Mule said:
I've looked at those sections and really just don't know???????? The building is below the elevation of the street...This is really a unique situation. We are building a new park, this is the restroom area with floor drains inside the restroom areas. However there is an electrical room adjacent to the restrooms. There is a screw-up on the plans by the engineer and architech where the sidewalks are shown to be at a specific elevation for accessibility and the foundation finish floor is at the same elevation. The exterior walls are block construction. The architect said we'll just leave the foundation where it is and we won't put a ledge on it for the block wall.
Soooo we have a foundation that is going to be at the same elevation as the grade around it. No drainage away from the building....water could possibly get into the building... Not so bad in the restroom areas since there are floor drains but there is a plumbing chase without floor drain and an electrical room with all of the electrical relays, lighting, basketball court lights, volleyball courts lights path lights, service panels... etc where you would have to program everything from the electrical room or perform maintenance that could become very wet........
Architect designed it right--required by code
Floor level needs to be at same elevation as outside landing (Sidewalk).
2009 IBC 1008.1.5
"1008.1.5 Floor elevation. There shall be a floor or landing on each side of a door. Such floor or landing shall be at the same elevation on each side of the door. Landings shall be level except for exterior landings, which are permitted to have a slope not to exceed 0.25 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent slope).
Exceptions:
1. Doors serving individual dwelling units in Groups R-2 and R-3 where the following apply:
1.1. A door is permitted to open at the top step of an interior flight of stairs, provided the door does not swing over the top step.
1.2. Screen doors and storm doors are permitted to swing over stairs or landings.
2. Exterior doors as provided for in Section 1003.5, Exception 1, and Section 1020.2, which are not on an accessible route.
3. In Group R-3 occupancies not required to be Accessible units, Type A units or Type B units, the landing at an exterior doorway shall not be more than 73/4 inches (197 mm) below the top of the threshold, provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door, does not swing over the landing.
4. Variations in elevation due to differences in finish materials, but not more than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm).
5. Exterior decks, patios or balconies that are part of Type B dwelling units, have impervious surfaces and that are not more than 4 inches (102 mm) below the finished floor level of the adjacent interior space of the dwelling unit."
Note that if the sidewalk beside the building is an accessible route it has a maximum cross slope of 1:48 --2003 A117.1 403.3
And a minimum slope away from the building for drainage of 2%
I hope your concrete guy is good to be able to fit between that min and max slope.
2009 IBC 1804.3
"1804.3 Site grading. The ground immediately adjacent to the foundation shall be sloped away from the building at a slope of not less than one unit vertical in 20 units horizontal (5-percent slope) for a minimum distance of 10 feet (3048 mm) measured perpendicular to the face of the wall. If physical obstructions or lot lines prohibit 10 feet (3048 mm) of horizontal distance, a 5-percent slope shall be provided to an approved alternative method of diverting water away from the foundation. Swales used for this purpose shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent where located within 10 feet (3048 mm) of the building foundation. Impervious surfaces within 10 feet (3048 mm) of the building foundation shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent away from the building. "