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    PEMB Construction Type

    Thanks for the reply. You are correct. The owner wants to finish the building and only knows how to work with wood for the interior fit-out.
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    PEMB Construction Type

    2018 ICC Code is enforced. Can a pre-engineered metal building be classified as a 3B construction type? The building would not have load-bearing exterior walls - no 2-hour rating required per Table 601. The primary structural frame does not require a rating per Table 601. Does Section 704.10...
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    Fire Service Piping Protection

    Is there a requirement to protect fire service piping ahead of a fie pump? Original plan had the fire pump located in the same room as the fire service water line entry into the building. It was found that the fire pump would not fit in this room and was moved to an adjacent room. Does the fire...
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    Kitchen Exhaust Through Exterior Wall

    rgrace, Hoodmart, Revised August 2019 Manual, Page 11. Requires ducts to be installed per NFPA 96 as shown.
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    Kitchen Exhaust Through Exterior Wall

    rgrace, Very good questions raised. The Hoodmart manufacturer's installation instructions for their hood specifically call for the ducts to be installed to NFPA 96. 2015 IMC is silent where NFPA 96 calls for wall terminations to be through noncombustible walls. To keep with the listing, the...
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    Kitchen Exhaust Through Exterior Wall

    rgrace, 2015 IMC, Section 507.1, Exception 1, states that hoods listed and labeled under UL 710 and installed under IMC Section 304.1, are exempt from certain IMC requirements. IMC Section 304.1 requires installation per the manufacturer's installation instructions. The manufacturer of...
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    Kitchen Exhaust Through Exterior Wall

    2015 IMC. Type I hood that uses NFPA 96 for installation instructions. NFPA 96 shows wall terminations must only be through noncombustible walls. 2013 NFPA 96, Section 7.8.3, Wall Terminations. Wall terminations shall be arranged with or provided with the following properties: (1) The...
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    Vents on Occupied Roof

    The project is a one-story shell building with two-story apartments at each end. There is a sliding glass door in the apartments that allows residents to walk onto and use the roof above the shell building. The roof top is a party place. Now a restaurant is moving into the vacant shell space...
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    Vents on Occupied Roof

    Thanks CDA. The IMC seems quite concerned about horizontal separation but not so much vertical separation unless you stretch the meaning of adjoining grade level. From a safety standpoint (not really enforceable) I don't want someone looking face down into the exhaust fan. I may have to let the...
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    Vents on Occupied Roof

    2015 ICC Codes. The IPC Plumbing Code requires vents to terminate no less than 7' from a flat usable roof. Are there any such requirements for a kitchen hood exhaust termination?
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    Insulation Termination

    How are designers, plan reviewers and contractors handling the termination of slab edge rigid foam insulation on the interior of the building? 2015 ICC codes. 2015 IECC, Section R402.2.10, Slab-on-grade floors, permits residential insulation to be cut at a 45-degree angle to allow the floor...
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    Special Approval

    The listing does not allow the product to be used where the installer intends. The installer and design professional say the Special Approval section of IBC 2603.9 overrides the manufacturer with testing that verifies it works. NFPA 286 (active members) says it cannot alter its standard to show...
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    Special Approval

    The spray polyurethane foam insulation company passed an NFPA 286 test with 2x8 and 2x12 wood construction. The intended application is the ceiling of a steel building with steel roof joists that will protrude through the insulation. The test and the intended use are not even close and failed...
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    Special Approval

    Thank you Steveray. I appreciate your response. I am looking for more responses for back up. I have a major spray polyurethane foam insulation company that flew in technical advisers to a local board of appeals to testify that the "actual end-use configuration" only means the foam product...
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    Special Approval

    2009 IBC 2603.9 Special approval. Foam plastic shall not be required to comply with the requirements of Sections 2603.4 through 2603.7 where specifically approved based on large-scale tests such as, but not limited to, NFPA 286 (with the acceptance criteria of Section 803.2), FM 4880, UL 1040...
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    Horizontal Handrail Location

    Between the walls is about 5'-0". The stairs only take up 3'-0". There is angled (sloped) construction matching the slope of the stair stringer topped in stained wood to match the stairs of about 1'-0" on each side. The handrails are mounted on the walls, have extensions, are continuous and 1.5"...
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    Horizontal Handrail Location

    2009 IBC Code. Are there any requirements for horizontal handrail locations other than a minimum of 1.5" from the wall and maximum projection of 4.5" into the required width? I am dealing with a stair that does not extend wall to wall in width. The handrail is +/- 11" beyond the edge of the...
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    Ventilation Air - Animal Areas

    Thanks BB. Do I exhaust the 114 CFM or the 382.5 CFM ?
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    Ventilation Air - Animal Areas

    2009 IMC / Spay and Neuter Clinic / Animal Area 425 sq ft 2009 IMC Table 403.3 requires 7.5 CFM per person and .18 CFM per sq ft. 5 persons @ 7.5 = 37.5 CFM 425 sq ft @ .18 = 76.5 CFM Total = 114 CFM My question is the last column of the Table. It requires .9 CFM per sq ft for an exhaust...
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    Special Amusement Building

    Pennsylvania / 2009 ICC Codes IBC Section 411.2 defines a Special Amusement Building as a temporary or permanent building or portion thereof that is occupied for amusement... Given: 4-story, 11,000 sq ft per story building with the upper two floors as S-2 occupancy and the bottom two floors a...
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    Mechanical Access

    Thank you JBI for your response. I struggled with the definition because if a bathroom fan is not an appliance, then the in-line fan would not need to be accessible as access and service space only applies to appliances. The bathroom fan can be buried in the rated assembly without access...
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    Mechanical Access

    Is anyone requiring an access panel for bathroom fans in fire resistance rated floor/ceilings such as hotels and apartments? 2009 IMC 306.1 requires access without removing permanent construction or disabling the function of the rated assembly. Most of the fans I see cannot be replaced by...
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    Fire service for NFPA 13R system

    Thank you CDA. So with no requirements, there are no thrust blocks, no bedding, no testing, no burial depth restrictions for an 8" main servicing a 4-story, 30-unit apartment building.
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    Fire service for NFPA 13R system

    Pennsylvania is under the 2009 ICC codes which reference the 2007 edition of NFPA 13R. I do not see a reference in that standard for any regulations or requirements for the underground fire service piping. It does not even reference NFPA 13 or NFPA 20 for the installation. Are there no...
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