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Thread 'What does "continuous" mean?'

Pretty sure it has been covered, but it makes me uncomfortable so I'll ask again. What does "continuous" mean in 2018 IBC 717.5.2 exc. #3 mean? If taken in the common sense, if a 26g. steel duct ran from one side of a fire barrier back to the equipment then it is continuous. So unless it is an air transfer duct, it meets the exception. Some have claimed it means there can't be openings to that duct on each side of the fire barrier, but that is not articulated. I have an electrical...

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Thread 'Fire Pole opening'

Looking to get some thoughts and or feedback on a fire pole for a small 2 story fire house. Building will be non-separated but of course there will be some ratings such as the R use dorm area. Second floor houses dorms and day room. Will want to meet the rating requirement for that use. This fire chief wants a fire pole without any doors into the pole room / area. open at the top and open at the bottom for ease of use. I don't think that can happen. 712.1.9 item 4 states that the two...

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Thread 'Fire protection required for canopies?'

I've got a campus project with a number of buildings, many with hazardous occupancies. One "building" is just an open storage yard with containment curbs, and a small canopy over a truck unloading area. If this was a building, it would fall under H-3/H-4 and require sprinklers no matter how small, but since it has no walls, my thought it it's not a building. The fire protection contractor is arguing that we need to provide sprinklers under it and add a fire riser since it's a projection over...

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Thread 'One balcony joist bay vent, or two required?'

There was a previous thread where we had discussed continuous balcony vents, and up until now, I assumed that only one continuous vent was required per CBC 2304.12.2.5, which states: 2304.12.2.5 Ventilation Beneath Balcony or Elevated Walking Surfaces Enclosed framing in exterior balconies and elevated walking surfaces that have weather-exposed surfaces shall be provided with openings that provide a net free cross-ventilation area not less than 1/150 of the area of each separate space. The...

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Thread 'open interior stairwells'

In one of the previous codes not to long ago, I remember reading about an allowable interior stairwell between floors not enclosed as long as it was not part of the egress path and had a draft/smoke curtain and closely spaced sprinklers. I can't seem to find that in the 2021 version. Looks like it was removed. Are we not allowed to have a stairwell in a high end business use as a secondary means of going between floors any more? i can't seem to find where that would be allowed in the 2021...

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Thread 'Please help! Incompetent Building Inspectors'

Hello, I’m a long time reader on the sidelines of this group. I’m sharing my experiences with the group with the hope that the veterans in the build code field can point me to the right direction. I recently purchased a commercial building (banquet hall) in Spring 2024 located in the city of Sheboygan, WI (population of 50,000). During my first occupancy inspection of Spring 2024, the building inspector requested a life safety plan from the original architect, which I did provided...

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Thread 'Common Path'

Wondering what the take is for the common path from a small second floor that includes one rated stair enclosure exit. We can meet all the requirements for a single exit but wondering how to interoperate the common path. I have typically carried the common path to the bottom of mezzanines that only have a single stairway as thats the point where they can go "two ways". But in a second floor, does the common path stop at the rated stairwell doorway? or do i need to take it in and down the...

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Thread 'Shaft Wall Rating in Individual Residential Units'

Hello All, Working with a R-2 building. These are two-story individual residential units. If a shaft containing mechanical ducts is running exclusively through a unit without sharing a shaft wall or branching into another residential unit, does it have to be rated like a traditional shaft wall? I see 713.1.2 in the 2021 BC (the applicable code) but this is for "unconcealed" openings and my commentary indicates this does not apply to ductwork with walls around them. Thanks!

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Thread 'Does a fire wall create separate buildings when calculating combined fire areas?'

This change was made to the 2018 IBC, Section 503.1: […] For the purposes of determining area limitations, height limitations and type of construction, each portion of a building separated by one or more fire walls complying with Section 706 shall be considered to be a separate building. Example: Three attached F-1 tenant spaces on a single property. Each tenant space has a 10,000 sf fire area and is separated from the other F-1 tenants by 3-hour fire walls. In IBC 2015, each tenant space...

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Thread 'Basements (Tables 504.3 and T504.4)'

Hello All, I am working on a small R-2 (condo) building. The code is the 2021 Building Code. It is 2 stories with an attic that could easily be occupiable. However, it also has a partial basement. This basement I am considering to be a "story above grade plane" as defined in the IBC because the finished floor of the first floor (above) is more than 6' above grade plane, with grade plane being the average grade around the building periphery. This is despite the basement being lower than...

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Thread 'Assembly Classification for Gymnasium and Cafeteria'

Assembly Group A-2 includes cafeterias. Would the classification still apply if the cafeteria was part of an educational complex? If the same building contained a gymnasium with bleacher seating, would that be A-3? A-3 includes gymnasiums, but without spectator seating. How do you classify a gymnasium with bleachers in an educational complex? Group A-4 doesn't seem to apply.

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Thread 'Occupant load ratio vs. chair count.'

Hypothetical situation: 2018 IBC/IPC Nail salon, 14 pedicure stations, 6 nail stations. At max capacity their could be 20 people getting worked on, by presumably more than a few workers. So chair count plus workers would be 20+. OL by table would put the facility under 15 based on area. The design OL using t1004.5 would be such that separate facilities and drinking fountains would not be required, but the "potential" for use by more than 15 would exceed those thresholds. 1004.6 might...

