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Construction types

steveray

steveray

SAWHORSE
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
14,043
Location
West of the river CT
Since someone brought it up....I wanted to run something by the enormously intelligent and helpful people here...a colleague of mine is reviewing and inclined to approve an existing A use sports structure, I believe with construction type IIB to add on a wood framed addition for their "pro shop" no fire walls, fire barriers only. He is saying that you can mix construction types like mixed uses.....I am concerned because I may have to perform inspection at this facility, or I will just have to fail all of them......or...am I mistaken???

Other than maybe 508 special provisions, is there anything else that allows mixed types of construction in the same building?

He's been doing this for 20+ years, he does seem fairly knowledgeable, but I just don"t understand this one...

Thanks in advance!
 
You can but you have to classify the entire building to the lowest construction type, which appears from your post to be Type VB.
 
Thanks HD...I thought that to be the case...only because I don't like to say "I know"...just wondering if there was something I am missing. Or if it is just another case of "I've been doing it like this for X number of years" syndrome?
 
You also have to make sure that the entire building with the addition will be within the allowable area of Table 503 for the type of construction and occupancy. So if they're adding on to the IIB portion with VB construction, the allowable area of the entire building would be based on Type VB and the occupancies involved. There are a lot of other issues with mixing types of construction than just the construction type.
 
No sprinklers...and about 26,000 square feet.....you see my cause for concern? It is broken up into fire areas...again..not "my" project to review, but might be doing inspections at some point.. I looked at the plans quickly as they came in..and red flags went up all over.The addition is small, a couple thousand maybe. But I think it might be over allowable H&A as it sits..Interesting how this stuff happens..
 
What about if a fire barrier separates the two types of construction? That would meet code wouldn't it?
 
What makes up the "fire areas" (fire walls?)? How large are these fire areas?

To reclass as V-B there must be a whole bunch of them (at least 5?).

Man, you have your hands full.
 
Since the UBC transformation to the IBC I still have to try and remember what the hell they changed the terminolgy too. Used to be an area separation wall! Sorry I'm an old UBC guy that hasn't really caught all of the terminology that means the same thing that it used to mean when it didn't mean what you thought it did!
 
I think the designer is calling them fire barriers...I believe they need to be firewalls between construction types. I just got to discuss it with my boss and he agrees...so I believe my issue is solved. But if anyone wants to discuss it further, I will still be happy to participate! Some of my arguements come from the definition of "building area" and 602.1 where it says something like "classified into one of five construction types" The fire barriers can get them out of sprinklers, but not two construction types. And Ithink they will have a hard time wth a 30,000SF A-4 with no sprinklers...
 
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