Use groups and hazard-related occupancies have been allocated to performance groups using the risk factors identified in Section 302.4. Specific buildings and facilities have been allocated to performance groups using the risk factors identified in Section 302.4 combined with the relative importance of protecting the building or facility to the community. These performance group allocations are shown in Table 303.1.
TABLE 303.1
PERFORMANCE GROUP CLASSIFICATIONS FOR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
| PERFORMANCE GROUP | USE AND OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATIONS FOR SPECIFIC BUILDINGS OR FACILITIES |
| I | Buildings and facilities that represent a low hazard to human life in the event of failure, including, but not limited to: 1. Agricultural facilities. 2. Certain temporary facilities. 3. Minor storage facilities. |
| II | All buildings and facilities except those listed in Performance Groups I, III and IV. |
| III | Buildings and facilities that represent a substantial hazard to human life in the event of failure, including, but not limited to: 1. Buildings and facilities where more than 300 people congregate in one area. 2. Buildings and facilities with elementary school, secondary school or day care facilities with a capacity greater than 250. 3. Buildings and facilities with a capacity greater than 500 for colleges or adult education facilities. 4. Health-care facilities with a capacity of 50 or more residents but not having surgery or emergency treatment facilities. 5. Jails and detention facilities. 6. Any other occupancy with an occupant load greater than 5,000. 7. Power-generating facilities, water treatment for potable water, wastewater treatment facilities and other public utilities facilities not included in Performance Group IV. 8. Buildings and facilities not included in Performance Group IV containing sufficient quantities of highly toxic gas or explosive materials capable of causing acutely hazardous conditions that do not extend beyond property boundaries. |
| IV | Buildings and facilities designated as essential facilities, including, but not limited to: 1. Hospitals and other health care facilities having surgery or emergency treatment facilities. 2. Fire, rescue and police stations and emergency vehicle garages. 3. Designated earthquake, hurricane or other emergency shelters. 4. Designated emergency preparedness, communication, and operation centers and other facilities required for emergency response. 5. Power-generating stations and other utilities required as emergency backup facilities for Performance Group IV buildings or facilities. 6. Buildings and facilities containing highly toxic gas or explosive materials capable of causing acutely hazardous conditions beyond the property boundaries. 7. Aviation control towers, air traffic control centers and emergency aircraft hangars. 8. Buildings and facilities having critical national defense functions. 9. Water treatment facilities required to maintain water pressure for fire suppression. 10. Ancillary structures (including, but not limited to, communication towers, fuel storage tanks or other structures housing or supporting water or other fire suppression material or equipment) required for operation of Performance Group IV structures during an emergency. |
Performance groups identify the minimum required performance of buildings or facilities through a relationship of the magnitude of an event to the maximum level of damage to be tolerated shown in Table 303.3. The use of Table 303.3 shall be an iterative process. It shall be used to determine the acceptable impact of certain events based upon their magnitude, and then used iteratively to evaluate various designed mitigation features. Assignment of performance groups is accomplished through consideration of building or facility uses, building or facility risk factors, and the importance of a building or facility to a community.
TABLE 303.3
MAXIMUM LEVEL OF DAMAGE TO BE TOLERATED BASED ON PERFORMANCE GROUPS
AND DESIGN EVENT MAGNITUDES
| INCREASING LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE | |||||
| Performance | Performance | Performance | Performance | ||
 | VERY LARGE | SEVERE | SEVERE | HIGH | MODERATE |
| LARGE | SEVERE | HIGH | MODERATE | MILD | |
| MEDIUM | HIGH | MODERATE | MILD | MILD | |
| SMALL | MODERATE | MILD | MILD | MILD | |