Ord. 0116 1965-03-16BUILDING CODE
OF THE
CITY OF PEARLAND
PEARLAND, TEXAS
AN ORDINANCE TO BE CALLED "BUILDING CODE OF THE CITY OF
PEARLAND" CREATING A BUILDING CODE PRESCRIBING DUTIES AND
QUALIFICATIONS OF INSPECTORS; TO BE SUPERVISED BY GENERAL
BUILDING BOARD OF FIVE MEMBERS; PROVIDING FOR PERMITS
DOING OR CAUSING TO .uE DONE CONTRACT WORK; PRESCRIBING
FEES; PROVIDING EXCEPTIONS; REGULATING QUALITY; TYPE AND
KIND OF MATERIAL AND MANNER OF INSTALLATION REFERRING TO
SOUTHERN STANDARD BUILDING CODE AND ADOPTING SAME;
PROVIDING FOR APPOINTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTOR AND INSPECT
ION OF ALL BUILDING. THIS BUILDING CODE INCLUDES METES
AND BOUNDS OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND. ALL BUILDINGS AND
REMODELING MUST HAVE BUILDING PERMIT AND MUST ACQUIRE
IT FROM CITY SECRETARY OR TAX DEPARTMENT.
ON REMODELING OF HOMES, OWNER MUST HAVE ET.RCTRICAL AND
PLUMBING INSPECTORS. THERE WILL BE NO CHARGE IF CONTRACT
DOES NOT EXCEED $1,000.00. PERMIT FEES SHALL BE S1.00 PER
$1,000.00.BASED ON CONTRACT PRICES. THE BUILDING INSPECTOR
MUST MAKE AN INSPECTION BEFORE THE SLAB IS POURED; AFTER
BUILDING DRIES IN S0 INSPECTOR CAN SEE CORNER BRACES, COLLAR
BRACES AND RAFTERS, AND TYPE OF MATERIALS USED. FINAL
INSPECTION AFTER JOB IS COMPLETED.
THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE OTHER EXISTING
GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS SUCH AS STATE, COUNTY OR FEDERAL
REQUIREMENTS.
CONTRACTS SIGNED PRIOR TO MARCH 24, 1966 NOT AFFECTED BY
THIS ORDINANCE.
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gBOTIOt.. 1. BUILDING INSPECTOR
1. Appointment.
(a) The office of building inspector is hereby created
and the executive official in charge shall be known as the
building inspector.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any building inspector to
engage in, or have any financial interest in any concern engaged
in, the business of sale, installation, construction or main-
tenance of buildings, or the sale of real estate in the City of
Pearland either directly or indirectly, at any time while holding
the position of building inspector for the City of Pearland.
(c) During temporary absence or disability of the
building inspector the appointing authority shall designate
an acting building inspector.
2. Duties - It shall be the duty of the building
inspector to enforce all laws relating to the construction, altera-
tion, removal, and demolition of buildings and structures.
3. Rules.
(a) The building inspector shall promulgate rules as
prescribed in this code and consistent therewith, it being the
intent of this requirement that the standards! of federal or state
bureaus, national te'chnicai organization or fire underwriters,
as the same may be amended from time to time, shall serve as a
guide in fixing the minimum rules of practice under this code.
(b) For the purpose of securing for the public the
benefits of new developments in the building industry and yet in-
suring public safety, the building inspector shall make or cause
to be made investigations, or may accept duly authenticated reports
from recognized sources, of new materals or modes of construction,
intended for use in the construction of buildings or structures
in the municipality which are not provided for in this code, and
shall promulgate rules settingfOrththe conditions under which
such materials or modes of construction may be used:
(c) No rule of the building inspector shall become
effective until four weeks after notice of intention to enforce
it shall have been given through the publication in a newspaper
in general circulation in the municipality and until a public
hearing on the same shall have been held; provided that said
public hearing shall not be necessary unless a request shall have
been made for such hearing during the said period of publication
Such rule shall be drawn in its proposed form and open to public
inspection at the time the notice to enforce is published.
(d) Rules promulgated as herein provided shall have
the same force and effect as provisions of this code.
(e) Any rule may be amended or repealed by the same
procedure prescribed for the adoption of new rules.
SECTI.OI{ 2. PERMITS, INSPECTION, AND POSTING OF LIVE
LOADS
(a) No building or structure shall hereafter be built,
enlarged, altered or moved without a permit from the building
inspector,who may require a plan of the proposed work, together
with a statement of the materials to be used.
(b) The building inspectorshall inspect all buildings
or structure during construction to see that the provisions of
law are complied with and that construction is prosecuted safely.
Whenever in his opinion, by reason of defective or illegal work
in violation of a provisions of this code the continuance of a
building operation is contrary to public welfare, he may order
all further work to be stopped and may require suspension of work
until the condition in violation has been remedied,
(c) The live load for which each floor, or part of
a floor, of a business building or storage building is designed
and approved shall Le conspicuously posted in that part of the
story to which it apflies.
SECTION 3. SUPPLII'NTARY REQUIREMENTS
The 196C-1961 Edition of Southern Standard Building
Code shall be deemed to be the generally accepted good practice
for all matters not covered by this code.
SECTION 4. UNSAFE BUILDINGS
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(a) A building or structure that may be or shall be
found upon inspection to have become dangerous or unsafe, shall,
unless made safe and so certified by the building inspector, be
taken down and removed.
(b) A building or structure declare unsafe by duly
constituted authority set up by the municipality may be restored
to safe condition; provided that if the damage or cost of recon-
struction or restoration is in excess of 50% of the value of the
building or structure, exclusive of foundations, such building
or structure, if reconstructed or restored, shall be made to
conform with respect to materials and type of construction, to
the requirements for buildings and structures hereafter erected;
but no change of use or occupancy shall be compelled by reason
of such reconstruction or restoration. The term unsafe building
shall include buildings structurally unsafe, unstable or un-
sanitary; inadequately provided with exit facilities; constituting
a fire hazard; unsuitable or improper for the use and occupancy
to which they are put; constituting a hazard to health or safety
because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence
or abandonment; or otherwise dangerous to life or property.
SECT,$ON,:54 PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS.
(a) A person who shall violate a provision of this
code or fail to caitiply therewith or with any of, the requirements
thereof, or who shall erect; construct, alter oi' repair, or has
erected, constructed, altered or repaired a building or structure,
in violation of a detailed statement or plan submitted and approved
thereunder; or of a permit of certificate, issued thereunder, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than
five dollars nor more than two hundred dollars and each day that
the said violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate
offense.
(b) The owner of a building, structure or premises,
where anything in violation of this code shall be placed or shall
exist, and an architect,bizilder, contrator, agent, person or cor-
poration employed in connection therewith and who may have
assisted in the commission of such violation shall beo,ilty of
a separate offense and upon conviction thereof shal]iebeined
as therein provided.
(c) The imposition of the penalties herein prescribed
shall not preclude the corporation counsel from instituting an
appropriate action or proceeding to prevent an unlawful erection,
construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion,
maintenance or use, or to restrain, correct or abate a violation,
or to prevent the occupancy of a building, structure or premises,
or to prevent an illegal act, conduct, business or use in or
about any premises.
SECTION 6. DEFINITIONS
Alteration, as applied to a building or structure,
means a change or rearrangement in the structural parts or in
the exit facilities; or an enlargement, whether by extending
on a side or by increasing in height or the moving from one
location or position to another; the term "alter"in its
;various moods and tenses and its participial forms, refers to
the making of an alteration.
Amusement device means a mechanically operated device
which is used to convey persons in any directions as a form of
amusement.
Apartment means a room, or a suite of two or more
rooms, in a residence building occupied as the home or residence
of an individual,family or household.
Approved, as applied to a material, device or mode of
construction, means approved by the building insgec.tor under the
provisions of this con;, or by other authority designated by law
to give approval in the matter in question.
Area, as applied to the dimensions of a building,
means the maximum horizontal projected area of the building at
grade.
Automatic fire alarm system means a system which
automatically detects a fire condition and actuates a fire alarm
signal device.
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Basement means a story with floor level 2 feet or more
below finished grade.
Brick means a solid masonry unit having a shape app-
roximating a rectangular prism, not larger than 12 by 4 by L.
inches. A brick may be made of burned clay or shale, of lime
and sand, of cement and suitable aggregates, or of fire clay or
other approved materials.
Building means a combination of materials to forma
construction that la safe and stable, arld adapted to permanent
or continuous occupancy for public, institutional, residence,
business or storage purposes; the term"building" shall be con-
strued as if followed by the words "or part thereof." For the
purposes of this code, each portion of a building separated
from other portions by a fire wall shall be considered as a
separate building.
Building Inspector means the Officer or other desig-
nated authority charged with the administration and edfdreement
of this code, or his duly authorized representative,
Dwelling means a building occupied exclusively for
residence purposes and having not more than two apartments, or
as a boarding or rooming house serving not more than 15 persons
with meals or sleeping accommodations or both.
Fire resistance rating means the time in hours that
the material or construction will withstandthe standard fire
exposure as determined by a fire test made in conformity with
the "Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Building Construction
and Materials;': ASTM E119-47.
Fire retardant ceiling means a ceiling construction
which has been proved by test as satisfactory for use as
ceiling protection for a floor or roof construction which has
a fire resistance rating of not less than one hour.
Fire retardant treated lumber means lumber which has
been treated by pressure impregnation process to give a flame
spread classification of 50 or less according to the method for
the "Fire Hazard Classification of Building Material" of
Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., and which is shown to be so
classified by a certificate or label issued by Underwriters'
Laboratories.
Garage means a building, shed or enclosure, or a
part thereof, in which a motor vehicle containing a flammable
fluid in its fuel storage tank, is stored, housed, kept or
repaired.
Grade,with reference to a building, means, when the
curb level has been established, the mean elevation of the curb
level opposite those walls that are located on, or parallel
with and within 15 feet of, streetlines; or, when the curb
level has not been established, or all the walls of the building
are more than 15 feet from street lines, "grade" means the
mean elevation of the ground adjoining the building on all
sides.
Habitable room means a room occupied by one or more
persons for living, eating or sleeping; and includes kitchens
serving apartments or individual households, but does not
include bathrooms, toilet compartment,laundries, serving and
storage pantries, corridors, basement and other spaces that
are not used frequently or during extended periods.
Height, as applied to a building, means the verticle
distance from grade to the highest finished roof surface in the
case of flat roofs, or to a point at the average height of roofs
having a pitch of more than one foot in LI-2 feet; "height"
of a building in stories does not include basements, except
that in school buildings of ordinary, noncombustible or wood
frame construction, the basement shall be deemed a story when
used for purposes other than storage or heating.
Height, as applied to a wall, means the vertical
distance to the top measured from the foundation wall, or
from a girder or ether immediate support of such wall.
Hollow masonry unit means a masonry unit whose net eras^
sectional area in cnlz plane parallel to the bearing surface
is less than 75 per cent of its gross cross -sectional area meas-
ured in the same plane,
Lot means a portion or parcel of land considered as
a unit, devoted to a certain use or occupied by a building or
a group of buildings that are united by a common interest or
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Lot line means a line dividing one lot from another,
or from a street or other public space.
Masonry means brick, stone, plain concrete, hollow
block, solid block or other similar building units or materials,
or combinations of them, bonded together with mortar. Reinforced
concrete is not classed as masonry.
Multifamily house means a building occupied as the
home or residence of individuals, families or households living
independently of each other, of which three or more are doing
cooking within their apartments; including tenement house,
apartment house, flat.
Municipality means the governmental unit which has ad-
opted this code under the legislative authority.
Place of assembly means a room or space in which
provision is made for the seating of one hundred or more persons
for religious, recreational; educational, political, social
or amusement purposes or for the consumption of food or drink.
Such room or space shall include any occupied connection room
or space in kthe same story or in a story or stories above
or below, where entrance is common to the rooms or spaces.
Prefabricated means composed of sections fabricated
prior to erection on building foundation.
Shaft means a vertical opening or passage through two
or more floors of a building or through floors and roof.
