall that is supporting the mezzanine has windows on the ground floor. The building inspector is questioning if the window returns need to be rated as well (3 layer fire barrier). Do the windows on the ground floor need to be rated in the wall that is supporting the mezzanine?
thanks
Consider an exterior stair in a three-sided alcove, meaning it is open on one long side. If one wants to use the adjacent walls as guards (which is typical on interior stairs) what code provision limits the gap between the stairs and the wall? Is it the max 4" opening? That is what is shown in the attached diagram. If that is code compliant it seems like a really bad idea. It would be so easy to step into that gap. Is there anything in the code stopping someone from building that?
Also, see...
I'm working on a level II alteration. The tenant space is factory 1 (they make prosthetics) and business. Building is type II construction. They have built a wood framed storage mezzanine (ladder access) over a portion of the office that overlooks their assembly area. Obviously unprotected wood framing is not allowed in type II construction. Can I complete the alterations to the rest of the space and simply gray out this area and indicate "not in contract" or will I have to have them...
I have a stair coming out of a building, under a little porch, that has an exterior opening the same width as the stairs. The bottom 2 or 3 treads extend out past that opening, and those bottom treads wrap around to become wider than the stair main width. So the bottom 3 steps are basically 3-sided. Can the hand rail on each side turn and run along the wall outside the opening, along the 2 sides of the wraparound treads? Or do the rails need to continue down straight, effectively cutting...
I have an existing 36" wide outswing door out of a commercial stairway, we need to add a landing on the exterior of the building ... I recall it needing have the 18" pull, putting the landing 4'-6" wide and a minim of 36" deep ... will someone please point me at the code section that defines these dimensions.
Thank you
I have an Architect stating a Fire Department Garage, if over 5,000 sf, is not required to be sprinkled. He is stating it does not meet the intent of Commercial motor vehicles definition. Of course per the 2021 IBC section 903.2.9 Group S-1 item 4) A group s-1 fire area used for storage of commercial motor vehicles where the fire area exceeds 5,000 sf requires a sprinkler system.
The definition of Commercial Motor Vehicle sates: A motor vehicle used to transport passengers or property where...
I need to add a walk-in cooler to my store, which would require a 5 ft wide by 24 ft long addition. I have had a designer draw it, and the engineer stamped it.
We are in a park so no municipality and under the arm for Building permits of the Office of the Fire Commissioner. Have been asked for a Building code analysis.
The house was built in 2009 to attach to the store that was built in the 30's to 40's. The store is all pine inside but has been redone with new insulation ect.
The house's...
Hi,
For a funeral home there is a chapel on one side of the building and a reception hall on the opposite side. There is a wide hallway/corridor leading from one to the other. We're using "7" for the factor for the chapel and assembly, what factor would you use for the hallway? Presumably it's for the same people that would be in the chapel/reception.
IIB, NS building, 1018 IBC. Proposed change of use to beauty salon, with a 100sf² raised platform, 18" AFF where people sit to get there feet worked on. Would you consider this a platform, a floor, or something else?
So, in my area, the inspector (office of the fire commissioner) is now asking for a code analysis. This is something new to me, as in my 35 years, we have never been asked for this.
I am building a deck for my resort that is not attached to any building. It will give my guests a place to sit and eat. The deck is 903 sq ft and 600mm off the ground.
I have had the drawings stamped by the engineer. What is the deck's classification, and what codes would apply in the code analysis?
I did a...
I've been wanting to post this question to the group for a long time. I finally took time to draw up the two options to (hopefully) clearly describe my thoughts.
I understand that "Floor Area, Gross" and "Floor Area, Net" are defined in Chapter 2, and that Table 1004.5 Maximum Floor Area Allowances Per Occupant exists to help classify uses of spaces. My question is how to calculate gross areas, as it seems that there could be two ways of doing it.
In Opt 1, I used the term "gross" quite...
What section of the I-Codes designates the occupancy of the pump area of a gas station? I reviewed IBC 406.2 and 406.7, and 309.3 indicates this is a Mercantile occupancy… but I have a hard time believing that the pump area is also considered an M occ.
Background - a client is asking if it is possible to place an R-2 apartment above the canopy of their gas station. My initial reaction was ‘of course not’ but I’m now looking for the code section that justifies this response.
Thanks!
Exterior access only...The OH doors...would/ do you consider them egress doors and meet all of the requirements? They need to be accessible to "get in" but I don't see them meeting most of the requirements to get out like latching/ locking, landings, and maybe some others....Whaddaya think?
It is clear that MEP penetrations in protected stairways and exit passageways are not permitted by Code.
If we encase such penetrations in a rated shaft, (horizontal or vertical), can we say that these spaces are not part of the stairwell/ passageway and get away with it?
This is common practice in quite a few European countries, where they require additional bracing for such shafts to withstand mechanical forces.
Is this possible in Canada to have such a security door in the middle of an intermediate landing in an exit stairway? I don't think so because just by being there it could slow down or delay the emergency response operations.
Scratching my head on this....
Convergence requirements per 1005.6 are clear for a simple staircase. We must add occupants coming up from the basement into the LED to occupants coming down from the first floor to the same vestibule, because the relevant populations shall meet by the final exit at the same time and there will be a bottleneck.
How about the following 3 scenarios though?
1. What if occupants from these two levels arrive into an relatively long (say 400 feet long) exit...
Hello all,
I am working on a small renovation of an existing school built in 2011. Single story, not sprinklered, steel construction. No existing drawings available. I think it is Type II-B but not certain. I'm not very familiar with the classifications. Can anyone confirm that?
thank you very much.
I am working on a large fitness center with two distinct outdoor fenced areas with egress gates and panic hardware. The outdoor areas: #1 a pool deck (2,321 occupants + 282 occupants from the building = 2,603occupants) 4 exits required per 1006.3.2 and #2 pickleball courts & an enclosed kid's play area (266 occupants + 193 occupants from the building = 459 occupants) 2 exits required per 1006.3.2 Due to site configuration, we are challenged with providing the required number of exits not...