Time of my Life

What a week.

I spent most of it with my face buried in the 2003 International Building Code trying to figure out what the hell it’s all is supposed to mean. It’s become my job on this project to make sure that every aspect of our building meets the code requirements and if it doesn’t I have to make the revision or try and convince the county why our way is better (not much of a chance there).

Our building is 130,240 square feet X 4 buildings. That means I’ve got 520,960 square feet to miss something. I think I’m stressed about it.

I blame fire and attorneys for most of my pain.

Below is just a little part of what I’ve been dealing with. I can actually tell you in detail what most of the following means and how it applies to our building. I finally feel like I've learned something.

SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON USE AND OCCUPANCY (CH. 4)
A. THE CLEAR HEIGHT OF EACH FLOOR LEVEL
IN VEHICLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AREAS
SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN 7'-0". VEHICLE
AND PEDESTRIAN AREAS ACCOMMODATING
VAN-ACCESSIBLE PARKING REQUIRED BY
SECTION 1106.5 SHALL CONFORM TO
ICC A117.1 PER 406.2.2
B. GUARDS SHALL BE PROVIDED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1012 AT
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR VERTICAL
OPENINGS ON FLOOR AND ROOF AREAS
WHERE VEHICLES ARE PARKED OR MOVED
AND WHERE THE VERTICAL DISTANCE TO
THE GROUND OR SURFACE DIRECTLY BELOW
EXCEEDS 30" PER 406.2.3.
C. PARKING AREAS SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH
EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR WALLS OR VEHICLE
BARRIERS, EXCEPT AT PEDESTRIAN OR
VEHICULAR ACCESSES, DESIGNED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 1607.7
VEHICLE BARRIERS NOT LESS THAN 2'
HIGH SHALL BE PLACED AT THE END OF
DRIVE LANES, AND AT THE END OF PARKING
SPACES WHERE THE DIFFERENCE IN
ADJACENT FLOOR ELEVATION IS GREATER
THAN 1'-0" PER 406.2.4.
A. 406.4 ENCLOSED PARKING GARAGES
A MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEM SHALL
BE PROVIDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE.

FIRE WALLS (705) CONT.
C. HORIZONTAL CONTINUITY - FIRE WALLS
SHALL BE CONTINUOUS FROM EXTERIOR WALL
TO EXTERIOR WALL AND SHALL EXTEND AT
LEAST 18" BEYOND THE EXTERIOR SURFACE
OF EXTERIOR WALLS.
EXCEPTION - FIRE WALLS SHALL BE
PERMITTED TO TERMINATE AT THE INTERIOR
SURFACE OF COMBUSTIBLE EXTERIOR
SHEATHING OR SIDING PROVIDED THE
EXTERIOR WALL HAS A FIRE-RESISTANCE
RATING OF AT LEAST 1-HOUR FOR A
HORIZONTAL DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 4'
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FIRE WALL.
OPENINGS WITHIN SUCH EXTERIOR
WALLS SHALL BE PROTECTED BY OPENING
PROTECTIVES HAVING A RATING OF NOT
LESS THAN 3/4 HOUR.
D. FIRE WALLS SHALL EXTEND TO THE OUTER
EDGE OF HORIZONTAL PROJECTING
ELEMENTS SUCH AS BALCONIES, ROOF
OVERHANGS, CANOPIES, MARQUEES AND
SIMILAR PROJECTIONS THAT ARE WITHIN
4' OF THE FIRE WALL.
EXCEPTION - HORIZONTAL PROJECTING
ELEMENTS WITHOUT CONCEALED SPACES,
PROVIDED THE EXTERIOR WALL BEHIND
AND BELOW THE PROJECTING ELEMENT HAS
NOT LESS THAN 1-HOUR FIRE-RESISTANCE-
RATED CONSTRUCTION FOR A DISTANCE NOT
LESS THAN THE DEPTH OF THE PROJECTING
ELEMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FIRE WALL.
E. VERTICAL CONTINUITY - FIRE WALLS SHALL
EXTEND FROM THE FOUNDATION TO A
TERMINATION POINT AT LEAST 30" ABOVE
BOTH ADJACENT ROOFS.
EXCEPTION - TWO-HOUR FIRE-RESISTANCE-
RATED WALLS SHALL BE PERMITTED TO
TERMINATE AT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ROOF
SHEATHING, DECK OR SLAB PROVIDED THE
LOWER ROOF ASSEMBLY WITHIN 4' OF THE
WALL HAS NOT LESS THAN A 1-HOUR FIRE-
RESISTANCE RATING AND THE ENTIRE LENGTH
AND SPAN OF SUPPORTING ELEMENTS FOR
THE RATED ROOF ASSEMBLY HAS A FIRE-
RESISTANCE RATING OF NOT LESS THAN
1-HOUR. OPENINGS IN THE ROOF SHALL NOT
BE LOCATED WITHIN 4' OF THE FIRE WALL
AND EACH BUILDING SHALL BE PROVIDED
WITH NOT LESS THAN A CLASS B ROOF
COVERING.
EXCEPTION - IN BUILDINGS OF TYPE V
CONSTRUCTION, WALLS SHALL BE PERMITTED
TO TERMINATE AT THE UNDERSIDE OF
COMBUSTIBLE ROOF SHEATHING OR DECKS
PROVIDED THERE ARE NO OPENINGS IN THE
ROOF WITHIN 4' OF THE FIRE WALL. THE
ROOF IS COVERED WITH A MINIMUM CLASS B
ROOF COVERING, AND THE ROOF SHEATHING
OR DECK IS CONSTRUCTED OF FIRE-
RETARDANT-TREATED WOOD FOR A DISTANCE
OF 4' ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WALL OR THE
ROOF IS PROTECTED WITH 5/8" TYPE X
GYPSUM BOARD DIRECTLY BENEATH THE
UNDERSIDE OF THE ROOF SHEATHING OR
DECK, SUPPORTED BY A MINIMUM OF 2"
NOMINAL LEDGERS ATTACHED TO THE SIDES
OF THE ROOF FRAMING MEMBERS FOR A
MINIMUM DISTANCE OF 4' ON BOTH SIDES OF
THE FIRE WALL.
F. OPENINGS - EACH OPENING THROUGH A FIRE
WALL SHALL BE PROTECTED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH 715.4
G. PENETRATIONS OF FIRE WALLS SHALL COMPLY
WITH SECTION 712.

