In Chapter 2 we will explore the provisions and apply them to the special uses of occupancy along with the occupancy and construction requirements of this code.
This section will apply to buildings or structures that are defined as covered mall buildings that do not exceed three floors at any point or not more than three stories above grade plane. Covered mall buildings must meet applicable provisions of this code except as specifically required. There are two exceptions. The first one states that foyers and lobbies of Groups B, R-1, and R-2 are not required to comply with this section. The second says that buildings do not need to comply with the section when they totally comply with other provisions of this code. Please note the word “totally,” if your building does not comply with the fullest extent required then you will not be meeting the code standards.
For this chapter there are a few words and their definitions that I’d like to explore. They are used in this chapter and throughout this code book. They will not be written in text such as this, but you will find them as “Definition Alerts” throughout the book. Pay attention to them as they will come in handy and will be words that you need to be familiar with.
!Definition alert |
Atrium: An opening connecting two or more stories, other than enclosed stairways, elevators, hoistways, escalators, plumbing, electrical, air-conditioning, or other equipment, which is closed at the top and not defined as a mall. Stories, as used in this definition, do not include balconies within assembly groups or mezzanines that comply with Chapter 5 of the code. |
The occupant load factor (OLF) is used in a formula to determine the means of exits of covered mall buildings and the number of occupants the exits is to be provided for. The means of exits are based on gross leasable area (GLA) of the covered mall building, but this excludes anchor buildings. The occupant load factor is determined by the following equation:
OLF = (0.00007) (GLA) + 25
The range for the OLF is not required to be less than 30 and must not exceed 50.
!Definition alert |
Covered mall building: A single building enclosing a number of tenants and occupants such as retail stores, drinking and dining establishments, entertainment and amusement facilities. This includes passenger transportation terminals, offices, and other similar uses where two or more tenants have a main entrance into one or more malls. |
Anchor building: An exterior perimeter building of a group other than H having direct access to a covered mall building, but having the required exits independent of the mall. |
Note the definition for covered mall building; I must tell you that for the purpose of this chapter, anchor buildings are not to be considered as part of the covered mall building.
For the purpose of determining the occupant load of a food court and exits, the food court occupant load needs to be added to the occupant load of the covered mall building as the calculation above.
If the travel used by any persons other than employees is more than 75 feet and your occupancy load is 50 people or more then you may not provide less than two exits. Assembly occupancies with an occupant load of 500 or more must be located in the covered mall building so that their entrance is immediately adjacent to a main entrance of the mall and must not have less than one-half of their required exits opening directly to the outside of the covered mall area. I said that the exits for the covered mall do not include anchor buildings.
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Anchor building exit requirements are different from the covered mall. The exits for anchor buildings must be provided independently form the malls means of exits. The occupant load of anchor buildings opening into the mall are not included in the determining means of exits for the mall either. Also the exit path of any mall cannot exit through anchor buildings. The mall is considered to be a dead-end mall when it ends at an anchor building and there are no other means of exit. |
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The distance of exits for each individual tenant space in a covered mall building cannot exceed 200 feet. This travel is from any point to an exit or entrance and the maximum distance of travel from any point within a mall is also 200 feet. |
Whether from an individual store or anywhere in the mall, there must be an exit no more than 200 feet away. Where more than one exit is required, they must be arranged so that is the travel in either direction from any point in the mall to separate exits. The passageway of an exit or corridor must be 66 inches. The exception to this is dead ends that exceed a length equal to twice the width of the mall measuring from the narrowest location within the dead end portion of the mall. Exit passageways providing a secondary means of exit from a tenant space must be protected by one-hour fire doors that are self- or automatic closing by smoke detection. Mechanical rooms, electrical room, building service areas, and service elevators are permitted to open directly into exit passageways, provided that the exit passageway is separated from these rooms with not less than one-hour fire-resistance-rated fire barriers and one-hour opening protective devices.
Attached garages used for the storage of passenger vehicles which have a capacity of nine or more passengers and open parking garages are considered separate buildings as they are separated from the covered mall building by a fire barrier having a fire-resistance rating or at least two hours. One exception applies: Where an open parking garage or enclosed parking garage is separated from the covered mall building or anchor building more than 10 feet away, exceptions may exist.
!Definition alert |
Gross leasable area: The total floor area designed for tenant occupancy and exclusive use. The area of tenant occupancy is measured from the centerlines of joint partitions to the outside of the tenant walls. All tenant areas, including areas used for storage, must be included in calculating gross leasable areas. |
Food court: A public seating area located in the mall that serves food adjacent to tenant spaces. |
Fire-resistance separations not only apply to parking garages and malls, but also to the tenants. Each tenant space must be separated from other tenant spaces by a fire partition that complies with the fire-resistance code section of this book. A tenant separation wall is not required between any tenant space and the mall. Anchor buildings need to be separated from the covered mall building unless the anchor building is not more than three stories above grade plane and has an occupancy classification the same that is permitted for tenants of the covered mall building that must be separated by two-hour fire-resistant fire barriers.
A covered mall building must be equipped throughout with a standpipe system as required by code. The code requires more than just fire-resistant walls and sprinkler systems for different areas of a covered mall building. For example, kiosks or other similar structures (both temporary and permanent) cannot be located within the mall unless constructed of fire-retardant wood that complies with the code, foam plastics that have a maximum heat release rate not greater than 100kW (105 Btu/h) when tested in accordance with the exhibit booth protocol in UL 1975 or aluminum composite material (ACM) having a flame spread index of not more than 25 and a smoke-developed index of not more than 450 when tested as an assembly in the maximum thickness intended for use in accordance with ASTM E 84. All kiosks or similar structures located within the mall must also be provided with approved fire suppression and detection devices. Spacing within kiosks or similar structures must be at least 20 feet (6096 mm) and they must have a maximum area of 300 square feet. There are many structures that require special detailed requirements besides mall buildings or garages.
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According to code the minimum width of the mall must be 20 feet (6096 mm). The mall width must be sufficient enough to accommodate the occupant load. There needs to be a minimum of 10 feet (3048 mm) of clear exit width to a height of 8 feet (2438 mm) between any projection of a tenant space bordering the mall and nearest kiosk, vending machine, bench, food court, or other obstruction to the exit travel. |
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Automatic sprinkler systems are required for covered mall buildings and buildings that are connected to them. |
Structures that are intended as children’s playgrounds that exceed 10 feet in height and 150 square feet must comply with the following:
Fire-retardant-treated wood
Light-transmitting plastics complying with this code regarding plastics
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Except for the separation between Group R-1 sleeping units and a mall, openings between anchor buildings of Type IA, IB, IIA, and IIB construction and a mall do not need special fire protection. |
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The minimum floor and roof opening width above grade shall be 20 feet in open malls. |
Foam plastics (including the pipe foam used in soft-contained play equipment structures) having a maximum heat-release rate not greater than 100kW when tested in accordance with UL 1975
Aluminum composite material (ACM) meeting the requirements of Class A interior finish in accordance with Chapter 8 when tested as an assembly in the maximum thickness
Textiles and films complying with the flame performance criteria in NFPA 701
Plastic materials used to construct rigid components of soft-contained play equipment structures (such as tubes, windows, panels, and decks) meeting the UL 94 V-2 classification when tested in accordance with UL 94
Foam plastics must be covered by a fabric, coating, or a film that meets the flame performance criteria of NFPA 701
The interior floor under the children’s playground structure must be a Class I interior floor finish classification when tested in accordance with NFPA 253.
Any playground structure for the use of children located within a mall must be provided with the same level of approved fire suppression and detection devices required for kiosks and similar structures. Children’s playground structures are also required, just as kiosks are, to be separated from other structures. Playground structures are required to have a minimum horizontal separation of 20 feet from any other structures within the mall. They also have an area limit and cannot exceed 300 square feet unless a special investigation has demonstrated adequate fire safety.
