BUILDING CODES EXERCISE
 

My name is _______________________________

 
 
QUESTIONS ON OCCUPANCY TYPES  
 
What category do the following building types belong to (including sub-group)? 
 

1. Banquet Hall is _____

 

2. An interior design consultant office with 10 employees is ____

 

3. Laundromat is _____

 

4. A factory for ceramics is _________

 

5. Social Rehab facility for drugs is _______

 

6. A mental Hospital is ____

 

7. A room inside a place of worship like a church that is dedicated to serve as daycare for children during religious functions is _____

 

8. An indoor basketball court with spectator seating is ______

 

9. Walmart is ____

 

10. Vacation timeshare property ____

 
 
 
           
MULTIPLE CHOICE        
 

• Fire-resistance requirements increase

_□ With increasing the distance between buildings, decreasing hazardous occupancy types  & decreasing construction type
_□ With decreasing the distance between buildings, increasing hazardous occupancy types  & increasing construction type
_□ With increasing the distance between buildings, increasing hazardous occupancy types  & decreasing construction type
_□ With decreasing the distance between buildings, decreasing hazardous occupancy types  & increasing construction type
 

• Combustible materials are:

□ Materials that could be ignited in a short time
□ Materials that have some fire resistive qualities
□ Materials that will not ignite or burn when subject to fire
□ Materials that retards heat, hot gases & flames
 

• Which of the following building types is typically not considered a residential occupancy? □ Monasteries

□ Retirement homes
□ Hotels
□ Boarding Houses
 

• Which of the following allows the building size to increase?

□ Changing construction type from 3 to 4
□ Changing number of stories from 1 to 2
□ Adding sprinklers □ All of the above
 

• Which of the following use types is usually not an educational occupancy? xpts

□ College classrooms
□ High school classrooms
□ Elementary school classrooms
□ Nursery school classrooms
 
 
 
             
True or False: 
 

1. When comparing the different types of construction, Type I & II are considered the least restrictive and require the lowest fire ratings.

 

2. A mezzanine height must not exceed more than 1/2 of the total height of the room, however, it doesn’t have to follow the building type of the building.

 

3. Interior walls do not be fire rated because the exterior walls are what set a building type

 

4. The stricter the construction type, the less allowable building area

 

5. Passive systems are achieved by using construction materials that can withstand exposure to fire while active systems are achieved by using Fire detection and extinguishing systems

 

6. The Half Diagonal Rule requires that the distance between two exits to be at least one third of the longest diagonal distance within the building

 

7. Dead ends should not exceed 20 FT in corridors in buildings

 

8. Maximum Height limitation for Type I construction is 120 floors

 

9. The codes allow revolving doors to be treated as exit doors only if they meet certain strict criteria

 

10. If a building is divided into more than one type of construction, each type of construction must be separated from the other by a demising wall.

           
 
1
 
An existing building with a construction type of Type 3 B, has two floors with 16,200 square feet per floor.  Can this building be converted into a luxury hotel? Explain your answer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PROBLEM 2       
Your client purchased an old high school, and he needs your help because he doesn’t know what he wants to do with the building. There is one story with a total gross of 9200 square feet.
 

1. Can your client develop it into an apartment complex distributed as follow (4 one-person units, 8-four person units, 3 six-person units)? Note that 200sqft per person is required.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1. Or, can he turn it into a retirement center that provides minimum health services for 62 tenants and 8 full time employees? Explain your answer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3
 
Your client found a two-story building, 4500 sq. ft. on each floor. Can he turn it into a retail center with stores open to public on both floors with an occupancy load of 125 on the first floor and 85 on the second floor? Use the table below (read it carefully).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4         
According to TABLE 1004 BELOW and the following diagram that represents a building with no sprinkler system installed, according to IBC, determine the maximum travel distance, and the number of exits required in all floors.  (10pts)
 
Max Travel                  Number of exits
1^st. floor            200’
2^nd floor            200’
3^rd floor            200’
4^th floor            200’
5^th floor            200’
5         
Use TABLE 1003.1 Below and the floor plan to determine the occupant load for the floor plan shown located on a first floor (STREET LEVEL) of a shopping center (Hint, there are two occupancies there)