Solid mason= means masonry consisting of solid
masonry units laid continuously with the joints between the
units filled with mortar, or consisting of plain concrete.
Solid masonry unit means a masonry unit whose net
cross -sectional area in every plane parallel to the bearing
surface is 75 per cent or more of its gross cross -sectional
area measured in the same plane.
Sprinklered means equipped with an approved auto-
matic sprinkler system properly maintained.
Street means any public thoroughfare, street, avenue,
boulevard, park, lane, terrace, concourse or space 20 feet or
more in width which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for
public use.
Walls:
bearing wall means a wall which supports any vertical
load in addition to its own weight;
cavity wall means a wall built of masonry units or
of plain concrete, or a combination of these materials, so arr-
anged as to provide an air space within the wall, and in which
the inner and outer parts of the wall are tied together with
metal ties;
faced wall means a wall in which the masonry facing
and backing are so bonded as to exert common action under load;
fire a.rtition means a partition constructed with
section for the purpose of restricting the spread of fire
or to provide an area of refuge, but not necessarily continous
through all stories nor extended through the roof.
fire wail means a wall constructed in accordance with
section for the purpose of subdividing a building or
separating buildings to restrict the spread of fire and which
starts at the foundation and extends continuously through all
stories to and above the roof, except where the roof is fireproof
or semifireproof and the wall is carried up tightly against the
under side of the roof slab.
foundation wall means a wall below the first floor ex-
tending below the adJ;oent ground level and serving as support
for wall, pier, column or other structural part of a building;
hollow wall of masonry means a wall built of masonry
units so arranged as to provide an air space within the wall, and
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in which the inner and outer parts of the wall are bonded to-
gether with masonry units*
non -bearing wall means a wall which supports no load
other than its own weight;
panel wall mean a non -bearing wall built between columns
or piers aid wholly supported at each story;
party wall means a wall used or adapted for joint ser-
vice between two buildings.
veneered wall means a wall having a facing which is
not attached and bonded to the backing so as to form an integral
part of the wall for purposes of load bearing and stability.
SECTION 7. CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPANCIES
1. Classes designated. For the purposes of this
code, buildings are classified, with respect to occupancy and use,
es public buildings and storage buildings.
(a) Public building means a building in which persons
congregate for civic, political, educational, religious, social
or recreational purposes, including among others,armories,
assembly halls, auditoriums, bath houses, bowling alleys, churches,
city halls, club rooms, colleges, court houses, dance halls, ex-
hibition buildings, grandstands, gymnasiums, lecture halls,
libraries, lodge rooms, motion picture theaters, museums, passen-
ger stations, recreation piers, restaurants, schools, skating
rinks, stadium and theaters.
(b) Institutional building means a building in which
persons are harbored to receive medical, charitable or other care
or treatment, or in which persons are held or detained by reason
of public or civic duty, or for correctional purposes, including
among others, asylums, homes for the aged, hospitals, houses of
correction, infirmaries, jails, nurseries, orphanages, penal
institutions, reformatories and sanitariums.
(c) Residence building4 except when classed as an
institutional building, means a building in which sleeping
accomodations are provided; incuding among others, apartments,
club houses, convents, dormitories, dwellings, hotels, lodging
houses, multifamily houses, studios and tenements.
(d) Business building means a building occupied for
the transaction of business, for the rendering of professional
services, for the display or sale of goods, wares or merchandise,
or for the performance of work or labor; including among others,
banks, bakeries, barber shops, chemical laboratories, creameries,
electric substations, factories, gasoline service stations,
ice plants, laboratories, laundries, markets, office buildings,
open air stores, power plants, radio stations, smoke houses,
stores, telephone exchanges, television station and work shops.
(e) Storage building means a building for the housing,
except for purely display purposes, of airplanes, automobiles,
railway cars or other vehicles of transportation, for the
sheltering of horses, livestock or other animals, or exclusively
for the storage of goods, wares, or merchandise, not excluding
in any case offices incidental to such uses; 1
including among others, barns, cold storage, freight
depots, garages, gasoline bulk stations, grain elevators, hangars
and storage warehouses.
2. Mixed Occupancy. Where a minor portion of a building
is used for office, study, studio or other similar purpose, the
building shall be classified as to occupancy on the basis of
the major use. In other cases where a building is occupied for
two or more purposes not included in one class, the provisions
of this code applying to each class of occupancy shall apply
to such parts of building, as come within that class; and if
there should be conflicting provisions, the requirements securing
the greater safety shall apply.
3. Douhtful Clnssification. In case "' a building
is not specifically p:c ovided for or where there is an uncertainty
as to its classificat on, its status shall be fixed by a duly
promulgated rule giving due regard to safety.
SECTION 8. CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTRUCTION
1. Types design ted. For the purposes of this code,
construction as used in buildings shall be classified as follows:
(a) Fireproof construction
(b) Semifireproof construction
(c) Heavy Timber construction
(d) Ordinary construction
(e) Noncombustible construction
(f) Wood frame construction
(g) Unprotected metal construction
SECTION 9. SPECIAL OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS:
1. Institutional buildings
(a) Institutional buildings for occupants involuntarily
detained or bedridden shall be of fireproof construction or
semifireproof construction.
(b) Institutional buildings for occupants which are
not involuntarily detained or bedridden, when of other than fire-
proof construction or semifireproof construction, shall not exceed
2 stories in height and shall have floors and partitions with
fire resistance ratings of not less than one hour and with fire
retardant ceilings under roofs, and if of wood frame construction
shall not exceed 1 story in height nor 2500 square feet in area;
provided that buildings converted from another occupancy to
such occupancy shall be exempt from these restrictions if sprinkler-
ed.
2. Theatres and motion picture theatres.
(a) Theatres and motion picture threatres shall be
fireproof construction or semifireproof construction, except that
portions of such buildings not over 1 story or over 45 feet in
height may have combustible roof construction if protected by
fire retardant ceilings.
(b) No theatre or motion picture theatre shall be located
within or attached to a building or other occupancy unless it
is separated from such other occupancies by walls and floors of
non-combustible construction having fire resistance rating of
not less than 3 hours.
3. Schools, colleges, assembly halls, dance halls,
bowling alleys, and auditoriums over one story
in height shallhave floors of not less than one -hour fire resis-
tance.
4. wall and ceiling finish. In public buildings and
institutional buildings, and in all places of assembly and exit
ways therefrom, no combustible material shall be used as interior
wall or ceiling finish which if of such a nature that flame will
spread over its surface more rapidly than over one -inch (nominal)
wood boards covered with ordinary paint or varnish.
5. Business and residence separation. In buildings
of other than fireproof or semifireproof construction portions
classified as of business occupancy shall be separated from
portions classified as of residence occupancy by partititions
having a fire resistance rating of not less than one hour and
by fire retardant ceilings, unless the business portion is
sprinklered.
6. Separation of dwellings. Walls or partitions separa-
ting 2 or more dwellings of other than fireproof or semifireproof
construction shall consist of a form of construction having a
fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.
7. Partititions in multifamily houses. In multifamily
houses partitions separating apartments or apartments from
hallways or apartments from other occupancies and partitions
separating stores from hallways or other occupancies shall have
a fire resistance rat:i_r..g of not less than 1 hour, with openings
equipped with approves' lire doors or with substantial metal or
metal covered doors or solid wooden doors of the flush type of
nominal thickness not less than 1-3/4 inch.
SECTION 10. FIGHT RESTRICTIONS.
1. New Buildings. Except as may be otherwise provided
in subsection tl of this section, no building hereafter erected
shall exceed in height the limits fixed in this section.
2. Alterations. No building shall hereafter be altered
so as to exceed the limits of height fixed by this section.
3. Public Buildings. For public buildings semifire-
proof construction shall not exceed 75 feet, except that public
buildings which have an occupancy of less than 100 persons above
the 75 foot level may be unlimited in height; heavy timber con-
struction, 4 stores .or 55 feet; and ordinary construction and
non-combustible construction 3 stories . or 35 feet, except that
churches or such construction may be 45 feet but not more than
2 stories, and that schools of such construction shall be not
more than 2 stories high;.
4. Institutional buildings. For institutional buildings
semifireproof construction shall not exceed 75 feet; ordinary
construction, heavy timber construction and noncombustible con-
struction shall not exceed 2 stories or 35 feet.
5. Residence buildings. For residence buildings,
heavy timber construction shall not exceed 75 feet; ordinary
construction and non-combustible construction shall not exceed
3 stories •or 45 feet; provided that when the floor immediately
over basements are of noncombustible construction having a fire
'resistaieernating of not,less.than2 hours, ordinary construction
may exceed these heights but shall not exceed 4 stories or 55ieet
and when in addition, in multifamily houses which are subdivided
by fire partitions into floor areas not exceeding 34500 square
feet, all other floors have a fire resistance rating of not
less than one hour, ordinary construction may be, but shall not
exceed 5 stories .or 65 feet. Wood frame construction and
unprotected metal construction shall not exceed 2 stories ror
35 feet; except that dwellings other than prefabricated dwellings
shall not exceed 3 stories.
6. Business building_ For business buildings semi -
fireproof construction and heavy timber construction shall not
exceed 75 feet except that the office building semifireproof
construction shall be unlimited; and ordinary construction and
noncombustible constru ction shall not exceed 4 stories ;or
50 feet.
7. Storage buildings. For storage buildings semi -
fireproof construction shall not exceed 50 feet; ordinary
construction, heavy timber construction and hon-2oralusitible constr
shall not exceed 35 feet ; provided that in buildings that uction
are sprin.klered;:'semifireprodf and he'avytti"mber construction shall
not'.cxceed 75 feet and ordi'nary construction And 'noncombustible
conatruction shall not exceed 50 feet; and wood frame construction
and unprotected metal construction shall not exceed one story or
35 ft.E.NCEPTION:aForthe purpose of this section, the following
appurtenances shall not be deemed part of buildings; church
spires, tanks and their supports, roof structures, chimneys,
signs attached to the building, radio masts, water cooling
towers for air conditioning or other apparatus, and parapets that
do not extend more than 4 feet above the roof surface at their
point of contact.
(b) Outside the fire zone limits, public buildings,
business buildings, or storage buildings may, in the discretion
of the governing body of the municipality, be erected to
greater heights than fixed by this section.
SECTION 11. LIGHTS AND VENTILATION
1.
(a)
natural light
directly on a
this section.
(b) Such rooms shall be not less than 7 feet wide
in any part, and shall contain not less than 70 square feet of
gross floor area. Such rooms shall have a clear height of
not less than 7 feet 6 inches for at least 60 square feet of
floor area.
2. Other rooms. Every room, other than a habitable
room, used or occupied by persons, except storage rooms with
Habitable rooms.
Every habitable room shall be provided with
and ventilation by one or more windows, opening
street or on a court conforming to subsection of
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infrequent occupancy, shall be provided with one or more windows
or ventilating skylights opening directly on a street or on a
court conforming to subsection of this section; or such rooms
shall be provided with an approved means of mechanical ventilation.
3. Access to rooms and waterclosets.
(a) In multifamily houses hereafter erected or altered
access shall be had to living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms with-
out passing through a bedroom.
(b) Access without passing through a bedroom shall
also be provided to at least one water closet, unless every bed-
room has direct connection with a water closet or bathroom having
water closet accomodation.
SECTION 12. MEANS OF EGRESS
1. Application of section. Buildings hereafter erected,
except dwellings, shall be provided with exit facilities in
accordance with the requirements of this section. No building
shall be altered so as to reduce the number or capacity of exits
to less than required for new buildings.
2. Exit way defined.
(a) "Exit way" means the exit doorway or doorways,
or such doorways together with connecting hallways or stairways,
either interior or exterior, or fire escapes, by means of which
persons may proceed safely from room or space to a street or to
an open space which provides safe access to a street. Exit ways
from any room may lead through other roomsof the same tenancy.
(b) Two or more separate exit ways may use the same
corridor or hallway,provided that such corridor or hallway is
enclosed by and separated from exit stairways and other parts
of the building by partitions having a fire resistance rating of
not less than one hour.