One of the most important safety features of covered malls is security grilles and doors. Horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles or doors that are part of a required means of exit have to conform to rules as well. These rules are:
They must remain in the full open position during the time periods that the mall is occupied by the general public.
Doors or grilles cannot be closed when there are 10 or more persons occupying a space that has only one exit or when there are 50 or more persons occupying a space that has more than one exit.
The doors or grilles must be able to be open from the inside of the building without the use of any special knowledge or special efforts where the space is occupied.
Where two or more exits are required, not more than one-half of the exits are permitted to include a horizontal sliding or vertical rolling grille or door.
It is mandatory that covered mall buildings that exceed 50,000 square feet be provided with standby power systems that are capable of operating the emergency communication system. These emergency voice/alarm communication systems must be accessible to the fire department.
Plastic signs that are applied to the storefront of any tenant space facing the mall must adhere to the following rules in accordance with this code.
CODE UPDATE |
Exits in malls are subject to the same fire resistance requirements as interior wall and ceiling finishes. |
Plastic signs must not exceed 20 percent of the wall area facing the mall.
Plastic signs must not exceed a height of 36 inches (914 mm), except if the sign is vertical, the height cannot be higher than 96 inches (2438 mm), and the width cannot be wider than 36 inches (914 mm).
Plastic signs must be located a minimum distance of at least 18 inches (457 mm) from adjacent tenants.
Plastics other than foam used in signs must be light-transmitting plastics and shall have a self-ignition temperature of 650°F (343°C) or greater when tested in accordance with ASTM D 1929, and a flame spread index not greater than 75 and smoke-developed index not greater than 450 when tested in the manner intended for use in accordance with ASTM E 84.
Edges and backs of plastic signs in the mall must be fully encased in metal.
Foam plastics used in signs must have a maximum heat-release rate of 150 kilowatts when tested in accordance with UL 1975 and the foam plastics must have the physical characteristics specified in this section. Foam plastics used in signs installed in accordance with this section are not required to comply with the flame spread and smoke-developed indexes specified in plastics.
The minimum density of foam plastics used in signs must not be less than 20 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) and the thickness must not be greater than ½ inch (12.7 mm).
The provisions of this section apply to buildings with an occupied floor located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. There are five exceptions to these provisions which include the following:
Airport traffic control towers
Open parking spaces
Malls that contain atriums must be equipped with smoke-control systems. |
Buildings with occupancy in Group A-5
Low-hazard special industrial occupancies
Buildings with occupancy in Group H-1, H-2, or H-3.
Buildings and structures must be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system and a secondary water supply where required. We know from earlier discussion that open parking garages are an exception to this provision. A reduction in fire-resistant rating is allowed in buildings that have sprinkler control valves equipped with supervisory initiating devices and water flow initiating devices for each floor. For buildings not greater than 420 feet in height, Type IA construction is allowed to be reduced to Type IB with the exception of columns supporting the floor which may not be allowed to be reduced.
For buildings not greater than 420 feet in height, the required fire-resistance rating of the fire barriers enclosing vertical shafts, other than exit enclosures and elevator hoistway enclosures, must be reduced to one hour where automatic sprinklers are installed within the shafts at the top and at alternate floor levels. If standby power is a generator and is set inside a building, the generator must be located in a separate room that is enclosed with two-hour fire barriers. Any systems you use with a manual ignition and transfer features have to be provided at the fire command center.
Standby power loads can be any of the following: power and lighting for the fire command center, electrically powered fire pumps and ventilation, and automatic fire detection equipment for smokeproof enclosures. All elevators must have standby power. The following is a list of what is classified as an emergency power load:
Exit signs and means of exits that are illuminated
Elevator car lighting
Emergency voice/alarm communication systems
Automatic fire detection systems
Fire alarm systems.
In this section I will touch upon underground building spaces and the codes that apply to them. The building spaces that I refer to have a floor level used for human occupancy more than 30 feet below the lowest level of exits. There are a few exceptions to this. They are as follows:
One- and two-family dwellings, having a compliant sprinkler system
Parking garages with compliant automatic sprinkler systems
Fixed guide way transit systems
Grandstands, bleachers, stadiums, arenas, and similar facilities
When the lowest story of a building is the only one that would qualify the building as an underground building. That building must not have an area that exceeds 1500 square feet and have an occupant load that is less than 10.
The underground portion of a building must be of Type I construction and the highest level of exit must be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system with water-flow valve switches and control valves that are supervised.
Underground buildings that have a floor level or more than 60 feet (18,288 mm) below the level of exit must be divided into two compartments. These compartments must be of an approximately equal size and extend through the highest level of exit discharge that serve the underground portion of the building and the levels below. As you may have guessed, there is an exception to this. If the area does not exceed 1500 square feet and has an occupant load of less than 10, the lowest story does not need to be compartmented. Each compartment needs to be separated by a smoke barrier wall and penetrations between the compartments will be limited to plumbing and electrical piping and conduit that are fire stopped.
Doorways must be protected by fire door assemblies that close automatically when smoke alarms go off. When provided, each compartment must have an air supply and an exhaust system that is independent of other compartments. Doors must be installed in accordance with NFPA 105. If elevators are provided, each compartment must have access to an elevator. If an elevator serves more than one compartment, an elevator lobby must be provided and be separated by a smoke barrier. Make sure that when installing elevators the doors are gasketed and have a drop sill. They must also have automatic closing by smoke detection.
Atriums must be equipped with fire alarm systems. |
When compartmentation is required, each compartment needs to have an independent smoke control system. It must be automatically activated and capable of manual operation. Underground buildings can require both fire alarm systems and a public address system. Each floor of an underground building must have a minimum of two exits; if compartmentation is required then the compartments must have a minimum of one exit and have an exit access doorway into an adjoining compartment.
Staircases in underground buildings that serve floor levels of more than 30 feet below their level of exit must comply with the requirements for a smoke proof enclosure. It is important that your underground building have standby power and emergency power for blackouts, storms, or other situations which cause power outages. Having these systems in place can save lives and make exiting the building easier. Listed below are loads which classify as standby power loads:
Smoke control system
Ventilation and automatic fire detection equipment for smokeproof enclosures
Fire pumps.
The standby power system must start up within 60 seconds after the failure of normal power supply. As I have listed loads for standby power, I will do so for emergency power loads as well.
Emergency voice/alarm communication systems
Fire alarm systems
Automatic fire detection systems
Elevator car lighting
Means of exits and exit sign illumination.
You must have a standpipe system equipped throughout the underground building system in accordance with the code.
Corridors in occupancies in Group I-2 must be continuous to the exits and separated from other areas in accordance with corridor walls except spaces conforming to the following paragraphs. Spaces of unlimited areas such as waiting areas and similar spaces constructed for corridors must be permitted to be open to a corridor, but only when the following requirements are met:
The spaces are not occupied for patient sleeping units, treatment rooms, hazardous, or incidental use in mixed uses and occupancy.
The open space is protected by an automatic fire detection system installed in accordance with the code.
The corridors onto which the spaces open, in the same smoke compartment, need to be protected by an automatic fire detection system installed. Smoke compartment located in the spaces are to be equipped throughout with quick-response sprinklers.
The space is arranged so that it does not obstruct the exit.
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Spaces for doctors and nurses used for charting, communications, and other clerical areas have to be open to the corridor when these spaces are constructed as required for corridors. |
Accordance for mental health treatment areas require that mental health patients who are not capable of self-care and are housed in spaces for group meetings or multipurpose therapeutic spaces other than incidental use areas, and under continuous supervision by facility staff, must be permitted to be open to the corridor, where the following criteria must be met:
Each area must not exceed 1500 square feet.
