328B CONSTRUCTION, HEIGHT AND ALLOWABLE AREA
Code Plain English

328B.1 General.

Group F-7 Occupancy JLWQ shall conform to code requirements for F-1 Occupancies as to construction, height and allowable area pursuant to Chapter 3, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, and to related code requirements and to the specific requirements herein.

328B.1 General.

EXCEPTION 1.

Where one-hour fire-resistive construction is required, floors in existing buildings constructed with valid permits may be accepted which have the separation limited to the installation of materials approved for the underside of a one-hour fire-resistive floor/ceiling assembly when the existing flooring system is air-tight and equivalent to a minimum nominal 3/4" thick wood floor.

EXCEPTION 1.

Normally, one-hour construction is required between live/work units and between units and corridors. This exception relaxes the rated "floor-ceiling assembly" requirement such that existing construction will often suffice.

EXCEPTION 2.

Where one-hour fire-resistive construction is required, walls or ceiling surfaces in existing buildings constructed with valid permits, with wood lath and plaster in good condition or one-half inch thick gypsum wall board may be accepted when approved by the Building Official.

EXCEPTION 2.

Likewise, existing walls and ceilings will often be permissible under this exception even though they do not strictly meet rated wall assembly standards.

Note: While this exception can be helpful, it does not remove the requirement that wall assemblies between units achieve an STC 50 sound attenuation rating.

EXCEPTION 3.

In an existing building, an approved automatic sprinkler system, as specified in Chapter 38, may be substituted for one-hour fire-resistive construction, provided such system is not otherwise required throughout the building, including a requirement for sprinklers due to inadequate pressure and flow in the fire hydrants or fire supply that would provide protection to the building.

EXCEPTION 3.

This is a standard provision in the code allowing a sprinklered building to be considered equivalent to a one-hour rated building if the sprinklers are not otherwise required. Reasons why sprinklers "might otherwise be required" include the facts that:

a) the building contains more than 15 units or

b) the building is 3 stories or higher.

328B.1.1 Unlimited Area.

Section 505.2 is not applicable to commercially/ industrially-oriented JLWQ except Section 505.2 may be applied if a request in approved form and content for alternate materials, alternate design and methods of construction is submitted to and approved by the Building Official.

328B.1.1 Unlimited Area.

 

328B.3 Special Provision.

Walls and floors separating individual Group F-7 JLWQ from other F-7 Occupancy spaces shall be not less than one-hour fire-resistive construction.

Storage or laundry rooms that are used in common by tenants of individual F-7 Occupancy JLWQ shall be separated from the rest of the building by not less than one-hour fire-resistive occupancy separation.

328B.3 Special Provision.

328B.4 Exceptions to Table No. 6-A.

Exceptions to Table No. 6-A relating to fire-resistive requirements for types of construction applies to individual spaces of Group F, Division 7 Occupancy pursuant to Section 601.5 including provisions for hotels and apartments pursuant to Section 601.5.2.2.

328B.4 Exceptions to Table No. 6-A.

This means in general that interior and non-load bearing partitions inside of units may be constructed of a lesser rating construction than the building in general.


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