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Article 1 Essential Services Buildings
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4-201 Purpose
Essential services buildings constructed pursuant to these rules and regulations shall be designed and constructed to resist gravity forces, to minimize fire hazards and to resist, insofar as practical, the forces generated by winds and major earthquakes of the intensity and severity of the strongest anticipated at the building site without catastrophic collapse, but may experience some repairable architectural or structural damage. An essential services building as designed and constructed shall be capable of providing essential services to the public after a disaster. In addition, the equipment and other accessories that are necessary for the continued functioning of the essential services operation shall be anchored and braced to resist earthquake forces.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16001.
4-202 Scope
These regulations apply to the administrative procedures concerning the construction, reconstruction, alteration of or addition to any essential services building under the jurisdiction of a city, city and county, county (including special fire districts) or the State of California.
When the enforcement agency is the Division of the State Architect (DSA) all parts of the California Building Standards Code, as contained in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations and adopted by that agency designate the building regulations that shall apply to an essential services building. The term "essential services building" shall include all buildings, structures, appurtenances and related systems or facilities as defined in Section 4-207.
These rules and regulations establish reasonable standards and minimum requirements for the design and construction of an essential services building. An essential services building shall also be designed and constructed to conform to the regulations adopted by the California State Fire Marshal in Title 24, CCR, for the particular occupancy concerned.
When the enforcement agency is a local agency, the locally adopted editions of the model codes and the administrative regulations contained in Part 1 (Sections 4-201 through 4-222 and 4-243 through 4-249) Title 24, California Code of Regulations (CCR) designate the building regulations that shall apply to an essential services building. The term "essential services building" shall include all buildings, structures, appurtenances and related systems or facilities as defined in Section 4-207.
If the building standards and regulations adopted by the city, city and county or county agency responsible for building safety are more restrictive than those adopted in the applicable sections of Title 24, CCR, then the local building standards and regulations shall govern within its jurisdiction.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16001.
4-203 Interpretation
No regulation shall be construed to deprive the enforcing agency of its right to exercise the powers conferred upon it by law or limit the enforcing agency in such enforcement as is necessary to secure the safety of construction as required in the Essential Services Seismic Safety Act (see "Act," Section 4-207.)
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16001.
4-204 Delegation of Authority
Any powers, duties and responsibilities pursuant to carrying out the provisions of the Essential Services Buildings Seismic Safety Act for the State Architect may be delegated by the State Architect to the Chief Structural Engineer, Division of the State Architect, subject to the direction of the State Architect.
Those powers, duties and responsibilities so delegated may include the observation of the implementation and administration of the Act, the adoption in consultation with local jurisdictions of the regulations necessary for carrying out the provisions of the Act, providing advice and assistance to local jurisdictions in matters concerning the Act or these regulations and acting as an appeals agency relative to the administration of the Act.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
4-205 Application of Building Standards
Building standards are set forth in Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of Title 24, CCR, and have been adopted as a basis for the approval of plans and specifications. These regulations shall not be construed to prevent the use of higher design standards nor to restrict the use of new or innovative design or construction techniques.
Where the designer desires to use innovative design or construction techniques not addressed in these regulations, it shall be necessary to submit for review and approval information including computations, test data and recommendations covering the design in question. The Division of the State Architect or local enforcement agency must be satisfied that the degree of safety achieved is equivalent to that achieved by the standards contained in Title 24, CCR. The enforcement agency review and approval of the innovative design or construction techniques shall precede the submission of plans and specifications utilizing these techniques.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16001.
4-206 Approval of New Essential Services Buildings
Plans and specifications shall be submitted to the appropriate enforcement agency for every new owned or leased essential services building before the plans are adopted by the governing board, authority, owner, corporation or other agency proposing to construct any essential services building.
Before any agency may convert an existing building into an essential services building, that agency shall submit plans and specifications for the alteration of the building to the appropriate enforcement agency for approval. The plans shall provide for the alterations necessary for compliance with the requirements of these rules and regulations.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Section 16011.
4-207 Definitions
The words defined in this section shall have the meaning stated therein throughout the rules and regulations contained in Part 1 (Administrative), Title 24, CCR.
ACT shall mean the Essential Services Buildings Seismic Safety Act of 1986, Sections 16000-16023, inclusive, of the Health and Safety Code.
ADDITION shall mean an increase in floor area or volume of enclosed space that is physically attached to an existing building by connections that are required for transmitting vertical or horizontal loads between the addition and the existing structure. The area exemption in Section 16010 of the Act does not apply to additions to essential services buildings when the total area of the existing building and the addition exceeds 2,000 square feet. An "addition" that is not required to be physically attached either for its own support or for support of the existing building shall be separated as required by Part 2, Title 24, CCR, and shall be deemed to be the construction of a new essential services building.
ALTERATION shall mean changes within an existing building as defined in Part 2, Title 24, CCR. Alterations to existing essential services buildings shall conform to the requirements of Title 24, CCR. Major alterations will be permitted, provided the entire essential services building as modified, including the structural alterations or additions, conforms to the requirements of Title 24, CCR, if the area of the existing building, including additions, exceeds 2,000 square feet.