The area is to be located so that supervision by the facility staff is permitted.
The area is to be arranged so that access to exits is not obstructed in any way.
The area is to be equipped with an automatic fire detection system.
Not more than one such space is permitted in any one smoke compartment.
The walls and ceilings of the space are to be constructed as required for corridors.
In these types of facilities there is almost always a gift shop where visitors and patients may go to purchase small items such as gum, flowers, daily newspapers or magazines, if permitted. These gift shops must be less than 500 square feet in area and must be permitted to be open to the corridor provided the gift shop and storage areas are fully equipped with sprinklers and the storage areas are protected in accordance with this code.
Corridor walls must be constructed as smoke partitions. Doors, other than those in a wall required to be rated or for the enclosure of a vertical opening or an exit, shall not have a required fire protection rating and are not required to be equipped with self-closing or automatic-closing devices. These automatic-closing devices must provide an effective barrier to limit smoke and cannot be equipped with positive latching. Roller latches are not permitted.
CODE UPDATE |
An underground building is one that extends more than 30 feet below the finished floor of the lowest level of exit discharge. |
When locks are in place and restrict access to the patient room from the corridor and can only be used by the staff from the corridor side, they cannot obstruct or restrict any means of exits from the patient room except for patient rooms in mental health facilities.
Smoke barriers in health facilities must be provided to subdivide every story used by patients for sleeping or treatment. Smoke barriers must also divide other stories with an occupant load of 50 or more persons into at least two smoke compartments. These stories have to be divided in smoke compartments with an area of not more than 22,500 square feet and the travel distance from any point in a smoke compartment to a smoke barrier door must not exceed 200 feet. Should the need arise, a refuge area must be provided. At least 30 net square feet per patient must be provided within the aggregate area of corridors, patient rooms, treatments rooms, lounge or dining areas and other low-hazard areas on each side of each smoke barrier. On the floors that do not have patients confined to a bed, at least 6 net square feet per occupant must be provided on each side of each smoke barrier for the total number of occupants in adjoining smoke compartments.
All smoke compartments have to provide an independent means of exit so that staff, residents, patients, and family do not have to return through the smoke compartment to get to safety. Automatic sprinkler systems must be installed in smoke compartments that contain patient sleeping areas. The smoke compartments must also be equipped with an approved quick-response or residential sprinklers.
Automatic fire detection for corridors in nursing homes, both intermediate and skilled nursing facilities, detoxification facilities, and spaces permitted to be open to the corridors which I mentioned as an independent exit must also be equipped with an automatic fire detection system. Hospitals also must have smoke detection installed as required. There are two exceptions:
Corridor smoke detection is not required where patient sleeping units are provided with smoke detectors that comply with UL 268. These detectors must provide a visual display on the corridor side of each patient sleeping unit and an audible and visual alarm at the nursing station that monitors each unit.
Sally port: A small controlled space with two doors. One must enter the space and close the first door before opening the second door to proceed. |
Corridor smoke detection is not required where patient sleeping unit doors are equipped with automatic door-closing devices with integral smoke detectors on the inside of the units. These must be installed in accordance with their listing, provided that the detectors perform the required alerting function.
Some facilities have secured yards installed for the safety of the patients and staff. Grounds are permitted to be fenced and gates are permitted to be equipped with locks provided that safe dispersal areas having 30 net square feet for bed and litter patients and 6 net square feet for patients who can walk and other occupants are located between the building and the fence. These safe dispersal areas cannot be located less than 50 feet from the building that they are used for.
Not all facilities that house patients for various reasons are necessarily medical. There are buildings and structures that occupy patients for criminal activities. Where security operations need the locking of required means of exits, provisions must be made for the release of occupants at all times. Exits from detention and correctional occupancies that pass through other areas of use must, as a minimum, conform to requirements for detention and correctional occupancies. It is possible to exit through a horizontal exit into other adjoining occupancy exit provisions that do comply with requirements used in the appropriate occupancy, as long as the occupancy is not a high-hazard use. The means of exit must comply with the code book except as modified or as provided for in this section. Doors to resident sleeping areas need to have clear width of no less than 28 inches. If the door used for an exit is a sliding door, the force to slide the door fully open cannot exceed 50 pounds with an upright force against the door of 50 pounds.
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Facilities that have spiral stairs are permitted for access to and between staff locations. |
Facilities may have exit doors that lead into a fenced or walled courtyard. These courtyards must be of a size that accommodates all occupants with a minimum of 50 feet from the building with a net area of 15 square feet per person. During an emergency at a correctional facility a sally port may be used as a means of exits when there are provisions for continuous and unobstructed passage through the sally port during an emergency exit condition. Of all the required exit enclosures in each building, one of them may be permitted to have glazing installed in each door and inside walls at each landing level providing access to the enclosure, only if the following conditions are met:
The exit enclosure cannot serve more than four floor levels.
Exit doors cannot be less than ¾-hour fire door assemblies.
The total area of glazing at each floor level cannot exceed 5000 square inches and individual panels of glazing cannot exceed 1296 square inches.
The glazing will be protected on both sides by an automatic fire sprinkler system. The sprinkler system will be designed to completely soak the entire surface of any glazing affected by fire.
The glazing must be in a gasketed frame and installed in such a manner that the framing system will deflect without breaking the glass before the sprinkler system turns on.
Obstructions, such as curtain rods, drapery rods, curtains, drapes, or similar materials will not be installed between the automatic sprinklers and the glazing.
Exit doors are allowed to be locked in accordance with the appropriate use. Doors from an area of protection to the outside are permitted to be locked with a key. The keys to unlock the outside doors must be available at all times and the locks must be operable from both sides of the door. If the locks on the doors to exits are of a remote release, they must be provided with a reliable means of operation. There is a great risk that one is taking in their own hands if the remote release does not work due to poor maintenance or by any other means. Human lives can be lost if these types of locks are not checked periodically for bugs in the system. If at any time you find that these types of locks are not working, report it to your supervisor immediately so that it may be fixed in a timely manner. Think about this, would you prefer the building inspector or an employee to find this potentially dangerous matter?
In occupancy Conditions III and IV, the arrangement, accessibility, and security of the release mechanism(s) required for exit must have the minimum available staff at any time, the lock mechanisms are capable of being released within two minutes. Provisions for remote locking and unlocking of occupied rooms in Occupancy Condition IV are not required provided that not more than 10 locks are necessary to be unlocked in order to move occupants from one smoke compartment to a safe area within three minutes.
Opening of necessary locks must be accomplished with not more than two separate keys. Power-operated doors and locks are very different from remote release and as the owner, manager, or supervisor of Group I-3 occupancy, it is important that you know what the difference is and understand the use of the locking systems. Let us take a look at them now.
Power-operated sliding doors or power-operated locks for swinging doors must be used by a manual release mechanism at the door, and either emergency power or a remote operating release must be provided. But, emergency power is not required in facilities with 10 locks or less when complying with the exception of the codes for remote release.
Remote release, mechanically operated sliding doors or remote release, mechanically operated locks must be provided with a mechanically operated release mechanism at each door, or must be provided with a redundant remote release control. Doors that are unlocked remotely under emergency conditions must not automatically relock when closed unless specific action is taken at the remote location to enable the door to relock.
Stairways in underground buildings must be equipped with a smoke-proof enclosure. |
Vertical openings must be enclosed with these exceptions:
An opening in the floor, between floor levels of residential housing areas, is allowed without enclosure protection between the levels provided that the entire, normally occupied areas that are interconnected are open and unobstructed to allow supervisory personnel visual access to the areas.
Exit space is plenty enough to provide immediate exits for all occupants from all connected levels and areas.
