System Buildings & Codes Quiz 2
What type of fire resistance rating for columns that are part of the structural frame in a VA building
1 hour
What is the typical fire resistance rating for an interior wall within a Type IIA building?
1 hour or automatic sprinklers
New Occupancies vs. Existing Occupancies
1. occupancy is constructed for that occupancy under current enforced code 2. occupancy relocated to an existing building previously not used for that occupancy 3. occupancy is a new addition to an existing bld previously not used for that occupancy 4. occupancy is remaining in same bld but changing its size or use that affects its subclassification
How much space needed for one person in a chair/seat/etc
18"
A client asks you to select finished for a nightclub he owns. Based on the LSC, what additional information do you need in order to determine the correct occupancy classification?
A
Educational
used for educational purposes by a specified number of persons at any one time through the twelfth grade
If you are designing the interior of a large assisted living facility that accommodates 150 residents and you are using the IBC, which occupancy classification would you use?
I-1, because the occupancy load is greater than 16, you have to take that into consideration when looking at occupancy classification as it becomes institutional.
If you were asked to design the interior of a prison located in a jurisdiction using the IBC, which occupancy classification would you use?
I-3
Using the IBC and the LSC, which occupancy classifications would you use if you were asked to redesign the interior of a hotel?
IBC: R-1 LSC: R
Storage
used for storing or sheltering products, merchandise, vehicles, or animals, low or moderate hazard
Relocation of low-hazard factory use, space is first floor of existing 2 story building, has construction type IIIB. Each floor has 19,250 gross sq feet. Client expects to have 100 employees. If the occupant load factor for this factory is 10 gross sq feet per person will this space work?
No, with these qualifications, the building cannot have more than 18,000 sq feet, so it wouldn't work.
If you are selecting finishes for the same assisted living facility using the LSC, which occupancy classification would you use?
R, there are no occupancy restrictions, but the patients need care as well as boarding is a provided element.
Business
used for the transaction of business such as office, professional, or service-type trades and other similar functions, risk factors low,
Performance Codes
a code that is generally described and gives you an objective but not the specifics of how to achieve it, focus is on the desired outcome and compliance is based on meeting criteria, must substantiate the use of the code requirement
Prescriptive Requirements
a code that provides a specific requirement that must be met for the design, construction and maintenance of a building, focus on a specific solution to achieve an objective or outcome based on historic experience and established engineering
Fire Wall
a separation of different construction types from one another, separation is created by a vertical wall
Residential
acts as a dwelling and provides sleeping accommodations for normal residential purposes
In some cases, unique characteristics call for
additional code requirements so that buildings are safe
Fuel Loads
amounts of finish materials, upholstered furniture, other flammable contents
Considerations that go into choosing a structural system/construction type
building size and height, intended occupancy classification, affordability and sustainability
More than one occupancy type
can affect a number of other codes, two or more can occur in same building, can adjacent horizontally/vertically
Incidental Accessory Occupancies
certain uses within a building are determined to be hazardous when they exist within any occupancy type
Type 3
combo of combust/noncombust materials, considered combustable, exterior usually noncombustible, typical of small office buildings
Risk factors
conditions of the building occupants or space that can potentially cause a hazardous situation
Fire-Resistance Rating-Hourly
construction types are listed across the top of the table in descending order from most fire resistive to least, various structural or building elements are listed to the left, the hourly fire endurance ratings are listed under the construction types for each structural element in the body of the table
Means of Egress
divide occupancy load of room by number of exits from room
Construction Types
every building, whether new or existing, falls under one of the construction types, to be classified, it must meet the minimum requirements for every structure or building element in that type, if it fails to meet even one criteria, it is classified in the next less restrictive type
Occupancy Classification
generally determined by the way that building or space is to be used, have been developed by the codes to address diff hazardous situations often referred to as risk factors associated w/each type of use
Assembly
if people gather for civic, social, or religious functions, recreation, entertainment, eating, drinking, or awaiting transportation, holds lrg number of people (more than 50 usually) unfamiliar w/space
Accessibility Requirements
include specific requirements for certain building types within various occupancies, ADA Standards
Institutional
includes care or supervision of the occupants, including medical care, occupants are either limited in their mobility, immobile, or incapable of mobility due to physical or security restraints
Fire Proof
incombustable, is resistant in certain circumstances to fire, can withstand up to a large amount of flame
Which structure or building element does not typically require a fire rating?
interior, non-weight bearing walls
Hazardous
involves the generation, manufacturing, processing, storage, or other use of hazardous materials, require additional precautions
Spatial Characteristics
low light levels, fixed seating, high sound levels
Noncombustible
materials that will not ignite, burn, support combustion, or release flammable vapors when subject to fire or heat, required to pass ASTM test, used to prevent substantial fire spread(steel, iron, concrete, masonry)
Concentration of Occupants
mobility, age, alertness
Type 5
most combustable construction type, basically an all wood structure, typically small, residential house,
Unprotected
no additional treatment or materials are required to be added to the natural fire resistant characteristics of the structural system
An existing non sprinkled building with a construction type of Type IIIB has two floors with 17,500 square feet per floor. Can this building be converted into a hotel?
no, the building cannot have more than 16,000 sq feet per floor to be a hotel
A local developer is planning to develop a series of townhouses, 3 and 4 stories, all Type VB construction. Has two floors with 17,500 sq feet per floor, can it be converted into a hotel?
no, the building cannot have more than 16,000 sq feet per floor to be converted into a hotel
Utility or Miscellaneous
not typical and or cannot be properly classified as any of the other occupancy groups, ex. underground or windowless buildings
Multiple Occupancies
occurs when two or more occupancies exist in a building or space either horizontally or vertically, are intermingled,
Mercantile
open to the public and used for the display, sale, or rental of merchandise, includes most stores and showrooms, and some large malls
Type 4
or mill construction, or heavy timber, composed of heavy timber structural members and wood floors, the char created during a fire results in a natural fire resistance to the structure, can be no concealed spaces
Fire Resistant
refers to construction materials, assemblies, and textiles that prevent or retard the passage of excessive heat, hot gasses, or flame
Occupancy Load for fixed seating
seats are considered fixed if they are not easily moved and/or if they are used on a relatively permanent basis, actual seats are counted
Party Wall
similar to fire wall in separation but located on a shared lot line between two parcels of land
Accessory Occupancies
sometimes 2 or more occupancies exist in a building, but one or more of them is much smaller than the main occupancy type
Type 1 and Type 2
strictest type, designated noncombustible materials, typically steel and concrete, main difference between two is required hourly ratings of structural elements
Protected
structural components must be enclosed or covered in materials that add to the fire resistance of the system, allows for a wide variety of construction systems and components
Count
the method of determining how many occupants can reside in an area with fixed seating
Accessory Space
the square footage of the space in relation to the entire unit is less than 10% of the overall
How to determine occupancy load
total sq. footage/gross for the area
18"
typical allowance of seating for each occupant
24"
typical seating variable for booth seating
Mixed Construction Types
unusual, but they do occur, ex. a medical office building adjacent to a hospital, or a factory connected to its business offices, each could be diff construction types allowed by the occupancy classification/building size
Factory or Industrial
used for assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, processing, or repairing, certain type of product made, low or moderate hazard
Occupant Loads (OL)
used to determine how many people can safely use the space, sets the number of occupants for which adequate exiting must be provided from a space or building, ppl can evacuate safely and quickly
Occupant Load Primary Spaces&Secondary Spaces
when one or more smaller spaces exists into a larger or primary space before reaching final exit, codes require occupant load of the primary space include the occupant loads of the secondary spaces that exit through it
Mixed Occupancies
when two or more occupancies in a building or space are about the same size or do not meet the requirements to be considered an accessory use, it is this, IBC further divides into separate and non-separate
Occupant Load for More than One Occupancy
whenever there is more than one occupancy in the same space/building, additional calculations are typically required
Combustible
will ignite and continue to burn when the flame source is removed, wood, can be chemically treated to achieve some fire resistance