Minnesota Amendments to the 2006 IBC
By Terry Olsen
On Monday, January 8, 2007, State of Minnesota Senior Building Code Representative, Jerry Norman, shared with 130 sets of ears and eyes the “Good News” slides of the Minnesota Amendments to the 2006 International Building Code (IBC). (A few may debate whether these slides are “good news”; however, some building code officials quote the code like Gospel.) As situations are not always black and white, some of the gray areas have now been addressed to assist those who follow the code to the letter of the law instead of the intent for life safety. Jerry did an incredible job reducing 6 hours worth of material to an hour, covering 16 of the revisions that he anticipates would get him the most phone calls. Not to be anti-social, but we would like to assist Jerry in avoiding some of the phone calls in the future. |
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In a matter of brevity, this is a synopsis of many of the changes he addressed:
- The definition of a townhouse has changed from a minimum of 3 to a minimum of 2 attached units with separate utilities. (This, in effect, moves townhouses out of the IBC and into the International Residential Code (IRC).)
- IBC 507.5.1 Unlimited Area is now reworded to be defined as allowing mixed use occupancies. This one revision actually created 3 separate amendments: for one-story non-rated buildings, for one-story sprinkled buildings, and for 2-story buildings. This amendment allows the situation of a factory (F) with offices (B) or a business (B) with a training room for their employees (A) to be in an unlimited area building, which was previously not specifically permitted and therefore not permitted by one municipality.
- IBC 509.2 Special Provision to address one city’s interpretation which will now specifically allow, for a residential structure with
parking below, that a residential occupancy can be located below the 3-hour horizontal fire separation from the residential above, since it is a lower hazard classification than parking and should not pose an excessive risk to the residential above.
- Minnesota 1305.0707 These “Jerry doors” will be reverting back from the smoke rating in the 2006 IBC. However, watch rated corridors in R (residential) and I-1 (Institutional) with elevators, as there the doors shall have smoke control.
- A number of modifications are related to Chapter 9, Fire Protection Systems, and the discussions around these provisions were the reasons the 2003 IBC never was adopted in Minnesota. For example, IBC Chapter 9; 903.2.7 requires sprinklers at R-1 residential occupancies, but as the IRC does not have provisions for sprinkling buildings this was confusing. The state fire code, the International Fire Code (IFC) impacts IBC but does not revert back to IRC. So WHEN is an “R” large enough to require a sprinkler system? This is defined as 9,250 square feet in combined floor area, including basement and garage space, or if it is more than 3 stories. This actually ends up being a REDUCTION to the building code requirements. There are also exceptions, such as a single-family residence, an R-3 or R-4 that is licensed by the State (which will have its own set of sprinkler requirements for the license), and at a garage where the heads could freeze.
- IBC 903.3.1.1.2 BIG CHANGE: Sprinkler protection shall NOT be in an elevator shaft, pit or machine room. Yes, that is correct; the elevator shall NOT be sprinkled. This is now a PROHIBITED location - don’t EVEN consider it! (Is that clear?) Reason for this change is that the people most likely to be affected by a sprinkler going off in the hoistway are the fire fighters using the elevators, in which it could short the power to the controls and trap the rescuers in the fire.
- IBC 903.3.1.2.1 Balconies, decks and ground level outdoor patios are required to be sprinkled, which sometimes sounds counter-intuitive (If I’m on a ground level patio outside the building that is on fire, I need a sprinkler WHY? Wouldn’t it be better just to keep walking away from the building to the public way?). Since this requirement isn’t clear, Minnesota has better defined where these sprinklers are required (3 or more stories, R-1 or R-2, and a deck greater than a 4’ deep and 40 square feet area).
- IBC 1008.1.8 Now requirements for locks and latches are all in one location (What a concept!) so you don’t have to “let your fingers do the walking” though pages of codes looking for that one passage… One item to watch is in group E (education 12th grade and below and daycare) where a door may be locked from the interior, with a delay provision at a panic pushbar. However, this is still not acceptable in Assembly occupancies. There are now provisions for delay at pushbars in I-1, to keep someone in the psychiatric ward of a hospital from escaping or grandma in senior housing for dementia patients from wandering off. Be careful, though, as there are additional provisions required for sprinkler or smoke detector controls.
- IBC 1002 Aisle Accessway clarifications now define the space in front of a chair before reaching the actual aisle. The space within a cubicle does not have to be wheelchair accessible for non-wheelchair-assisted individuals. The Aisle Accessway prior to reaching the Aisle is not held to the aisle width requirement of 36” or 44”. There are other length descriptions and limitations to avoid dead-ends. This will be especially helpful in office suite locations
- IBC Common Use Circulation requires that circulation paths must be accessible if 2 or more people are using it and it exceeds the 300 square foot exception. Determine the exception square footage by only counting the actual work area of the cubicles.
- IBC 1015.1 Two exits are required when either the occupant load exceeds the allowable listed OR based on the common path of travel. This now allows for larger condo units with a single corridor door whose occupancy load is determined by square footage, but which may not give a realistic count.
- IBC 1019.1 Minimum number of exits required is better defined, as a floor is held to a higher standard than a space. The only exception to justify a second floor with only a single exit is Table 1019.2, which limits the number of occupants to 30 occupants on the entire floor.
- IBC 1008.1.2 Previously in the 2000 IBC sliding doors were not acceptable for egress, which did not make sense in special conditions, such as ICU (Intensive Care Units) in a hospital where the sliding door provides access for wheeling patients around. This new allowance limits the occupant load to fewer than 10 and requires positive latching, but then permits doors other than swing doors for egress.
- IBC snow loading map has been modified in one county so the snow load matches across the border to assist businesses considering building in that location to compete with North Dakota.
- IBC plumbing fixture requirements are modified so if a space has fewer than 50 people you do not need to provide a drinking fountain, which with ADA ends up being two drinking fountains, one for those wheelchair assisted individuals and those who cannot stoop. Now all 49 will have to walk to another location (or share the bowl with the dogs).
- Stairs serving two levels can be open, without the enclosed stair requirement; however, this forces accessibility requirements such as area of refuge, two-way communication, signage and so on.
- Last, but not least, the question everyone was asking, “When is the new code anticipated to be adopted?” We’ve been told January 1, then March, then April 1 (no fooling). The Minnesota Amendments to the IBC are ready, but the changes to the IRC and Minnesota Energy Codes are anticipated to be contested. Therefore, after a public hearing, the “current lie” is No Sooner Than May 31, 2007. Designers may, upon discussion with their municipality’s building code official, design to the 2006 IBC in anticipation of the new code, although they take a risk in having to modify anything that may not be adopted as proposed.
Thank you, Jerry, for sharing your knowledge, your wit, and especially your humor, livening up an otherwise dry topic. As sleeping is not considered a conducive activity for an assembly occupancy, we appreciate your concern for our life safety.
January Meeting Photos
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