II-A Construction in Covered Mall

[msjenkin]

Working on tenant upfit plans in a existing 2-story covered mall. Section 402 would apply. Our tenant space is on first floor.
We have partial previous upfit plans from 2015. Building Code Summary lists type of construction as II-A. Total Ground Floor =298,102 SF. The plans list several 1-hr assemblies that would normally be required for II-A construction. Building is sprinklered. During site visit we see that the floor ceiling assembly noted on prior plans (UL G529) is not in place. We can see no evidence of a fire rating at all and see exposed floor deck and bar joists.

We have heard from mall operations staff that the mall has/had various "agreements" with the city over the years where the city has allowed certain things to occur that are not strictly to code. We did not discuss this rating specifically as it was not known at the time.

Section 402 of building code allows unlimited area for types I-IV of construction so I am wondering why II-A construction would need to be provided. Section 402.4.2 states fire rated separation is not required between tenant spaces and the mall, and is not required between a food court and adjacent tenant space.

The mall food court is on the second floor directly above our tenant space. Might this be why no floor ceiling rating was provided in 2015?

If fire rating is not required between tenant space and food court above, we would like to state that no fire rating is required and keep going.

If we do need to provide a 1-hr rating, we are going to demo all lay-in ceiling and hvac anyway so it would be a good time to apply rating but we are of the opinion that tenant should not be responsible for that upgrade.

Anyone experience anything like this?

Thanks!

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Anyone experience anything like this?

Not directly analogous,but years ago, when working as a code consultant, we were involved in the renovation and additions to a fairly large public high school. The architects had found some old drawings for the original building that said it was construction type I-A *Fireproof), so they proceeded to design using the allowable floor area for type I-A construction.

At about 80% through the construction documents phase, we had a meeting with the building official. His immediate reaction was that the building looked awfully big to not have any firewalls. The design architect said the original drawings said it was type I-A construction, so that's what they had gone with. BO just said "There are no type I-A buildings in this town. Prove it to me."

Architects went back to the structural engineers, and found that the concrete floor slabs on the second story weren't thick enough to qualify as type I-A construction. The building construction was actually type II-A. The design had to be modified to incorporate not one, but two new firewalls.

If any "deals" or "agreements" regarding construction are not fully documented in the building records as modifications granted -- in writing -- by the building official, they don't exist. Whatever happened before is past history. Today is today. Yiu have to design according to the code that is currently in effect.

If fire rating is not required between tenant space and food court above, we would like to state that no fire rating is required and keep going.

What code section can you use to document that no rating is required between a tenant space and the food court?

 

[msjenkin]

What code section can you use to document that no rating is required between a tenant space and the food court?

402.4.2 says fire resistance rated separation is not required between a food court and adjacent tenant spaces.

Since the food court is directly above our tenant space I am not sure if that is considered adjacent. Adjacent is not defined in chapter 2.