1. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

2. STEP ONE: Determine the Occupancy Classification (IBC Chapter 3)
Determine the principal intended occupancy of the building. There are ten (10)main occupancy classifications and several are divided into sub-classifications.

3. Occupancy Classifications:
Assembly
Business
Educational
Factory and Industrial
High Hazard
Institutional
Mercantile
Residential
Storage
Utility and Miscellaneous

4. Assembly Group A
A-I Fixed seating, production and viewing of performing arts
A Food and or drink consumption
A-3 Worship, recreation or amusement
A-4 Viewing indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating
A-5 Viewing outdoor activities

5. Business Group B Office
Professional or service transactions including storage of records and accounts

6. Educational Group E
Six or more persons at any one time through the 12th grade
More than 5 children older than 2 ½ years

7. Factory Group F
Factory Industrial - assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, repair or processing operations
F-I Moderate Hazard
F-2 Low Hazard – fabrication or manufacturing of noncombustible materials with no significant fire hazard

8. High-Hazard Group H
Manufacturing, processing, generation or storage of materials that constitute a physical or health hazard
H-1 Materials containing a detonation hazard
H-2 Materials containing a deflagration or accelerated burning hazard
H-3 Materials that readily support combustion
H-4 Health Hazard
H-5 Semiconductor fabrication

9. Institutional Group I
People cared for or live in a supervised environment, or harbored for medical or other care treatment or detained for penal or corrective purposes
I-1 More than 16 persons on a 24-hour basis, supervised and ambulatory
1-2 More than 5 persons on a 24-hour basis, for medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing or custodial care
I-3 More than 5 persons under restraint or security
I-4 Any age under custodial care less than 24 hours

10. Mercantile Group M Display and sale of merchandise
Involves stocks of goods, wares or merchandise incidental
Accessible to the public

11. Residential Group R Sleeping purposes not classified as Group I
R-1 Sleeping units for transients
R-2 Occupants primarily permanent
R-3 Primarily permanent but not R-1, R-2, R-4, or I
R-4 Residential care/ assisted living

12. Storage Group S Storage not classified as hazardous
S-1 Moderate hazard storage
S-2 Low Hazard storage

13. Utility and Miscellaneous Group U
Accessory character and miscellaneous nature
Not included in other nine occupancies

14. Step One (cont.) Determine if there are any secondary occupancies.
- Incidental uses- Rooms that constitute special hazards.
- Accessory uses- Areas limited in size that do not pose significantly different safety hazards.
- Mixed occupancies- Uses that do not meet incidental or accessory use.
Mixed occupancies may require fire rated separations (IBC Table ).
Fire sprinklers may lessen or omit fire separation requirements

15. STEP TWO: Determine Building Attributes
1. Calculate the square footage per floor. This is based on definition of “Building Area”- the area “within” exterior walls (inside face to inside face).
2. Determine the height of the building in feet. Based on definition of “ground plane”- imaginary reference place which is the average of “finish ground level” next to the building exterior walls.
3. Determine the height of the building in stories. This may include stories below ground for some code provisions.
4. Determine if the building will be fire sprinkled. May be an Owner decision or may be mandatory for some occupancy types.

16. STEP TWO: (cont) Special uses and Occupancies
- Covered mall buildings – no more than 3 stories and no more than 3 stories above grade
- High-rise buildings – occupied floor more than 75 feet above lowest level of fire department vehicle access
- Atriums – extends vertically and connects two or more floors
- Underground buildings – human occupancy more than 30 feet below lowest level of exit discharge

17. Step Three: - Type I (Non-combustible and rated)
Determine Type of Construction (IBC Chapter 6)
1. There are five (5) types of Construction:
- Type I (Non-combustible and rated)
- Type II (Non-combustible and rated or unrated)
- Type III (Non-combustible exterior walls and combustible interior elements and rated or unrated)
- Type IV Heavy timber and rated or unrated.
- Type V Combustible and rated or unrated.

18. Step Three: (cont)
2. Types I,II,III, IV and V are further subdivided: (fire ratings)
Type I-A 3 hour frame, 2 hour floor, 1 ½ hour roof
Type I-B 2 hour frame, 2 hour floor, 1 hour roof
Type II-A 1 hour frame, 1 hour floor, 1 hour roof
Type II-B 0 hour frame, 0 hour floor, 0 hour roof
Type III-A 1 hour frame, 1 hour floor, 1 hour roof
Type III-B 0 hour frame, 0 hour floor, 0 hour roof
Type V-A 1 hour frame, 1 hour floor, 1 hour roof
Type V-B 0 hour frame, 0 hour floor, 0 hour roof

19. STEP FOUR: Determine the location of the building on the property.
1. Determine clearances to property lines and other buildings. Fire separation distance is the distance from the building exterior walls to:
- The closest interior property line or,
- The center line of a street or,
- An imaginary line between buildings on the same property.
- The fire separation distance must be measured at right angles to the building
2. Determine actual percentage of exterior wall openings.

20. STEP FIVE: Determine allowable increases (IBC Table 503)
1. Calculate height increases in stories: (IBC 504)
- Sprinkler Increase
2. Calculate height increase in feet:
Allowable stories and height are evaluated based upon:
- Occupancy classification
- Types of construction
- Presence of a fire protection system
This applies to new buildings and existing buildings to be enlarged. Evaluate existing buildings as if they were a new building.

21. STEP FIVE: (cont) 3. Calculate area increases. - Sprinkler increase
- Frontage increase
4. Check mixed area ratio.

22. STEP SIX: Determine allowable area for multi-story buildings.
This may involve a decrease from previously calculated, allowable areas for single story buildings due to reduction in increase for sprinkler system. This may also have the effect of reducing the allowable area per floor, when buildings exceed three (3) stories.

23. STEP SEVEN: Compare actual conditions with allowable maximums.
This is based on occupancy classification, type of construction, and sprinklers.
- Area
- Height in stories
- Height in feet

24. STEP SEVEN: (cont) Compare actual conditions with allowable maximums.
1. General height and area limitations determined by:
- Type of construction and
- Intended occupancy group(s)
2. Determine if buildings are “separate” or portions of larger building for purposes of allowable construction (IBC )
3. Height and area limits are found in IBC Table 503.

25. STEP EIGHT: Determine special occupancy requirements, including:
1. High rise buildings.
2. Atriums.
3. Motor vehicle related occupancies, such as parking structures.
4. Stages and platforms.
5. Institutional type occupancies.

26. STEP NINE: Determine exit requirements (IBC Chapter 10)
1. Quantity of exits.
2. Capacity of exits.
3. Means of egress from spaces.
4. Travel distance to exits

27. STEP NINE: (cont) Establish the design occupant load by:
- Actual number.
- Number by table (IBC Table )
(it may not be less than this number)
- Number by combination.
- Increased occupant load permitted up to max of 1 occupant per 5 square feet.

28. STEP NINE: (cont) Determine applicability: - Dead end corridors
- Travel distance
- Common path of travel
- Remoteness of exits
- Exit capacity.
- Egress illumination.
- Exit signs.
- Projections into clear width.
- Exit enclosures.

29. STEP TEN: Determine accessibility requirements (IBC Chapter 11)
1. Exterior (site) requirements.
2. Toilet rooms.
3. Ramps.
4. Elevators.
5. Corridor width.
6. Other special accessibility requirements.

30. STEP ELEVEN:
Determine fire resistance of elements. (IBC Table 601 & 602)
1. Exterior walls.
2. Fire walls.
3. Fire barriers.
4. Fire partitions.
5. Horizontal assemblies.
6. Shafts.
7. Smoke barriers.
8. Smoke partitions (normally not rated).

31. STEP TWELEVE: Determine general structural requirements
(IBC Section 16)
1. Seismic importance factor.
2. Seismic design category.
3. Design live loads.
4. Wind loads.
5. Snow loads.
6. Impact loads.
7. Special load requirements (such as equipment or storage loads)

32. STEP THIRTEEN: Determine fire protection requirements (IBC Chapter 9)
1. Type of sprinkler system.
2. Type and location of alarms.
3. Type of smoke and control system.
4. Type and location of standpipes.

33. STEP FOURTEEN:
Determine interior finish requirements
(IBC Chapter 8)

34. STEP FIFTEEN:
Determine all other applicable, detailed code requirements.
1. Plumbing fixture requirements.
2. Energy efficiency requirements.
3. Elevators and conveying systems.
4. Special construction.
5. Local requirements.

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