FIRE BARRIERS (706)
A. SHAFT ENCLOSURES - 2-HOUR PER 707.4
B. EXIT ENCLOSURES - 2-HOUR PER 1019.1.8.1
C. EXIT PASSAGEWAYS - 2-HOUR PER 1020.3
D. CORRIDOR WALLS - 1-HOUR PER 1020.3
E. INCIDENTAL USE AREAS
PARKING GARAGE - 3-HOUR PER 508.2
STORAGE ROOMS - 1 HOUR PER TABLE 302.1.1
F. MIXED OCCUPANCY SEPARATIONS
H. CONTINUITY - FIRE BARRIERS SHALL
EXTEND FROM THE TOP OF THE FLOOR/
CEILING ASSEMBLY BELOW TO THE
UNDERSIDE OF THE FLOOR OR ROOF SLAB
OR DECK ABOVE AND SHALL BE SECURELY
ATTACHED THERETO. SUCH FIRE BARRIERS
SHALL BE CONTINUOUS THROUGH
CONCEALED SPACES, SUCH AS THE SPACE
ABOVE A SUSPENDED CEILING. THE
SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION FOR FIRE
BARRIER WALLS SHALL BE PROTECTED TO
AFFORD THE REQUIRED FIRE-RESISTANCE
RATING OF THE FIRE BARRIER SUPPORTED.
HOLLOW VERTICAL SPACES WITHIN A FIRE
BARRIER SHALL BE FIREBLOCKED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 717.2 AT EVERY
LEVEL.
C. OPENINGS IN A FIRE BARRIER WALL SHALL BE
PROTECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SEC. 715.
D. PENETRATIONS OF FIRE BARRIERS SHALL
COMPLY WITH SECTION 712

SHAFT ENCLOSURES (707)
A. SHAFT ENCLOSURES - 2-HOUR PER 707.4
B. A SHAFT ENCLOSURE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR
OPENINGS TOTALLY WITHIN AN INDIVIDUAL
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNIT.
C. ELEVATOR, DUMBWAITER AND OTHER
HOISTWAY ENCLOSURES SHALL BE
CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SECTION 707 AND CHAPTER 30
D. ELEVATOR LOBBYS ARE NOT REQUIRED PER
707.14.1, EXCEPTION 4.

FIRE PARTITIONS (708)

And on and on and on…