If your AHJ offers the choice, then you and your team will need to evaluate code breaks, costs, safety considerations, and the example you want to set in your community. In the state of Washington, sprinkler systems are required for fire stations by law. Inclusion of an NFPA fire sprinkler system will allow for greater allowable area, height and a reduction in separation and other code requirements. Recent examples include Salt Lake City Fire Stations 3 and 14. In addition to the environmental benefits, more efficient energy use means a reduced long-term cost of ownership, which is why some cities are implementing Net Zero Energy building policies, where a facility must produce as much energy as it uses on a net annual basis. Stricter energy codes will drive higher construction costs but can offer dividends in savings over the operational life of a facility. So, convincing a local building official of an interpretation of an accessibility requirement is no guarantee the DOJ wouldn’t find an issue during an audit years from project completion.Įnergy code adoption and requirements vary greatly in scope between states and AHJs. While the ICC and ADA have worked to align their standards, the answer to the question of who’s in charge of accessibility enforcement is both the local and federal government. The DOJ reviews accessibility requirements based on complaints or local government audits-after a project has been built. Instead, the local AHJ assesses accessibility compliance based on IBC scoping and a separate accessibility standards document titled the ANSI/ICC A117.1. Department of Justice (DOJ), but the DOJ is not involved in local building permitting. Requirements for fire stations as public buildings are scoped under Title 2 of the Act, and public facilities are subject to higher accessibility standards than commercial and residential developments. The law scopes a series of standards for accessibility for the disabled (e.g., 2010 ADA Standards). The IBC also began to increase incentives for using NFPA fire sprinkler systems, for example, allowing for larger building areas and reduced fire-resistance ratings where required between spaces.Īdditionally, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990. The IBC then provides provisions for separating individual occupancies (fire-resistive construction) or designing with restrictions for non-separated occupancies. So, whereas a fire station would be considered a Type B (Business) under the Uniform Building Code, it may now look like a mix of B (Business), R (Residential) and S (Storage, which includes garages). As a result, a single building now often contains multiple occupancy classifications. The legacy codes typically classified buildings based on a single use while the IBC classifies buildings based on occupancy types. Your AHJ’s website is the place to start to find codes and amendments in effect, but bear in mind that the codes are scoping instruments and make reference to an alphabet soup of published standards, methods and tests for achieving compliance (e.g., ASTM, UL, NFPA, ISO).Ī fundamental difference between the legacy codes and the IBC is the classification of building use. The ICC publishes revised I-codes every three years, and AHJs review, amend and adopt the new codes on their own schedule. In addition to the International Building Code (IBC), the series includes volumes for Fire, Mechanical, Existing Buildings, and others. The International Code Council (ICC) launched the International Codes Series (I-codes) at the end of the 1990s as a singular replacement for the regional model codes. Prior to the year 2000, the model code landscape in the United States consisted of three main regional codes: the National Building Code on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the Uniform Building Code in the West, and the Standard Building Code in the Southeast (now collectively known as the Legacy Codes). While your department or district’s architect (and code consultants if on the team) should be the lead for navigating jurisdictional requirements, this article will provide fire service representatives insight into compliance complexities, interpretations and risks.Īuthorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) adopt, amend and enforce model codes at the local level. Building codes and local, state and federal laws can present a labyrinthine path to securing the approvals, permits and compliance with legislation required to commence construction of a new or renovated fire station or emergency facility project and to mitigate lingering liability.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |