• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

Construction Type for building on top of Parking Garage

George McGerd

Bronze Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2013
Messages
59
Location
Maryland
I'm looking to "loft" a small office building on top of a parking lot, thereby creating an Open Parking Garage Below (2015 IBC 406.5). The building heights and areas of the office building work for type 5B construction. However, 406.5.1 requires that open parking garages be constructed of type I, II, or IV construction.

Where does the "parking garage" portion of the structure begin and end? In other words, if I provide a heavy timber frame at the parking garage level and then build type 5B above, does that meet code? Obviously the parking garage and the B occupancy office building will need to be separated per code.

Thanks
 
The parking garage will be the first story of the building. Since a story is defined in Chapter 2, which is between the "upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above," then the columns, lateral -force-resisting elements, and the floor structure/system over the parking garage are required to be of Type I, II, or IV construction.

I would also take a look at Section 510.7.
 
Back
Top