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New Plumbing Fixture Count Tool

10/31/2020

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I'm excited to launch a new plumbing fixture count tool that really speeds up the process of determining the required number of plumbing fixtures per IBC Chapter 29 and the IPC. Take a look here and let me know what you think!

LINK: 2015 IBC Plumbing Fixture Calculator

I've also made an update to the 2015 IBC Allowable Height, Area and Stories calculator. With this update, you can now manually enter the building frontage and the calculations will update accordingly. You can check out that update here:

LINK: Updated 2015 IBC Allowable Height, Area and Stories Calculator

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Podcast Episode with Fire Code Tech

9/15/2020

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Over the summer, I was interviewed on the Fire Code Tech podcast. The conversation ranged from performance-based design, the UMD FPE program, trends in the industry and advice for you professionals entering the FPE/Code market. If you haven't listened, check it out!
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August Update + A Means of Egress Question

8/31/2020

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It's been a full summer here on my end, at least in one sense. While the pandemic has forced vacation cancellations and generally fewer social gatherings, work has been full steam ahead for the past few months. I've also been working on a weekly basis to help PE Roadmap clients as they study for the Fire Protection PE exam this fall. As we get towards the last remaining months before the October exam, I am looking forward to some more regular posts on the blog, which I anticipate to be a mixture of life safety tools, cheat sheets and code questions.

On another front, I've also had some recent conversations with Joe Meyer over at MeyerFire regarding our Code Calls initiative. While we are still soliciting feedback from Indiana AHJs regarding their local requirements, we are also looking for some ways to further jump start our progress. One of these is putting together a database that provides a link to State/City/County/Municipality local amendments, as well as the link to that jurisdiction's website where you can find contact information. Similar to the main Code Calls database, we are starting in Indiana and hoping to branch out from there. More on that in the coming months.

Code Question - Openings in Stairs From Normally Occupied Spaces

On a recent project, an architect I am working with received a comment stating that openings in stairways are only permitted from normally occupied spaces. I have come across this requirement before, which originates from IBC 1023.4.
​Openings in interior exit stairways and ramps other than unprotected exterior openings shall be limited to those necessary for exit access to the enclosure from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the enclosure. (2015 IBC 1023.4)
While I am quite familiar with this requirement, the fact that it was brought up in this particular situation was shocking. That's because the floor in question, a basement, was designed with two exit stairs and an enclosed corridor running the length of the building and connecting the stairs. I've sketched up a simplified version of the layout below. The plan review comments indicated that the openings into the stairs were from not-normally occupied spaces and did not comply with IBC 1023.4.
Corridor Arrangement
Sketch of the proposed basement layout with a corridor connecting the two exit stairs.
If either of the stairs opened up directly into the mechanical, electrical or storage rooms, this comment would make sense to me. However, the openings into both stairs are from the corridor, which I have always considered normally occupied space. In fact, the IBC actually requires rated corridors to continue to an exit (IBC 1020.6). While the corridors in this design are not currently rated, if the code requires corridors continuity to an exit in certain situations, how could a corridor be considered not-normally occupied here?

Upon a followup conversation with the plan reviewer, the local jurisdiction has taken the position that because all of the rooms (mechanical, electrical and storage) on the floor are considered not-normally occupied, the corridor serving those rooms should be treated the same. The reviewer also cited concern that corridor could be used for storage and result in potential fire spread into the stair.

When I brought up potential solutions, it seems that rating the corridor (or providing a rated stair vestibule) would satisfy the jurisdictions concerns.

What Do You Think?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this situation. Should this corridor be considered not normally occupied? Does this design meet the intent of IBC 1023.4? Let me know in the comments section!
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Occupant Load Factors - Designing For Social Distancing During a Pandemic

7/14/2020

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In recent weeks, many states have seen a sharp increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19. According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, Arizona, Texas and Florida are seeing record numbers of new cases in the last two weeks. Many other states are seeing rising trends as well.

At the end of March, I wrote a post about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on occupant load factors. Nearly four months later, I believe it's clear that the pandemic has changed the way we work and gather as a society, at least for the foreseeable future. 

In response to the pandemic, nearly every state has placed restrictions on gathering and assembly spaces, typically requiring them to operate at no more than 50% of their original capacity. This 50% reduction has included airlines, restaurants, public transit systems, and casinos, just to name a few.

As I've thought more about social distancing and occupant load factors in the last few weeks, I've been considering if this percent reduction actually makes sense.

First, lets review how building or space capacities are typically determined...

For the purposes of egress, occupant load factors found in IBC Chapter 10 (and also NFPA 101 Chapter 7) are used to determine the minimum number of occupants that need to be considered when sizing the means of egress. A denser occupant load factor results in more people per unit area and a greater egress width.