The height difference between the highest and lowest finished floor levels cannot exceed 23 feet (7010 m).
Each level will be considered separately.
Occupancies in Group I-3 also must have smoke barriers that divide every floor occupied by residents for sleeping, or any floor having an occupant load of 50 or more persons. The division must be made into at least two smoke compartments.
There is an exception to the guidelines above. Spaces having a direct exit to one of the following, provided that the locking arrangements of the doors involved comply with the requirements for doors at the smoke barrier for the condition involved to be:
A public way
A building separated from the resident housing area by a two-hour fire-resistance-rated assembly or 50 feet (15,240 mm) of open space.
A secured yard or court having a holding space 50 feet from the housing area that proved 6 square feet or more of safety area per occupant. This includes residents, staff, and visitors.
Smoke compartments require that the maximum number of residents in any smoke compartment will be 200. The travel distance to a door in a smoke barrier from any room door required as exit access will not be longer than 150 feet. The distance to a door in a smoke barrier from any point in that room cannot be longer than 200 feet. In the event of an emergency, such as fire, not only is it important to have a safe place for people to flee to, but it is a code law. Facilities housing detention and correctional occupancies require at least 6 net square feet per occupant. This space must be readily available wherever the occupants are moved across the smoke barrier in a fire emergency.
An exit must be provided from each compartment that is created by smoke barriers without having occupants escape through the smoke compartment by the original exits. Resident housing areas and sleeping areas and any nearby day rooms, group activity space, or other common spaces where residents live must be separated from other spaces in accordance with the following:
Occupancy Conditions III and IV: Each sleeping area in these conditions must be separated from nearby common spaces by a smoke-tight partition where the distance from the sleeping area through the common area to the corridor is more than 50 feet.
Occupancy Condition V: Each sleeping area in occupancy condition V will be separated from nearby sleeping areas, corridors, and common spaces by a smoke-tight partition.
Openings in rooms: The combined area must include all openings, such as door undercuts, food passes, and grilles. Openings cannot be more than 36 inches above the floor and the openings must be closeable from the room side.
Fly gallery: A raised floor area above a stage from which the movement of scenery and operation of other stage effects are controlled. |
Smoke-tight doors in openings in partitions required to be smoke tight as above must be substantial doors, with construction that will resist the passage of smoke.
Latches and door closures are not required on cell doors.
For the purposes of this section, a windowless building or part of a building is one with windows that do not open, break easily, or without windows. Windowless buildings must be provided with an engineered smoke control system to provide ventilation. This can be either mechanical or natural, but must be in accordance with the code for each windowless compartment.
This section includes provisions to all parts of buildings and structures that contain stages or platforms and similar additions as defined.
A stage is defined as a space within a building used for entertainment or presentations, which includes overhead hanging curtains, drops, scenery or stage effects other than lighting, and sound. Stages must be constructed of materials as required for floors for the type of construction of the building in which such stages are located. The following list contains exceptions to this.
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Floors of fly galleries and catwalks must be constructed of any approved material. |
Gridiron: The structural framing over stage supporting equipment for hanging or flying scenery and other stage effects. |
Stages of Type IIB or IV construction with a normal 2-inch (51 mm) wood deck, provided that the stage is separated from other areas in accordance with this section.
In buildings of Type IIA, IIIA, and VA construction, a fire-resistance-rated floor is not required, provided the space below the stage is equipped with an automatic fire-extinguishing system.
In all types of construction, the finished floor must be constructed of wood or approved noncombustible materials.
Openings through stage floors must be equipped with tight-fitting, solid wood trap doors with approved safety locks.
Stage height and area must be measured to include the entire performance area and adjacent backstage and support areas not separated from the performance area by fire-resistance-rated construction.
Stage height must be measured form the lowest point on the stage floor to the highest point of the roof or floor deck above the stage.
Galleries, gridirons, catwalks, and pinrails must use beams that are designed for this purpose only, the beams must be constructed of approved materials consistent with the requirements for the type of construction of the buildings, and a fire-resistance rating is not required. The areas will not be considered to be floors, stories, mezzanines, or levels when applying this code; an exception to remember is this: Floors of fly galleries and catwalks must be constructed of any approved material.
Exterior stage doors must be protected with fire door assemblies. Exterior openings that are located on the stage for means of exit or loading and unloading purposes, and are likely to be open during occupancy of the theater, must be constructed with vestibules to prevent air drafts into the theater. In the event that the stage height is greater than 50 feet, all portions of the stage must be completely separated from the seating area by a wall with no less than a two-hour fire-resistance rating extending continuously from the foundation to the roof.
Where the separated wall is required to have a fire-resistance rating, the stage opening must have a fire curtain of approved material or an approved water curtain that complies with the code. The fire curtain must be designed and installed to intercept hot gases, flames, and smoke and to prevent a glow from a severe fire on the stage from showing on the auditorium side for a period of 20 minutes. The closing of the fire curtain from the full open position must be accomplished in less than 30 seconds, with the last 8 feet of travel requiring five or more seconds for full closure. The curtain must be activated by rate-of-rise heat detection installed in accordance with the code, operating at a rate of temperature rise of 15 to 20°F per minute, and by a secondary manual control.
A sample curtain with a minimum of two vertical seams must be subjected to the standard fire test specified in ASTM E 119 for a period of 30 minutes. The curtain will overlap the furnace edges by an amount that is appropriated to seal the top and sides. There will be a bottom pocket on the curtain that contains a minimum of 4 pounds per linear foot of batten. The exposed surface of the curtain mustn’t glow, and flame or smoke must not penetrate the curtain during the test period. Unexposed surface temperature and hose stream test requirements are not applicable to the wall fire safety curtain test. The fabric of the curtains that are used in such cases must have a smoke-developed rating of 25 or less when tested in accordance with ASTM E 84. The completed curtain that is in place between the stage and the wall will be subjected to operating tests prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
CODE UPDATE |
Egress doors are permitted to be locked in accordance with the applicable use condition. |
Most plays and theater production use some kind of scenery or props to enhance performances. Combustible materials used in sets and scenery must meet the fire movement performance criteria of NFPA 701 and the International Fire Code. Foam plastics and materials containing foam plastics must comply with the chapter regarding plastics and the International Fire Code.
Emergency ventilation must be provided for stages larger than 1000 square feet in floor area, or with a stage height greater than 50 feet. This ventilation must comply with one or both of the requirements of the code.
Two or more roof vents constructed to open automatically by approved heat-activated devices and with an aggregate clear opening area of not less than 5 percent of the area of the stage can be located near the center and above the highest part of the stage area. Supplemental means must be provided for manual operation of the ventilator. Curbs must be provided as required for skylights and vents must be labeled.
Smoke control must be provided to maintain the smoke layer crossing point not less than 6 feet above the highest level of the assembly seating or above the top of the space where the stage is separated from the seating area or where a wall is provided in this space.
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The code is much different for temporary platforms and states that platforms installed for a period of not more than 30 days are permitted to be constructed of any materials permitted by the code. But, the space between the floor and the temporary platform can only be used for plumbing and electrical wiring to platform equipment. Be sure that you know the difference in codes for permanent and temporary platforms. |
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Stage exits must have at least one approved means of exit from each side of the stage and from each side of space under the stage. At least one of these exits must be provided from each fly gallery and from the gridiron. Steel ladders, alternating tread stairways or spiral stairways are means of exits that are permitted to be used from the gridiron to a scuttle in the stage roof. |
Platform construction for permanent platforms must be constructed of materials as required for the type of construction of the building where your platform is going to be located. Permanent platforms are allowed to be constructed of fire-retardant-treated wood for Type I, II, and IV construction where the platforms are no more than 30 inches above the main floor, and are not more than one-third of the room floor area and not more than 3000 square feet in area. If the space beneath the permanent platform is used for storage or any other purpose other than equipment, wiring, or plumbing, the floor construction cannot be less than one-hour fire-resistance-rated construction. If the space beneath the permanent platform is used only for equipment, wiring, or plumbing, the underside of the permanent platform does not need to be protected.