3, Number of occupants.
(a) The dimensions and capacity of exit ways shall
be proportioned to the number of persons to be accomodated.
(b) When the number of persons to be accomodated by
the exit way is not stated in the application for a permit or
is not otherwise fixed, it shall be decided on the basis of the
gross area of the space devoted to a particular purpose and
shall be assumed to be as follows:
Occupancy Gross Area Per Person
Dance hall, lodge room, or
place of assembly 15 sq. ft.
Store -street floor and sales basement 30 sq. ft.
other floors 60 sq. ft.
Space used for occupancies not listed
above:
Public 40 sq. ft.
Institutional 150 sq_. ft.
Residence 125 sq. ft.
Business 100 sq. ft.
Storage 300 sq. ft.
4. Number of Exits.
(a) From rooms. Every room having an area exceeding
1,000 square feet or occupied by more than 100 persons shall haze
at least two exit ways.
(b) From Stories. Every story shall have at least
one exit way and every story that exceeds 2,500 square feet
in area shall have at least two separate exit ways.
(c) Apartments. In multifamily houses exceeding two
stories above the basement, and in every two-story multifamily
house having more than 6 apartments using a common exit way, every
apartment that has not direct exit to a street or to a court
opening on a street, shall have access to at least one additional
exit way separated fr.^mn and independent of the primary interior
stairway or fire tower.
5. Locet^.nn of exit doorways. Exit doorways shall
be so located that no point in a floor area, room or space
served by them is more than 100 feet distant from an exit door-
way, measured along the line of travel; except that when a floor
area is subdivided into smaller area, such as rooms in hotels,
multifamily houses, and office buildings, the distance from the
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door of any room, along an unobstructed hallway, to an exit door-
way, shall be not more than 125 feet, except that hallways above
the first story shall not extend beyond an exit as a dead end
more than 50 feet. where the building is of fireproof construc-
tion or semifireproof construction, or the building is sprinklered,
the above distances may be increased 50 per cent.
6. Enclosures of interior stairways.
(a) All interior stairways in buildings connecting
two or more stories, whether required as exits or not, shall be
enclosed, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d).
(b) In unsprinklered buildings which exceed 30 feet
to the floor of the topmost story, or are occupied by more than
75 persons above, or 40 persons below, the first story above
grade, not counting those in the first story, and in multifamily
houses 4 stores or more in height, interior required stairways
shall be enclosed with fire partitions.
(c) In other buildings interior stairways shall be
enclosed in partitions having a fire resistance rating of not
less than one hour. In buildings of fireproof construction and
semifireproof construction such partititions shall be noncombustible
(d) An enclosure shall not be required for:
(1) A flight of stairs from the main entrance
floor to the floor next above when such stairs are not a part
of required stairway.
(2) A flight of stairs in a building of fire-
proof construction, semifireproof construction, or a sprinklered
building of heavy timber construction or ordinary construction
or noncombustible construction, when such stairs connect only
the story with one other story immediately above or below it.
In such case the upper end of the stairway shall not connect
to a hallway serving as an exit except through afire door.
(3) A flight of stairs from a balcony or mezzanine
having an area not exceeding 25 per cent of that of the floor
immediately below.
(e) Openings. No openings except the necessary
doorways, and windows opening to the exterior of the building,
shall be permitted in a stair enclosure required by this section.
Such doorways shall be equipped with approved self -closing fire
doors, except that when fire partitions are not required for
the enclosure, substantial self -closing metal or metal covered
cdoorsor solid wooden doors of the flush type of nominal thick-
ness not less than 1-3/4 inches may be used. In school buildings,
doors on openings in stair enclosures may have wired glass panels;
the area of such glass in any one door shall not exceed 720
square inches.
7. Width of interior stairways. The minimum
unobstructed width of a stairway serving as a required exit
shall be not less than 44 inches; provided that in multifamily
houses and storage buildings, and in other buildings occupied
by a single tenant and limited in occupancy to 40 persons,
such width may be 36 inches. The width of stairs shall be
measured between hand rails except where hand rails project not
more than 3 z inches into such width.
8. Treads and risers.
(a) Treads and risers of required stairs shall
be propertioned that the product of the width of tread, exclusive
of nosing, and the height of riser, in inches, shall be not
less than 70 nor more than 75; but risers shall not exceed
7-3/4 inches in height, and treads, exclusive of nosing, shall
be not less than 9 z inches wide; except that in schools the
proportion and dimensions of the treads and risers may, in the
discretion of the building inspector, be adjusted to suit the
age of the pupils for which the school is intended. Treads and
risers shall be of uniform width and height in any one story.
(b) The use of winders is prohibited in required
stairways.
9. Landings.
(a) niffit of stairs shall have a vertical rise
of more than 12 feet between floors or landings except that in
stairways serving as exits in public buildings such verticle
rise shall not exceed 8 feet.
(b) The length and width of landings shall be
not less than the width of stairways in which they occur.
Page -10 -
10. Handrails.
(a) rxcept for steps in aisles, stairs shall have walls
or well secured barricades or guards on both sides.
(b) Such stairs when less than 44 inches in width
shall have handrails oh at least one side.
(c) Such stairs when required to be !WI inches or more
in width shall have handrails on both sides.
(d) When the required width of a flight of stairs
exceed 96 inches, an intermediate handrail, continuous between
landings, securely supported and terminating at the upper end
in newels or standards with no projections shall be provided.
11, Exit hallways. The clear width of every hallway
or passage leading to a required exit shall be hot less than at
the rate of 12 inches for every 100 persons to be accommodated
by,the hallway but not less than 44 inches; provided that in
multifamily houses or in case less than 40 persons are to be
accommodated, the minimum clear width may be 36 inches,
12. Width of doorways. The aggregate clear width of
doorways serving as required exits shall be not less than at the
rate of 22 inches for every persons to be accommodated. No
exit doorway serving as an exit for more than 40 persons shall
have a clear width of less than 34 inches (normal 36-inch door.)
13. Hanging of doors.
(a) The doors of required doorways shall be so hung•
and arranged that when fully opened they will not in any way
diminish or obstruct the required width of hallway, stair, or
other means of exit.
(b) Doorways opening onto a street or to a court or
open space communicating with a street, and serving as a required
exit way for more than 40 persons shall have the doors, including
the doors of vestibules, so hung as to swing open in the direction
of exit travel; but this requirement shall not be construed
to prohibit the use of sliding doors in stables, garage or
shipping and receiving rooms of business building and storage
buildings.
(c) All exit doors in rooms occupied by 40 or more
persons and all exit doors in exit ways from places of assembly
shall be hung to swing open in the direction of exit travel.
(d) No exit door shall open immediately on a flight
of stairs but a landing the length and width of which are not
less than the width of such door, shall be provided between such
door and such stairs.
(e) Where the size of the exit doorway requires two
doors in the same opening, the doors shall be so hung as to
require no center post in the opening for the doors to close
against.
14. Lighting. Required stairways, hallways and other
means of exit, including exterior open spaces to or through which
exits lead, shall be kept adequately lighted at all times that
the building served thereby is occupied.
SECTION 13A. FIREPROOF, SEMIFIREPROOF AND TIMBER
CONSTRUCTION
Fireproof, semifireproof and heavy timber construction
shall conform to generally accepted good practice. The 1960-61
Edition of the National Building Code recommended by the National
Board of Fire Underwriters shall be deemed the generally accepted
good practice for these types of construction.
SECTION 13B. ORDINARY CONSTRUCTION.
1. Defini_tion. Ordinary construction, as applied to
buildings, means tb:.t is which exterior walls and bearing walls
are of masonry or of reinforced concrete, and in which the
structural members, l.acluding columns, floor and roof construction,
are wholly or party of wood of smaller dimensions than required
for heavy timber construction or of steel or iron not protected
as required for st?mifire-proof construction.
2. Walls.
(a) Exterior walls and all bearing walls shall be
of masonry or reinforced concrete.
(b) Exterior walls which are within 3 feet of a lot
line along an adjoining area which is or may be built upon or
Page - •11 -
which are within 6 feet of another building of other than fire-
proof or semifireproof construction on the same lot, shall have
a fire resistance rating of not less than 3 hours; except that
where the total area of the buildings does not exceed la times
the allowable area for any one of the buildings considered such
fire resistance rating shall not be required.
3 Beame,girders and joists.
(a) Wooden beams and joists, except headers and tail
joists, and except for bearings at joints limited within the
allowable stresses provided in this code, shall have bearings
of at least 3 inches in length.
(b) Wooden trimmers, headers, and tail joists over
6 feet in length, unless supported on walls or girders, shall
be hung in approved metal stirrups or hangers. If wood girders
are set flush with the floor joists, the joists shall rest in
approved metal stirrups or hangers. The end of joists against
the girders shall be securely nailed to the girders.
(c) Except in the case of pitched roofs, wooden
floor and roof joists having spans in excess of 8 feet shall be
rigidly braced with continuous rows of bridging at intervals not
exceeding 8 feet.
(d) Joist shall be doubled under partitions which run
over and paralled to the joists, or shall be designed for the
load.
(e) 'The ends of wooden beams and joists resting on
masonry shall be cut to a bevel of 3 inches in their depth.
(f) Wooden joists, beams and girders resting on
opposite sides of a masonry wall shall be separated from one
another by at least 6 inches of solid masonry.
(g) When a wooden girder rests on masonry an air
space of a inch shall be provided on the sides and end of such
girder for ventilation, and each wallbearing end of a girder shall
be cut on a bevel.
4: Anchorages.:.
(a) All trimmers and at least one beam or joist in
every six feet resting on masonry walls, shall be secured to such
walls by approved metal anchors attached at or hear the bottom
in a manner to be self -releasing: Each end of a trimmer, beam
or joist that is supported by a girder, shall be secured or
tied in an approved manner to 814n girder or to a trimmer, beam
of joist correspondingly supportrom the opposite side of
such girder. Anchors and ties shall be so arranged as to form
continuous ties between opposite masonry walls.
(b) Where floor or roof joists or beams run parallel
to masonry walls such walls shall be secured to 4 or more joists
of the floor or roof construction by approved metal anchors
at maximum intervals of 8 feet for dwellings, and 6 feet in
other buildings.
(c) Wall plates and roof construction shall be
anchored to the walls at least every 6 feet.
(d) Wooden girders shall be anchored to the walls and
fastened to each other with suitable steel straps placed near
the bottom of the girder.
5. Load -bearing partitions.
(a) Load -bearing partitions shall be the equivalent
of 2 x LF inch studs, nominal dimensions, spaced not to exceed
16 inches or centers with the larger dimension perpendicular
to the wall. All openings shall have studs doubled on each
side and if more than 3 feet and 6 inches wide they shall be
trussed over or shall have lintels of sufficient size to carry
the load.
(b) Load -bearing stud partitions shall have top
plates not smaller than double 2 x Lj. inch nominal dimensions,
and shall be set over girders or other partitions below, with
the space between the ceiling and the floor above firestopped
with solid 2-inch, nominal thickness plank, or with non-
combustible material.
6. Wooden Columns.
(a) Wooden columns in the several stories of a
building, shall be set directly above one another, on top of the
column below.
(b) The loads on wooden column shall be transmitted
to the columns below through reinforced concrete or metal
caps with brackets, or through metal caps and bases with pintle
Page - 12 -
connections or other approved column connections; provided that
wooden bolsters may be used to support roof girders.
(c) Wooden columns shall not rest directly on floor
joists.
(d) When supported by masonry, suitable stone or metal
bases shall be set between the column and the masonry.
7. Firestopping two story.
(a) When the walls are furred, the space created by
the furring shall be firestopped with noncombustible materials
at floors, ceilings and roofs. The firestopping shall be the
full thickness of the furring and extended from the ceiling to
the underside of the flooring or roof.
(b) When joists run parallel to the wall the space
between the wall and nearest joist shall be not less than 1 inch
and shall be solidly filled with masonry or approved noncombustible
material.
(c) Interior stud partitions shall be firestopped at
the floors and ceiling of each story by a 2-inch nominal dimen-
sion, wood plate, the width of the stud, or the equivalent.
(d) Joists shall be firestopped at the ends and over
supports for ;the full depth of the joists with noncombustible
material or with wood not less than 2 inches in thickness, nominal
dimension.
(e) No firestopping shall be covered or concealed
until inspected by the building inspector.
8. Bay windows and show windows. Bay windows and
show windows that extend beyond exterior walls shall be
constructed of noncombustible materials; except that show windows
that do not extend above the secondfloor level and bay windows
on dwellings may be constructed of wood.
9. Mansard roofs. Mansard or other slanting roofs
having a pitch of more than 60 degrees from the horizontal,
hereafter placed on a building over 40 feet in height, shall
be of fireproof construction or semifireproof construction.
10. Draft stops in attic spaces. Attic spaces shall
be divided into areas of 5,000 square feet or less by tight
draft stops; these shall be of 2 thicknesses of 1-inch lumber
with joints broken or the equivalent, with access doors of
similar construction.
SECTION 14. NONCOMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION.
1. Definition. Noncombustible construction, as
applies to buildings, means that in which all structural members,
including floors, roofs and their supports, are of steel, iron,
concrete, or of other noncombustible materials, and in which the
exterior walls are of noncombustible construction having a
fire resistance rating of not less than two hours.
2. Walls. Exterior enclosure walls shall provide
a durable and stable weatherproof exterior.
iron • Structural members. All structural members shall
be of steel, reinforced concrete, or of other approved non-
combustible materials.
4. Partitions.
(a) If combustible material enters into the con-
struction of partitions, they shall be built to have a fire
resistance rating of not less than one hour; but this shall
not prohibit the use of wooden doors, door casings, frames,
jambs and bucks, window and transom frames and casings, unless
the partitions are required to be fire partitions.
(b) Nothing in this section shall prevent the erection
of temporary partitions of wood and glass or of metal and glass
within the rooms or spaces occupied by a single tenant.
(e) All permanent partions shall rest on noncombust-
ible materials.
SECTION 15. l'OOD FRAME CONSTRUCTION.
1. Definition. Wood frame construction, as applied
to buildings, means that in which walls and interior construction
are wholly or partly of wood.
2. Walls.
(a) Framing for exterior walls shall be constructed
to develop a strength and rigidity equivalent to wooden studding
Page - -
not less than 2 by 4 inches, nominal dimensions, spaded 16 inches
on centers with the larger dimension.perpendicular to the wall,
and braced with sheathing or diagonal bracing at the corner to
secure the necessary rigidity; except that on one -,story buildings
studs not over 10 feet in length may be spaced not to exoeed
24 inches on centers.
(b) In buildings except private garages, ah exterior
wall which in less than 3 feet distant from the lot line along
an adjoining area which is or may be built upon shall be of
noncombustible construction having a fire resistance rating of
not less than two hours; except that the material of the weather
surface may be similar to that of other exterior walls of the
building.
3. Stucco.
(a) Stucco shall consit of portland cement mortar or
other approved mortar, on approved metal lath, or other approved
backing.
(b) Stucco shall be kept at least 8 inches above adjacent
ground surfaces, with sills, coping and other.projeCting courses
provided with drips.
(c) Corrosion -resistant flashing, to prevent moisture
from penetrating behing the stucco, shall be provided over
wall openings and over projecting courses:
L. Sills. Sills on outside perimeter walls shall be
anchored to the foundation walls at intervals not exceeding 6
feet by anchors equivalent to bolts not less than a inch in
diameter with proper washers, embedded at least 4 inches in the
foundation.
(a) In all buildings 20 feet or more ih width where
joists run at right angles to the rafters, the rafters shall be
tied to the ceiling joists with wood or metal ties nailed to the
foot of alternation rafters and extending across 4 joists well
nailed to each joist.
(b) All joists shall be well lapped and hailed across
the building to form ties between outside walls.
5. Beams, girders and joists shall conform to the
requirements of Section 13-B, Paragraphs (a) to (d) inclusive.
Where ledger or boards are used to support joists, such boards
shall be not less than 1 x 2 inch, nominal dimensions, shall
be cut into the studs and securely nailed with not less than
2 tenpenny nails to each stud, and the joists shall be spiked
to the studs.
6. Load -bearing partitions shall conform to the require-
ments of Section 13-B.
7. Wooden columns shall conform to the requirements
of Section 13-B.
8. Firestopping.
(a) Exterior walls of wood frame construction shall
be properly firestopped at each floor level, at the top story
ceiling level, at the roof level in the case of flat roofs.
(b) Joists shall be firestopped at the ends and over
supports for the full depth of the joists.
(c) Interior stud partititions shall be firestopped
at the floor and ceiling of each story by a 2-inch, nominal
dimension, wood plat, the width of the stud, or the equivalent.
(d) Firestopping shall be of noncombustible material
or of wood not less than 2 inches in thickness, nominal dimension.
No firestopping shall be covered or concealed until inspected
by the building inspector.
9. Draft stops in attic spaces. Draft stops shall
be provided in attic spaces as required by Section 13-B.
SECTION 16. UNPROTECTED METAL CONSTRUCTION.
Unprotected metal construction, as applied to buildings,
means that in which the structural supports are unprotected
metal and in which floorsand roofs are of noncombustible con-
struction, and the exterior walls are of noncombustible con-
struction having a fire resistance rating of less than 2 hours.
SECTION 17. WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS.
All building materials shall be of good quality. Work-
manship in the fabrication, preparation and installation of material
Page -14.-
shall conform to generally accepted good practice.
SECTION 18. DESIGN LOADS, STRESSES AND WIND PRESSURE.
Commercial buildings or structures, including tanks,
towers and signs, hereafter erected and all new construction in
the alteration of heretofore erected buildings or structures
shall be designed and constructed for live and dead loads and
wind pressures in accordance with the National Building Code,
19L9 Edition, recommended by the National Board of Fire Under-
writers, and with resulting stresses not in excess of those
permitted by said code.
SECTION 19, MASONRY.
1. Construction.
(a) All masonry shall be protected against freezing
for at least 48 hours after being placed. Unless adequate
precautions against freezing are taken, no masonry shall be built
when the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit on rising tem-
perature or below 40 degrees on a falling temperature at the
point where the work is in progress. No frozen materials shall
be built upon.
(b) Except when carried independently by girders at
each floor, no wall shall be built upon more than 25 feet in
height in advance of other walls of the building.
(c) Masonry walls that meet or intersect shall be
adequately bonded or anchored. Piers having less than !4. square
feet of cross -sectional area when located at an intersection with
a wall shall be bonded into and built as part of that wall.
(d) Except for window -paneled backs and permissible
chases and recesses, walls shall not Ian in thickness between
their later lateral supports. When a change in thickness, due
to minimum thickness requirements, occurs between floor levels,
the greater thickness shall be carried up to the higher floor
level.
(e) Isolated piers or posts on the interior of build-
ings shall not be built of stone. The unsupported height of
piers shall not exceed 10 times their least dimension. Hollow
masonry units shall not be used for isolated piers to support
beams and girders unless solidly filled with concrete or Type A
mortar in which case the allowable load may be increased 25
per cent.
(f) Door and window openings in walls shall be
spanned by well buttressed arches, or by lintels having bearings
proportioned to their loads but not less than 4 inches.
(g) No masonry, except for interior partitions, shall
be supported on wooden girders or other form of wood construction.
(h) No timber, other than nailing blocks not
exceeding 2 by 4 by 8 inches in size, shall be placed in masonry
walls; except that in buildings of ordinary construction, timber
esnd e1s chpenod n t over tiro inces1on tneo.wa the wall,
an c are or cut to serve as centers -tor masonry arches;
and with the further exception that timber members used for
decorative purposes may be set against the masonry, or may be
set into the masonry where the walls exceeds 8 inches in thickness.
(i) During erection, walls shall be adequately braced
and arches temporarily supported.
2. Mortar.
(a) Mortar used in masonry construction shall be
proportioned in accordance with the following table:
MORTAR PROPORTIONS
Mortar Type
Proportions by Volume
Cement ord imedPu y agnampgaand loos ed ir.
condition
A 1 (Portland) 0 to 2 Not over 3 parts
B 1 (Portland) 1 to 14 Not over 6 parts
B 1 (Masonry 0 Not over 3 parts
Type II*)
Page - 15 -
C
C
D
1 (Portland)
1 (Masonry)
Type 1*
0 to 1 (Portland)
2 to 22 Not over 9 parts
0 Not over 3 parts
1 to 14
Not over 3 parts
*As defined in Federal Specification SS-C-181 B, Masonry Cement.
(b) Type of mortar required. Masonry shall be laid in
Type A, Type B or Type C mortar, except as follows:
Type A Mortar shall be used in foundation walls of
hollow masonry units, and in nominal 10-inch cavity walls.
Type A or Type B. Mortar shall be used in footing,
foundations walls of solid masonry units, isolated piers, load
bearing or exterior walls of hollow masonry units, hollow walls
and cavity walls exceeding 10-inch nominal thickness.
Type D mortar may be used in solid masonry walls, other
than parapet walls or rubble stone walls, not in contact with
the wall and not }ess than 12 inches thick nor more than 35 feet in,
height, provided the walls are laterally supported at intervals
not exceeding 12 times the wall thickness.
Gypsum partition tile and block shall be laid in
gypsum mortar. Nonbearing partitions and fireproofing of structu-
ral clay tile may be laid in gypsum mortar. Fire brick shall be
laid in fire clay mortar.
3. Solid Masonry walls, except stone walls.
(a) Thickness of Bearing Walls.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) to
(6) below, the minimum thickness of solid masonry bearing walls
other than fire walls and party walls shall be not less than 12
inches for the uppermost 35 feet of their height, and shall be
increased 4 inches for each successive 35 feet or fraction there-
of measured downward from the top of the wall.
(2) Where solid masonry bearing walls are stiffened
at distances not greater than 12 feet apart by cross walls, or
by internal or external offsets or returns at least.2 feet -deep,
or 12 feet vertically by reinforced concrete floors or roof,
they may be 12 inches thick for the uppermost 70 feet, measured
downward from the top of the wall, and shall be increased LE
inches in thickness for each successive 70 feet or fraction
therof.
(3) In residential buildings not more than three
stories in height, solid masonry bearing walls may be 8 inches
thick when not over 35 feet in height. Walls in one-story
dwellings and one-story private garage shay be 6 inches thick
when not over 9 feet in height, except that the height to
the peak of a gable may be 15 feet.
(LF) outside solid masonry bearing walls of business
buildings and storage buildings not more than one story high,
may be bin thick for areas not in excess of 750 square feet.
(5) outside of the fire limits solid masonry bearing
walls, 8 inches thick, may be used for buildings not exceeding
30 feet nor 2 stories in height, the walls of which, under
this code, could be of wood frame construction; provided they
do not exceed 50 feet in length between cross walls, piers, or
buttresses.
(6) Solid masonry bearing walls above roof level,
12 feet or less in height, enclosing penthouses or roof structures
may be 8 inches thick and may be considered as neither
increasing the height nor requiring any increase in the thickness
of the wall below, provided the requirements for allowable stres-
ses are met.
(b) Thickness of Non -bearing Exterior walls. The
thickness of nonbearing exterior walls,except fire walls and
part walls, shall be not less than 3 inches for the uppermost
15 feet, and shall increase 4 inches in thickness for each suc-
cessive 35 feet or fraction thereof measured downward from the
top of the wall.
(c) Lateral Support. Solid masonry walls shall be
supported at right angles to the wall face at intervals not
exceeding 20 times the nominal wall thickness if laid in
Type A, B. or 0 mortar, and not exceeding 12 times the nominal
wall thickness if laid in Type D mortar. Such lateral mortar
shall conform to subsection 10 of this section.
