Building Codes Test 1

Test on September 15th

Building Codes

Legal documents adopted by jurisdictions that set minimum requirements for design, construction, and safety.

Standards

Definitions, practices, test methods, classifications, or specifications developed by recognized organizations (ANSI, ASTM, NFPA, UL, ASHRAE).

Federal Regulations

Developed by the federal government; tied to laws; applicable nationwide.

Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)

The local entity that adopts/enforces codes.

Amendments

Local changes to adopted codes

Performance Language

Code language describing required outcomes rather than prescriptive details.

In what ways can regulations become legally applicable to a construction project?

A jurisdiction adopts a code, a code references a standard within the text, The federal government develops a law or federal regulation; local, industry related, or licensing requirements based on the type of project.

How can you identify which codes apply to a specific project?

Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), Publication, Edition, Amendments

What was the first documented law addressing building safety?

Code of Hummurabi

Which documents are examples of building codes?

IBC, NFPA, IRC

Which code focuses only on life safety (not structural elements) and is widely used in the U.S.?

NFPA 101

What are guidelines adopted by governments that establish minimum building requirements?

Building Code

What do we call a required specification, test method, or classification that must be followed?

Standard

Which organizations create widely used standards for construction?

ANSI, ASHRAE, NFPA, ASTM, UL

What types of regulations typically guide the design of an interior project?

Codes, Standards, Federal Regulations; Local, industry related, or licensing requirements based on the type of project.

What type of regulation is developed by the federal government and often included in law?

Federal Regulations

Performance-Based Code Language

“Heres a Goal”

Prescriptive Code Language

“Heres a goal, and the steps to achieve it”

Which description best defines what a building code is?

Guidelines that is adopted by governing entity to get minimum.

Water closet clearance: lavatory can overlap

False

What is lavatories/urinals clear floor space?

30”x48”

What are the push AND pull side clearances?

Push side: 12” and Pull side: 18”

How much is headroom clearance?

80” minimum, 78” is allowed at doorways

What is ADA water closet height?

17”-19” AFF.

Protruding object clearance

Between 27”-80” AFF, maximum is 4”

Landings and ramps

Ramps require level landings at both top and bottom, intermediate turns need 5’x5’ clearance.

ADA Legal Basis

ADA is a civil rights law → allows lawsuits for inaccessible spaces and new construction must comply with strictest accessibility requirements.

ADA Milestones

ABA (1968), ANSI A117.1, ADA (1990), U.S. Access Board

ABA (1968)

First accessibility law for federally funded buildings.

ANSI A117.1

First technical accessibility standard.

ADA (1990)

Civil rights law ensuring accessibility.

U.S. Access Board

Develops accessibility guidelines.

The lavatory cannot overlap the water closet clearance in commercial projects, but the lavatory clearance can.

True

What size clear floor space is required for accessible lavatories and urinals?

30”x48”

How much clearance is required on the push side of a door under ADA?

12”

What incident during President Eisenhower’s 1957 award presentation led to accessibility reform?

Hugo Defner, an award recipient in a wheelchair, could not get into the building because there was no ramp (it wasn’t accessible).

Since the ADA is a civil rights law, owners/tenants can be sued for inaccessible spaces.

True

What is the minimum headroom clearance required in circulation paths?

80” AFF

What is the correct ADA toilet seat height above the floor?

17”-19”

Which law lists access requirements for toilet rooms?

Americans with Disabilities Act

A door swing may overlap lavatory clearance in an accessible restroom.

False

Restroom accessories do not need to meet ADA reach requirements.

False

New construction must not comply with the strictest accessibility requirements.

False

Objects with leading edges within cane sweep and above head room can protrude any amount.

True

What design strategies can improve visual comfort for occupants?

Provision of adequate illumination for a task, controlling glare, and providing views and connections to the outdoors.

Ramps must have level landings at top and bottom, and intermediate landings of 60"x60" at turns.

True

Objects between which heights above the floor can only protrude 4" in circulation paths?

27” – 80” AFF

Which situations are exceptions where an accessible route is not required?

Areas not considered a public use, some recreational facilities, areas with non-accessible fixed seating, stories or mezzanines.

How much clearance is required on the pull side of a door?

18”

What is occupant load equation?

Floor area ÷ Occupant Load Factor.

Occupancy Classifications with Subclassifications

Assembly, Residential, Institutional, Hazardous, Storage.

Mixed Occupancy

Total load = sum of each occupancy.

Accessory Occupancy

Smaller occupancy tied to larger main use.

What does not require calculating occupant load?

Determining the construction type.

What information do you need to calculate occupant load?

Square footage and occupant load factor.

Which three items determine occupancy classification/sub-classification?

Type of activity occurring, type of hazards, and number of occupants.

How do you determine total occupant load in a mixed-use building?

Calculate occupancy for each occupancy type and add them together

If there are two occupancies in the same building, the larger occupancy is considered the main occupancy and the smaller occupancy is known as the accessory occupancy when it is not an incidental use area and the square footage of the smaller occupancy is greater than 10% of the size of the main occupancy

True

Calculate the occupant load for a 3,500 sq ft office (OLF = 100).

35

Which five occupancy classifications include sub-classifications under IBC?

Assembly, institutional, residential, hazardous, storage.

If you increase occupant load above code minimum, what additional steps are required?

Make sure to provide additional exit widths and get approval from the code official.

Determining occupancy classification should be one of the first steps in code research.

True

What determines whether seats are considered fixed in occupant load calculations?

The seats are not easily moved, the seats are continuous, without arms, the seats are used on a more permanent basis.

Calculate the occupant load for a 2,400 sq ft commercial kitchen (OLF = 200).

12

Thermal comfort factors

Air temp, humidity, air movement, radiant heat, clothing, and metabolic rate.

Noise perception

Silence = safety; Loud = danger

Asbestos

Concern in buildings before 1980.

Lead

Found in older paints (pre-1975), causes neurological damage.

Stress & Noise

Loud sounds trigger fight-or-flight (cortisol release)

What factors (besides air temperature) influence thermal comfort?

Humidity, air movement, radiant heat, clothing, metabolic rate

Thermal Equilibrium

The set of conditions that allows your body to stay at the normal body temperature with the minimal amount of bodily regulation.

Metabolic Rate

The rate at which energy is used, follows a normal daily cycle and is influenced by what, when and how much we eat. (Can be affected by the amount of clothing)

What noise level do people associate with safety?

Quiet

When should designers worry about asbestos?

When a building was built before 1980.

Loud noises trigger cortisol and stress responses.

True

A building’s design determines its lifetime energy use.

True

What level of noise do humans associate with danger?

Loud

Energy Efficiency

Reducing waste in systems.

Energy Conservation

Behavioral/operational savings.

Embodied Energy

Total energy to produce/build a material.

Sustainable Development

Meeting today’s needs without harming future generations.

Sustainable Design

Designing to reduce environmental impact.

Onsite resources

Solar, rainwater, geothermal.

Programs

LEED, Green Globes, WELL.

What is a Site (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use on-site energy sources. Site buildings to enhance daylighting and reduce use of electric lighting

What is a Building Envelope (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use insulation to reduce heat transfer through the envelope.

What is a Building Construction (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use materials with less embodied energy. Use products made with recycled materials and ones that can be recycled

What is a Fenestration (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Employ user-operated controls such as window shades or operable windows.

What is an Acoustic (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Reduce noise pollution through building siting, acoustic absorption, space planning, materials selections, and efficient equipment selection.

What is a Water (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use rainwater retention for irrigation and flushing toilets. Specify water-conserving and waterless plumbing fixtures.

What is a Waste (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Control construction and demolition waste. Recycle and reuse materials and water.

What is a Fixture & Appliances (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Specify energy efficient fixtures and appliances.

What is an IAQ, Ventilation, & Moisture Control (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use natural ventilation. Improve indoor air quality with proper ventilation and by avoiding pollutants.

What is a Heating & Cooling (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use passive solar heating and cooling as well as shading.

What is an Electrical Power (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use photovoltaic energy or fuel cells

What is a Lighting (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Design for daylighting with supplemental energy-efficient electric lighting.

What is a Communication & Controls (Building Sysytem) sustainable design strategy?

Use integrated and intelligent building controls for fresh air ventilation, sunlight and shading, and electrical lighting.

Global warming can be reduced through energy conservation, passive HVAC, and renewables.

True

Embodied Energy

Energy that is used to obtain, process, fabricate, transport, and dispose of a unit of building material.

Energy Efficiency

Focuses on minimizing the depletion of non-renewable resources.