Section 1603 Construction Documents

Construction documents shall show the size, section and relative locations of structural members with floor levels, column centers and offsets dimensioned. The design loads and other information pertinent to the structural design required by Sections 1603.1.1 through 1603.1.8 shall be indicated on the construction documents.

Exception: Construction documents for buildings constructed in accordance with the conventional light-frame construction provisions of Section 2308 shall indicate the following structural design information:

1. Floor and roof live loads.

2. Ground snow load, P_g.

3. Ultimate design wind speed, V_ult, (3-second gust), miles per hour (mph) (km/hr) and nominal design wind speed, V_asd, as determined in accordance with Section 1609.3.1 and wind exposure.

4. Seismic design category and site class.

5. Flood design data, if located in flood hazard areas established in Section 1612.3.

6. Design load-bearing values of soils.

The uniformly distributed, concentrated and impact floor live load used in the design shall be indicated for floor areas. Use of live load reduction in accordance with Section 1607.10 shall be indicated for each type of live load used in the design.

The roof live load used in the design shall be indicated for roof areas (Section 1607.12).

The ground snow load, P_g, shall be indicated. In areas where the ground snow load, P_g, exceeds 10 pounds per square foot (psf) (0.479 kN/m²), the following additional information shall also be provided, regardless of whether snow loads govern the design of the roof:

1. Flat-roof snow load, P_f.

2. Snow exposure factor, C_e.

3. Snow load importance factor, I_s.

4. Thermal factor, C_t.

5. Drift surcharge load(s), P_d, where the sum of P_d and P_f exceeds 20 psf (0.96 kN/m²).

6. Width of snow drift(s), w.

The following information related to wind loads shall be shown, regardless of whether wind loads govern the design of the lateral force-resisting system of the structure:

1. Ultimate design wind speed, V_ult, (3-second gust), miles per hour (km/hr) and nominal design wind speed, V_asd, as determined in accordance with Section 1609.3.1.

2. Risk category.

3. Wind exposure. Applicable wind direction if more than one wind exposure is utilized.

4. Applicable internal pressure coefficient.

5. Design wind pressures to be used for exterior component and cladding materials not specifically designed by the registered design professional responsible for the design of the structure, psf (kN/m²).

The following information related to seismic loads shall be shown, regardless of whether seismic loads govern the design of the lateral force-resisting system of the structure:

1. Risk category.

2. Seismic importance factor, I_e.

3. Mapped spectral response acceleration parameters, S_S and S₁.

4. Site class.

5. Design spectral response acceleration parameters, S_DS and S_D1.

6. Seismic design category.

7. Basic seismic force-resisting system(s).

8. Design base shear(s).

9. Seismic response coefficient(s), C_S.

10. Response modification coefficient(s), R.

11. Analysis procedure used.

The design loadbearing values of soils shall be shown on the construction documents.

For buildings located in whole or in part in flood hazard areas as established in Section 1612.3, the documentation pertaining to design, if required in Section 1612.5, shall be included and the following information, referenced to the datum on the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), shall be shown, regardless of whether flood loads govern the design of the building:

1. Flood design class assigned according to ASCE 24.

2. In flood hazard areas other than coastal high hazard areas or coastal A zones, the elevation of the proposed lowest floor, including the basement.

3. In flood hazard areas other than coastal high hazard areas or coastal A zones, the elevation to which any nonresidential building will be dry floodproofed.

4. In coastal high hazard areas and coastal A zones, the proposed elevation of the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member of the lowest floor, including the basement.

Special loads that are applicable to the design of the building, structure or portions thereof shall be indicated along with the specified section of this code that addresses the special loading condition.

The dead load of rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panel systems, including rack support systems, shall be indicated on the construction documents.