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  1. T

    Assembly or business?

    Guest trainer = seminar. Many MA gyms don't make that much money from monthly student dues. But throw a weekend seminar once a month for $100 to $200 per head with a guest instructor and its a nice way to supplement the gyms income.
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    Assembly or business?

    Not sure where I fall on this, but speaking from personal experience I have visited many MA studios / gyms much smaller than the one described above for weekend seminars with WELL over 50 people crammed onto a small training mat. Sometimes portable mats are even brought in and the viewing area...
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    Retail + cafe + art gallery space - Mercantile use? Load factor(s)?

    Coming from the design side of things, often our clients also engage lawyers to help navigate the zoning approvals process.
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    Retail + cafe + art gallery space - Mercantile use? Load factor(s)?

    If you ever plan on renting out this gallery space for functions (which is very common) I don't think the 30sf net / person is the right way to go
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    Detached Middle School Gymnasium

    Given how small the allowable area is for an E occupancy I don’t see how this stand-alone gym building could be considered part of the main building. Almost every school we do has a fire wall or two to break it up due to area limitations. I would most certainly consider this a separate building...
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    Detached Middle School Gymnasium

    I work in the educational group at my firm, and every new school we do is a mixed E / A occupancy.
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    LOOKING FOR BUILDING STANDARDS BOOKS

    Typically in commercial applications an architect may design/draw/ stamp the permit documents, but they would also engage the services of a professional structural engineer to work under them and complete the design. The structural engineer will also be looking at the existing structure to make...
  8. T

    Toilet Clearance Measurement

    if you have a tile wall finish in that toilet room I would measure from the face of wall tile opposed to face of gyp.
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    Occupancy Classification

    The stage is part of the assembly occupancy, but stages are listed as a separate FUNCTION OF SPACE in table 1004.5 at 1 person per 15 net SF
  10. T

    Single occupancy or mixed occupancy?

    So my vote is Mixed occupancy. Section 508 coveres Mixed occupancies, and accessory use (section 508.2) is listed under that section.
  11. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    https://adata.org/faq/what-are-ada-requirements-altering-facilities
  12. T

    Exterior Wood sheathing / furring in Type 2-B Const

    are all the existing exterior walls masonry bearing walls? If so I am not sure you have IIB construction, sounds more like type III
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    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    the code commentary is clearly talking about the accessible route thru the existing portion of the building where 306.7.1 is concerned. Again, the intent of 306.7.1 is to upgrade existing non accessible portions of the building over time to eventually end up with a completely accessible...
  14. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    FWIW I am not an AHJ, I work on the design side. But IMO the two fire protection related items should be allowed as deferred submittals as this scope is routinely a design build item engineered by the sub-contractor responsible for the work well after initial permits are issued. That being said...
  15. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    As far as the sprinkler go, let the plan reviewer / AHJ know those will be a differed submittal as allowed under IBC 107.2.1 and 107.3.4.1. on my code summary drawings I typically list all the deferred submittals the AHJ can expect over the course of a project, and a deferres submital has never...
  16. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    do you have an architect for this project?
  17. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    based in the commentary to 306.6, I am not sure I agree with your take Commentary: Additions must comply with new construction. An addition, however, is also an alteration to an existing building; therefore, accessible route provisions for existing buildings are applicable (see commentary...
  18. T

    Do we need an elevator in our building?

    any new toilet rooms you add in this 'addition' are required by code to be accessible, and I am not sure they should count towards meeting the 20% threshold for upgrading existing non-accessible conditions in your facility.
  19. T

    Heavy Timber (Type of Construction IV C) Used in Remodel of Existing Unlimited Area II B Building

    code commentary: Note c permits heavy timber to be utilized in the roof construction as an alternative to having a fire-resistance rating of 1 hour or less in buildings of Type IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA or VA construction. Note that heavy timber cannot be used in Type IA construction since the roof is...
  20. T

    Heavy Timber (Type of Construction IV C) Used in Remodel of Existing Unlimited Area II B Building

    my interpretation is that the note is referring to the portions of the roof primary structural frame (beams and girder) having direct connections to the columns, but does not include the columns supporting the roof.
  21. T

    NFPA 13R system

    deleted, answered my own question
  22. T

    NFPA 13R system

    how do you get around 508.1.2?
  23. T

    NFPA 13R system

    section 508.1.2 states that Accessory occupancies shall be individually classified in accordance with Section 302.1. The requirements of this code shall apply to each portion of the building based on the occupancy classification of that space. section 903.2.1.1 states that where provisions of...
  24. T

    NFPA 13R system

    does this conflict with the IBC and IFC? Table 504.3, 504.4 & 506.2 clearly identify allowable heights, number of stories and area for non sprinklered buildings, sprinklered single story buildings, sprinklered multi-story buildings and buildings with an residential 13R system. The 13R system...
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    Heavy Timber (Type of Construction IV C) Used in Remodel of Existing Unlimited Area II B Building

    I don't see any nuance, foot note c allows for the roof framing in IIB construction to be HT. Columns supporting the HT roof framing are part of the primary structural frame which foot note c does not apply to. Foot note c also doesn't apply to floor framing. If you want HT column and floor...
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