But the occupant load factors found in IBC Table 1004.5 are used to determine the minimum occupant load that needs to be accommodated by the means of egress. The IBC specifically allows the occupant load to be increased beyond the number established by Table 1004.5, so long as there is sufficient egress capacity and the load does not exceed 1 occupant per 7 square feet (IBC 1004.5.1). The posting of the occupant load that you see near the main exit from restaurants, entertainment venues and other assembly occupancies is often reflective of an increased occupant load beyond Table 1004.5.

So when a State or County Government orders restaurants to operate at 50% capacity, does this automatically result in the minimum six feet of social distancing recommended by the CDC?

Maybe.

It all depends on how the 100% capacity number was determined. If the restaurant's (or other business's) occupant load was originally based on a denser load factor, such as 1:15 for tables and chairs seating, even a 50% reduction in capacity is unlikely to result in social distancing. It's even more unlikely if that 100% capacity was based on an increased occupant load, beyond what IBC Table 1004.5 requires.

Instead of starting with a percent reduction in capacity, it may be more effective to use occupant load factors to determine a maximum capacity for a building or space during pandemic social distancing conditions. Using the CDC guidelines, 6 feet of distance between people results in 1 person for 36 square feet (or perhaps 1 person per ~28 square feet using a 3 foot radius measurement).

Assuming occupants can be evenly distributed through the space (a potentially big assumption), this method would allow for social distancing, regardless of the posted occupant load or exit capacity of a space.

Conclusion

State and Local Goverments requiring a 50% reduction in capacity is a step in the right direction if the goal is to promote social distancing in public spaces. But it might not be enough.

Instead of cutting the original capacity of a space in half, it may be more effective to apply a 1:36 or 1:28 occupant load factor to the area in question and consider this the maximum permitted occupant load for that space.

What do you think? Has the 50% reduction in capacity been effective in achieving social distancing in your area? What other ways could governments help to promote social distancing?
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Allowable Height, Area and Number of Stories Calculator

6/30/2020

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October 2020 Update: I am moving all calculators to the Tools menu at the top right of the screen. I have also added in a slider bar to allow for varying frontage amounts (see the new tools page for this function).

​After several weeks of working on this, I'm excited to release a beta version of the 2015 IBC Allowable Height, Area and Number of Stories Calculator. Take a look and let me know what you think!

A few notes:
  • Calculator is for single occupancy or non-separated mixed occupancy buildings. Separated mixed-occupancy functionality is coming later.
  • There are some error notes that I've programmed in (for example, using an NFPA 13R sprinkler system in a non-residential occupancy), but the calculator is not foolproof. Some background code knowledge is needed.
  • Allowable area results are displayed for no frontage increase and full frontage increase. You'll need to do your own exact frontage calculation if needed.
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Emergency and Standby Power Cheatsheet

5/28/2020

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After countless requests from clients to verify if a particular system is required to be on emergency or standby power, I decided to write them all down in a single location. While IBC Chapter 27 does have a list of the required systems, I often find myself going to the separate sections referenced from 2702. This cheatsheet has already saved me some time...I'm hoping it does the same for you!

    Enter your email to download the 2015 IBC/IFC Emergency and Standby Power Cheatsheet!

Download Cheat Sheet
Picture
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Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings - Required in All Group R-2 Buildings?

4/23/2020

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I'm currently working on a large, multi-family apartment building that includes several-hundred dwelling units. The building is four stories tall and each story has multiple exits. The building is divided up by several fire walls for allowable area purposes, so the exits are a combination of exit stairs and horizontal exits.

​In a recent discussion, the AHJ indicated that he thought Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings complying with IBC 1030 were required for each bedroom in the building. On past projects, I have not seen this required in buildings where each story has two or more exits, so I decided to do a deep dive into the code requirements.
Emergency escape opening
An emergency escape opening, in this case from a basement bedroom.
This project is under the 2015 IBC, but I have also included the 2018 language below, as this seems to further clarify the requirements.

