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Anchor Building and Covered Malls

daves

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
18
Location
Cleveland, OH
2009 IBC.

402.6 says the area of a covered mall building including anchor buildings is not limited, provisions pretty much mimic 507 for unlimited area buildings.

402.7.3 Exception says an anchor building shall be separated from a covered mall building by 2 hour fire barrier construction.

What about a large mall with multiple anchor buildings, where the distance between anchor buildings is less than 40'? All anchor buildings are Group M.

Does this distance voilate the unlimited area provisions? Or is a fire rating required based on fire separation distance for exterior walls, and we draw the "imaginary line" thing.

But if 2 anchor buildings touch, would a fire rating between them be needed? (See 402.7.3) They could just as easily be considered part of one giant unlimited area mess, provided means of egress can be managed, no?
 
The Anchors are Part of the "Covered Mall" unlimited area but require a special condition (why its in ch 4) of rated seperation within the unlimited are allowance. Anchors can be adjacent or seperated by distance but always seperated from the open mall by 2 hour assembly or opening protection.
 
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