Special Industrial Occupancies Information

[Enri Code]

One thing I have not seen in general as a topic of discussion is the determination of a space as a special industrial occupancy so I want to share information about this for people who are curious about this or considering this:

Per the IBC they are defined as:

503.1.1 Special industrial occupancies.

Buildings and structures designed to house special industrial processes that require large areas and unusual building heights to accommodate craneways or special machinery and equipment, including among others, rolling mills, structural metal fabrication shops and foundries; or the production and distribution of electric, gas or steam power, shall be exempt from the building height number of stories and building area limitations specified in Section 504 and 506

Per NFPA 101:

40.1.2.1.2 Special-Purpose Industrial Occupancy.

Special-purpose industrial occupancies shall include the following:

(1) Industrial occupancies that conduct ordinary and low hazard industrial operations in buildings designed for, and are that usable only for, particular types of operations

(2) Industrial occupancies that are characterized by low density of employee population, with much of the area occupied by machinery or equipment.

 

[steveray]

Unlimited area is usually easy to get so height is the harder one and zoning where I have been usually regulates that.....

 

[MarioTur]

Thank you Enri Code for posting this subject. I am about to step into the hornet's nest and was curious if anyone had encountered this subject. My understanding currently is that it is the responsibility of the building official (and/or the Fire Marshal) to make the determination. It becomes an interpretation so I would appreciate any guidance on what type of information should be provided to receive a favorable determination for an unlimited area. Best, Mario R Tur, Architect

 

[Bruced]

would you apply this to an industrial building that uses boilers to product or manufacture their product where the boiler room exceeds the 10% for incidental Use?

 

[Bruced]

One thing I have not seen in general as a topic of discussion is the determination of a space as a special industrial occupancy so I want to share information about this for people who are curious about this or considering this:

Per the IBC they are defined as:

503.1.1 Special industrial occupancies.

Buildings and structures designed to house special industrial processes that require large areas and unusual building heights to accommodate craneways or special machinery and equipment, including among others, rolling mills, structural metal fabrication shops and foundries; or the production and distribution of electric, gas or steam power, shall be exempt from the building height number of stories and building area limitations specified in Section 504 and 506

Per NFPA 101:

40.1.2.1.2 Special-Purpose Industrial Occupancy.

Special-purpose industrial occupancies shall include the following:

(1) Industrial occupancies that conduct ordinary and low hazard industrial operations in buildings designed for, and are that usable only for, particular types of operations

(2) Industrial occupancies that are characterized by low density of employee population, with much of the area occupied by machinery or equipment.

would you apply this to an industrial building that uses boilers to product or manufacture their product where the boiler room exceeds the 10% for incidental Use?

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Thank you Enri Code for posting this subject. I am about to step into the hornet's nest and was curious if anyone had encountered this subject.

A decade ago I was involved (as Special Inspections Coordinator) in a project for new construction of a train repair facility. It was a structure large enough to drive passenger trains of up to (IIRC) six cars in length into the enclosed building, on three parallel sets of tracks, with massive overhead cranes that could pick up an entire train car.

It was NOT declared as exempt from height and area limitations.

 

[Penguin87]

These types of buildings are typicall large sawmills, plywood factories, metal plants, mineral processing facilities etc... they can be quite large. We worked on at least one building that was over a mile in length, with a crew of less than 10 people. Those types of facilities would fall under this criteria.