All dressing rooms and appurtenant rooms must comply with the following section. If the stage height is greater than 50 feet, the stage needs to be separated from dressing rooms, scene docks, property rooms, workshops, storerooms, and compartments that are an extension to the stage and other parts of the building by a fire barrier with no less than a two-hour fire-resistance rating with approved opening protections. If the stage is 50 feet or less, the required stage separation must be a fire barrier with no less than a one-hour fire-resistance rating with approved protective openings. You must make all dressing rooms, scene decks, property rooms, workshops, storerooms, and compartments that are extended to the stage separated from each other as well. They must have fire barriers with not less than a one-hour fire-resistance rating with approved protected openings.
You have learned from the previous paragraphs that all buildings or structures require an automatic sprinkler system. The codes for each building are not quite the same, so it is very important that you don’t apply one section to another. The automatic sprinkler code for stages and platforms is the following: Stages must be equipped with an automatic fire-extinguishing system. Sprinklers must be installed under the roof and gridiron and under all catwalks and galleries over the stage. Sprinklers must be installed in dressing rooms, performer lounges, shops, and storerooms accessory to the stages. The exceptions to this are that sprinklers are not required under stage areas less than 4 feet in clear height that are used exclusively for storage of table and chairs, provided that the concealed space is separated from the adjacent spaces by no less than 
-inch Type X gypsum board. Sprinklers are also not required for stages that are 1000 square feet or less in area and 50 feet or less in height where curtains, scenery, or other combustible hangings are not vertically retractable. Combustible hangings must be limited to a single main curtain, border, legs, and a single backdrop. Sprinklers are also not required within portable orchestra enclosures on stages.
This section and the provisions of this section will apply to airport traffic control towers not exceeding 1500 square feet per floor occupied for the following uses only:
!Definition alert |
Heliport: An area of land or water or a structural surface that is used, or intended for use, for the landing and taking off of helicopters, and any accessory areas that are used, or intended for use, for heliport buildings and other heliport facilities. |
Electrical and mechanical equipment rooms
Airport terminal radar and electronic rooms
Office spaces incidental to tower operation
Lounges for employees, including sanitary facilities.
A minimum of one exit stairway must be permitted for airport traffic control towers of any height provided that the occupant load per floor does not exceed 15. The stairway must be separated from elevators by a minimum distance of one-half of the diagonal of the area served measured in a straight line. The exit stairways and elevator hoistways are permitted to be located in the same shaft enclosure, provided they are separated from each other by a four-hour fire barrier having no openings. Such stairways must be pressurized to a minimum of 0.15 inch of water columns and a maximum of 0.35 inch of water column in the shaft relative to the building with stairway doors closed.
Stairways need not extend to the roof and the provisions of high-rise buildings do not apply. If required stairways are pressurized, smokeproof enclosures do not apply. Airport traffic control towers must be provided with an automatic fire detection system installed. A standby power system that conforms to the electrical section of this book must be provided in airport traffic control towers more than 65 feet in height.
Power must be provided to pressurization equipment, mechanical equipment and lighting. This must also include elevator operating equipment and fire alarms and smoke detections systems. Airport traffic control towers do not need to be accessible.
Aircraft hangars must be in accordance with the following:
Exterior walls located less than 30 feet from property lines, lot lines, or a public way must have a fire-resistance rating of no less than two hours.
Where hangars have basements, the floor over the basement must be of Type IA construction and must be made tight against seepage or water, oil, or vapors.
There will be no opening or communication between a basement and a hangar.
Access to a basement will be from the outside only.
Floors must be graded and drained to prevent water or fuel from staying on the floor.
Floor drains must discharge through an oil separator to the sewer or to an outside vented sump. An exception to this is aircraft hangars with individual lease spaces not exceeding 2000 square feet each in which servicing, repairing, or washing is not conducted and fuel is not dispensed. These must have floors that are graded toward the door, but do not require a separator.
All heating equipment must be placed in another room that is separated by two-hour fire-resistance-rated construction.
Entrance must be made from the outside or be means of a vestibule providing a two-doorway separation. There are, however, some exceptions.
Unit heaters and vented infrared radiant heating equipment suspended at least 10 feet above the upper surface of wings or engine enclosures of the highest aircraft that are permitted to be housed in the hangar and at least 8 feet above the floor in shops, offices, and other sections of the hangar communicating with storage or service areas.
A single interior door must be allowed, provided the sources of ignition in the appliances are at least 18 inches above the floor.
!Definition alert |
Residential aircraft hangars: An accessory building less than 2000 square feet (186 m2) and 20 feet (6096 mm) in height, constructed on a one- or two-family residential property where aircraft are stored. Such use will be considered as a residential accessory use incidental to the dwelling. |
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A hangar must provide two means of exits. One of the doors into the dwelling must be considered as meeting only one of the two means of exits. |
The process of “doping,” involving use of a volatile flammable solvent, or of painting, must be carried on in a separate detached building equipped with automatic fire-extinguishing equipment.
Fire suppression must be provided to aircraft hangars as required by NFPA 409, with the exception that Group II hangars as defined in NFPA 409 storing private aircraft without major maintenance or overhaul are exempt from foam suppression requirements.
A hangar cannot be attached to a dwelling unless separated by a fire barrier having a fire-resistance rating of no less than one hour. This separation must be continuous from the foundation to the underside of the roof and unpierced except for doors leading to the dwelling unit. Doors into the dwelling unit must be equipped with self-closing devices with at least a 4-inch noncombustible raised sill. Openings from a hangar directly into a room used for sleeping purposes are not permitted.
Smoke alarms must be provided within the hangar in accordance with the code. All electrical, mechanical, and plumbing drain, waste, and vent or DWV systems installed within the hangar must be independent of the systems installed inside the home. Building sewer lines will be permitted to be connected outside the structures with the exception of smoke detector wiring and feed for electrical sub panels in the hangar.
Any aircraft painting operations where the use or storage of flammable liquids in excess of the maximum allowable quantities per control area have to be conducted in an aircraft paint hangar that complies with this section. Spray equipment and cleaning operations must be conducted in a liquid use, dispensing and mixing room.
Aircraft paint hangars must be classified as Group H-2. Aircraft paint hangars must comply with the applicable requirements of this code and the International Fire Code for such occupancy. The construction of such paint hangars will be of Type I or II construction.
All flammable liquids must be stored in a liquid storage room, and aircraft paint hangars must be provided with fire suppression as required by NFPA 409; all aircraft paint hangars will be provided with ventilation as required by the International Mechanical Code.
Combustible storage is always a potential concern. High-pile stock or rack storage in any occupancy group will comply with the International Fire Code. Attic, under-floor, and concealed spaces used for storage of combustible materials will be protected on the storage side as required for one-hour fire-resistance-rated construction. Openings will be protected by assemblies that are self-closing and are of non-combustible construction on solid wood core no less than 1¾ inches in thickness. The exceptions to this include areas that are protected by automatic sprinkler systems and Group R-3 and U occupancies.
Buildings and structures with occupancy in Group H, that house hazardous materials, will also comply with the applicable provisions of this section and the International Fire Code.
The safe design of hazardous material occupancies is material dependent. Level 2 and 3 aerosol products will be stored and displayed in accordance with the International Fire Code for occupancy group requirements.
