PA Building Codes Illustrated: Special Uses & Occupancies

1) special use & occupancies aren't determined by use but:
2) how does the code respond to these new types of bldgs?
3) what is different about special use & occupancies compared to standard occ. classifications?

EX OF BLDG TYPES W/ SPECIAL USE
1) covered & open malls
2) high-rise bldgs
3) atriums
4) underground bldgs
5) motor-vehicle related occupancies
6) institutional groups I-2 & I-3
7) motion-picture projection rooms

EX OF BLDG TYPES W/ SPECIAL USE CONT

16) special req.'s for I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4
17) hydrogen fuel gas rooms
18) ambulatory care facilities
19) storm shelters
20) children's play structures

COVERED MALLS
1) a roofed/covered ped. area into which 2 or more tenants have main entrances
2) limited to 3 levels abv grade
3) malls w/ more than 2 interconnected stories need a smoke ctrl system
4) anchor bldgs have own separate exits

OPEN MALLS
1) is an unroofed common ped. way serving multiple tenants not abv 3 levels
2) 20ft min clear opening btwn roof extensions into an open mall
3) 20ft min clear opening btwn balcony extensions into an open mall
4) anchor bldgs not part of open mall & are to be outside of open mall perimeter

OPEN MALLS CONT'
6) when travel distance to the mall from inside a tenant space is > 75ft or tenant space has occ. load of 50 or more, 2 means of egress are to be provided
-2nd egress could be directly to the outside or into a rated corridor or exit passage

1) gross leasable area (GLA) is the total:
2) GLA is measured from:
3) all tenant areas + areas for (___) are included in GLA

1) calc Occ. Load Factor (OLF) for a
-retail gross leasable area = 200,000sf
-a food court of 5,000sf
-fixed seating assembly for 500 (included in GLA)

GENERAL CODE RULES FOR MALLS
1) min width of exit passageways is 66"
2) max distance of travel from any pt to an exit is 200ft
3) pkg structures must be separated from mall by const. type (fire-resistance 2hr) or w/ a distance according to table 602

GENERAL CODE RULES FOR MALLS
6) exception to 60ft, 40ft allowed along no more than 75% of perimeter of entire facility (mall + anchors)
7) ^ exterior walls & openings facing reduced open space need 3hr rating

GENERAL CODE RULES FOR MALLS
12) 1 hr fire partitions btwn tenants, none needed btwn tenant & mall (storefront), not needed for exterior wall
13) 3hr fire wall btwn mall & anchor or 2hr if anchor 3 or less floors
14) ^b/c mall is considered a corridor, not req.'d a rating if 20ft or wider

HIGH RISE BLDGS
1) the criteria for determining if a bldg is a high-rise is measured to the:
2) definition of high-rise bldg (403) is based on height that typ fire dept:
3) firefighting in a high-rise assumes that the firefighters must:

HIGH RISE BLDGS
1) a subset of req.'s for "super high-rise" bldgs taller than (___) has been added
2) code req.'s for high-rises are a combo of measures both:

HIGH RISE BLDGS GEN CODE GUIDE
1) emergency phones every 5th floor in each locked stairways
2) emergency responder radio coverage is to be provided
3) bldgs must be constructed of noncombustible mat.'s
4) shafts/vert penetrations must be enclosed to prevent fire/smoke spread

HIGH RISE BLDGS GEN CODE GUIDE
9) req. emergency voice/alarm comm. system activated w/ operation of auto fire detector/alarms/sprinklers
10) fire-fighting command center req.'d
11) req.'s stairway doors locked from stairway side able to be unlocked from fire command center

HIGH RISE BLDGS GEN CODE GUIDE
13) stair enclosures are to be separated by min 30ft or not less than 1/4 of length of max diagonal bldg dim (2 stairs must meet criteria when 3)
14) high-rises more than 120ft, min 2 fire-service access elevators needed (this can eliminate need for 3rd egress stair)

ATRIUMS
1) an atrium is an opening connecting 2 or more floor levels closed at the top
2) rely both on active & passive fire safety
3) travel distance through atrium can't exceed 200ft

ATRIUMS

1-4) defined by what they are not

ATRIUM GEN CODE
1) req.'s auto fire-sprinkler system
2) is adj portion of bldg or abv atrium is separated by 2hr fire barriers, sprinkler req. doesn't apply to that portion
3) auto sprinkler protection for ceiling of atrium not req.'d if ceiling >55ft
4) req.'s a fire alarm system

ATRIUM GEN CODE
9) 1hr protection can be omitted for adj space of 3 floors worth if they assist in atrium design smoke ctrl system
10) req.'d emergency standby to power smoke ctrl system
11) 2-story atrium doesn't req. smoke ctrl unless I-1 condition 1 or I-2 occ.

MOTOR-VEHICLE-RELATED OCC.
1-4) related uses break down into 4 general categories:

PRIVATE GARAGES / CARPORTS
1) typ considered group-U occ. w/ 1 & 2 family dwellings & regulated by IRC
2) 1,000sf max for private garage
3) 1hr fire barrier min btwn private garages
4) 7ft min clear height

OPEN PARKING GARAGES
1) classified typ as group S-2
2) no repairs take place here
3) need to be type I, II, or IV const. = so amt & distribution of openings are spec'd
4) no mech ventilation req.'d b/c openings distributed to provide cross-ventilation

OPEN PARKING GARAGES
8) length of openings on tier must be min 40% of total perimeter tier, interior walls min 20% open (uniformly)
9) openings on 3rd side not req., but good for cross ventilation
10) table 406.5.4 determines allowable floor areas & heights of open pkg garages to const. type

ENCLOSED PARKING GARAGES
1) mech ventilation is req.'d to compensate for lack of cross-ventilation
2) means to get fresh air in for mech ventilation req.'d
3) sprinklered
4) 7ft min clear height at ea. floor level

MOTOR-VEHICLE SERVICE STATIONS
1) typ classified as group-M occ. but may req. additional const. detail req.'s to meet fire code
2) canopies clear height min of 13'-6" to lowest projecting element for vehicles to pass underneath

GROUP-I-2 OCCUPANCY
1) include nursing homes & hospitals; serving populations not capable of self-preservation in emergency (condition 1 also includes foster care)
2) corridor walls to be built as smoke partitions
3) corridor doors don't need fire rating but to be smoke barriers w/ positive latch

GROUP-I-2 OCCUPANCY
1) shared living/meeting space can be open to corridor if criteria blw is met:
1a) walls & ceilings are constructed as req.'d for corridors
1b) spaces don't serve as patient sleeping/ treatment rooms/ hazardous uses

GROUP-I-2 OCCUPANCY
- shared/dining space w/ cooking facility
1) domestic ventilating hood over cooktop/range
2) one cooking facility per smoke compartment
3) cooking facility equip limit to ovens, ranges, cooktops, microwaves, warmers

LIVE-WORK UNITS
1) typ classified as R-2 occ.
2) 3,000sf max
3) fire alarms & sprinklers req.'d
4) in non-resi area max 5 employees
5) non-resi storage limit 10% of non-resi area

HEALTH CARE CLINICS
1) are classified as B occ. w/ 2 categories: ambulatory care facilities & outpatient clinics
2) outpatient clinics = provide medical (less than 24hr) care to individuals who aren't rendered incapable of self-preservation in emergency (even if disabled)

AMBULATORY CARE FACILITIES
1) for those greater than 10,000sf to be sub-d by smoke barriers into space </= 22,500sf
2) travel distance from any pt in smoke compartment to smoke-barrier dr not to exceed 200ft