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Is a Parapet required due to Section 507.5 Reduced Open Space

M

Mike McAndrew

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
4
Location
Fullerton, ca
I'm an architect and have always designed 30" tall parapets of 3-hr construction on walls facing Reduced Open Space as described in 507.5. I have been asked by a contractor to review this as other architects do not provide the same. Any insight would be appreciated.

Section 507.5 - Reduced Open Space essentially states that you can have a building of unlimited size with public ways/yards being reduced to as little as 40'. In doing so, the wall has to be 3-hr rated as do all openings in the wall.

Section 705.11 requires Parapets on walls of buildings unless ANY ONE of the exceptions apply.

Exception 1 states "The wall is not required to be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Table 602 because of fire separation distance." We meet that exception as table 602 stops requiring fire resistance in all cases at 30'. We are 40'. Therefore we should not have to provide a parapet.

Problem is...This is a tilt-up warehouse building and I am providing a parapet. Once I provide a parapet, I believe I fall under the following section:

Section 705.11.1 - Parapet Construction - "Parapets shall have the same fire-resistance rating as that required for the supporting wall...The height of the parapet shall not be less than 30"..."

So...Any thoughts from the collective brain trust here? Is the parapet I'm providing required to be rated and 30" minimum?
 
Welcome

How did you find us?

Just wait around and you will get some great answers
 
Are you looking at a specific project or just general question??

705.11 has six exceptions to pick from
 
Is the parapet I'm providing required to be rated No per Section 705.11 Exception 1

and 30" minimum? No per Section 705.11 Exception 6 or

705.11.1 Parapet construction.

Parapets shall have the same fire-resistance rating as that required for the supporting wall, and on any side adjacent to a roof surface, shall have noncombustible faces for the uppermost 18 inches (457 mm), including counterflashing and coping materials. The height of the parapet shall not be less than 30 inches (762 mm) above the point where the roof surface and the wall intersect. Where the roof slopes toward a parapet at a slope greater than two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (16.7-percent slope), the parapet shall extend to the same height as any portion of the roof within a fire separation distance where protection of wall openings is required, but in no case shall the height be less than 30 inches (762 mm). You are not within the fire separation distance therefore there is no minimum height requirement

Parapet wall. The part of any wall entirely above the roof line.

You may have a parapet wall by definition but it is not required to meet the requirements of 705.11
 
Mike McAndrew said:
Finally found this site after following 50+ dead ends on internet searches. Great information here.
Click to expand...
This is not a dead end site, question away and also dazzle us with your brilliance by answering some of the posts
 
Is your roof access close to the edge of the roof? you may need that parapet after all.......... Do you need to screen any equipment? You may need that parapet after all...............
 
deleted because I changed my mind.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JPohling said:
Is your roof access close to the edge of the roof? you may need that parapet after all.......... ...............
Click to expand...
A guard is all that is required and certainly cheaper than a parapet wall. Section 1013.6
 
JPohling said:
I was just pointing out that there may be several other reasons for a parapet
Click to expand...
Yes - I will still have a lower parapet for the other reasons described here, as well as a guard near the roof access. The real question was if a 30" rated parapet was required by code. The wall in question is nearly 900' long, so if I can cut it down a bit in height, the savings are significant.
 
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