Separate floor plans must be submitted for buildings and structures with occupancy in Group H, identifying the locations of anticipated contents and processes to reflect the nature of each occupied portion of every building and structure. A report identifying hazardous materials including, but not limited to, materials that represent hazards that are classified in Group H to be stored or used, must be submitted and the methods that you plan on storing and protecting these hazards have to be indicated on the construction documents. The opinion and report has to be prepared by a qualified person, firm, or corporation by the building official and will be provided free of charge to the enforcing agency.
Control areas need to be kept separate from each other by fire barriers or horizontal assemblies, or both. The percentage of maximum allowable quantities of hazardous materials per control area permitted at each floor will be in accordance with code recommendations, as do the maximum number of control areas per building and the fire-resistance-rating requirements. There are two exceptions for the fire-resistance-rating requirements. These are: The floor construction of the control area and the construction supporting the floor of the control area are allowed to be one-hour fire-resistance rated in buildings of Type IIA, IIIA, and VA construction provided that the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system and the building is three stories or less in height.
The aggregate quantity of nonflammable solid and nonflammable or non-combustible liquid hazardous materials permitted in Group M display and storage area, a Group S storage area, or an outdoor control area is permitted to exceed the maximum allowable quantities per control area specified in the code without classifying the building or use as a Group H occupancy, provided that the materials are displayed and stored in accordance with the International Fire Code and quantities do not exceed the maximum in this code.
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Any ducts that convey explosives or flammable vapors, fumes, or dusts need to extend directly to the outside of the building without entering other spaces. Exhaust ducts cannot and will not extend into or through ducts and plenums except ducts conveying vapor or fumes having flammable constituents less than 25 percent of their lower flammable limit (LFL) are permitted to pass through other spaces. Factories that have emissions generated at workstations must be confined to that area in which they are generated as specified in the International Fire Code and International Mechanical Code. |
In Group M occupancy wholesale and retail sales uses, indoor storage of flammable and combustible liquids must not exceed the maximum allowable quantities per control area as indicated in this code.
The maximum quantity of aerosol products in Group M occupancy retail display areas and retail storage areas must be in accordance with the International Fire Code.
Ventilation of any rooms, areas, or spaces of Group H in which explosive, corrosive, combustible, flammable, or highly toxic dusts, mists, fumes, vapors, or gases are or may be emitted due to the processing, use, handling, or storage of materials must be mechanically ventilated as required of the International Fire and International Mechanical Codes.
Supply and exhaust openings must be located in accordance with the International Mechanical Code and exhaust air that is contaminated by highly toxic material must be treated in accordance with the International Fire Code. A manual shutoff control for ventilation equipment required by this section must be provided outside the room adjacent to the main access door to the room. The switch must be breakable and will be labeled: Ventilation System Emergency Shutoff.
If a building or structure has systems involving hazardous materials, the systems must be suitable for the intended applications. These systems are not interchangeable, they are designed to meet the individual designs and should not be changed around to suit your needs. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper systems for your needs. Controls must be designed to prevent materials from entering or leaving process or reaction systems at other than the intended time, rate, or path. Automatic controls, where provided, must be designed to be fail-safe.
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Monitor control equipment must be installed where required by the International Fire Code, and Group H occupancies must be provided with an automatic fire detection system. |
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Protection from weather is a very important issue in regards to hazardous materials. Where weather protection is provided for sheltering outdoor hazardous material storage or use areas, such areas must be considered outdoor storage or use when the weather protection structure complies with the following section. |
Explosion control must be provided in accordance with the International Fire Code where quantities of hazardous materials exceed the maximum allowable quantities or where a structure, room, or space is occupied for purposes involving explosion hazards as required by this chapter or the International Fire Code.
There must be a standby or emergency power source should an emergency or crisis happen. Where mechanical ventilation, treatment systems, temperature control, alarm, detection, or other electrically operated systems are required, such systems must be provided with an emergency or standby power system in accordance with this code or the ICC Electrical Code. The following are exceptions:
Storage areas for Class I and II oxidizers
Storage areas for Class III, IV, and V organic peroxides
Storage, use, and handling areas for highly toxic or toxic materials as provided for in the International Fire Code
Standby power for mechanical ventilation, treatment systems, and temperature control systems are not required where an approved fail-safe engineered system is installed.
Rooms, buildings, or areas occupied for the storage of solid and liquid hazardous materials must be provided with a means to control spillage and to contain or drain off the spillage and fire protection water discharged in the storage area where required in the International Fire Code, this is to include the methods of spill control and outdoor storage, dispensing, and use of hazardous materials.
Walls must not obstruct more than one side of the structure unless the obstructed area does not exceed 25 percent of the structure’s perimeter. The distance from the structure to buildings, lot lines, pubic ways, or means of exits cannot be less than the distance required for an outside hazardous material storage or use area without weather protection. The overhead structure must be of approved noncombustible construction with a maximum area of 1500 square feet.
An approved manual emergency system must be provided in buildings, rooms, or areas used for storage of hazardous materials. Emergency alarm-initiating devices will be installed outside of each interior exit or exit access door of storage buildings, rooms, or areas. The activation of an alarm-initiating device must sound a local alarm to alert occupants of an emergency situation involving hazardous materials.
Where hazardous materials having a hazard ranking of 3 or 4 in accordance with NFPA 704 are transported through corridors or exit enclosures, there must be an emergency telephone system, a local manual alarm station, or an approved alarm-initiating device at not more than 150-foot intervals and at each exit and exit access doorway throughout the transport route. The signal must be relayed to an approved central, proprietary, or remote station service or a location that is constantly attended or supervised; this must also initiate a local audible alarm.
The next section on hazardous materials is a lengthy one, but one that cannot be taken too seriously This next section is about hazardous materials and covers Groups H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4, and H-5.
There are several groups pertaining to hazardous materials. The provisions of this section apply to the storage and use of hazardous materials in excess of the maximum allowable quantities per control area. Buildings and structures with occupancy in Group H will also comply with this section and the International Fire Code.
Continuous gas-detection system: A gas detection system where the analytical instrument is maintained in continuous operation and sampling is performed without interruption. Analysis is allowed to be performed on a cyclical basis at intervals not to exceed 30 minutes. |
Group H occupancies must be located on property in accordance with other provisions of this chapter. In Groups H-2 and H-3, not less than 25 percent of the perimeter wall of the occupancy will be an external wall. The following are exceptions to this:
Liquid use, dispensing, and mixing rooms having a floor area or not more than 500 square feet need not be located on the outer perimeter of the building where they are in accordance with the International Fire Code and NFPA 30.
Liquid storage rooms having a floor area of not more than 1000 square feet need not be located on the outer perimeter where they are in accordance with the International Fire Code and NFPA 30.
Spray paint booths that comply with the International Fire Code need not be located on the outer perimeter.
Group H occupancy minimum fire separation distance: regardless of any other provisions, buildings containing Group H occupancies must be set back to the minimum fire separation distance as described below. Distances must be measured from the walls enclosing the occupancy to lot lines, including those on public property. You may not use distances to assumed lot lines to establish the minimum fire separation for buildings on sites where explosives are manufactured or used when separation is provided in accordance with the quantity distance tables specified for explosive materials in the International Fire Code.
Group H-1 cannot be less than 75 feet and not less than required by the International Fire Code except for fireworks manufacturing buildings separated in accordance with NFPA 1124, buildings containing organic peroxides, unclassified detonable, and unstable reactive materials of class III and IV that are detonable and detonable pyrophoric materials, floors in storage areas for these materials must be of liquid-tight noncombustible construction. Group H-2 cannot be less than 30 feet where the area of the occupancy exceeds 1000 square feet and it is not required to be located in a detached building. Groups H-2 and H-3 cannot be less than 50 feet where a detached building is required.
Occupancies in these two groups containing materials with explosive characteristics must be separated as required by the International Fire Code.
