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fire code

  1. P

    Occupancy Change and Fire Door Modifications

    New to the forum, and so happy I found it (a lot of great information found so far)! We have an opportunity in front of us in which an office building from the early 1990s is being converted to a faith-based Charter School. AHJ says all exits require a fire-rated panic device. In addition a...
  2. T

    Commercial Kitchen Door Fire Rating

    I'm working with an architect on confirming the rating for a door leading into a commercial kitchen from a dining room. He specified a standard grade 0 hour rated door with standard glass. I didn't approve the specifications and sent notes back after plan review that said the door should have...
  3. jar546

    Is the IBC Too Restrictive?

    In the IBC, there are provisions for allowable building heights and areas based on construction type and occupancy. Some argue these restrictions can unnecessarily hamper architectural creativity and innovation, while others believe they are essential for maintaining urban safety. Do you believe...
  4. M

    Exterior Stair 10 ft. rule of thumb

    Greetings, 1- I work on a residential building (Dormitories) G+2 with three means of egress as illustrated below, the building consists of two branches and has the main stair in the middle that could be used as an egress stair, the problem begins with 10 ft. rule as you can see in the...
  5. eyan50495

    Fire Req: Electrical Room w/ WH & Ref. Compressors?

    Hi We have a commercial space, Type VB, 1 story + basement, fully sprinklered building. We have an electrical room in the basement with rated walls, panic bar and sprinklers. The owner wants to put the water heaters and refrigeration compressors into this room as well. We read that the water...
  6. eyan50495

    Fire Ratings: Cardboard Baler

    Hi I have a Supermarket, Mercantile - Type VB building in New York State (Nassau County). They have asked for us to locate a Cardboard Baler in the basement. I have dealt with Trash Compactors/Chutes but not a baler. 1) Would you recommend enclosing this baler in a rated room (walls...
  7. C

    R302.5.1 Fire Door/Garage

    We are moving out of our home, and as part of the relocation process, we had to undergo an inspection. It was determined that the door to our garage doesn’t meet code (R302.5.1). We were told that if we can determine when this code was implemented, it may not be applicable to our house (older...
  8. J

    Defining a "Room" for I-4

    We are converting a quality lease house to an (I-4) nonprofit daycare for 10 children ages 6 weeks- 3 years old. The code indicates rooms where care is provided must have an exterior exit (or sprinklers). To accommodate this the landlord is allowing us to convert a couple of the bedroom windows...
  9. J

    Code for drop ceiling removsl

    Hi all New to the forum My company started renting a commercial space in jersey city NJ. It’s a basement in two story building and is about 13k sq ft. The space used to be a school and there is old grimey ceiling tiles throughout. We are currently renovating the space to be private...
  10. B

    Closed cell spray foam

    Hi, my name's Bruce. I'm in the middle of getting my building permit to remodel my brother in law's commercial building that he will be leasing me. It used to be a flower shop and I'm going to make it into a convenience store. My brother already gutted the building and removed all...
  11. G

    Adding fourth unit to Apartment house

    I live in Michigan and my city follows the 2015 Michigan Building Code I currently own a house that is split into three apartments. One of the units has a basement attachment that I want to split into a new unit. However, my house was grandfathered in and currently does not require a sprinkler...
  12. J

    What happens if a city approves a deck that seems to violate fire codes

    I am not a building professional but I have been fighting the city regarding a permit that was issued to my neighbor to build a deck that covers most of the rear yard. Our homes are townhomes so there is no side yard. From my research it seems that the permit was issued even thought violated...
  13. N

    Ventilation System For Lube Pit

    I am a project manager for a real estate development firm. One of our clients is an automotive repair facility that also performs oil changes. All locations have a lube pit (basement) under the bays where oil changes are completed. Currently our architect and engineers are designing each of the...
  14. N

    Multiple Occupancy "Zones" in a 2-unit "Seperated" Building

    Short: The building we are located in supports 2-units; 3125sq/ft each. The two units are separated with a wall extending to the roof and they each have their own main entrance and a rear emergency exit. My business is considered both A-3 and M. The building itself is considered "separated"...
  15. K

    Operable Fireplace in Lower School

    I am working on a Lower School and we designed the lobby to have a hearth at the center, but remain more symbolic than realistic. Now the school wants it to be operable - potentially electric. Does this affect the fire rating of the adjacent walls. What other code issues might this raise?
  16. S

    Egress window in "loft"...is my apartment up to code?

    Okay so first off I am in an apartment so I wasn't sure if this would be considered residential or commercial (I found conflicting information when I googled). Either way, the building is less than 6 years old and I am renting out a "2 bedroom" loft apartment. Now my roommate's lease is...
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