Update: Now includes cheatcheets for the 2021 and 2024 IBC

After way too many hours of work, I'm excited to share this huge fire and smoke damper cheatsheet that goes through EVERY instance where the 2018 IBC requires a fire and smoke damper due to a wall/floor/ceiling penetration.

**Updated 2/9/2023 with IBC 2021 Code References and new images!
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​About twice a year, I receive a question from an architect regarding safety glazing. Where is it required? Can I provide a different type of glass? Is this manufacturer/model acceptable? Without fail, I always end up revisiting the International Building Code (IBC) to review the requirements before answering the question. So in an effort to save me (and hopefully you) time in the future, I have compiled a quick reference guide for safety glazing. All references are to the 2021 IBC.

​A stairway is a key part of the means of egress for any multi-story building or structure. Also known as a stair or staircase, stairways provide a path for occupants to traverse from one level to another within a building or space. In this post, we’ll review some of the key requirements for stairways from both the International Residential Code (IRC) and the The International Building Code (IBC). All references are to the 2021 editions of these codes.

​If you are working on a residential design or construction project, an important design consideration is the requirement for egress windows. While most people in the design community understand what you are referring to with this term, “egress windows” is not actually defined in the code. The International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) both refer instead to Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings (EEROs).
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In this article, we’ll refer to egress windows and EEROs interchangeably, but remember that the code only defines EEROs. A window can be used to meet the EERO requirements, but doors and other openings are also an option. All references are to the 2021 IBC and IRC.

**Updated 11/11/2022 with final ICC results and an updated cheatsheet.

This week, the ICC Committee Action Hearings (CAH) kicked off, where proposed code changes for the 2024 ICC Codes are heard by the various ICC committees. In yestereday's session, the IBC General committee heard several proposed changes related to occupied roofs and the classification of high-rise buildings. In recent code cycles, there have been several key changes to occupied roof requirements, but none of these have addressed whether an occupied roof over 75' would trigger classification of a high-rise building.

As a quick reminder, the 2021 IBC currently defines a high-rise building as "A building with an occupied floor located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access."

​I work on a variety of multi-family housing projects, including residential apartment buildings and senior living facilities, where each dwelling unit has its own washer and dryer. In the past, I have always seen the dryer exhaust duct routed through a wall and then into the cavity of a floor-ceiling assembly, but on a recent project, the local AHJ questioned the validity of this approach. 

As I have spent time in existing buildings over the years, whether surveying a building for potential renovations, reviewing existing conditions or doing inspections, the concept of the building “meeting code” often comes up. Building owners, building maintenance staff, or anyone that is concerned with the operation or maintenance of a building wants to know if their building is up to code. Unfortunately, “meeting code” can mean several different things, and it is easy to lose track of which codes actually apply to an existing building. Does the International Building Code apply? Or is the International Existing Building Code? Or both?
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In this post, we’ll explore the various building and fire codes that could apply to your existing building. There are many other codes (e.g. electrical, elevator) that we won’t specifically address, but the general thought process for those is similar. All references will be to the 2021 ICC codes, but many states and local jurisdictions modify these requirements, so be sure to verify the specific requirements for your area.

Note: If your building is a one or two family dwelling or a townhouse, the International Residential Code (IRC) is likely the applicable code. The IBC and IEBC typically do not apply to such buildings.

The IBC offers 3 approaches to mixed occupancy buildings: accessory, nonseparated and separated. Any building with two or more occupancy types must choose one or more of these approaches for compliance. In this post, we will cover all three of these approaches and the specific requirements related to each.

If you have designed a building of Type II, III, IV or V construction, you probably considered the allowable building area, which depends on the construction type, occupancy classifications, presence of fire sprinkler systems, and a few other criteria.
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One common way to increase the allowable area for a building is to use a frontage increase. The frontage increase provision in the IBC, found in Section 506.3, recognizes the safety benefits of having open space directly adjacent to a building. When a fire department or other emergency responders arrive to a site, there is an increased level of effectiveness when those personnel can access a large portion of the building exterior.

​NFPA 285 is the “Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components.” How’s that for a title? Despite the lengthy name, the goal of the test is quite simple – to understand how fire will spread on an exterior wall. In this article, we’ll briefly review the history of NFPA 285, discuss the criteria for the rest, and then review when compliance with NFPA 285 is required in the IBC.

I recently helped an architect design a wood-framed wall assembly with different membrane arrangements on each side of the wall. We used the calculated fire resistance approach from IBC 722 to achieve a one-hour rating for the wall. This project led me to create a new tool that calculates the fire resistance of the wall assembly based on the materials that you choose for each side. Check it out at the link below!

In the A/E world, there is much confusion regarding the definition of fire protection rating and fire resistance rating when designing doors, windows, transoms, sidelights and other openings in rated construction. These terms are often used interchangeably by mistake, but they represent two very different types of assemblies. A third term, "fire rating", is often used as well, making the distinction even more confusing. In this article, we'll review the differences between fire resistance ratings and fire protection ratings and show you how to determine the requirements for your specific situation. All code references are to the 2018 IBC.

If you have been involved in the design or installation of a fire alarm system, whether as an architect, engineer, or owner, you have probably asked the question, "Is a strobe required here?" Like all engineering questions, the answer depends on a number of factors. In this post, I will walk through the code path step-by-step to help you understand where fire alarm strobes are required.