Page - 18 -
(d) Bond. The facing and backing of solid masonry
bearing walls shall be bonded so that not less than 4 per cent
of the wall surface is composed of full length headers. The
distance between adjacent full length headers shall not exceed
24 inches either vertically or horizontally in solid brick walls
more than 12 inches thick the inner joints of header courses shall
be covered with another header course which shall break joints
with the course below. The facing and backing of solid masonry
nonbearing walls shall be bonded as required above for bearing
walls or shall be bonded with corrosion -resistant metal ties
spaced not farther apart than 18 inches vertically and 24 inches
horizontally.
(e) Other requirements.
(1) Under -burned clay bricks shall not be used in
any part of a building or structure where exposed to the weather,
nor in isolated piers nor in such part of a bearing wall above
which the wall extends more than 40 feet.
(2 e Olay or shale brick laid in Type A or Type B
mortar shall wet immediately before being laid, except that very
hard or vierfied brick need not be wetted.
(3) Horizontal and vertical joints in brick masonry
shall be filled with mortar.
(4) Except in dwellings interior bearing walls that
are less than 12 inches in thickness and support wooden floor
or roof joists, shall be corbeled not less than 3 inches to
receive such joists, unless approved metal joist hangers are
used.
4. Stone Walls_ _
(a) 7h.ickness.
(1) The minum thickness of walls of stone ashlar
shall be not less than that required for solid masonry walls in
subsection 3 of this section.
(2) Rubble stone walls shall be 4 inches thicker
than is required for solid masonry walls in subsection 3 of this
section, but shall not be less than 16 inches thick, and shall
not exceed 40 feet in height.
(b) Lateral Support. Stone walls shall conform to
the requirements for lateral support of other solid masonry
walls in subsection 3 of this section.
(c) Bond.
(1) In ashlar masonry, bond stones uniformly dis-
tributed shall be provided to the extent of not less than 10 per
cent of the area and having not less than 4 inches of bond into
the backing masonry.
(2) Rubble stone masonry 24 inches or less in thick-
ness shall have bond stones with a maximum spacing of 3 feet
vertically and horizontally, and if the masonry is of greater
thickness than 24 inches shall have one bond stone for each
6 square feet of wall surface on both sides and no header stone
shall be less than 12 inches long measured at right angles to the
face of the masonry.
(d) Natural Beds. All stones showing pronounced . •
cleavage shall be laid on their natural bed, except for cornices
and other projecting members which shall have the grain or
bedding planes vertical and at right angles to the face of the
masonry.
5. Walls of hollow masonry units.
(a)—1h.+ckuess and height.
(1) The mi.n±mum thickness of walls of hollow masonry
units shall be not less than that required for solid masonry
walls in subsection 3 of this section.
(2) Walls of hollow masonry units shall not exceed
50 feet in height.
(b) Lateral support. Walls of hollow masonry units
shall be supported at right angles to the wall face at intervals
not exceeding 18 times the nominal wall thickness. Such lateral
support shall conform to subsection 10 of this section.
(c) Bond.
(1) Hollow masonry units shall have full mortar cover-
age of the face shells in both the horizontal and vertical joints.
(2) Where two or more hollow units are used to make
up the thickness of a wall, the inner and outer courses shall
be bonded at vertical intervals, not exceeding 3 feet, by lapping
Page - 17 -
at least 4 inches over the unit below or by lapping with units
at least 50 per cent greater in thickness than the unit below
at vertical intervals not exceeding 17 inches.
(3) Brick facing or lining (which does not include
veneering)when used in hollow block walls shall be bonded to the
backing in accordance with paragraph (d) of subsection 3 of this
section.
(4) Where walls of hollowmasonry units are decreased
in thickness, a course of solid masonry shall be interposed between
the wall below and the thinner wall above, or the hollow units
in the top course of the thicker wall shall be filled solidly
with mortar or masonry, and shall have horizontal masonry steel
reinforement sized .for corresponding wall thickness every forth
course, or not less than 3 feet vertical spacing, throughout the
full length of the masonry wall.
(d) Be^ring: In walls and piers of hollow masonry
units, suitable provisions shall be made for the proper bearing
at the ends of all beams and at points of load concentration.
6. C^vt ty Walls and Hollow Walls.
(a) Height anJ 1, i ckness .
(1) Cavity walls and hollow walls shall not exceed
35 feet in height. Cavity walls, exclusive of the cavity, and
hollow walls shall be not less in thickness than required for
solid masonry walls in subsection 3 of this section.
(2) In cavity walls neither the facing nor the
backing shall be less than 3 3/4 inches in nominal thickness
and the cavity shall be not less than 2 inches nor more than 3
inches in width.
(b) Lateral support. Cavity walls shall be supported
at right angles to the wall face at intervals not exceeding 14
times, and hollow walls at intervals not exceeding 18 times
the nominal wall thickness. Such lateral support shall conform
to subsection 10 to this section.
(c) Bond
(1) In hollow walls the parts of same shall be
connected by bonds of brick, stone cr material of wall, placed
not more than 24 inches apart in either direction; but the parts
shall not be deemed to act together in the support of loads
unless such bonds are of a size and design to fully develop the
strength of either part.
(2) In cavity walls the facing and backing shall
be securely tied together with suitable bonding ties of adequate
strength. A 3/16 inch diameter steel rod or metal tie or
equivalent stiffness coated with a noncorroding metal or other
approved protective coating shall be used for each 3 square feet
of wall surface. where hollow masonry units are laid with the
cells vertical, rectangular ties shall be used; in other wa11n
the ends of ties shall be bent to 90 degree angles to provide
hooks not less than 2 inches long. Ties shall be embedded in
horizontal points of facing and backing. Additional bonding
ties shall be provided at all openings, spaced not more than
3 feet apart around the perimeter and within 1.2 inches of the
opening. Cavity walls of plain concrete shall be reinforced
as provided for solid walls or plain concrete in subsection 9 of
this section.
(d) Bearing.
(1) In hollow walls or cavity walls suitable provision
shall be made at each line of floor beams and wherever load
concentrations occur, to insure proper bearing.
(2) When ca ity walls or hollow walls in which the
c814 .8 ftpoil o prtits aro la.i.d vertical, are decreased in .thickness,
/top course oT thicker wall shall be filled solidly with
mortar or masonry or the exposed openings in such top course
shall be covered with slab of hard burned tile or concrete at least
one inch in thickness or the openings may be stopped in some
other approved manner.
(e) Drainage. In cavity walls the cavity shall be
keptclear of mortar droppings during construction. Approved
flashing shall be installed and adequate drainage provided to
keep dampness away from the backing.
7. Faced Wails.
(a)-'i�I;x'teriaC Materials used for facing shall be
not less than 22 inches thick, and in no case less in thickness
than 1/8 the height of the unit.
(b) Allowable stresses. Where,bonded to the backing
as prescribed below the full dross section of both the facing
and the backing may be considered in counting the stresses.
(c) Thickness. Faced walls shall be not less in
thickness than is required for masonry walls of either of the types
forming the facing and the backing. Where bonded to the backing
as prescribed below, the facing may be considered a part of the
wall thickness.
(d) Bond.
(1) Brick facing shall be bonded to the backing as
prescribed for solid masonry walls in subsection 3 (d) of this
section.
(2).. Ashlar facing of either natural or cast stone shall
have at least 20 per cent of the superficial area extending not
less than 4 inches into the backing to form bond stones, which
shall be uniformly distributed throughout the wall.
(3) When walls of hollow masonry units are faced with
hollow units, the facing units shall be bonded to the backing
as required for walls of hollow masonry units in subsection 5
(c) of this section.
8. Attachment of stone facing. Every projecting
stone, and except when alternate courses are full bond courses,
every stone not a bond stone shall be securely anchored to the
backing with corrosion resistant metal anchors with a cross
section of not less than 0.2 square inch. There shall be at
least 1 anchor to each stone and not less than 2 anchors for
each stone more than 2 feet in length and 3 square feet in super-
ficial area. Facing stones not over 12 square feet in area
shall have at least 1 anchor to each 4 square feet of superficial
face area.'
9. Solid. Walls of plain concrete.
(a) Thickness. The minimum thickness of walls of
plain concrete may be 2 inches less than that required for solid
masonry walls, but not less than 8 inches, except that 6 inch
walls may be used where specifically permitted by subsection
3 (a) (3) of this section.
(b) Lateral support. Solid walls of plain concrete
shall be supported at right angles to the wall face at intervals
not exceeding 20 times the nominal wall thickness. Such lateral
support shall conform to subsection 30 of this section.
(c) Reinforcement around `openings. Reinforcement
symmetrically disposed in the thickness of the wall shall be
placed not less than 1 inch above and 2 inches below openings
and extend not less than 24 inches each side of each opening
or be of equivalent length with hooks. The reinforcement both
above and below shall consist of one 5/8 inch round rod for
each 6 inches in wall thickness or fraction thereof.
10. Lateral Support. The lateral support required
by subsection 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 of this section shall be
either vertical or horizontal. It may be obtained by cross walls,
piers, or buttress, when the limiting distance is measured hori-
zontally, or by floors and roofs when the limiting distance is
measured vertically. Sufficient bonding or anchorage shall be
provided between the walls and the supports to resist the
assumed wind force, acting either inward or outward. Piers or
buttress relied upon for lateral support shall have sufficient
strength and stability to transfer the wind force, acting in
either direction to the ground. When walls are dependent upon
floors or roofs for their lateral support, provisions shall
be made in the building to transfer the lateral forces to the
ground.
SECTION 20. REINFORCED CONCRETE
(a) Concrete for reinforced concrete shall be capable
of developing a strength of 2500 p. s. i. at the end of 28
days. (b) The National Building Cod:, 1949 Edition,
recommended by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, shall
be deemed to be the generally accepted good practice in re-
inforced concrete construction.
SECTION 21. FIRE WALLS AND PARTY WALLS.
Page - 13 -
1. Construction.
(a) Fire walls and party walls of marsonry shall be
laid in Type A or Type B mortar.
(b) Fire walls and party walls shall be constructed
•of solid masonry units, or of hollow masonry units faced on
each side with brick, or of reinforced concrete,
(c) Where structural members project into hollow
masonry units the hollow space shall be filled with noncombustible
material the full thickness of the wall and 4 inches or more above
between and below each member.
2. Thickness of solid masonry walls except panel walls,
(a) For business buildings and storage buildings,
fire walls and party walls of solid masonry units shall be not
less than 16 inches thick for the uppermost 50 feet and increase
4 inches in thickness for each additional 35 feet or fraction
thereof measured downward from the top of the wall; except that
where the walls are non -bearing, or where beams or girders are
supported on the wall be approved metal hangers and do not enter
the wall the minimum thickness may be 16 inches for the upper-
most 70 feet.
(b) For other buildings, fire walls and party walls
of solid masonry units shall be not less than 12 inches thick
for the uppermost 35 feet and increase 4 inches in thickness
for each additional 35 feet or fraction thereof measured down-
ward from the top of the wall.
3. Thickness of brick -faced hollow masonry walls. Fire
walls and partywalls of hollow masonry units faced on each side
with a least 4 inches of brick shall have a total thickness
including the facing not less than 4 inches greater than
specified in subsection 2 above for solid masonry walls.
4. Thickness of reinforced concrete walls except panel
walls.
(a) For business buildings and storage buildings,
fire walls and party walls of reinforced concrette shall be not
less than 11 inches thick for the uppermost 35 feet and increase
2 inches in thickness for each successive 35 feet or fraction
thereof measured downward from the top of the wall.
(b) For other buildings, fire walls and party walls
of reinforced concrete shall be not less than 9 inches thick
for the uppermost 35 feet and increase 2 inches in thickness for
each successive 35 feet or fraction thereof measured downward
from the top of the wall.
5. Exception to thickness requirements for panel walls.
Where fire walls or party walls are constructed as panel walls
in a framework of columns and girders protected as required for
fireproof construction and no panel has a height between
supports greater than 12 feet, they may be of solid masonry not
less than 12 inches thick or of reinforced concrete not less
than 8 inches thick.