APPROVED PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS shall mean plans, specifications, addenda and construction change documents that have been duly approved by the appropriate enforcement agency pursuant to Sections 16013 and 16016 of the Health and Safety Code and that are identified by a stamp bearing the name of the enforcement agency, the identification number, the date and the signature of the qualified reviewer as required in Section 16011 of the Act.
COMPLYING BUILDING shall mean a building that has been constructed or reconstructed in accordance with these rules and regulations.
CONSTRUCTION CHANGE DOCUMENT shall mean a construction document submitted by the responsible project architect or registered engineer and approved by DSA depicting a change to the approved plans and/or specifications after the construction contract has been let.
DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT, or DIVISION or the initials DSA shall mean the Division of the State Architect in the Department of General Services, State of California.
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY shall mean the Division of the State Architect for state-owned or state-leased buildings and shall mean the enforcement agency of any city, county or city and county having jurisdiction over locally owned or locally leased essential services facilities.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES BUILDING means any building, or any building a portion of which is used or designed to be used as a fire station, police station, emergency operations center, California Highway Patrol office, sheriff's office or emergency communication dispatch center.
EQUIPMENT shall mean all new or replacement equipment installed in any new or existing owned or leased building that is required for the functioning of the essential services operation. The installation of such equipment shall meet the support, bracing and anchorage requirements of Title 24, CCR. The area exemption in Section 16010 of the Act does not apply to the anchorage or bracing of equipment necessary to the operation of the essential services function.
FIRE STATION shall mean any building that contains the operational facilities, fire suppression, alarm and communications equipment necessary to respond to fire emergencies.
MAINTENANCE shall mean and include ordinary upkeep or repair work such as replacement in kind, repainting, replastering and reroofing.
NEW ESSENTIAL SERVICES BUILDING shall mean any newly erected essential services building or any existing building converted to essential services use subsequent to the effective date of the Act regardless of whether the building is owned or leased by the public agency. Existing buildings housing essential services facilities owned or leased by the state, a city, a city and county or a county prior to the effective date of the Act are exempt from these regulations. When a portion of a building is to be utilized for an essential services operation, the area so utilized and the utilities systems and components servicing the area shall be constructed according to these rules and regulations and shall be separated or protected from damage due to failures of other portions of the structure to the extent determined by the enforcement agency to insure continued functioning after an earthquake or other disaster. Ancillary buildings and facilities related to the essential services building function may be exempt from these regulations if the enforcement agency determines that such buildings and facilities are not necessary to the functioning of the essential services operation after an earthquake or other disaster.
NONSTRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS shall mean only such alterations that do not affect the safety of the essential services building and do not change, in any manner, its structural elements.
OWNER for the purposes of these regulations shall mean the public agency responsible for the essential services functions performed under its authority within an essential services building. The owner is responsible for applying for and obtaining the approvals and certifications required by these regulations.
PLANS as used in these regulations shall mean the drawings associated with the project such as, but not limited to, vicinity maps, site plans, foundation plans, floor plans, ceiling plans, roof plans, cross-sections, interior elevations, exterior elevations and details that are used in conjunction with the project specifications and that are necessary to accomplish construction in conformance with the requirements of the Act.
POLICE STATION shall mean any building that contains the operational facilities and the alarm and communications equipment necessary to respond to police emergencies. This definition shall include the offices of local police departments, county sheriffs, California Highway Patrol and all offices necessary to the functioning of the essential services operation after an earthquake or other disaster.
PROJECT INSPECTOR shall mean any individual duly approved by the enforcement agency as the on-site inspector for a particular project. The project inspector shall be employed and paid by the owner and shall act under the general direction of the architect or registered engineer in general responsible charge of the project and under the supervision of the enforcement agency. The project inspector shall be responsible for inspecting all work included in the construction contract, except for work that must be inspected by an approved special inspector. (See Section 4-211 (c) for special inspection.)
RECONSTRUCTION is the repair of damage to an existing complying essential services building or an alteration of an existing noncomplying building to bring it into conformance with the safety standards established by these regulations for essential services buildings.
REGISTERED ENGINEER as used in these regulations shall mean a structural engineer, civil engineer, mechanical engineer or electrical engineer holding a valid certificate under Chapter 7, Division 3, of the California Business and Professions Code.
SPECIFICATIONS as used in these regulations shall mean the written document that is used in conjunction with the project plans to establish the job conditions, the quality and quantity of construction materials used in the project and the quality of workmanship required to accomplish the construction in conformance with the provisions of the Act.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Sections 16003, 16011, 16018 and 16019.
4-208 Application for Approval of Drawings and Specifications
- Before adopting plans and specifications, the agency responsible for the essential services function shall submit an application to the appropriate enforcing agency for written approval of said plans and specifications except where the new construction is a Type V or Type II-B one-story structure that contains 2000 square feet or less of floor area and is not located in a special studies zone as defined in Section 2622 of the Public Resources Code.
- An architect, structural engineer or civil engineer may act as the agent for the essential services agency when filing the application for approval of plans and specifications.
Authority: Health and Safety Code Section 16022.
Reference: Health and Safety Code Sections 16010, 16011 and 16015.
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of the California Code of Regulations and adopted by that agency designate the building regulations that shall apply to an essential services building. The term ...
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