User note:
About this chapter: Chapter 9 provides the technical requirements for those existing buildings that undergo Level 3 alterations. The purpose of this chapter is to provide detailed requirements and provisions to identify the required improvements in the existing building elements, building spaces and building structural system. This chapter is distinguished from Chapters 7 and 8 by involving alterations that cover 50 percent or more of the aggregate area of the building. In contrast, Level 1 alterations do not involve space reconfiguration, and Level 2 alterations involve extensive space reconfiguration that does not exceed 50 percent of the building area. Depending on the nature of alteration work, its location within the building, and whether it encompasses one or more tenants, improvements and upgrades could be required for the open floor penetrations, sprinkler system or the installation of additional means of egress such as stairs or fire escapes. At times and under certain situations, this chapter also is intended to improve the safety of certain building features beyond the work area and in other parts of the building where no alteration work might be taking place.
Level 3 alterations as described in Section 604 shall comply with the requirements of this chapter.
In addition to the provisions of this chapter, work shall comply with all of the requirements of Chapters 7 and 8. The requirements of Sections 802, 803, 804 and 805 shall apply within all work areas whether or not they include exits and corridors shared by more than one tenant and regardless of the occupant load.
Exception: Buildings in which the reconfiguration of space affecting exits or shared egress access is exclusively the result of compliance with the accessibility requirements of Section 306.7.1 shall not be required to comply with this chapter.
Where a floor is served by a recirculating air or exhaust system with a capacity greater than 15,000 cubic feet per minute (701 m3/s), that system shall be equipped with approved smoke and heat detection devices installed in accordance with the International Mechanical Code.
Where there is an elevator or elevators for public use, not fewer than one elevator serving the work area shall comply with this section. Existing elevators with a travel distance of 25 feet (7620 mm) or more above or below the main floor or other level of a building and intended to serve the needs of emergency personnel for fire-fighting or rescue purposes shall be provided with emergency operation in accordance with ASME A17.3. New elevators shall be provided with Phase I emergency recall operation and Phase II emergency in-car operation in accordance with ASME A17.1/CSA B44.1.
Boiler and furnace equipment rooms adjacent to or within Group I-1, I-2, I-4, R-1, R-2 and R-4 occupancies shall be enclosed by 1-hour fire-resistance-rated construction.
Exceptions:
- Steam boiler equipment operating at pressures of 15 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) (103.4 kPa) or less is not required to be enclosed.
- Hot water boilers operating at pressures of 170 psig (1171 kPa) or less are not required to be enclosed.
- Furnace and boiler equipment with 400,000 British thermal units (Btu) (4.22 × 108 J) per hour input rating or less is not required to be enclosed.
- Furnace rooms protected with an automatic sprinkler system are not required to be enclosed.
Existing stairways that are part of the means of egress shall be enclosed in accordance with Section 802.2.1 from the highest work area floor to, and including, the level of exit discharge and all floors below.
Fire separation in Group R-3 occupancies shall be in accordance with Section 903.2.1.
Where the work area is in any attached dwelling unit in Group R-3 or any multiple single-family dwelling (townhouse), walls separating the dwelling units that are not continuous from the foundation to the underside of the roof sheathing shall be constructed to provide a continuous fire separation using construction materials consistent with the existing wall or complying with the requirements for new structures. Work shall be performed on the side of the dwelling unit wall that is part of the work area.
Exception: Where alterations or repairs do not result in the removal of wall or ceiling finishes exposing the structure, walls are not required to be continuous through concealed floor spaces.
Interior finish in exits serving the work area shall comply with Section 802.4 between the highest floor on which there is a work area to the floor of exit discharge.
In Group E occupancies, where the work area is a Level 3 alteration, enhanced classroom acoustics shall be provided in all classrooms with a volume of 20,000 cubic feet (565 m3) or less. Enhanced classroom acoustics shall comply with the reverberation time in Section 808 of ICC A117.1.
An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided in a work area where required by Section 803.2 or this section.
An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided in work areas where the high-rise building has a sufficient municipal water supply for the design and installation of an automatic sprinkler system at the site.
Rubbish and linen chutes located in the work area shall be provided with automatic sprinkler system protection or an approved automatic fire-extinguishing system where protection of the rubbish and linen chute would be required under the provisions of the International Building Code for new construction.
Work areas shall be provided with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with the International Building Code where any of the following conditions exist:
- A Group F-1 occupancy used for the manufacture of upholstered furniture or mattresses exceeds 2,500 square feet (232 m2).
- A Group M occupancy used for the display and sale of upholstered furniture or mattresses exceeds 5,000 square feet (464 m2).
- A Group S-1 occupancy used for the storage of upholstered furniture or mattresses exceeds 2,500 square feet (232 m2).
In buildings with occupancies in Groups A, B, E, F-1, H, I-1, I-3, I-4, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S-1 and S-2 work areas shall be provided with automatic sprinkler protection where all of the following conditions occur:
- The work area is required to be provided with automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with the International Building Code as applicable to new construction.
- The building site has sufficient municipal water supply for design and installation of an automatic sprinkler system.
Exception: If the building site does not have sufficient municipal water supply for design of an automatic sprinkler system, work areas shall be protected by an automatic smoke detection system throughout all occupiable spaces other than sleeping units or individual dwelling units that activates the occupant notification system in accordance with Sections 907.4, 907.5 and 907.6 of the International Building Code.
In Group I-2 occupancies, an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 of the International Fire Code shall be provided in the following:
- In Group I-2, Condition 1, throughout the work area.
- In Group I-2, Condition 2, throughout the work area where the work area is 50 percent or less of the smoke compartment.
- In Group I-2, Condition 2, throughout the smoke compartment in which the work occurs where the work area exceeds 50 percent of the smoke compartment.
Work located in a windowless story, as determined in accordance with the International Building Code, shall be sprinklered where the work area is required to be sprinklered under the provisions of the International Building Code for newly constructed buildings and the building site has a sufficient municipal water supply for the design and installation of an automatic sprinkler system.
In buildings and areas listed in Table 903.2.11.6 of the International Building Code, work areas shall be provided with an automatic sprinkler system under the following conditions:
- The work area is required to be provided with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with the International Building Code applicable to new construction.
- The building site has sufficient municipal water supply for design and installation of an automatic sprinkler system.
Fire alarm and detection shall be provided in accordance with Section 907 of the International Building Code as required for new construction.
Where required by the International Building Code, a manual fire alarm system shall be provided throughout the work area. Alarm notification appliances shall be provided on such floors and shall be automatically activated as required by the International Building Code.
Exceptions:
- