Code Summaries (IBC)
Walls separating dwelling units in the same building, walls separating sleeping units in the building, and walls separating dwelling or sleeping units from other occupancies contiguous to them shall be constructed as what rated fire partition?
1 hour
What fire resistant rating must all structural elements including floors, roofs, bearing walls, columns, and beams in Type II buildings be protected by?
1 hour-fire-resistive rated construction
Demising partitions between tenant spaces must be what fire rating?
1-hour fire rated
Partitions along an exit access corridor must be what fire rating?
1-hour fire rated
Partitions that demise an assembly occupancy of 750 feet squared or greater must be what fire rating?
1-hour fire rated
For R-2 occupancies in sprinklered buildings, the common path of egress travel must not exceed what length?
125 feet
What dimension can a non-accessible water closet, urinal, lavatory, or bidet not be set closer than from its center to any side wall, partition, vanity, or other obstruction including bathtubs and showers.
15 inches
What dimension must core drill no be used within a structural element?
18 inches
What dimension must electrical receptacles be from the floor unless otherwise noted?
18 inches
What fire resistant rating must all structural elements including floors, roofs, bearing walls, columns, and beams in Type I buildings be protected by?
2 hour-fire-resistive rated construction
What dimension must dead end corridors not exceed in length?
20 feet
Door assemblies in a 1-hour fire rated partition must have a minimum fire protection rating of how long and be self-closing?
20 minutes
Sprinklers shall be located for what maximum coverage area or what maximum spacing?
225 feet squared ; 15 feet
For A,E,F-1, M, R, and S-1 occupancies the travel distance must not exceed what length?
250 feet
Where there is no partition or other obstruction between adjacent fixtures, the fixture cannot be set closer to what dimension center to center?
30 inches
The minimum number of fire extinguishers must be calculated based on one fire extinguisher per what area or fraction thereof?
3000 feet square
What is the minimum dimension an electrical outlet can be located within a water source before it must be a GFCI
36 inches
What is the minimum width of a stairway serving an occupant load of less than 50?
36 inches
What is the minimum width of an egress corridor serving an occupant load of less than 50 within a dwelling unit?
36 inches
When a pair of doors is provided as an exit access door what is the minimum dimension in width of at least one door?
36 inches
All objects on a wall between 27 inches and 80 inches AFF must not protrude more than what dimension?
4 inches
What is the minimum width of a stairway serving an occupant load of 50 or more?
44 inches
What is the minimum width of an egress corridor serving an occupant load of 50 or more?
44 inches
What percentage indicates how many urinals cannot be substituted of the required water closets in all other occupancies besides assembly and education?
50%
An audio/visual fire signal device must be visible from any location in the room or space and must be mounted between what height?
6 ' 8" to 7' 6" AFF
What dimension must GFCIs be located within of the outside edge of a wet bar and in countertop receptacles in kitchens, laundry, and utility rooms?
6 feet
What dimension must receptacles in residential occupancies be spaced such that no point measured horizontally along the floor line in any wall space is more than X from a receptacle? Wall space includes any space 2 feet or more in width.
6 feet
Walls of showers and tubs with showers must be of a smooth; corrosion- resistant and nonabsorbent waterproof material and extend at least X feet above the room floor level and not less than X inches above the drain of the tub or shower
6 feet ; 70 inches
Glass or light-transmitting plastic used in doors, windows, and enclosures of bathtubs, showers, hot tubs, whirlpools, saunas, and steam rooms where the bottom edge is less than X in above the floor surface of the fixture or floor of the enclosed fixture must comply with the safety glazing requirements of Chapter 24 of IBC. This includes tempered and laminated glass.
60 inches
What percentage indicates how many urinals cannot be substituted of the required water closets in assembly and education occupancies?
67%
What is the minimum height of an exit access door?
7 feet
What must the minimum height of the ceiling be in a means of egress?
7 ft 6 in
What minimum dimension must door openings from occupied spaces into the path of egress travel not project more than into the required width?
7 inches
No sprinkler shall be further than X feet from any wall
7.5 feet
For A,E, and M occupancies in sprinklered buildings, the common path of egress travel must not exceed what length?
75 feet
What is the maximum distance a fire extinguisher can be located from the furthest occupant?
75 feet
Shower compartments cannot be less than X area in interior area and cannot be less than X inches in least dimension as measured from the finished interior dimension. One exception allows a X inches minimum dimension provided that the entire enclosure is not less than X area in cross sectional area.
900 inches squared ; 30 inches ; 25 inches ; 1300 inches squared
What is an alternative to safety glazing in full-height glass panels?
A crash bar with a minimum width of 1-1/2" may be installed with the bottom edge from 34 in to 38 in above the floor.
Public Way
A street, alley, or other parcel of land open to the outside air leading to a street, that has been deeded, dedicated, or other wise permanently appropriated to the public for public use, and which has a clear width and height of not less than 10 ft.
Bathtubs and whirlpool bathtubs that use doors that are made water tight by the use of a pressure seal must conform with what code?
ASME A112.19.15
Chapter 11
Accessibility: contains scoping provisions for the accessibility of buildings and their associated sites; that is, the chapter gives the "what," "where," and "how many" of accessible features. The exact methods of satisfying the provisions are contained in the references standard ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.
International Plumbing Code: Section 404
Accessible Plumbing Facilities: refers to Chapter 11 of the IBC for scoping provisions of accessible features and ICC A117.1 for the technical characteristics of accessible features, such as clearances, heights, spacings, and arrangements. Refer to the items under ICC A117.1 for a listing of the more commonly needed requirements.
Approach 1 for Interior Finishes
All interior wall and ceiling finish materials are permitted to be tested to NFPA 286, Standard Methods for Fire Tests for Evaluating Contribution of Wall and Ceiling Interior Finish to Room Fire Growth. Any material that passed NFPA 286 is considered to have a Class A flame spread rating.
Decorative Materials
All materials applied over the building interior finish for decorative, acoustical, or other effects, including, but not limited to, curtains, draperies, fabrics; and all other material utilized for decorative effect, including, but not limited to, bulletin boards, artwork, posters, photographs, batting, and similar items. Decorative materials DO NOT include wall coverings, ceiling covering, floor covering, ordinary window shades, or interior finish and materials less than 0.025 in thick applied directly to and adhering tightly to a substrate.
Smoke and heat detector coverage in occupancy group B must be where?
All rooms, corridors, storage areas, and spaces above suspended ceilings.
Incidental use area
An area that is ancillary to the main occupancy and that has the same classifications as the main occupancy but poses a greater risk to that occupancy. The incidental use area cannot exceed 10% of the area of the story on which it is located, and must either be separated from the main occupancy by a fire barrier, or be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. Incidental use area and their requirements are given in Chapter 5 of the IBC.
Exit passageway
An exit component that is separated from other interior spaces of a building by fire-resistance- rated construction and opening protectives and that provides for a protected path of egress travel in a horizontal direction.
Where are GFCIs required in residential occupancies?
Bathrooms, garages, outdoors, and in crawl spaces
International Plumbing Code: Section 407
Bathtubs
Single or multiple station smoke alarms shall be installed in Group R-2, R-3, R-4 and I-1 regardless of occupant load in which locations?
Ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms In each room used for sleeping purposes In each story within a dwelling unit away from cooking appliances, preferable the living room
Where is the E84 Test Table located in the IBC
Chapter 8 803.13
Chapter 2
Definitions
How do you determine the occupant load for each sex?
Divide the total occupant load by half
Chapter 27
Electrical: provisions for emergency and standby power systems, but mainly references NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, for detailed requirements of electrical systems and components. The following are some of the more common requirements that may be part of the Prac Exam.
Chapter 9
Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems: contains the minimum requirements for active fire protection systems to perform the functions of detecting a fire, alerting the occupants or fire department, and controlling of extinguishing the fire. Included are requirements for sprinkler systems (including visible alarms), smoke detection and control systems, carbon monoxide detection equipment, and gas detection systems.
Chapter 7
Fire and Smoke Protection Features: detailed requirements for fire-resistance-rated construction elements, how these elements are constructed, how openings in walls and partitions are protected, and how penetrations of elements are protected. The chapter governs how these elements serve to safeguard against the spread of fire and smoke within a building.
Requirement 2 for sound transmission
Floor-ceiling assemblies between dwelling and sleeping units or between a dwelling unit or sleeping unit and a public or service area within the structure must have an impacted insulation class (IIC) rating of not less than 50, or not less than 45 if field tested.
Chapter 5
General Building Heights and Areas: maximum allowable height of buildings in feet and stories. Also contains requirements for maximum building area based on type of construction, occupancy classification, whether there is an automatic sprinkler system, and the amount of building frontage. Unlikely exam will require any calculations or verifications of this information. Does include requirements for mixed use and occupancy including the hourly fire separation required between different occupancies.
Chapter 24
Glass and Glazing: all glass in hazardous locations must be either tempered glass or laminated glass meeting the requirements of 16 CFR 1201, Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials.
Where the finished surfaces of enclosing walls are tile what must the backing material be?
Glass mat, water-resistant backing panels, fiber-cement substrate, or fiber-mat-reinforced cement substrate sheets.
What must shower floors be constructed of?
Impervious, noncorrosive, nonabsorbent, and waterproof materials.
Where must audio/visual fire signal devices be located?
In every restroom. hallway, lobby, and general assembly area
What direction must exit access doorways open?