2015 IBC 1030.1

In addition to the means of egress required by this chapter, provisions shall be made for emergency escape and rescue openings in Group R-2 occupancies in accordance with Tables 1006.3.2(1) and 1006.3.2(2) and Group R-3 occupancies. Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story above grade plane shall have at least one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening in accordance with this section. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency escape and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining areas of the basement. Such openings shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

2018 IBC 1030.1

In addition to the means of egress required by this chapter, emergency escape and rescue openings shall be provided in the following occupancies:
  1. Group R-2 occupancies located in stories with only one exit or access to only one exit as permitted by Tables 1006.3.3(1) and 1006.3.3(2).
  2. Group R-3 and R-4 occupancies.​

Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story above grade plane shall have not fewer than one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening in accordance with this section. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency escape and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining areas of the basement. Such openings shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
In the 2015 language, the first sentence seems to indicate that for a Group R-2 occupancies, the emergency escape requirements apply when triggered by Table 1006.3.2(1) or 1006.3.2(2). As I described in a recent cheat sheet for single exits, these tables are allowances for having a single exit or access to a single exit from a story. In this case, every story has multiple exits, so the provisions of these tables do not apply. The 2018 IBC makes this even clearer.

The AHJ on this project is pointing to the second sentence from the 2015 IBC 1030.1, stating that all sleeping rooms below the fourth story require the openings. The second paragraph from the 2018 IBC has similar language.

In my opinion, the first sentence of IBC 1030.1 essentially functions as scoping language for the rest of the requirements. Since this project does not meet the conditions described in this scoping sentence, the rest of the requirements do not apply and the openings are not required.

Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings: What Do You Think?

In a Group R-2 building where each story has multiple exits, are emergency escape and rescue openings required?

Let me know your thoughts in the comment box!
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Mitigating Dead End Corridors

4/15/2020

10 Comments

 
​For years, architect clients have asked me for solutions to mitigate a dead end corridor condition. As a quick reference, dead ends are limited to 20 feet, except in Groups B, E, F, I-1, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S and U with a full NFPA 13 sprinkler system, where the limit is increased to 50 feet (2015 IBC 1020.4).
Picture
Up until recently, my normal suggestion has been to place a cross-corridor door to break up the length of any one corridor segment to less than 50 (or 20) feet. This has been accepted in numerous jurisdictions and also validated by an ICC staff opinion that I requested on the topic. In many cases, I have seen the cross corridor door on magnetic hold opens, to release upon activation of the fire alarm system
Cross corridor door on magnetic hold opens
Cross-corridor door on magnetic hold opens.
But on a recent project, a local AHJ has taken the stance that a cross corridor door does not mitigate a dead end condition. I scheduled a meeting with the AHJ to explain how this has been done on other projects and to share the ICC interpretation, but they were reluctant to budge. After some negotiations, the AHJ allowed the door, but insisted that it not be held open and also required a large "Not an Exit" sign on the door itself.

I have drawn up a similar situation in the image below. The corridor is serving a Group A occupancy, so the dead end limit is 20 feet. The added door is shown in red.
Dead End Sketch
Sketch showing the dead end condition with added cross-corridor doors.

Dead End Corridors: What Do You Think?

Do cross-corridor doors mitigate the 20 foot dead end limit? Do you think they should be permitted to be held open?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment box!
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Open Vs. Enclosed Parking Garages

4/15/2020

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For architects and engineers designing parking garages, two questions commonly arise when determining whether the garage should be an open or enclosed garage. These questions are:
  • When can a parking garage be considered open?
  • What are the differences in code requirements for an open garage vs. an enclosed garage?
In this post, we’ll provide a concise overview of the requirements related to these frequently asked questions. I use this writeup as a quick reference guide instead of opening up to the code every time. Hopefully it's helpful for you too! All code references are to the 2015 International Building Code (IBC). 
Open Parking Garage Image
A naturally ventilated, open parking garage (image courtesy of Steve Morgan).

When Can a Parking Garage Be Considered Open?

Parking garages must meet all of the requirements of 406.5 to be considered open. In most cases, the limiting factor for an open vs. enclosed garage is meeting the opening requirements for natural ventilation.
​

To achieve natural ventilation, an open parking garage must (IBC 406.5):
  • Have uniformly-distributed openings on two or more sides
  • Have openings not less than 20% of the perimeter wall area of each tier
  • Have openings not less than 40% of the perimeter length of each tier
    • This 40% length requirement does not apply of the openings are uniformly distributed on two opposing sides of the garage

​One additional point is that these opening calculations are for the free area of the openings. If a screen or other form of cover is applied to the opening, the free area ratio of the screen must be multiplied by the area of the opening to determine the free area.

What are the differences in code requirements for an open garage vs. an enclosed garage?

Key differences in the code requirements are:

Ventilation
Where open garages are naturally ventilated, closed parking garages require mechanical ventilation complying with the International Mechanical Code (IMC). Mechanical ventilation alone can add hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to a project.

Sprinkler Protection
Open parking garages are not required to be sprinkler protected. Enclosed parking garages require sprinkler protection in accordance with NFPA 13. If the garage is not maintained above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a dry-pipe sprinkler system is required by NFPA 13. Both open and enclosed garages typically require standpipe systems.