In Groups H-1, H-2, or H-3 where detached buildings are required by Table 4.11 there are no requirements for wall and opening protection based on fire separation distance. There are special provisions for Group H-1 occupancies that you must follow.
Group H-1 occupancies must be in buildings used for no other purpose, cannot exceed one story in height, or be without a basement, crawl spaces, or other under-floor spaces. Roofs must be of lightweight construction with suitable thermal insulation to prevent sensitive material from reaching its decomposition temperature. Group H-1 occupancies containing materials which are in both physical and health hazards in quantities exceeding the maximum allowable quantities per control area must comply with requirements for both H-1 and H-4 occupancies.
Special provisions for Group H-2 and H-3 occupancies containing quantities of hazardous materials must be in buildings used for no other purpose and cannot be more than one story or without a basement or crawl space. If these occupancies contain water-reactive materials they must be resistant to water penetration.
There may not be any piping that carries water placed over or through these areas, unless isolated by approved liquid-tight construction (fire protecting piping is an exception to this). Occupancies in Group H-2 must be constructed in accordance with the following which apply to buildings in which materials that produce combustible dusts are stored. These buildings must comply with NFPA 61, 120, 651, 654, 655, 664, and 85 as well as the International Fire Code. These buildings must comply with the height and area limitations for Group H-2; except that when erected of Type I or II construction, the heights and areas of grain elevators and similar structures must be unlimited, and where Type IV construction, the maximum height will be 65 feet and in isolated areas, the maximum height of Type IV structures will be increased to 85 feet.
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Every room or space occupied for grinding or operations that produce combustible dusts must be enclosed with fire barriers that have no less than a two-hour fire-resistance rating where the area is not more than 3000 square feet, and not less than a four-hour fire-resistance rating where the area is more than 3000 square feet. |
Conveyors, chutes, and piping passing through the enclosures of rooms or spaces must be constructed dirt and vapor tight and be of approved materials complying with Chapter 30. Grain elevators and malt houses cannot be located with 30 feet of inside lot lines or structures on the same lot, except where built along a railroad right-of-way. Coal pockets located less than 30 feet from inside lot lines or from structures on the same lot must be constructed of no less that Type IB construction. If more than 30 feet, the minimum type of construction is not more than 65 feet in height and must be Type IV.
In mixed occupancies where the storage tank area is located in a building of two or more occupancies, and the amount of liquid is more than allowed, then the use must be completely separated from adjacent fired areas. Any storage tank must be approved and conform to the International Fire Code and must be noncombustible and protected from physical damage. A fire barrier wall must be placed around the tank for protection. A liquid-tight containment area compatible with the stored liquid must be provided, rooms where only double-wall storage tanks conforming to this section are used to store Class I, II, and IIIA flammable liquids are not required to have a leakage container. An approved automatic alarm must be installed to indicate a leak in a storage room or tank. It must be very loud and have the ability to be heard in any room. There will be a sign that states: Warning, When Alarm Sounds, the Environment within the Room May be Hazardous.
All storage tanks need to be vented if they are of Class I or IIIA liquids, this must go to the outdoor air and in accordance to the International Fire Code. All tanks storing Class I, II, or IIIA liquids must be provided with mechanical ventilation. If Class I liquids are being stored, explosion venting is required. The opening of any of these tanks must be designed to ensure that liquid or vapor concentrations are not released into the building.
Liquefied petroleum gases are classified as propane, butane, propylene, and butylenes. Any facilities that house these gases must be provided with air inlets and outlets so that air movement across the floor of the facility will remain even. The total area of both inlet and outlet openings must be at least 1 square inch for each 1 square foot of floor area. The bottom of these openings cannot be more than 6 inches above the floor.
Attached buildings or structures must have a perimeter of no more than 50 percent of the perimeter of the space enclosed. Separation of the attached structures must be provided by fire barriers with a fire-resistance rating of not less than one hour and may not have any openings. Fire barriers between attached structures that are occupied for LP-gas are permitted to have fire door assemblies. These barriers must be designed to withstand a static pressure of at least 100 pounds per square foot (psf), except where the building to which the structure is attached is occupied by operations or processes with similar hazards.
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Where located in separate buildings, gas-distribution facilities must be occupied exclusively for that purpose or others of the same nature. These buildings can only be one story high; the floor cannot be located below ground level and must be solidly filled. All construction of each aspect of the building must be constructed of noncombustible materials. Explosion venting must be provided in accordance with the International Fire Code. |
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Dry cleaning plants must be constructed in accordance with this code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Plumbing Code, and NFPA 32. Dry cleaning solvents and systems must be classified in accordance to the International Fire Code. When gas rooms are provided, they must be separated from other areas by no less than a one-hour fire barrier. |
Where liquefied petroleum gas-distribution facilities are located in rooms within buildings, these rooms must be located in the first story level above grade plane, they must also have at least one outside wall with enough exposed area to provide explosion venting. The walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs of such rooms and building must be constructed of approved noncombustible materials, and must be fire barriers with no less than a one-hour fire-resistance rating and without openings. Walls that are used for storing LP-gas are allowed to have openings that comply with code requirements, and they must be designed to withstand a static pressure of at least 100 psf.
Fabrication of Group H-5 that has aggregate quantities of hazardous materials stored and used in a single fabrication must not exceed the amount allowed by this code.
Fabrication areas, whose sizes are limited, must be separated from each other, from corridors, and other parts of the building with one-hour fire barriers, except doors within having a fire protection of not less than ¾ hour. Or, windows between areas and corridors are permitted to be fixed glazing of at least ¾ hour. Occupied levels of areas must be located at or above the first story above grade plane. All floors except for surfacing must be of noncombustible materials. Any shafts, vent shafts, and other openings must be enclosed. The annular space around penetrations for cables, cable trays, tubing, piping, or ducts must be sealed at the floor level to restrict the movement of air.
A ventilation system must be in place to capture and exhaust gases, fumes, and vapors at workstations. Exhaust ducts that penetrate workstations must be contained in a shaft. HPM must be transported to fabrication areas through enclosed piping that comply with this chapter and the International Fire Code.
All electrical equipment used within the fabrication area must conform to the ICC Electrical Code. If the average air change is at least four times an hour and is not less than three times then the location of hazardous materials does not apply to fabrication.
You may not energize workstations without proper exhaust ventilation. All corridors must be separated from fabrication areas as specified in this chapter. Corridors cannot contain HPM and cannot be used for transporting these materials, except through closed piping systems or unless fabrication areas are altered or modified, subject to the following conditions.
Corridors adjacent to the fabrication area where the alteration work is to be done must comply with the code for a length determined as follows: the length of the common wall of the corridor and the fabrication area and the distance along the corridor to the point of entry of HPM into the corridor serving that fabrication area. Also, there must be an emergency telephone system, a local manual alarm station, or another approved alarm-initiating device within the corridors at no more than 150-foot intervals. Or, self-closing doors having a fire protection rating of not less than one hour.
CODE UPDATE |
Storage areas for flammable and combustible liquid tanks inside of structures shall be located at or above grade. A two-hour fire barrier is required between the storage area and processing areas. |
Service corridors are of a different nature and the coding for them is somewhat different. They are classified as Group H-5 and service corridors are to be kept separate from corridors as previously discussed in this chapters. Service corridors cannot be used as a required corridor and they must be mechanically vented or at no less than six air changes per hour. Service corridors are required to have a means of exit as well as any corridor. The maximum distance of travel from any point to a service corridor is not to exceed 75 feet. Dead ends cannot exceed 4 feet. There may not be less than two exits and no more than one-half can require travel into a fabrication area.
