HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 18 - Building CodeITEM a 9--
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: ROGER NELSON, CITY MANAGE
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 15, 2000
SUBJECT: AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7, BUILDINGS AND
CONSTRUCTION, ARTICLE I, SECTION 7-3 OF THE
GRAPEVINE CODE OF ORDINANCES
RECOMMENDATION
The Building Board of Appeals and Staff recommend Council amend Chapter 7, Buildings
and Construction, Article I, Section 7-3, relative to Section 403.2.2. of the 1994 Uniform
Building Code. (See attached)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Section 403 of the Uniform Building Code (UBC), typically called the "high rise" section,
provides for increased fire protection, construction, and life safety measures for buildings
with floors more than 75 feet above the lowest level of Fire Department access. The City
has previously amended this section to include buildings of four or more stories or with
- floors above 48 feet (it also includes all hotels and motels). This proposed amendment
does not affect these requirements.
Because of the restrictive construction requirements in 1981, the UBC allowed certain
modifications or "tradeoffs", relaxing certain construction requirements (mostly related to
fire safety concerns). At that time, these tradeoffs were amended by ordinance. The
amendments were more restrictive than the tradeoffs in the UBC, so it made sense for us
to amend the UBC.
However, with the adoption of more modern codes, the current amendments are in some
cases more restrictive, and in some cases less restrictive than the UBC as it is written. The
Building Official and Fire Marshal have studied these amendments, and feel that the
applicable City Code should be amended again. This time we propose to delete the
current amendments and replace them with the UBC as published. The deleted
amendments are crossed through in the attached proposed ordinance. The new sections
from the UBC are underlined. Again, the changed sections deal mostly with fire safety
concerns and are fully supported by the Fire Chief and Fire Marshal.
At their July 11, 2000, meeting, the Building Board of Appeals voted to forward to City
Council a recommendation for approval for this amendment.
0:/bba\memccsec7-3ju100 1 August 9, 2000 (11:27AM)
DRAFT
403.1 (a) Scope. This section applies to all Group B, Office Buildings and Group
R, Division 1 Occupancies, each having floors used for human occupancy
located more than 48 feet above the lowest level of fire department access of
four (4) or more stories in height, whichever is more restrictive, and all Group R,
Division 1, Hotel and Motel Occupancies regardless of height. Such buildings
shall be of Type I or II construction and shall be provided with an approved
automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 403.2."
403.2 Automatic Sprinkler System.
403.2.1. System design. The automatic sprinkler system shall be provided
throughout the building as specified by U.B.C. Standard 9-1, and shall be
designed in accordance with that standard and the following.
1. Shutoff valves and a water -flow device shall be provided for each floor. The
sprinkler riser may be combined with the standpipe riser.
2. In Seismic Zones 2, 3 and 4, in addition to the main water supply, a
secondary on-site supply of water equal to the hydraulically calculated
sprinkler design demand plus 100 gallons per minute (378.5 L/min.)
additional for the total standpipe system shall be provided. This supply shall
be automatically available if the principal supply fails and shall have a
duration of 30 minutes.
403.2.2 Modifications. The following modifications of code requirements are
permitted:
1
IF -
1. In buildings of Type I construction the fire -resistive time periods set forth in
Table 6-A may be reduced by one hour for interior bearing walls, exterior bearing
and nonbearing walls roofs and the beams supporting roofs, provided they do
not frame into columns. In buildings of Type II-F.R. construction the fire -resistive
time period set forth in Table 6-A may be reduced bv_ one hour for interior bearing
walls, exterior bearing and nonbearing walls, but no reduction is allowed for
roofs. The fire -resistive timeperiodreduction as specified herein shall not apply
to exterior bearing and nonbearing walls whose fire -resistive rating is less than
four hours.
Vertical shafts other than stairway enclosures and elevator shafts may be
reduced to one hour when sprinklers are installed within the shafts at alternate
floors.
2. Except for corridors in Group B offices and Group R, Division 1 Occupancies
and partitions separating dwelling units or quest rooms, all interior nonbearing
partitions required to be one-hour fire -resistive construction by Table 6-A may be
of noncombustible construction without a fire -resistive time period.
3. Fire dampers, other than those needed to protect floor -ceiling assemblies to
maintain the fire resistance of the assembly, are not required.
4. Emergency windows required by Section 310.4 are not required.
Remainder of Section 403 to remain the same.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS AMENDING THE GRAPEVINE CODE OF
ORDINANCES BY AMENDING CHAPTER 7 BUILDINGS AND
CONSTRUCTION, ARTICLE I, SECTION 7-3, RELATIVE TO
SECTION 403.2.2. OF THE 1994 UNIFORM BUILDING CODE,
PROVIDING AMENDMENTS TO SAME, REPEALING
CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY
CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY, NOT TO EXCEED TWO
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,000.00) FOR EACH SEPARATE
OFFENSE AND A SEPARATE OFFENSE SHALL BE DEEMED
COMMITTED UPON EACH DAY DURING OR ON WHICH A
VIOLATION OCCURS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
Section 1 That Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-3 Uniform Building Code
Amendments, Section 403.2.2 is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
"403.2.2 Modifications. The following modifications of code requirements are
permitted:
In buildings of Type I construction the fire -resistive time periods set forth in
Table 6-A may be reduced by one hour for interior bearing walls, exterior
bearing and nonbearing walls, roofs and the beams supporting roofs,
provided they do not frame into columns. In buildings of Type II-F.R.
construction the fire -resistive time period set forth in Table 6-A may be
reduced by one hour for interior bearing walls, exterior bearing and
nonbearing walls, but no reduction is allowed for roofs. The fire -resistive
time period reduction as specified herein shall not apply to exterior bearing
and nonbearing walls whose fire -resistive rating is less than four hours.
Vertical shafts other than stairway enclosures and elevator shafts may be
reduced to one hour when sprinklers are installed within the shafts at
alternate floors.
2. Except for corridors in Group B offices and Group R, Division 1
Occupancies and partitions separating dwelling units or guest rooms, all
interior nonbearing partitions required to be one-hour fire -resistive
construction by Table 6-A may be of noncombustible construction without
a fire -resistive time period.
3. Fire dampers, other than those needed to protect floor -ceiling assemblies
to maintain the fire resistance of the assembly, are not required.
4. Emergency windows required by Section 310.4 are not required."
Section 2. That all ordinances or any parts thereof in conflict with the terms of
this ordinance shall be and hereby are deemed repealed and of no force or effect.
Section 3. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not
to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) and a separate offense shall be deemed
committed upon each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
Section 4. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phase of this
ordinance shall for any reason be held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
Section 5. The fact that the present ordinances and regulations of the City of
Grapevine, Texas are inadequate to properly safeguard the health, safety, morals,
peace and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City of Grapevine, Texas, creates an
emergency for the immediate preservation of the public business, property, health,
safety and general welfare of the public which requires that this ordinance shall become
effective from and after the date of its passage, and it is accordingly so ordained.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS, on this the 15th day of August, 2000.
ATTEST:
K