Hello, this is my first post. Thank you for taking the time to help!
The image above shows an existing building with an addition that wrap around to create an interior court. The building is over it's allowable area, and the red indicates where I am planning to have a fire barrier. It is in the existing because I can't let it partition the spaces I am creating in the renovation portion on that end. The interior court is surrounded by windows on both the existing and addition side.
The difficulty I am having is that in the OBC, 705.3 states that I have to use an imaginary lot line between separate buildings to determine Fire Separation Distance which is how I figure out opening protectives and so forth. But I can't determine how to draw an imaginary line that makes sense. If I bisect the courtyard I inevitably intersects the building at the line's end points.
I don't believe an imaginary line is the answer; my first thought is that since it's a fire barrier (and not a wall) the buildings shouldn't be treated as two separate buildings (3403 specifically defines a fire wall as two separate, but not fire barrier), but the exception under 705.3 seems to suggest since I don't comply with chapter 5's allowable area the buildings are two separate buildings.
What I need to know is how to treat this interior court, and if I need to rate openings. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am working on speaking with a plans examiner on this, but I figured I'd try this forum first.
Thanks again!
The image above shows an existing building with an addition that wrap around to create an interior court. The building is over it's allowable area, and the red indicates where I am planning to have a fire barrier. It is in the existing because I can't let it partition the spaces I am creating in the renovation portion on that end. The interior court is surrounded by windows on both the existing and addition side.
The difficulty I am having is that in the OBC, 705.3 states that I have to use an imaginary lot line between separate buildings to determine Fire Separation Distance which is how I figure out opening protectives and so forth. But I can't determine how to draw an imaginary line that makes sense. If I bisect the courtyard I inevitably intersects the building at the line's end points.
I don't believe an imaginary line is the answer; my first thought is that since it's a fire barrier (and not a wall) the buildings shouldn't be treated as two separate buildings (3403 specifically defines a fire wall as two separate, but not fire barrier), but the exception under 705.3 seems to suggest since I don't comply with chapter 5's allowable area the buildings are two separate buildings.
What I need to know is how to treat this interior court, and if I need to rate openings. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am working on speaking with a plans examiner on this, but I figured I'd try this forum first.
Thanks again!