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Thread 'Core and shell built then interior fit-out happening 3-5 years later'

I'm working on a two story 75k SF building thats type IIB. The client wants to build the core and shell (exterior walls, enclosed egress stairs, and elevator hoistways, electrical rooms) but do the fitout in a few years once they have more money. There wouldn't be any separation between floors while it sits as an empty shell since there are some areas that are open to the floor above. Is there any specific code implications this would have that would need to be done before the fit-out...

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Thread 'Roof Access Door'

I have an unoccupied space on roof that exists to give the impression that there is a second story as viewed from the street. There are windows to the exterior in the space, some finishes on the walls if they can be seen from outside, some light fixtures, maybe some ductwork, but no equipment and no reason to access the space except if a light goes out, etc. The space has limited height and once you take into account a curb, I can only get a 6'-0" 'door', i.e., access panel. I believe this...

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Thread 'Energy Code Reqm't for Aircraft Hangar Doors?'

Hi I'm helping out one of my company's other offices on a university aircraft hangar project. S-1 classification, about 12,000sf. Existing metal building structure to remain. We're under the 2024 Ohio Building code and the equivalent Ohio Existing Building code. The project is essentially a recladding project, using insulated metal panels for the walls and a standing seam roof with a liner system for the roof. Minimal other work inside the building, new MEP, new accesible restroom...

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Thread 'Building "townhouses" but prefer to classify as R2'

Hello everyone, longtime reader first time poster. Usually I can navigate the Code pretty well, but this one is tricky. Here's my situation. I have a 4-unit townhouse development, adaptive re-use building on top of 4 single-level business occupancies. The existing lower level of each unit will become the lower level of the each new 2-storey townhouse. These are separate parcels, now under single ownership. The units are very small, 400-700 square feet per floor. Trust me, I would...

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Thread 'Are Handrails Required on Exterior Stairs to Office Buildings?'

I have a remodel project where we resurfaced an existing exterior office plaza. Think something like this, but smaller: Plans approved, work basically done. The existing handrails were noted to remain, but have been removed by the owner. The AHJ hasn't called them out on that, but they're wondering if they could move the handrails to another, separate section of stairs and not have handrails on the closest stairs to the parking lot. If it were the image above, they want the handrails only...

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Thread '2024 IBC - COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN TYPES I AND II CONSTRUCTION QUIZ'

COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL IN TYPES I AND II CONSTRUCTION QUIZ 1. According to Section 603.1, in which of the following scenarios is fire-retardant-treated wood permitted in Type I or II construction? A. Nonbearing partitions with a fire-resistance rating greater than 2 hours B. Nonbearing exterior walls requiring fire-resistance-rated construction C. Roof construction, including girders and trusses D. Shaft enclosures in Group I-2 occupancies 2. In buildings of Type IA construction exceeding...

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Thread 'Stepped Aisle in Assembly Seating'

I am looking at a condition in an assembly space that raises questions regarding a stepped aisle leading to an upper gallery seating area. The area has three tiers of seats, with a stepped aisle as shown: Each of the treads on the steps is 11" wide, but note that on the second tier there is a wider segment (highlighted in yellow) corresponding to the level of the access aisleway. Is this permitted? My initial comment to the designer is no, this can't be done, because the surface does...

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Thread 'Pipes through elevator machine room'

I have an existing five story commercial building in VA. The building has a 2hr rated elevator shaft with a machine room abutting it that is enclosed with a 2 hr rated enclosure. So far so good. During a renovation project for the elevator the Contractor found existing pipes and ducts passing through the existing machine room and serving other areas of the building, I checked the existing building drawings and I see that they enclosed ducts passing through similar spaces with 2 layers of...

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Thread 'CBC exterior 3rd floor balcony egress'

1) how do you count occupant of a exterior balcony? 2) If I have a exterior balcony outside of a 300 occupant boardroom on the 3rd floor, do I need to provide two doors (> 50 occupant) in between the board room and balcony? (1) 3'-0" W. door can handle 180 occupant. (2) 3'-0" W. doors should be enough? 3) should these doors swing in or swing out? in egress perspective, balcony need to get back to the boardroom and get out, therefore, these doors should swing in? in user perspective, door...

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Thread 'Egress and Accessibility in Existing Buildings'

Recently got a comment from an inspector that I'm struggling to rationalize fully. I'm probably reading too much into it, but I'm hoping you fine folks can help clarify the requirements they're referencing. 2022 California Building Code. Project is an existing commercial building. Permit was issued before the California Existing Building Code got major alterations, so that code isn't very applicable here. There's an existing exterior door we're planning on using as the accessible entry...

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Thread 'Going above 3 stories using a 'horizontal exit''

Anyone ever use the following exception to go over 4 stories without an elevator in a R2? https://up.codes/viewer/wisconsin/ibc-2015/chapter/10/means-of-egress#1009.2.1

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Thread 'What code governs inside market (fairy) string lights?'

Hi, I've heard that there is a specific code in NC that governs internal market light strings (eg 110V, 35 LEDs on a string). Can anyone point me in the right direction please? cheers!

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Thread 'Vision panel in a 2hr rated door'

On a 2hr fire barrier, if you're using exception #3 under IBC 707.6 (to rate door same as wall in order to exceed 25% limit), what if any is the size limit for the door vision panel? It seems like since table 716.5 is allowing a 100 sq. in. panel in a 2hr wall when the opening is minimum 90min, that 100 sq. in is ok. Can a larger panel be used if it's tested/listed as a 2hr opening protective? The exception was specific to 'fire-resistance rating', which leads me to 716.5.8.1.1 instead of...

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