Fire Inspection and Code Enforcement, 7 th Edition Chapter 4 — Construction Types and Occupancy Classifications Inspector I

4–2 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION How are construction types and occupancy classifications established?

Inspector I 4–3 Inspector I Learning Objective 1 Describe each of the construction types defined by the model codes.

Inspector I 4–4 United States Construction International Building Code ® (IBC ® ) and National Fire Protection Association ® (NFPA ® ) –Recognize five types, defined by materials and fire performance for each building element

Inspector I 4–5 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What building elements make up every type of structure?

Inspector I 4–6 Type I Construction Noncombustible or limited combustible materials Highest level of safety May include combustible materials in small quantities (Continued)

Type I Construction Inspector I 4–7

Inspector I 4–8 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What is protected steel?

Inspector I 4–9 Type II Construction Building materials that will not contribute to fire development or spread Noncombustible materials that do not meet stricter requirements of Type I (Continued)

Type II Construction Inspector I 4–10

Inspector I 4–11 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION When is Type II construction used?

Inspector I 4–12 Type III Construction Churches, schools, apartment dwellings, mercantile structures Exterior walls constructed of noncombustible materials and interior elements of any permitted material (Continued)

Type III Construction Inspector I 4–13

Inspector I 4–14 Type IV Construction Large-dimensioned lumber for all structural elements Extremely stable and more resistant to collapse May include small-dimensioned lumber glued together Limitation (Continued)

Type IV Construction Inspector I 4–15

Inspector I 4–16 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION How does heavy timber construction react when involved in fire?

Inspector I 4–17 Type V Construction Exterior bearing walls entirely wood or other combustible materials Framing materials include wood studs, steel or aluminum studs, or wood sill plates Includes wood truss systems (Continued)

Type V Construction Inspector I 4–18

Inspector I 4–19 Canadian Construction National Building Code of Canada (NBC) –Combustible construction –Noncombustible construction –Heavy timber construction

Inspector I 4–20 Learning Objective 2 Explain the purpose of occupancy classifications.

Inspector I 4–21 Occupancy Classification Use of all or a portion of a building or structure Established because certain occupancies will have higher fire loads and greater numbers of occupants within them than others Helps gain reasonable expectation of hazard building presents

Inspector I 4–22 Learning Objective 3 Compare the occupancy classification groups used by the three main building codes.

Inspector I 4–23 General Occupancy Classifications Assembly Business Educational Day Care Factory/Industr ial Institutional Mercantile Residential Residential Board and Care Storage Utility/Miscellane ous Multiple

Inspector I 4–24 Learning Objective 4 Describe the types of uses classified as assembly by the model building codes.

Inspector I 4–25 Assembly Occupancies Any building, structure, or compartment used for gathering of 50 or more persons Subclassifications –NFPA ® –ICC ® –Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–26 Learning Objective 5 Describe business and educational occupancies.

Inspector I 4–27 Business Occupancies Buildings that provide working place for large numbers of occupants in an office environment Divided into group areas and individual working spaces

Inspector I 4–28 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What are some examples of business occupancies?

Inspector I 4–29 Educational Occupancies Any building or portion used for education of six or more persons from preschool through 12 th grade Significant challenges NFPA ® 101 ® and NFPA ® 5000 ICC ® building and fire codes Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–30 Learning Objective 6 Compare the factory, industrial, and high-hazard occupancies defined by each model code.

Inspector I 4–31 Factory/Industrial Occupancies Classified differently by each model code NFPA ® codes ICC ® codes Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–32 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What are the industrial occupancies subdivisions of NFPA ® codes?

Inspector I 4–33 Learning Objective 7 Compare the International Code Council ® (ICC ® ) institutional occupancies to the NFPA ® occupancy classifications.

Inspector I 4–34 Institutional Occupancies ICC ® Group I Institutional — Where people with physical limitations due to health or age are cared for NFPA ® 1™ and NFPA ® 101 ® occupancies Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–35 Learning Objective 8 Describe various institutional occupancies.

Inspector I 4–36 Health Care Occupancies Provide health services to four or more individuals who cannot evacuate themselves Only in NFPA ® 1™ and 101 ® ICC ® codes Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–37 Ambulatory Health Care Occupancies Buildings or portions that provide medical services to four or more patients on an outpatient basis ICC ® codes

Inspector I 4–38 Detention and Correctional Occupancies Locations where the occupants are held under restraint or security Include locks on doors where occupants are kept ICC ® codes Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–39 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What may occupants of a detention and correctional occupancy do in an emergency situation?