6. To be carried to or above the roof. Fire walls
and party walls shall extend at least 3 feet above the roof;
except where the roof is of fireproof or semifireproof construct-
ion in which case the fire walls and party walls shall be
carried up tightly against the underside of the roof slabs.
7. Size and protection of openings.
(a) Except in sprinkiered buildings, no opening in
a fire wall shall exceed 120 square feet in area with no dimen-
sion greater than 12 feet, and the aggregate width of all
openings at any level shall not exceed 25 per cent of the
length of the will.
(b) Every opening in a required fire wall shall be
protected on each side of the wall with an approved automatic
or self -closing fire door; provided that when a fire wall serves
also as a horizontal exit it shall have no openings other
than door openings not exceeding 48 square feet in area, and
one of the fire doors at each opening shall be a self -closing
fire door.
SECTION 22. PARAPETS
(a) Except as listed below, parapets shall be
provided on all fire walls, party walls, and exterior walls
of masonry or reinforced concrete. Parapets are not required on
Page - 20
(1) Walls connecting with roofs or fireproof con-
struction or semifireproof construction;
(2) A wall of a building the roof of which is
at least three feet lower than the roof of, or any opening in,
an adjacent building wall;
(3) Walls facing on a street having a width of
30 feet or more;
(Lh) Walls of a building which is 30 feet or more
distant in all directions from property lines and other buildings
on the same property;
(5) Walls of a building which is 30 feet or more
distant in all directions from property lines but less than 30
feet distant to one or more building on the same property, where
the total area of the buildings within 30 feet of each other
does not exceed 12 times the allowable area for any one of the
building considered;
(6) Walls of a detached dwelling, or of a building
not exceeding 1,000 square feet in area;
(7) Walls of a building where the roof has an angle
of more than 20 degrees with the horizontal.
(b) In dwellings and in buildings in which 8 inch
walls are permitted, such parapets shall not be less than 8
inches thick and carried at least two feet above the roof.
(c) In all other buildings such parapets shall be
not less than 12 inches thick and carried not less than 3 feet
above the roof.
(d) Parapets shall be properly coped with non-
combustible, weatherproof material and flashed with the flashing
extending through the parapet wall under the coping. All corners
of all parapet walls shall be reinforced with at least one 4 inch
round bar in every third joint, continuous around the corner
and extending into the masonry at least 3 feet from the corner.
SECTION 23 FIRE PARTITIONS
I Construction
(a) Fire partitions shall have fire resistance
rating of at least two hours. They shall be constructed of
masonry or reinforced concrete or other approved form on
construction of noncombustible materials. Fire partitions
used for load bearirc shall conform to the requirements for
bearing walls in sections '21 and 22, in addition to meeting the
requirements of this section.
(b) Fire partitions shall be supported in each
story on construction having a fire resistance rating of not
less than 2 hours; provided that when they also are load bearing,
the supporting construction shall have a fire resistance rating
of not less than 4 hours in case the building is of fireproof
construction or semifireproof construction, and not less than 3
hours in case of other construction..
(c) The maximum unsupported height of a fire part-
ition shall not exceed 18 times its total thickness unless
suitably reinforced and anchored at floor and ceiling or sub-
stantially secured to vertical supports at intervals of not
over 18 times the thickness.
(d) Fire partitions shall be deemed continuous,
even through the several parts are not directly over oneanother
insuccessive stories if the intervening parts of the floors at
the levels where offsets occur, and unpierced and of fireproof
construction or semifireproof construction and all parts not
supported directly on the foundations are carried on fireproof
construction.
2. Openings.
(a) Required fire partitions shall have no..
openings other than required door openings, or properly protected
duct openings.
(b) Each opening in a required fire partition
shall be equipped with an approved fire door set in approved
door frame.
(c) Each opening in a fire partition serving as a
horizontal exit shall be protected by an approved self -closing
fire door.
Page - 21 -
SECTION 24. PROTECTION OF EXTERIOR OPENINGS
Every building, except dwellings, churches, buildings
of wood frame construction and of unprotected metal construc-
tion, and open air parking garages shall have approved fire
windows or other approved protectives, in every opening in the
exterior walls when each opening faces on a street and is less
than 30 feet from the opposite building line, or when such
opening is less than 30 feet distant in a direct unobstructed
line from an opening in another building, or when such opening
is above and not more than 30 feet distant from any part of a
neighboring roof or combustible construction, or any roof
having openings within this distance; provided that such pro-
tection shall not be required for show windows facing on a
street which does not extend above the first full story above
grade, and provided further that such protection shall not be
required when the opening to be protected and the opening
against which it is to be protected are situated in walls in
the same plane or in parallel planes and are facing the same
directions.
SECTION 25. SHAFTS
1. Protection required.
(a) Every series of openings above one another
in two°more successive floors, or floors and roof, hereafter
placed or constructed in a building or hereafter enlarged or
altered to change the use of the shaft, shall be so protected
as to prevent fire in any story from communicating to any other
story; provided that in buildings of heavy timber construction
there shall be no floor opening that is not protected as
prescribed in this section or in some other approved manner.
(b) The provisions of this section shall apply
to all shafts used for ventilation, light, elevator, pipes,
or other purpose, except stairways, airducts, incinerator
chutes, flues, shafts in buildings of wood frame construction,
shafts in dwellings, and ramps in garages exempted by Section
32-6,
2. Shaft enclosures. The enclosing walls of
shafts in residence buildings of ordinary construction or
noncombustible construction or unprotected metal construction
shall have a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.
The enclosing walls of shafts in other buildings shall be
of noncombustible construction having a fire resistance rating
of not less than 2 hours.
3. Openings. Shaft enclosures shall have no
openings other than those necessary for the purpose of the shaft;
provided that in elevator shafts there shall be at least one
door in every 30 feet of height of such shaft. Such openings
shall be protected with approved fire doors, approved fire
shutters or approved fire windows.
L... Enclosure at top.
(a) Shaft enclosure extending through the roof
which are to be enclosed at the top, shall be provided with a
skylight of at least 10 per cent of the arelof the shaft in the
top story and glazed with plain glass 1/8 inch in thickness;
provided that the skylight may be replaced by a window of plain
glass of equivalent area in the side of the shaft if the
sill of such window is not less than 2 feet above the roof and
the window does not face a let line within 10 feet, or may be
replaced by approved means of ventilation.
(n) A shaft that does not extend through the roof
shall have the top enclosed with a form of construction having
a fire resistance rating equal to that of the walls of the
shaft.
5. Enclosure at bottom. A shaft that does not
extend to the bottm of the building shall be enclosed at its
lowest point with a floor con struction of the same type as
that required for the lowest floor to or through which it passes,
but such shaft floor construction shall have a fire resistance
rating of not less than one hour.
6. Elevator machinery compartment. Compartments
containing machinery for operating elevators shall be separated
from the elevator shafts by noncombustible construction having
page - 22 -
a fire resistan4e rating of not less than 2 hours, with tor -
openings equipped with approved fire doors.
7. Number of elevators in shaft. Nat more than
3 elevators shall' be laced hereafter on one shaft.
SECTION 26. ROOFING
(a) Every roof hereafer placed on a building shall
be covered w' a ed roofing of brick, concrete, tile,
slate, metal ¥bet PS tepared asphalt asbestos -felt shingle,
or of built-up roofing finished with asphalt, slag or gravel,
or other approved material.
(b) Except where roofing is of a character per-
mitting attachment direct to frame work, it shall be applied
to a solid or closely fitted deck or wood strips.
(c) Roofingswhich are listed as Class A or B
roof covering materials by Underwriters" Laboratories, Inc.,
shall be accepted as meeting the requirements of this section.
(d) Roofingswhich are listed as Class C, Roof
covering material by Underwriters; Laboratories, Inc., shall
be accepted as Meeting the requirements of this section on
buildings as follows:
(1) Dwellings
(0) Buildings of Wood frame construction.
(3) Buildings located outside the fire limits
which do not' exceed 2 stories or 30 feet in height, or 2500
sq. ft. in area, and are not occupied as stores, factories or
warehouses.
'(ti-) Buildings which under this code could be of
wood frame construction.
(e) The use of cork, fiber board or other
approved insulation is permitted -on top of the roof deck pro-
vided such insulation is covered with an approved type of fire
resistive roof covering applied directly thereto.
(f) No roofing on an existing roof shall be removed
or repaired to a greater extent than one -tenth of the roof
surface, except in conformity with the requirements of this
section.
(g) Outside the fire limits, dwellings, private
garages and barnes, separated by at least six feet from the
other buildings may be roofed with approved vertical grain or
edgegrain wooden shingles. The combined thickness of each
five shingles measured at the butts shall be not less than
two inches. The exposure of such wooden shingles to the
weather shall not exceed, on roofs greater than one-third pitch,
five inches for sixteen -inch shingles, five and one-half inches
for eighteeninch shingles, and seven and one-half inches for
twenty-four inch shingles; nor, on roofs with less than• one-
third pitch, four inches for sixteen -inch. shingles, and six
and one-half inches for twenty-four inch shingles. Such
shingles shall be firmly nailed to the roof deck with non -cor-
rodible and rust resistive nails according to accepted good
practice. Unless otherwise specified by ordinance or duly
promulgated rules, the Commercial Standard Or Wood Shingles,
CS 31-38 of the U. S. Department of Commerce, shall be accepted
as means of establishing the grade of shingles.
SECTION 27 SKYLIGHTS.
(a) Skylights placed over shafts, vent shafts
and stair enclosures shall be glazed with plain glass not more
than 1/8 of an inch in thickness.
(b) Skylights other than as specified above, which
are inclined less than 60 degrees from the horizontal, hereafer
placed on a building shall have the sashes and frames thereof
constructed of metal and glazed with wired glass; except that
skylights in foundries or buildings where acid fumes are
present, may be of wood by special permission of the building
official.
(c) Every skylight in..which plain glass is uded
shall be protected by a substantial wire screen with wire not
lighter than number 12 guage and having a mesh not less than
3/4 of an inch nor larger than 1 inch, placed not less than 4
inches nor more than 10 inches above the glazed portion of all
Page - 23 -
points, such screen shall extend beyond the glazing on all a des
a distance not less than the height of the screen above the glaz-
ing.
(b) No chimney shall be corbeled from a wall
more than 6 inches; nor shall a chimney be corbeled from a
wall which is less than 12 inches in thickness unless it
projects equally on each side of the wall; provided that in
the second story of 2 story dwellings corbelling of chimneys
on the exterior of the enclosing walls may equal the wall thick-
ness. In every case the corbel shall not exceed one inch
projection for each course of brick projected.
(c) No change in the size or shape of a chimney,
where the chimney passes through the roof, shall be made
within a distance of 6 inches above or below the roof joists
or rafters.
(d) When a skylight is located over a stairway,
public hallway or a place of assembly, a similar screen shall
also be placed below the skylight, unless there is an intermediate
ceiling light.
SECTION 28. BASEMENT CEILINGS
In buildings except dwellings and one-story buildings
Outside of the fire limits, the ceiling over basements shall be
fire retardant ceilings unless such basements are sprinklered.
SECTION 29. CHIMNEYS, FLUES AND VENTS.
1. Flue connections required. Every heating appa-
ratus or heat producing appliance requiring a flue connection
shall be connected with a flue conforming to the provisions
of this section or of section 32. This shall not include
electric appliances, except as specifically required in section
32, nor oil fired appliances especially designed for use with-
out flue connection.
2. Use of nonconforming flues. Flues not
conforming to the requirements of this section for chimneys,
not with generally accepted good practice for metal smoke-
stacks, nor with section 32, vents for gas appliances, shall
not be used unless listed by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
and installed in full compliance with the listing and the
manufacturer's instructions, and such use is approved by the
building official.
3. Construction.
(a) Chimneys shall extend at least 4 feet above
the highest point where they pass through the roof of the building
and at least 2 feet higher than any ridge within 10 feet of such
chimney.
