Section 403 High-Rise Buildings and Group I-2 Occupancies Having Occupied Floors Located More Than 75 Feet Above the Lowest Level of Fire Department Vehicle Access

New high-rise buildings and new Group I-2 occupancies having occupied floors located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access shall comply with Sections 403.2 through 403.7.

Exception: The provisions of Sections 403.2 through 403.7 shall not apply to the following buildings and structures:

1. Airport traffic control towers in accordance with Section 412.3.
2. Open parking garages in accordance with Section 406.5.
3. The portion of a building containing a Group A-5 occupancy in accordance with Section 303.6.
4. Special industrial occupancies in accordance with Section 503.1.1.
5. Buildings such as power plants, lookout towers, steeples, grain houses and similar structures with noncontinuous human occupancy, when so determined by the enforcing agency.

For existing high-rise buildings and for existing Group R occupancies, see California Fire Code Chapter 11 and California Existing Building Code.

For the purpose of this section, in determining the level from which the highest occupied floor is to be measured, the enforcing agency should exercise reasonable judgment, including consideration of overall accessibility to the building by fire department personnel and vehicular equipment. When a building is located on sloping terrain and there is building access on more than one level, the enforcing agency may select the level that provides the most logical and adequate fire department access.

The following terms are defined in Chapter 2.

HIGH-RISE BUILDING.

HIGH-RISE BUILDING ACCESS.

NEW HIGH-RISE BUILDING.

The fire-resistance-rating reductions listed in Sections 403.2.1.1 and 403.2.1.2 shall be allowed in buildings that have sprinkler control valves equipped with supervisory initiating devices and water-flow initiating devices for each floor.

Exception: Buildings, or portions of buildings, classified as a Group H-1, H-2 or H-3 occupancy.

The following reductions in the minimum fire-resistance rating of the building elements in Table 601 shall be permitted as follows:

1. For buildings not greater than 420 feet (128 000 mm) in building height, the fire-resistance rating of the building elements in Type IA construction shall be permitted to be reduced to the minimum fire-resistance ratings for the building elements in Type IB.

   Exception: The required fire-resistance rating of the primary structural frame shall not be permitted to be reduced.

2. In other than Group F-1, M and S-1 occupancies, the fire-resistance rating of the building elements in Type IB construction shall be permitted to be reduced to the fire-resistance ratings in Type IIA.

   Exception: The required fire-resistance rating of the primary structural frame shall not be permitted to be reduced.

3. The building height and building area limitations of a building containing building elements with reduced fire-resistance ratings shall be permitted to be the same as the building without such reductions.

The face of the wall assemblies making up the enclosures for interior exit stairways and elevator hoistway enclosures that are not exposed to the interior of the enclosures for interior exit stairways or elevator hoistway enclosure shall be constructed in accordance with one of the following methods:

1. The wall assembly shall incorporate no fewer than two layers of impact-resistant construction board each of which meets or exceeds Hard Body Impact Classification Level 2 as measured by the test method described in ASTM C1629/C1629M.
2. The wall assembly shall incorporate no fewer than one layer of impact-resistant construction material that meets or exceeds Hard Body Impact Classification Level 3 as measured by the test method described in ASTM C1629/C1629M.
3. The wall assembly incorporates multiple layers of any material, tested in tandem, that meets or exceeds Hard Body Impact Classification Level 3 as measured by the test method described in ASTM C1629/C1629M.

The bond strength of the SFRM installed throughout the building shall be in accordance with Table 403.2.4.

Buildings and structures shall be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 and a secondary water supply where required by Section 403.3.3. A sprinkler water-flow alarm-initiating device and a control valve with a supervisory signal-initiating device shall be provided at the lateral connection to the riser for each floor.

Exception: An automatic sprinkler system shall not be required in open parking garages in accordance with Section 406.5.

In buildings having an occupied floor that are more than 120 feet (36 576 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, required fire pumps shall be supplied by connections to no fewer than two water mains located in different streets. Separate supply piping shall be provided between each connection to the water main and the pumps. Each connection and the supply piping between the connection and the pumps shall be sized to supply the flow and pressure required for the pumps to operate.

Exception: Two connections to the same main shall be permitted provided the main is valved such that an interruption can be isolated so that the water supply will continue without interruption through no fewer than one of the connections.

Redundant fire pump systems shall be required for high-rise buildings having an occupied floor more than 200 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. Each fire pump system shall be capable of automatically supplying the required demand for the automatic sprinkler and standpipe systems.

See Section 913.6.

All portions of high-rise buildings shall be provided with a smoke control system in accordance with Section 909

If the standby or emergency power system includes a generator set inside a building, the system shall be located in a separate room enclosed with 2-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. System supervision with manual start and transfer features shall be provided at the fire command center.

Exception: In Group I-2, manual start and transfer features for the critical branch of the emergency power are not required to be provided at the fire command center.

The following are classified as standby power loads:

1. Power and lighting for the fire command center required by Section 403.4.6.
2. Ventilation and automatic fire detection equipment for smokeproof enclosures.
3. Elevators.
4. Where elevators are provided in a high-rise building for accessible means of egress, fire service access or occupant self-evacuation, the standby power system shall also comply with Sections 1009.4, 3007 or 3008, as applicable.

The following are classified as emergency power loads:

1. Exit signs and means of egress illumination required by Chapter 10.
2. Elevator car lighting.
3. Emergency voice/alarm communications systems.
4. Automatic fire detection systems.
5. Fire alarm systems.
6. Electrically powered fire pumps.

For buildings other than Group R-2 that are more than 420 feet (128 000 mm) in building height, one additional interior exit stairway meeting the requirements of Sections 1011 and 1023 shall be provided in addition to the minimum number of exits required by Section 1006.3. The total width of any combination of remaining interior exit stairways with one interior exit stairway removed shall be not less than the total width required by Section 1005.1. Scissor stairways shall not be considered the additional interior exit stairway required by this section.

Exception: An additional interior exit stairway shall not be required to be installed in buildings having elevators used for occupant self-evacuation in accordance with Section 3008.

Every exit enclosure in high-rise buildings shall comply with Sections 909.20 and 1023.11. Every required interior exit stairway in Group I-2 occupancies serving floors more than 75 feet (22 860 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access shall be a smokeproof enclosure in accordance with Sections 909.20 and 1023.11.

Exception: In high-rise buildings, exit enclosures serving three or less adjacent floors where one of the adjacent floors is the level of exit discharge.

Elevator installation and operation in high-rise buildings shall comply with Chapter 30 and Sections 403.6.1 and 403.6.2.

Enclosed elevator lobbies shall be provided in accordance with Section 3006. Exceptions 2. 3, 4, and 5 of 3006.3 shall only be permitted where approved by the Fire Chief in accordance with Section 1.11.2.1.1 or in accordance with Section 1.11.2.1.2 for all state-owned buildings, state-occupied buildings, and state institutions throughout the state.

For existing high-rise buildings, see California Fire Code Chapter 11 and California Existing Building Code.