In the direction of exit travel
International Plumbing Code: Section 405
Installation of Fixtures: gives requirements for the actual installation of fixtures, including location in a room and their relationship to each other. Also included are requirements for water closet compartments in public areas, urinal partitions, plumbing connections, and other provisions that would not be included on the Prac Exam.
Chapter 12
Interior Environment: contains provisions for the occupied environment, including ventilation, lighting, temperature control, sound transmission, interior space dimensions, and toilet and bath requirements. However, the provisions in this chapter for toilet and baths do not apply to dwelling units. Two of the requirements for sound transmission are included.
Chapter 8
Interior Finishes: three different approaches to the requirements for interior finishes
What must shower compartment floors that are not prefabricated be?
Lined and made water tight and the lining turned up on all sides not less than 2 inches above the threshold level. Liners must be sloped toward the drain at a 2% slope.
Chapter 10
Means of Egress: occupant load factors are given in a table. Occupant load is determined by dividing the occupant load factor into the area of the space, either gross or net, as determined by the table. Minimum corridor widths are also given in this chapter.
International Plumbing Code: Section 403
Minimum Plumbing Facilities: provides same table as Chapter 29 of IBC and describes how to calculate the number of fixtures and the distribution of facilities including single-user toilet and bathing facilities.
How do you calculate the minimum width of egress based on occupant load for a stairway?
Multiple the occupant load served by a factor of 0.3 inches pre occupant
How do you calculate the minimum width of egress corridors?
Multiplying the occupant load served by a factor of 0.2 in per occupant
Chapter 3
Occupancy classifications and use: contains detailed descriptions of the various use categories. Some such as assembly occupancy, have subcategories that show be reviewed.
What must the path of egress travel not do?
Pass through secondary space that is subject to closure by doors, that contains storage materials, or that contains items that project into the path of egress travel.
Approach 2 for Interior Finishes
Second, the traditional ASTM E84 test, Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, can be used to classify finishes into one of three groups, as shown in the table. Interior wall and ceiling finishes shall meet the minimum requirements of the following table based on the area given and whether or not the building is sprinklered.
International Plumbing Code: Section 421
Showers
Chapter 4
Special Detailed Requirements Based on Occupancy and Use: such as covered mall buildings, high-rise buildings, atriums, I-occupancies, and some R-occupancies, among others.
Exit
That portion of a means of egress system between the exit access and the exit discharge or public way. Components include exterior exit doors at the level of exit discharge, interior exit stairways and ramps, exit passageways, exterior exit stairways, and horizontal exits.
Exit discharge
That portion of a means of egress system between the termination of an exit and a public way.
Exit access
That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit.
Common Path of Travel
That portion of the exit access that must be traversed before two separate and distinct paths of travel to two exits are available. The common path of egress travel shall be included within the permitted travel distance.
Travel distance
The distance measured from the most remote point within a story to the entrance to an exit along the natural and unobstructed path of egress travel
What are the requirements for locks in exit access doors?
They must not require a key, special knowledge, or effort for operation from the egress side
How do you travel distance along the path of egress?
Travel distance must be measured on the floor along the centerline of the natural path of travel, starting from the most remote point to the centerline of the exit.
Chapter 6
Types of Construction: Every building is classified into one of fire major types of construction based on the fire resistance of the structural frame, interior and exterior bearing walls, and the floor and roof of construction.
Requirement 1 for sound transmission
Walls, partitions, and floor-ceiling assemblies separating dwelling units and sleeping units from each other or from public or service areas must have a sound transmission class (STC) of not les than 50 or not less than 45 if field tested.
International Plumbing Code: Section 426
Whirlpool Bathtubs
Access must be provided to X according to the fixture manufacturer's installation instructions or a minimum opening of X inches by X inches with a door or closure panel must be installed to provide access to the X.
circulation pump ; 12 inches
Chapter 29 Plumbing Systems
contains provisions for the minimum number of plumbing fixtures, including duplicating a table from the IPC that gives the minimum number of male and female water closets, male and female lavatories, bathtubs/ showers, and drinking fountains based on occupant load and occupancy classification.
ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
provides the exact methods for satisfying the provisions required in accessible buildings.
What must protruding objects not do in an accessible route?
reduce the minimum clear width
ICC A117.1 Accessible and Useable Buildings and Facilities
reference standard is used to find detailed information on the design and dimensions of accessible elements in a building and on a site.
Glazing in rated partitions, including doors, must be fire-resistance-rated and carry what fire rating?
same rating as the partition
Approach 3 for Interior Finishes
separate requirements for textile wallcoverings and expanded vinyl wall coverings. These materials must be tested in accordance with NFPA 265, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evaluating Room Fire Growth Contribution of Textile or Expanded Vinyl Wall Covering on Full Height Panels and Walls and meet the acceptance criteria. Requirements for floor finishes is also given in this Chapter 8.