Service corridors must have doors that swing in the direction of the exit. The doors must have a minimum width of 5 feet or 33 inches wider than the widest cart or truck used in the corridor, whichever is greatest. As with required corridors, all service corridors are required to have an emergency alarm system in place.
Storage of hazardous production materials must be within approved or listed storage cabinets or gas cabinets within a workstation. Any HPM in quantities greater than those listed in Section 1804.2 of the International Fire Code must be in liquid storage rooms. The construction of HPM and gas rooms must be separated from other areas and by not less than a two-hour fire barrier in an area that is 300 square feet. Liquid storage rooms must be constructed in accordance with the following:
Rooms in excess of 500 square feet must have at least one outer door approved for fire department access.
Rooms must be separated from other areas by fire barriers having a fire-resistance rating of not less than one hour for rooms up to 150 square feet in area.
Shelving, racks, and wainscoting in these areas must be of non-combustible construction or wood of not less than 1 inch (25 mm) normal thickness.
Rooms used for the storage of Class I flammable liquids must not be located in the basement.
Liquid storage rooms and gas rooms must have a least one outside wall that will be no less than 30 feet from lot lines adjacent to public ways. Explosion control is required. Where two exits are required, one must lead directly outside of the building. Mechanical exhaust ventilation must be provided in liquid storage rooms at the rate of no less than 1 cubic foot per minute of floor area or six air changes per hour. HPM storage is required to have an approved emergency alarm system that is alarm-initiating and sounds a local alarm and transmits a signal to the emergency control station.
Piping and tubing is required of systems that supply HPM liquids or gases having a health-hazard rating of III or IV and must be welded throughout, except for connections to the system that are within a ventilated enclosure. Hazardous production materials supply piping in service must be readily accessible. Where HPM gases or liquids are carried in pressurized piping above 15 pounds per square inch gauge (psig), excess flow control shall be provided. Where the piping comes from within a liquid storage room, HPM room, or gas room, the excess flow control shall be located within the liquid storage room, HPM room, or gas room. The installation of HPM piping and tubing within the space shall be in accordance with the following conditions:
Automatic sprinklers must be installed within the space unless the space is less than 6 inches in the least dimensions.
Ventilation not less than six air changes per hour must be provided.
The space must not be used to convey air from any other area.
Where the piping or tubing is used to transport HPM liquids, a receptor must be installed below such piping or tubing.
The receptor must be designed to collect any discharge or leakage and drain it to an approved location.
The one-hour enclosure must not be used as part of the receptor.
HPM supply piping and tubing and nonmetallic waste line must be separated from the corridor and from occupancies other than group H-5 by fire barriers that have a fire-resistance rating of not less than one hour.
Where gypsum wallboard is used, joints on the piping side of the enclosure are not required to be taped, provided the joints occur over framing members.
Access openings into the enclosure must be protected by approved fire protection-rated assemblies.
Readily accessible manual or automatic remotely activate fail-safe emergency shutoff valves must be installed on piping and tubing other than waste lines at the following locations: (1) at branch locations into the fabrication area (2) at entries into corridors. The exception to this is any transverse crossing of the corridors by supply piping that is enclosed within a ferrous pipe or tube for the width of the corridor need not comply with bullets one through five.
Continuous gas detection systems must be provided for HPM gases when the physiological warning threshold level of the gas is at a higher level than the accepted PEL for the gas and for flammable gases in accordance with this section. A continuous gas-detection system is required for fabrication areas, HPM rooms, gas cabinets, and exhausted enclosures and corridors, but is not required for the occasional transverse crossing of the corridors by supply piping that is enclosed in a ferrous pipe or tube for the width of the corridor. The gas-detection system must be capable of monitoring the room, and/or equipment, in which the gas is located at or below the PEL or ceiling limit of the gas. For flammable gases, the monitoring detection threshold level shall be vapor concentrations in excess of 20 percent of the lower explosive limit (LEL). Monitoring for highly toxic gases must also comply with the requirements of the International Fire Code.
Gas detection systems must initiate a local arm and transmit a signal to the emergency control station when a short-term hazard is detected. The gas detection system must automatically close the shutoff valve at the source on gas supply piping and tubing related to the system being monitored for which gas is detected when a short-term hazard is detected. Automatic closure of shutoff valves must comply with the following:
Where the gas-detection sampling point initiating the gas detection system alarm is within a gas cabinet or exhausted enclosure, the shutoff valve in the gas cabinet or exhausted enclosure for the specific gas detected shall automatically close.
Where the gas-detection sampling point initiating the gas detection system alarm is within a room and compressed gas containers are not in gas cabinets or an exhausted enclose, the shutoff valves on all gas lines for the specific gas detected shall automatically close.
Where the gas-detection sampling point initiating the gas detection system alarm is within a piping distribution manifold enclosure, the shutoff valve supplying the manifold for the compressed gas container of the specific gas detected must automatically close.
The only exception to this is where the gas-detection sampling point initiating the gas detection system alarm is at the use location or within a gas valve enclosure of a branch line downstream of a piping distribution manifold; the shutoff valve for the branch line location in the distribution manifold enclosure must automatically close. The emergency control station must receive signals form emergency equipment and alarm and detection systems. Such emergency equipment and alarm and detection systems must include, but are not be limited to, the following where such equipment or systems are required to be provided, either in this chapter or elsewhere in this code:
Automatic fire sprinkler system alarm and monitoring systems
Manual fire alarm systems
Emergency alarm systems
Continuous gas-detection systems
Smoke detection systems
Automatic detection and alarm systems for phosphoric liquids and Class III water-reactive liquids required in Section 1805.2.3.5 of the International Fire Code
Exhaust ventilation flow alarm devices for phosphoric liquids and Class III water-reactive liquids required in Section 1805.2.3.5 of the International Fire Code.
An emergency power system must be provided for Group 5 occupancies. The required electrical systems are to include the following:
HPM exhaust ventilation systems
HPM gas cabinet ventilation systems
HPM exhausted enclosure ventilation systems
HPM gas room ventilation systems
HPM gas detection systems
Emergency alarm systems
Manual fire alarm systems
Automatic sprinkler system monitoring and alarm systems
Automatic alarm and detection systems for phosphoric liquids and Class III water-reactive liquids required in Section 1805.2.3.5 of the International Fire Code
Flow alarm switches for phosphoric liquids and Class III water-reactive liquids required in Section 1805.2.3.5 of the International Fire Code
Electrically operated systems required elsewhere in this code or in the International Fire Code applicable to the use, storage, or handling of HPM.
Exhaust ventilation systems are allowed to be designed to operate at no less than one-half the normal fan speed of the emergency power system where it is demonstrated that the level of exhaust will maintain a safe atmosphere. Automatic sprinkler system protection in exhaust ducts for HPM must be provided in exhaust ducts conveying gases, vapors, fumes, mists, or dusts generated for HPM. This applies to metallic and noncombustible non-metallic exhaust ducts where the largest cross-sectional diameter is equal to or greater than 10 inches and the ducts are within the building and they convey flammable gases, vapors, or fumes, except for ducts listed or approved for applications without automatic fire sprinkler system protection or ducts not more than 12 feet in length installed below ceiling level.
Occupancies in Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3 must comply with provisions of this code. Walls separating dwelling units in the same building and walls separating sleeping units in the same building also must comply with this code.
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This section applies to spray rooms where there is spraying of flammable paints, varnishes, and lacquers or other flammable materials, mixtures, or compounds. Spray rooms must be enclosed with fire barriers with no less than one-hour fire-resistance ratings. Floors must be waterproofed and drained in an approved manner. The interior surfaces of spray rooms must be smooth and constructed to permit the free passage of exhaust air. Spraying spaces must be ventilated to prevent the accumulation of flammable mist or vapors. |
Now, let’s move into Chapter 3 to explore more of the mysteries of the building code.