4. Chimneys for heating appliances, low heat
industrial appliances and portable type incinerators.
a) Chimneys for fireplaces, chimneys for
incinerators of non -portable type, shall be constructed of
solid masonry units or of reinforced concrete. The walls
shall be properly bonded or tied with corrosion resistant
metal anchors. In dwellings and buildings of like heating
requirements the thickness of the Chimney walls shall be not
less than 4 inches. In other buildins the thickness shall be
not less than 8 inches, except that rubble stone masonry shall
be not less than 12 inches thick.
(b) Every such chimney hereafter erected or
altered shall be lined with a:flue• lining cooferming'tohequire-
ments below: (c) Flue linings shall be made of fire clay or
other refractory clay which will withstand the action of flue
gases and resist without softening or cracking, the temperatures
to which they will be subjected, but not less than 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit, or of cast iron of approved quality, form and
construction.
(d) Required clay flue linings shall be not less
than 5/8 of an inch thick for the smaller flues and increasing
in thickness for the larger flues.
(e) Flue linings shall be installed ahead of the
construction of the chimney as it is carried.up, carefully
bedded one on the other in Type A, Type B or fire clay mortar
with close fitting joints left smooth on the inside.
Page - 24 -
(f) Flue linings shall start from a point not
less than 8 fiches below the intake, or, in the case of fireplaces,
from the throat of the fireplace. They shall extend, as nearly
vertically as possible, for the entire height of the chimney
and be extended 4 inches above the top or cap of the chimney.
(g) Cleanouts for flues or fireplaces shall be
equipped with cast iron doors and frames arranged to remain
tightly closed when not in use.
(h) When two or more flues are contained in the
same chimney, at least every third flue shall be separated by
masonry at least 4 inches thick bonded into masonry wall of
the chimney. Where flue linings are not so separated, the
joints of adjacent flue linings shall be staggered at least
7 inches.
5. Use of flues. Chitneys or flues installed
for the use of gas appliances but which are not suitable for
solid or liquid fuels, shall be plainly and permanently labeled,
"THIS FLUE IS FOR THE USE OF GAS BURNING APPLIANCES ONLY."
The label shall be attached at a point near where the vent pipe
enters the chimney, or with a type B gas vent used in place
of a chimney, at a point near where the type B gas vent enters
a wall, floor or ceiling.
6. Fireplaces.
(a) The back and sides of fireplaces hereafter
erected shall be of solid masonry or reinforced concrete, not
less than 6 inches in thickness. A lining of fire brick at least
2 inches thick or other approved material shall be provided
unless the thickness is 12 inches.
(b) Wooden forms or centers used in the construction
of that part of the supporting construction which is below the
hearth of the fire place shall be removed when the hearth is
completed.
(c) Spaces between the chimney and joists, beams
or girders and any, combustible materials shall be firestopped
by billing with noncombustible material.
SECTION 30. FLUES AND VENTS FOR GAS APPLIANCES.
1. Flue connections required. Every gas app-
liance except those defined by N. G. U. as not requiring
vents or flues, shall be connected to an effective flue extending
to the out air and conforming to the provisions of subsection
2 of this section, if it is included in any of the following
classifications, provided that such connections shall not be
required for industrial appliances of such size or character
that the absence of a connection does not consitute a hazard
to the occupants:
(a) Domestic appliances with input rating in excess
of 50,000 Btu per hour, except domestic gas ranges.
(b) Automatically controlled appliances with
input rating in excess of 5,000 Btu per hour, except automatic
instantaneous water heaters of the single faucet type, where
the single faucent is attached to and made a part of the
appliance.
(c) Automatically controlled appliances with input
rating less than 5,000 Btu per hour, unless equipped with an
automatic device to prevent the s:excape of unburned gas at the
main burner or burners. The term "automatically controlled
appliances" used in paragraphs (b) and (c) refers to appliances
to which the gas supply is automatically turned on and off
in accordance with the demand for heat, but does not include
appliances equipped with devices or controls governing the
supply of gas to the main burner or burners which cannot
automatically reduce the gas supply below 30 per cent of the
input rating.
(d) Appliances installed in the same room, which,
if not vented would make the total input rating of unvented ggs
appliances, not incuding domestic gas ranges, as great as 30
Btu per hour per cubic foot of room content.
(e) Water heaters installed in bath rooms, bed
rooms, or any occupied room normally kept closed.
(f) Space heaters in sleepying quarters for use
of transients.
Page - 25 -
(g) All house heating steam and hot water boilers
and warm air furnaces in cluding floor furnaces.
2. Types of Flues.
(a) Type A Flues: Chimneys or metal smokestacks.
Type A flues are required fora (1) all incinerators: (2)
all appliances which may be converted readily to the use of
solid or liquid fuel; (3) all boilers and furnaces, other
than attic furnaces, except where specific approval is obtained
from the building official for the use of type B gas vents;
(4) all other appliances except approved appliances which
produce flue gas temperatures not in excess of 550 degrees F,
at the outlet of the draft hood when burning gas at the manu-
facturer's input rating.
(b) Type B gas vents; Approved vent piping of non
combustible,corrosion resistant material of adequate strength
and heat insulating valve, and having bell and epigot or other
acceptable joints. Type B gas vents shall be used only with
approved gas appliances which are not required by paragraph (a)
above to be vented to type A flues, except that they may be used
when extended through an existing non -used chimney, whether
the chimney is lined or not lined.
(c) Type C gas vents; Vent pipes of sheet copper
eiron
earrogisRisf egt 'an �mattti l mUft, Se aaryabehuseall ooZx�vrunsdirectly
from the space in which the appliance is located through a
roof or exterior wall to the outer air. Such vent pipes shall
not pass through any attic or concealed space nor through any
floor. This shall not be construed as prohibiting the use
of such vent pipes to vent attic furnaces installed in accord-
ance with the provisions of this code. Installation with
reference to clearance from combustible material and passage
through wall or roof shall comply with the provisions of
subsection 4 of this section.
3. Installation of type B gas vents.
(a) Type B gas vents shall be made up with
tight joints.
(b) Type B gas vents shall be installed with a
clearance to combustible material or construction whether
plastered or unplastered, of not less than one inch, provided
that for vents of floor furnaces such clearaace shall be
not less than 3 inches for a distance of not less than 3
feet from the outlet of the draft hood, measured along the
center line of the vent piping.
(c) Suitable provision shall be made to prevent
mechanical injury to type B gas vents where they extend through
walls, floors or roofs.
(d) Type B gas vents shall not be used with solid
or liquid fuel burning appliances.
4. Installation of gas vents other than type B.
(a) Gas appliance vent piping other than approved
type B gas vents shall ...not ,_pass through any attic or concealed
space nor through any combustible floor, and shall not pass
through any combustible roof except;as specified in subsection
2 (c). Where passing through combustible roof in accordance
with subsection 2 (c) they shall be garded at the point of
passage as specified for passage through combustible walls
partition in paragraph (b) below. Vent piping may extend
through any existing chimney whether the chimney is lined
or not.
(b) Gas appliance vent piping other than approved
type B gas vents shall not pass through combustible walls or
partitions unless they are guarded at the point of passage
(1) by metal ventilated thimbles not less than 6 inches
larger in diameter than the pipe, or (2) by metal thimbles
not less than 4 inches in diameter than the pipe with the
annular space filled with mineral wool or other approved
noncombustible insulating material; or in lieu of such
protection all combustible material in the wall or partition
shall be cut away from the vent pipe a sufficient distance
to provide the clearance required from such vent pipe to
combustible material - any material used to close up such
opening shall be noncombustible.
(e) Clearances from combustible material to gas
appliance vent piping other than approved type B gas vents shall
Page - 26 -
be in accordance with standard practice for safe installation
and use as required by section 31.
5. Flue mortar. All flue mortar for flues or vent
pipes from gas burning appliances shall be aCid resisting.
6. Draft hoods. Every flue connected appliance
except an incinerator unless its construction serves the
same purpose, shall be equipped with an effective draft hood
which either (1) has been approved as part of the appliances
or (2) complies with nationally recognized standards for
draft hoods. The draft hood shall be attached to the flue
collar of the appliance or as near to the appliance as
conditions permit and in a position for which it is designed
with reference to horizontal and vertical planes. The draft
hood shall be so located that the relief opening is not
obstructed by any part of the appliance or adjacent construction.
7. Interconnection of vents. No vent pipe from
a gas appliance shall be inter -connected with any other vent
pipe, smoke pipe, or flue, unless such gas appliance is equipped
with an automatic device to prevent the escape of unburned
gas at the pain burner or burners. Where a gas appliance
vent pipe is joined with a smoke pipe from an appliance burning
some other type of fuel, for connection into a single flue
opening they shall be joined by a Y fitting located as close
as practicable to the chimney. With liquefied petroleum gases
the automatic device to prevent the escape of unburned gas
shall shut off the pilot light as well as the main burner
or burners.
SECTION 31. HEAT PRODUCING APPLIANCES, HEATING,
VENTILATION, AIRCONDITIONING, BLOWER AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS.
1. Installation Standards. (Heat producing
appliances and systems including incinerators) hereafter
installed shall be installed in accordance with standard
practices for safe installation and used without danger of
overheating combustible material or construction. Ventilating,
airconditioning, blower and exhaust systems hereafter installed
shall be installed in accordance with standard practices
for safe installation and use with all features presenting
a possibility of starting or speading a fire safeguarded to
a reasonable degree. Except as otherwise provided in rules
duly promulgated by the building/inspector installation of
such appliances and systems in accordance with the "Building
Code Standards of the National Board of Fire Underwriters"
for the installation of heat producing appliances, heating,
ventilating, air conditioning, blower and exhaust systems."
shall be deemed to be the standard practice for safe instal-
lation and use.
2. Boiler and Furnace Rooms.
(a) Heating boiler and furnace rooms in public
buildings, institutional buildings, places of assembly, hotels,
and multifamily houses shall be separated from other parts
of the building by construction having a fire resistance
ratingof not less than one hour.
(b) Boiler rooms housing one more steam boilers
carrying more than 15 pounds pressure with a rating of more
than 10 boiler horsepower in other than factories, shall be
separated from the rest of the building by noncombustible
constructing having a fire resistance rating of not less
then 2 hours, with door openings protected by approved fire
doors.
SECTION 32. GARAGES OTHER THAN DWELLING.
1. Garages combined with other occupancies. No
garage than be attached to or form a part of a building of
other occupancy except as provided in this section.
2. Garages not exceeding 600 square feet in area.
(a) A garage not exceeding 600 square feet in
area may be attached to or form a part of a residence building
or a business building if separated from other occupancies
Page - 27 -
by walls, partitions and ceilings of materials to restrict
the passage of gases, smoke and odor from the garage to other
parts of the building.
(b) Openings from the building into garage shall
be restricted to a single doorway; such opening shall be
provided with a metal, metal covered or solid wooden door
of not less than 1-3/4 inches nominal thickness equipped with
an approved self -closing device.
(c) Floors shall be without pits or depressions.
3. Garages not exceeding 3,000 square feet in
area. A garage not exceeding 3,000 square feet in area may
be attached to or form a part of any building provided separation
from other occupancies shall be by walls and floor and ceiling
construction of at least one -hour fire resistance, and with
all connecting openings provided with self -closing fire doors.
Floors shall be without pits or depressions.
4. Garages exceeding 3,000 feet in area.
(a) A garage exceeding 3,000 square feet in area
may be located within or attached to a building occupied for
any other purpose provided it is separated from such other oc-
cupancy by masonry walls having a fire resistance rating of
not less than 3 hours and by floors and ceilings of fire-
proof construction or semifireproof construction.
(b) Walls, floors and ceilings which effect such
separation shall be continuous and unimpaired by openings of
any kind; provided that door openings equipped with self -
closing fire doors leading to salesrooms or offices that are
operated in connection with such garages shall not be pro-
hibited; and provided also that the use of elevators and
stairways to other stories accessible only be vestibules or
balconies, constructed and arranged as required for fire
towers, shall be permitted.
5. Truck loading or unloading area. A truck
loading or unloading area within a building occupied as a store
shall be separated from other parts of the building b _:bhstin c-
ta.on"havitrg-a?fi"re resistance rat.irgot nbt aess-than ogle hour,
snalinaalsoe avavanrtesistanceurl in wi'tnotn essltnaLnnt dour.
