Chapter 19 Building Codes & Regulations

Question 1

**Designers are responsible for reviewing local codes, and ensuring their designs are compliant

Answer 1

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

Question 2

**National electrical codes has been adopted Nation wide

Answer 2

True

Question 3

**State and federal regulations

Answer 3

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!

Question 4

**Most commonly used code today is?

Answer 4

IBC

Question 5

International Residential Code (IRC)

Answer 5

govern specific aspects of construction not addressed in main code

Question 6

NFPA

Answer 6

National Fire Prevention Association; develops standards relating to causes/prevention of fires

Question 7

**ASTM

Answer 7

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

Question 8

**UL

Answer 8

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

Question 9

**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:

Answer 9

• Fire resistance of materials & assemblies

- Surface burning characteristics of finish materials

Question 10

**Most common construction assembly interior design projects require are?

Answer 10

partitions

Question 11

**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.

Answer 11

TRUE

Question 12

**Fire partition:

Answer 12

**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

Question 13

Fire barrier:

Answer 13

**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.

Question 14

**Fire barrier opening size exceptions:

Answer 14

• 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.

Question 15

In addition to openings, penetrations, joints, ducts, air transfer openings must be protected as specified in code

Answer 15

true

Question 16

Fire wall:

Answer 16

resistance-rated wall used to separate single structure into separate construction types or provide for allowable area increases

Question 17

Smoke barrier

Answer 17

continuous vertical or horizontal membrane with min. 1-hr. rating designed to restrict movement of smoke

Question 18

IBC rates carpet; it specifically does NOT rate hard flooring, such as wood, terrazzo, vinyl, linoleum

Answer 18

True

Question 19

**Carpet rated as

Answer 19

Class I or Class II; Class I more fire-resistant

Question 20

**Textile finishes must meet one of three conditions for use:

Answer 20

Must be rated Class A per ASTM E84 & be protected by sprinklers

Must meet requirements of Method B test protocol of NFPA 265

Must meet requirements of NFPA 286
Ceiling textiles must meet ASTM E84 with sprinklers or NFPA 286

Question 21

**Occupancy Groups per IBC:
A 
B  
E  
F  
H  
I  
M  
R  
S  
U

Answer 21

A  Assembly
B  Business
E  Educational
F  Factory & Industrial
H  Hazardous
I  Institutional
M  Mercantile
R  Residential
S  Storage
U  Utility

Question 22

**Define Occupancy:

Answer 22

refers to type of use assigned to a building or interior space

Question 23

**Occupancy classification affects the following:

Answer 23

• Occupancy load calculation
• Egress design
• Interior finish requirements
• Use of fire partitions, fire barriers
• Fire detection/suppression systems
• Ventilation & sanitation requirements
• Other special restrictions particular to a given classification

Question 24

**Accessory occupancy :

Answer 24

is space used in conjunction with main occupancy, but less than 10% of floor area of main occupancy

-Do not need separation with fire barrier

Question 25

**Incidental use area:

Answer 25

is area required to have fire separation, even though same classification as nearest main occupancy

Question 26

**Every building is classified into one of five types of construction based on fire resistance of certain building components: Types called Type I-V;

Answer 26

- Type I most fire-resistive (most fire resistant) - Types I & II are noncombustible - Types III, IV, V are combustible (least fire resistant)

Question 27

Glass used in fire-rated partitions is divided into two types by IBC

Answer 27

- fire-protection-rated glazing | - fire-resistance-rated glazing

Question 28

Fire-protection-rated glazing is:

Answer 28

¼” thick wired glass in steel frames or others that meet applicable requirements; must have 45-minute rating, limited to 1-hr. rated partitions & fire barriers when fire barrier is used to separate occupancies or incidental use areas

Question 29

Fire-resistance-rated glazing is:

Answer 29

glazing material meeting ASTM E119, which allows special fire-rated glazing with ratings up to 2 hours; may be used in partitions with ratings higher than 1-hour; glazing must have same rating as partition in these cases. No area limitations.

Question 30

Almost all buildings require some type of detection device, even single smoke detectors in residences

Answer 30

true

Question 31

Fire protection system:

Answer 31

fire alarm or extinguishing device/system designed to detect, control, or extinguish fire, alert occupants & fire department of fire, or any combination of these systems Systems designed to detect: - Smoke or other products of combustion - Rise in temperature to predetermined level - Rate of temperature rise to predetermined rate of change

Question 32

**Guards (guardrails)

Answer 32

- A guard is a component that prevents falls from an elevated area - Required along open-sided walking surfaces, mezzanines, industrial equipment platforms, stairways, ramps, landings over 30” above floor below - Stages and some raised platforms exceptions - Min. 42” high, designed so 4” sphere cannot pass through any opening up to a height of 34” - Must resist load of 50lb/ft. applied in any direction to top of guard

Question 33

**Mechanical systems

Answer 33

International Mechanical Code details requirements for materials, design of HVAC equipment

Question 34

**Plumbing systems

Answer 34

- IBC specifies number of sanitary fixtures required based on occupancy - International Plumbing Code companion volume of IBC; gives minimum number of toilets, lavatories, drinking fountains, etc.

Question 35

**Electrical systems

Answer 35

- IBC references NEC - Details requirements for materials, design of power supply, lighting systems - Specifies outlet locations, required GFI outlets

Question 36

**Sound ratings:

Answer 36

- IBC requires wall, floor/ceiling assemblies in residential occupancies separating dwelling units or guest rooms from each other and from public spaces be designed/constructed to provide sound transmission control - Minimum STC 50 (45 if field-tested) for walls; does not apply to dwelling unit entrance doors, but these must be tight-fitting to frame & sill - Minimum IIC for floors must be 50 (45 if field-tested)

Question 37

**IBC and model codes do not regulate furniture flammability:

Answer 37

- Some local/state jurisdictions do include furniture flammability standards as part of their purview - Standards to define limits on material’s flammability in terms of the following characteristics may apply: - Resistance to ignition, flame spread, smoldering, prevention of smoke development, prevention of heat contribution to growth of fire, and prevention of toxic gas release