The provisions of this section are intended to maintain or increase the current degree of public safety, health and general welfare in existing buildings while permitting repair, alteration, addition and change of occupancy without requiring full compliance with Chapters 2 through 33, or Sections 3401A.3, and 3403A through 3408A, except where compliance with other provisions of this code is specifically required in this section.
Services/systems and utilities that originate in and pass through or under buildings and are necessary to the operation of the hospital buildings shall meet the structural requirements of this section. Examples of services/systems and utilities include but are not limited to normal power; emergency power; nurse call; fire alarm; communication and data systems; space-heating systems; process load systems; cooling systems; domestic hot and cold water systems; means of egress systems; fire-suppression systems; building drain and sewer systems; and medical gas systems that support basic and supplemental services.
After January 1, 2030, services/systems and utilities for acute care hospital buildings shall not originate in or pass through or under a nonhospital or Hospital building unless it has approved performance categories of SPC-3 or higher and NPC-5.
Services/systems and utilities that are necessary to the operation of the hospital buildings shall meet the structural requirements of this section, based upon the approved Structural Performance Category (SPC) of the building receiving the services/systems and utilities.
Services from a conforming building shall be permitted to serve a nonconforming building with prior approval of the Office. The services/systems and utilities in the nonconforming building shall be equipped with fail safe valves, switches or other equivalent devices that allow the nonconforming building to be isolated from the conforming buildings.
Exception: Remodel projects that use available existing services/systems and utilities are exempted from the requirements of this section. The enforcing agency shall be permitted to exempt minor addition, minor alteration, and minor remodel projects and projects to upgrade existing services/systems and utilities from the requirements of this section.
Services/systems and utilities for new hospital buildings and additions, and alterations or remodels to existing conforming buildings shall originate in hospital buildings that are conforming or have approved performance categories of SPC-3 or higher and NPC-4 or higher. The services/systems and utilities shall not pass through or under buildings that do not have approved performance categories of SPC-2 or higher and NPC-4 or higher.
Exception: Services/systems and utilities shall be permitted to pass through or under buildings that have approved nonstructural performance categories of NPC-3 or higher or NPC-2, provided that the building has an approved extension to the NPC-3 deadline. The services/systems and utilities feeding the new building addition, alteration, or remodel shall conform to the new building provisions of this code and shall be deemed by OSHPD to be free of adverse seismic interactions that could be caused by potential failure of overhead or adjacent components.
Services/systems and utilities for additions, alterations, or remodels of SPC-2 hospital buildings shall be permitted to originate in and pass through or under SPC-2 or higher buildings that have an approved nonstructural performance category of NPC-3 or higher.
Exception: Services/systems and utilities shall be permitted to pass through or under buildings that have approved nonstructural performance categories of NPC-2, provided that the building has an approved extension to the NPC-3 deadline. Services/systems and utilities feeding the addition, alteration or remodel shall conform to the nonstructural bracing requirements for new buildings.
Services/systems and utilities for alterations or remodels of SPC-1 hospital buildings shall be permitted to originate in and pass through or under SPC-1 or higher buildings that have an approved nonstructural performance category of NPC-2 or higher.
When services/systems and utilities for new buildings, additions, alterations, or remodels pass through or under hospital buildings which would not otherwise require evaluation for an SPC rating, such buildings shall be evaluated in accordance with the requirements of Section 1.3, Chapter 6, California Administrative Code, to determine the appropriate ratings, or shall be shown to meet the structural requirements of these regulations for new hospital buildings. The services/systems and utilities feeding the new building addition, alteration, or remodel shall conform with new building provisions of this code and shall be deemed by OSHPD to be free of adverse seismic interactions that could be caused by potential failure of overhead or adjacent components.
Services/systems and utilities for conforming acute care hospital buildings shall be permitted to pass through or under a building that has been removed from acute care hospital service until January 1, 2030 if the building removed from service meets the performance requirements of Section 3416A.1.1.1.1. Services/systems and utilities for nonconforming acute care hospital buildings shall be permitted to pass through or under a building that has been removed from acute care hospital service only if the building removed from service and meets the performance requirements of Section 3416A.1.1.1.2.
Services/systems and utilities shall originate in and only pass through or under buildings that are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).