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Occupancy Separation or not?

Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

Every school is going to have functions that occur outside of normal school hours.

Therefore, according to the ICC nothing can really be classified as group E.

Sports events? Occupancy A.

School Store? Occupancy M.

Detention Hall? Occupancy I.

Evening ToEFL classes? Occupancy B.

It's this sort of hair splitting that makes the ICC useless.
 
Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

Examiner said:
After School Hours:However, events after school even those related to activities, such as sports, with other schools would not be considered a school activity because it occurs after hours and will have many visitors to the school who are not familiar with the building.
The only time building familiarity comes into play regarding life safety is for permanent dwelling units.

It never is considered a mitigating factor for life-safety in a public building...never mind the absurity of using it in a building that by definition is friggin' full of children.

It just goes to show that they're backing up a pre determined conclusion, not trying to figure it out.

Try to imagine codifying a change in occupancy based not on use but on normal hours of operation.
 
Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

brudgers, well said, both times!! :D

You don't need to make this any harder than it already is. The code says it's an E, it's an E.

Section 705.1, fire walls, says that they "shall be considered separate buildings", not that they are separate buildings. It's one building that has been divided up with fire walls, it's still a school, and still an E.
 
Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

examiner posted:

However, events after school even those related to activities, such as sports, with other schools would not be considered a school activity because it occurs after hours and will have many visitors to the school who are not familiar with the building. This type of activity would require the building to comply with 508.3.1 and its sub sections not using the Exceptions.
This doesn’t make sense; activities during school hours could also have many visitors who are not familiar with the building. This is an EEEEEEEEEEEE
 
Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

I would ask the design professional to declare why the firewall is being provided and review based on the response.

Then get the school district to declare in writing that the assembly occupancy will never be leased out to a non-school-related outside entity.
 
Re: Occupancy Separation or not?

Just put an unrated opening in the 'fire wall' and , no more fire wall.

No more fire wall, no seperate buildings.

No seperate buildings, no use/occupancy questions.

Seriously, the OCCUPANCY of the building is for Use Group E.

The USE of those spaces may include assemblages of persons for a variety of reasons. That it is a Varsity Basketball game with visiting spectators as well as locals, does not mean the Educational OCCUPANCY has been eradicated. A fuller understanding of these types of activities would allow one to realize that they are at least as 'educational' as some (many? :( ) of the 'classes' during regular school hours.

Oddly, for my 500th post I find myself agreeing (in principle at least) with Brudgers.

Not at all what I expected. Looks like 2010 will be full of surprises...
 
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