Chapter 19 Building Codes & Regulations Flashcards
**Designers are responsible for reviewing local codes, and ensuring their designs are compliant
Because each jurisdiction has unique requirements/amendments, designers must review to determine complete compliance for specific project
Building codes only one type of regulation affecting buildings; additional requirements may include legal/administrative regulations at state, federal, local level
**National electrical codes has been adopted Nation wide
True
**State and federal regulations
Most states have agencies that regulate building; in addition to building code, may enforce energy codes, environmental regulations, fabric flammability, specific rules relating to state government buildings
**STATE HAS THE POWER NOT THE GOVERNMENT!
**Most commonly used code today is?
IBC
International Residential Code (IRC)
govern specific aspects of construction not addressed in main code
NFPA
National Fire Prevention Association; develops standards relating to causes/prevention of fires
**ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) publishes thousands of test procedures prescribing, in detail, how tests are set up, conducted, etc. ASTM does not perform tests; its standards are used by testing agencies
**UL
Underwriters Laboratories
UL-listed labels mean a total product has passed safety test and is manufactured under
UL follow-up services program
UL-classified label means samples of product tested for certain types of uses only; product with this label must carry statement specifying conditions that were tested for
UL’s Building Materials Directory lists products that have passed safety tests
**Building codes recognize that there is no such thing as a fireproof building; there are only degrees of fire resistance. Two broad classifications of fire resistance:
- Fire resistance of materials & assemblies
- Surface burning characteristics of finish materials
**Most common construction assembly interior design projects require are?
partitions
**Materials by themselves do NOT create a fire-rated barrier; the construction assembly of which they are a part is fire-resistant. The ENTIRE assembly must be completed exactly as specified for the assembly to be considered a fire-rated barrier assembly.
TRUE
**Fire partition:
**wall assembly with 1-hr. rating used in following locations:
- Walls separating dwelling units (apartments, dormitories, assisted living facilities)
- Walls separating guest rooms
- Walls separating tenant spaces in covered mall buildings
- Corridor walls
- ½-hour walls allowed in sprinklered buildings, a few other exceptions
- Must provide continuous barrier, securely attached, extending continuously from floor to structure, or floor to rated ceiling with few exceptions
- Openings must be min. ¾-hour, except corridors, which must have 20-min. assemblies
- continuous slab-to slab partitions usually best and cheapest solution
Fire barrier:
**fire-resistance-rated vertical or horizontal assembly designed to restrict spread of fire, confine it to limited areas, and/or afford safe passage for protected egress
**Provides more protection than fire partitions
Used for the following purposes:
-To enclose vertical exit enclosures (stairways), exit passageways, horizontal exits, and incidental use areas
- To separate different occupancies in a mixed-occupancy situation
- To separate single occupancies into different fire areas
- To otherwise provide a fire barrier where specifically required by code
- Must ALWAYS (with very few exceptions) be continuous from floor slab to underside of floor or roof slab above
- May be required to have fire-resistance rating greater than 1-hour
- Protection for openings in fire barriers vary from ¾-3 hours per IBC
- Openings limited to 25% aggregate length of wall; max. opening size 120s.f.
**Fire barrier opening size exceptions:
- Openings can be greater than 120s.f. if adjoining fire areas equipped throughout with sprinklers
- Fire doors serving exit enclosure can exceed opening limitations
- If opening protective assembly has been tested per code requirements & equal or better fire rating, size not limited per opening standards.
In addition to openings, penetrations, joints, ducts, air transfer openings must be protected as specified in code
true