Fire Inspection and Code Enforcement, 7th Edition

Chapter 4 — Construction Types and Occupancy

Classifications

Inspector I

Inspector I4–2

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

How are construction types and occupancy classifications established?

Inspector I4–3

Inspector I

Learning Objective 1

Describe each of the construction types defined by the model codes.

Inspector I4–4

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 I4–5

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What building elements make up every type of structure?

Inspector I4–6

Type I Construction

•Noncombustible or limited combustible materials

•Highest level of safety•May include combustible

materials in small quantities

(Continued)

Type I Construction

Inspector I4–7

Inspector I4–8

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What is protected steel?

Inspector I4–9

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 I4–10

Inspector I4–11

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

When is Type II construction used?

Inspector I4–12

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 I4–13

Inspector I4–14

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 I4–15

Inspector I4–16

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

How does heavy timber construction react when involved in fire?

Inspector I4–17

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 I4–18

Inspector I4–19

Canadian Construction

•National Building Code of Canada (NBC)– Combustible construction– Noncombustible construction– Heavy timber construction

Inspector I4–20

Learning Objective 2

Explain the purpose of occupancy classifications.

Inspector I4–21

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 I4–22

Learning Objective 3

Compare the occupancy classification groups used by the three main building codes.

Inspector I4–23

General Occupancy Classifications

•Assembly•Business•Educational•Day Care•Factory/

Industrial• Institutional•Mercantile

•Residential•Residential

Board and Care•Storage•Utility/

Miscellaneous•Multiple

Inspector I4–24

Learning Objective 4

Describe the types of uses classified as assembly by the model building codes.

Inspector I4–25

Assembly Occupancies

•Any building, structure, or compartment used for gathering of 50 or more persons

•Subclassifications– NFPA®

– ICC®

– Canadian codes

Inspector I4–26

Learning Objective 5

Describe business and educational occupancies.

Inspector I4–27

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 I4–28

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What are some examples of business occupancies?

Inspector I4–29

Educational Occupancies

•Any building or portion used for education of six or more persons from preschool through 12th grade

•Significant challenges•NFPA® 101® and NFPA® 5000• ICC® building and fire codes•Canadian codes

Inspector I4–30

Learning Objective 6

Compare the factory, industrial, and high-hazard occupancies defined by each model code.

Inspector I4–31

Factory/Industrial Occupancies

•Classified differently by each model code

•NFPA® codes• ICC® codes•Canadian codes

Inspector I4–32

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What are the industrial occupancies subdivisions of NFPA® codes?

Inspector I4–33

Learning Objective 7

Compare the International Code Council® (ICC®) institutional occupancies to the NFPA® occupancy classifications.

Inspector I4–34

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 I4–35

Learning Objective 8

Describe various institutional occupancies.

Inspector I4–36

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 I4–37

Ambulatory Health Care Occupancies

•Buildings or portions that provide medical services to four or more patients on an outpatient basis

• ICC® codes

Inspector I4–38

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 I4–39

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What may occupants of a detention and correctional occupancy do in an emergency situation?

Inspector I4–40

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 I4–41

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What are the evacuation classifications of residential board and care occupancies?

Inspector I4–42

Learning Objective 9

Explain the primary concern or hazard found in day-care occupancies.

Inspector I4–43

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 I4–44

Learning Objective 10

Describe the hazards usually associated with mercantile occupancies.

Inspector I4–45

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 I4–46

Inspector I4–47

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What are some examples of mercantile occupancies?

Inspector I4–48

Learning Objective 11

Compare each of the residential occupancy classifications.

Inspector I4–49

Residential Occupancies

•Provide sleeping accommodations under conditions other than health care or detention and correctional occupancies

•Required to meet minimum fire andlife safety requirements

Inspector I4–50

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 I4–51

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What is a lodging or rooming house?

Inspector I4–52

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 I4–53

Hotels

•Provides sleeping rooms for transients

•Present wide range of fire and life safety challenges

• ICC® and Canadian codes

Inspector I4–54

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What types of functions can a hotel include?

Inspector I4–55

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 I4–56

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 I4–57

Apartment Building

Inspector I4–58

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What unique problems do apartment buildings present for fire inspectors?

Inspector I4–59

Learning Objective 12

Describe storage, utility, and miscellaneous occupancies.

Inspector I4–60

Storage Occupancies

• Used to store goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals

• NFPA®

WarehousesStorage unitsFreight terminalsParking garages

Aircraft hangarsGrain elevatorsBarnsStables

Inspector I4–61

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What usually determines the classification of a storage occupancy?

Inspector I4–62

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 I4–63

Inspector I

DISCUSSION QUESTION

What are some examples of utility/miscellaneous occupancies?

Inspector I4–64

Learning Objective 13

Determine occupancy classification of a single-use occupancy.

Learning Objective 13 is measured in Learning Activity 4-I-1.

Inspector I4–65

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 I4–66

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 I4–67

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 I4–68

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.