How bad can it get?

[steveray]

Gonna work on this for a bit.......No matter what I do it seems to post upside down....

 

[mjesse]

What are we looking at, are those all work stations?

 

[cda]

Looks like a collection agency

 

[jdfruit]

If this is a building permit review; good luck!

 

[ICE]

Looks like a collection agency

That was a good one.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

The only life safety plan they need is a suicide hotline.

I would cut my own head off with a sawsall if I had to work in a rats nest like that.

Brent.

 

[steveray]

Existing building built circa 1955, 4 stories, 8 interior stairwells all dumping about 7000 people into the same "unrated" corridor......But at least they don't have to upgrade per our IEBC.... ...B use, insurance company level 2 alteration, 2003 IEBC. They are proposing 1 new exit passageway, although they don't want to frame the fire barriers to the deck above (which I don't have a huge issue with but the State will have to approve)

Designer was trying to get me to "certify" the egress so that they would never have to upgrade or something that I did not understand.... He didn't understand the difference between constructed to current code or approvable under current code and that a C of O only applies to the work performed not the entire building....

 

[steveray]

The only life safety plan they need is a suicide hotline. I would cut my own head off with a sawsall if I had to work in a rats nest like that.

Brent.

I agree, that is why I don't want to go to a bigger city and become an administrator or manager. The pay might be better, but I still like to get out and watch people get their hands dirty...

 

[cda]

So do they happen to have some assembly occupancy in the area??

 

[steveray]

So do they happen to have some assembly occupancy in the area??

Certainly.....gym and cafeteria and auditorium....Ohhhh.....and I think the auditorium is in the basement...with the gym...

 

[jdfruit]

The ornery old plan checker/building official in me thinks this can be handled with a single plan review correction:

The Architect is directed to review chapter 10 in the adopted building code and report in writing how each code section is complied with for this project. Compliance to be demonstrated on the plans with graphic revisions indicating all dimensions, notes, occupant load calculations, occupant exit directions, construction assemblies, fire resistive construction ratings, exit signage, fire alarm systems, and fire protection systems in a manner sufficient to make the work proposed obvious for code compliance.

The idea is to make them do their job first, so you can do yours.

 

[steveray]

The ornery old plan checker/building official in me thinks this can be handled with a single plan review correction:The Architect is directed to review chapter 10 in the adopted building code and report in writing how each code section is complied with for this project. Compliance to be demonstrated on the plans with graphic revisions indicating all dimensions, notes, occupant load calculations, occupant exit directions, construction assemblies, fire resistive construction ratings, exit signage, fire alarm systems, and fire protection systems in a manner sufficient to make the work proposed obvious for code compliance.

The idea is to make them do their job first, so you can do yours.

The "bad" part is that there is nothing I can do to ***** compliance. The designer understands that the building is insanely non-compliant under today's code. I am not going to make them document all of the noncompliance, it is a waste of paper. Just how they comply with the code for the extent of the alterations for this permit....Whether or not someone else might or should have done something under a LSC that I cannot enforce is another matter...

 

[Paul Sweet]

Are those open spaces light wells?

If all 8 stairs aren't necessary for travel distance and/or occupant load, I'd look into the possibility of considering the 4 in the middle as supplemental stairs and fire-rating the lobbies at each end, with rated doors between the lobbies and corridor.

 

[steveray]

Are those open spaces light wells?If all 8 stairs aren't necessary for travel distance and/or occupant load, I'd look into the possibility of considering the 4 in the middle as supplemental stairs and fire-rating the lobbies at each end, with rated doors between the lobbies and corridor.

Light wells / courtyards....yes..