. eRLirreamps. ramps connecting ioors of garages,
which are notconsidered as required exit ways under 13A, need
not be enclosed in sprinklered garages, nor in open air
parking garages.
7. Floors. Garage floors of other than earth
construction which drain to sewers or storm drains shall be
provided with an oil separator or trap. Where floor areas
are extensive, a series of such drains shall be provided.
The contents of oil separators or trap shall be collected at fre-
requent intervals and removed from the premises. Floors in
repair sections shall be concrete or other materials that
may be readily cleaned.
8. Heating.
(a) In garages exceeding 600 square feet in area,
direct fired heating appliances, other than unit heaters
located at least 8 feet above the floor, shall be located
in a room used for no other purpose and cut off from the
garage by noncombustible construction having a fire resistance
rating of not less than 3 hours. Openings in the above
mentioned cut-offs shall be restricted to those necessary
for heating pipes and ducts.
(b) Where gasoline dispensing equipment is
located within a traveling distance of 25 feet from the entrace
to the heater room, the floor of the heater room shall not
be below grade level.
SECTION 33. DISPOSAL OF WASTE DDRING CONSTRUCTION
OPERATIONS.
Waste material and rubbish shall not be stored nor
allowed to accumulate within the building or in the immediate
vicinity, and may be burned on job using ordinary safety pre-
cautions.
SECTION 34. ELEVATORS, MOVING STARIWAY AND AMUSE-
MENT DEVICES.
Page - 28 -
1. Elevators, moving stairways and amusement devices,
hereafter erected, or installed, or hereafter altered shall be
constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with rules
duly promulgated by the building inspector or, in the absence
of such rules, with "The American Standard Safety Code for
Elevators, Dumbwaiters and Escalators" approved by the
American Standards Association.
2. It shall be unlawful for the owner to operate
or permit the operation or use of a passanger elevator, freight
elevator, moving stairway or amusement device, hereafter ins-
talled or constructed, until a certificate shall have been ob-
tained from the building .iLispe,or.
3. The building iriepectorshall make or cause to be
made an inspection of every passenger elevator at least once
every three months, and of every freight elevator, moving stair-
way and every amusement device at least once in every six
months.
SECTION 35. GAS PIPING.
Piping for any and all types of gas used for light-
ing or fuel purposes in building and structures shall be in-
stalled to conform with generally accepted good practice. The
"R" commended Good Practice Requirements for the Installation,
Maintenance and use of Piping and Fittings for City Gas" and
"Gas Systems for welding and Cutting" and Liquefied Petroleum
Gases" of the National Board of Fire Underwriters shall be
deemed to be the generally accepted good practice.
SECTION 36. PLUMBING
1. General. Except as may be otherwise provided
by law or ordinance, or rules duly promulgated by the buildingg
inspectbr the plumbing and drainage system of a building or
structure shall be installed in conformity with the "Recommended
Minimum Requirements for Plumbing," of the Bureau of Standards,
United States Department of Commerce.
2. Water Supply.
(a) Every building in which people live, work
or congregate shall be provided with ample water supply in-
stalled and maintained in a satisfactory working condition.
(b) In every multifamilty house there shall be
in each apartment at least one kitchen sink with running water
and water connection. The space underneath each sink shall
be accessible.
3. Toilet facilities.
(a) Except as otherwise prescribed by law or
ordinance, in every existing building not already supplied and
in every building hereafter erected, where there is continuous
human occupancy or employment, there shall be a sufficient
number of suitable and convenient water closets, propeak y
connected with the drainage system.
(b) In dwellings and multifamily houses there
shall be at least one separate water closet within each apart-
ment.
L{.. Separate toilets. In buildings where more than
one water closet is required, except in dwellings and multi-
family houses, seperate water closets and toilet rooms shall
be provided for the sexes.
5. Toilet rooms.
(a) Water closets and urinals shall be placed in
rooms or compartment which are devoted exclusively to toilet
facilities.
(b) In every water closet or urinal compartment
hereafter constructed or installed, except in dwellings and
multifamily houses , the entire floor and the sidewalls to a
height of not less than 6 inches shall be be made waterproof
with asphalt, cement, tile, marble, slate or other approved
material im pervious to water.
(c) The partitions enclosing toilet rooms shall
be solid, except for the entrance door, and shall extend from
the floor to the ceiling. Partitions separating water closets
or urinals within a toilet room shall not extend to the ceiling
but shall be so constructed as to permit circulation of air
Page - 29 -
throughout the toilet room.
SECTION 37. SPRINKLER REQUIREMENTS.
1. Sprinklers required. In buildings hereafter
erected, or altered to increase the area on height, approved
automatic sprinkler equipment shall be installed and main-
tained as specified in the following paragraphs. The areas
specified shall be the area enclosed by exterior walls or fire
walls or a combination thereof, except that in buildings or
fireproof construction or semi fireproof construction the
area shall be that enclosed by exterior walls, fire walls,
or fire partitions or a combination thereof.
(a) Buildings over 2 stories in height used for
the manufacture, sale or storage of combustible goods or
merchandise (not including garages) and exceeding in area
10,000 square feet when of fireproof construction or semifire-
proof construction.
(b) Buildings over 2 stores in height used for the
manufacture, sale or storage of combustible goods or merchandise
(not including garages) and exceeding in area 7,500 square feet
when of types of construction other than fireproof construction
and semtfireproof.:construction.
(c) Buildings exceeding 2 stories in height or
in excess of 2,000 square feet in area on any floor above
the first or ground floor, hereafer erected or altered, so
that suitable access, as defined below, to each story above
the basement is not prbvided on at least one side of the building.
Suitable access shall be deemed as requiring a usable opening
through the wall at each story at least 32 inches wide, 48
inches high and with the sill not more than 32 inches above
the floor; the opening shall be so spaced that there will be
one opening for each 50 feet of frontage.
(d) Garages exceeding 6 stories in height.
(e) Garages for storage of loaded commercial
trucks, exceeding 2,000 square feet in area and of other than
fireproof construction.
(f) Bus garages exceeding 2 stories in height.
(g) Basement garages housing more than 3 motor
vehicles.
(h) Garages located in buildings in which one or
more stories, or parts thereof, above such garages are occupied
for other purposes when such garages have a capacity of 20 or
more passenger automobiles, or are used as bus terminals for
2 or more busses, or are used for the storage and loading of
2 or more trucks..
(i) Basements having an area exceeding 3500 square
feet, when used for the manufacture, sale or storage of
combustible goods or merchandise, except that in public buildings,
institutional buildings and residence buildings, the automatic
sprinkler equipment will be required only in such portions
as are used for storage purposes or as work shops.
(j) In buildings occupied as a place of assembly
and having a stage arranged for theatrical, operatic or
similar purposes, approved automatic sprinkler equipment
shall be provided under the roof of the stage, under the
gridiron, the rigging loft and fly and tie galleries, under
the stage, in dressing rooms, scene docks, workshops and
storage rooms.
(k) When adequate heat is not provided and in the
opinion of the building inspector the hazard is not severe,
such sprinkler system may be replaced by a system having
approved automatic sprinklers, but with supply only from a
fire department connection on the building front, or with an
approved protective device with fire department connection
on the building front, by which water can be applied to or
directed at the fire by suitable control equipmenft from out-
side the building; there being in each case an approved automatic
fire ailrm system connected to an outside gong or to the
center station of a supervising company.
SECTION 38. SIGNS AND OUTDOOR DISPLAY STRUCTURES.
Page - 30 -
(a) No display sign shall hereafter be erected,
or attached to, suspended from or supported on a building or
structure until a permit for the same has been issued by the
building inspector.. No permit for a display sign shall be
issued until the required bond has been filed.
(b) The owner or persona in contrbl of a display
sign suspended over a street or extending into a street more
than 15 inches beyond the building line shall execute a bond
in a sum to be fixed by the official having control over the
streets, with sureties approved by such official, indemnifyirgg
the municipality against all loss, cost, damage, or expense
incurred or sustained by or recovered against the municipality
by reason of the construction or maintenance of such display
sign.
(c) The provisions of this section, except as to
safety shall not apply to a sign not more than 10 square feet
in area, announcing, without display or elaboration, only
the name of the proprietor and the nature of his display; nor
to a wall sign not exceeding one square foot of display sur-
face on a residence building stating clearly the name and pro-
fession on an occupant; nor to a sign, not exceeding 10 square
feet of display surface on a public building giving the name
and nature of the occupancy and information as to the conditions
of use or admission, nor to a wall sign not exceeding 22
square feet of display surface, not a ground sign, advertising
in either case the sale or rental of the premises upon which
it is maintained; nor to street signs erected by the municipality;
nor to temporary signs or banners legally authorized.
PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 24 DAY OF March
A. D. 1966.
Attest:
City Secretary
City of Pearland
Aprove:
1
yor
ity of Pearland
Page - 31 -
AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF TEXAS )
COUNTY OF BRAZORIA
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, a Notary Public in
and for said State and County, on this day personally appeared
John D. Bowman , being known
f o me, and being by me first duly sworn, upon his oath deposes and
says: that he is the publisher of THE PEARLAND PROGRESS, a
newspaper of general circulation published in Brazoria County, Tex-
as: that a copy of the attached notice was published in the English
language in said newspaper on the following dates:
I�ar.ch__.3.1
196___.6
196
196
196
A.pr.i1 7
196
A copy of such notice being attached hereto and expressly
made a part of this affidavit of publisher or other duly authorized
person.
THE PEARLAND PROGRESS
BY:
}hzz.. A.• - -.8 oilman
Publisher, The Pearland Progress
SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me by the said
, publisher of The Pear -
land Progress, on this the 16 day of May 19 66
to certify which witness my hand and seal of office.
John D. Bow an
L. S.
Notary Public in and for Brazoria ColInty, Texas
Marvin MCGGJatJliry
ORDINANCE NO. 116
BUILDING CODE
OF THE
CITY OF PEARLAND
PEARLAND, TEXAS
AN ORDINANCE T.O BE
CALLED "BUILDING CODE
OF THE CITY OF PEAR -
LAND CREATING ABUILD-
ING CODE PRESCRIBING
DUTIES AND QUALIFICA-
TIONS OF OFFICIAL; PRO-
VIDING FOR PERMITS DO-
ING OR CAUSING TO BE
DONE CONTRACT WORK;
PRESCRIBING FEES; PRO-
VIDING EXCEPTIONS;
REGULATING QUALITY;
TYPE AND KIND OF MA-
TERIAL AND MANNER OF
INSTALLATION REFER-
RING TO SOUTHERN STAN-
DARD BUILDING CODE AND
ADOPTING SAME; PROVID=''7
ING FOR APPOINTME, 4'r
t OF ,BUILDING INSPECTOR
AND INSPECTION Ot'ALI,
BUILDING. THIS BUILDING
CODE INCLUDES METES
AND BOUNDS OR THE CITY
OF PEARLAND. ALL
BUILDINGS AND REMO-
DELING MUST HAVE
BUILDING PERMIT, AND
MUST ACQUIRE IT FROM
CITY SECRETARY OR TAX
DEPARTMENT.
ON REMODELING OF
HOMES OWNER MUST
HAVE ELECTRICAL AND
PLUMBING INSPECTIONS.
THERE WILL BE NO
CHARGE IF ALL THREE
INSPECTIONS DO NOT EX-
CEED $1,000. THE BUILD-
ING OFFICIAL MUST IN-
SPECT THE BUILDING BE-
FORE SLAB IS POURED;
AFTER BUILDING DRIES IN
SO INSPECTOR CAN SEE
CORNER BRACES, COLAR
BRACES AND RAFTERS,
AND TYPE OF MATERIALS
USED. FINAL INSPECTION
AFTER JOB IS COMPLET-
ED.
Passed and approved this
the 24th day of March, 19q.
Attest:
/s/ W. A. McClellan
City of Pearland
By: /s/John G. Keglc';
Printer's Fee:
19v3-4