Inspector I 4–40 Residential Board and Care Occupancies NFPA ® 1™ and NFPA ® 101 ® –Provide lodging, boarding, personal care to four or more residents unrelated to owner ICC ® codes Canadian codes Responsibilities of staff members

Inspector I 4–41 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What are the evacuation classifications of residential board and care occupancies?

Inspector I 4–42 Learning Objective 9 Explain the primary concern or hazard found in day-care occupancies.

Inspector I 4–43 Day Care Occupancies Provide care, maintenance, and supervision of persons of any age for periods of less than 24 hours per day Provide care by someone other than a relative or legal guardian of the child NFPA ® 101 ® ICC ® codes

Inspector I 4–44 Learning Objective 10 Describe the hazards usually associated with mercantile occupancies.

Inspector I 4–45 Mercantile Occupancies Any building that is used to display or sell merchandise Contain large quantities of combustible materials and potential for high life loss Arrangement of merchandise can result in high fire load and can restrict exit access (Continued)

Mercantile Occupancies Inspector I 4–46

Inspector I 4–47 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What are some examples of mercantile occupancies?

Inspector I 4–48 Learning Objective 11 Compare each of the residential occupancy classifications.

Inspector I 4–49 Residential Occupancies Provide sleeping accommodations under conditions other than health care or detention and correctional occupancies Required to meet minimum fire and life safety requirements

Inspector I 4–50 One- or Two-Family Dwelling NFPA ® — Structures having no more than two dwelling units, including detached units, semidetached units, and duplexes Not exempted in model codes Not subject in periodic inspections Exception

Inspector I 4–51 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What is a lodging or rooming house?

Inspector I 4–52 Lodging (Boarding) or Rooming House NFPA ® 1™ and NFPA ® 101 ® ICC ® and Canadian codes Boarding or rooming houses Most common problem — Knowing number of individuals permitted

Inspector I 4–53 Hotels Provides sleeping rooms for transients Present wide range of fire and life safety challenges ICC ® and Canadian codes

Inspector I 4–54 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What types of functions can a hotel include?

Inspector I 4–55 Dormitory Building or portion in which sleeping accommodations are provided to 16 or more persons who are not related One room or series of smaller rooms No cooking facilities Fraternity houses

Inspector I 4–56 Apartment Building Single or multistory structures containing three or more independent dwelling units with cooking and bathroom facilities in each May have direct access to exterior or have interior corridors Greater than 7 stories — High-rise structures (Continued)

Inspector I 4–57 Apartment Building

Inspector I 4–58 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What unique problems do apartment buildings present for fire inspectors?

Inspector I 4–59 Learning Objective 12 Describe storage, utility, and miscellaneous occupancies.

Inspector I 4–60 Storage Occupancies Used to store goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals NFPA ® Warehouses Storage units Freight terminals Parking garages Aircraft hangars Grain elevators Barns Stables

Inspector I 4–61 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What usually determines the classification of a storage occupancy?

Inspector I 4–62 Utility/Miscellaneous Occupancies ICC ® code only Buildings or structures that do not fit any other classification Incidental or accessory buildings or structures that do not pose a hazard to primary occupancy

Inspector I 4–63 Inspector I DISCUSSION QUESTION What are some examples of utility/miscellaneous occupancies?

Inspector I 4–64 Learning Objective 13 Determine occupancy classification of a single-use occupancy. Learning Objective 13 is measured in Learning Activity 4-I-1.

Inspector I 4–65 Summary The ability of the inspector to determine the construction type and occupancy classification of a structure is critical to the success or failure of an inspection. (Continued)

Inspector I 4–66 Summary During periodic inspections and when alterations are made, inspectors must ensure that fire and life safety requirements are consistent with current use and alterations. Model building and fire codes provide the inspector with guidelines for ensuring that life safety requirements are met.

Inspector I 4–67 Review Questions 1.How many types of construction are recognized by the International Building Code ® (IBC ® )? 2.What is heavy timber construction? 3.What type of occupancy is a jail? (Continued)

Inspector I 4–68 Review Questions 4.How many stories must an apartment building be to be considered a high-rise structure? 5.List several types of incidental-use areas.