Enclosure of Vertical Openings
Stairs serving an enclosed parking garage are required to be enclosed with rated construction similar to any other vertical opening in a building. In an open parking garage, enclosure of vertical openings, including stairs, is not required. In both cases, the vehicle ramps connecting levels are not required to be enclosed.

Height and Area
For an open parking garage used exclusively for parking (with an exception for a small office and waiting area at grade), the number of tiers and area is permitted to comply with IBC 406.5.4, which is an increase over the allowable height and area limits in IBC Chapter 5. The numbers in IBC Table 406.5.4 can be further increased when the garage has open sides on at least ¾ of the building perimeter. Enclosed garages cannot take this approach and must comply with the limits set forth in Chapter 5.

Fire Resistance Ratings of Exterior Walls
Both open and enclosed parking garages are required to comply with the exterior wall rating requirements of IBC 602. However, per Footnote C to IBC Table 602, open parking garages with a fire separation distance of 10 feet or greater are not required to have a fire-resistance rating. Enclosed parking garages do not have this exception and would require a 1-hour exterior wall unless the fire separation distance is 30 feet or greater.

Conclusion

​An open parking garage must meet the minimum requirements for both area of openings and perimeter of openings to allow for natural ventilation. If a parking garage does not meet these requirements, it is considered an enclosed garage and must be provided with mechanical ventilation, sprinkler protection, and it must also meet the other requirements listed above.
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A New Venture - Introducing CodeCalls.org

4/9/2020

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In starting The Building Code Blog a few months ago, one of my main motivations was to answer frequently-asked code questions in a medium that is widely-accessible. Providing clear code direction to a contractor or architect is impactful, but providing code insights to hundreds or thousands of people in the AEC community is even more impactful. In my work on the blog and elsewhere, I hope to provide that further-reaching impact.

To that end, I have partnered with Joe Meyer to launch a new initiative, CodeCalls.org.
CodeCalls.org Home Page
Joe and I met last year at the NFPA conference in San Antonio, and have since discovered a shared vision for developing resources and tools that benefit a wide range of people in the AEC community. Joe is an accomplished author and blogger at MeyerFire.com, where he regular writes and develops tools for the for fire protection community. He also recently launched his own practice, where he focuses on fire suppression and fire alarm design.

What is CodeCalls.org?

We are all about positive IMPACT for the fire protection community. This website is aimed at bringing together code officials, designers & contractors in a collaborative environment where local requirements can be met.

The site will compile some common local requirements, such as type of fire department connection or level of hydraulic safety factor, in an easily accessible database.

We know that better communication can help contractors in the bidding process and help code officials get their needs met to better serve the community and their own first responders.

What's the Goal?

Phase 1 is a test case for viability.

Our goal is to gather local requirements that covers jurisdictions that combined account for 70% of an area's population.... and we want do to it in 30 days.

To start, we are only compiling data for Indiana. 

​Indiana has a healthy mixture of urban, suburban and rural jurisdictions, so it presents a great test case to validate the concept. If we get enough momentum for Indiana, we feel confident in pursuing the project for larger coverage.

Why 70%?

In order for the project to provide a practical positive experience for designers and contractors, we feel that a designer or installer needs to find the information they need at least 70% of the time. Otherwise, with too sparse or scattered information we won't get the positive feedback loop that we need to keep the project viable.

Why Contribute?

If you're an engineer, designer or installer, why should you contribute?
​
For one - this is a way to clarify local requirements that will help in more fair and consistent bidding. Second - we'll thank you by crediting your contribution with a link from the local listing directly to your company's website. If someone is looking for a local contractor or design outfit, they can search a ZIP code and immediately have contact information to you, the person who they know is already familiar with the local requirements.

If you're a jurisdiction, why should you contribute?

Simple - get your needs met. Are you tired of providing the same plan-review comments? Tired of answering the same basic questions in phone calls and emails? This platform is an easy way to clarify the gray areas of code and simply make your requirements more clear to those who are seeking them.

If you are outside of Indiana, we hope to expand quickly. Assuming we get a strong response from jurisdictions in Indiana, we plan to rapidly move to other states!

You can contribute starting now at CodeCalls.org/contribute-data.
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Copyright © 2019-2020 The Building Code Blog
The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author and do not represent the opinions of any other party, including the author's employer and the International Code Council, nor does the presented material assume responsibility for its use.  Local codes and amendments may vary from the code requirements described herein. Fire protection and life safety systems constitute a critical component of public health, safety and welfare and you should consult with a licensed professional for proper design and code compliance.
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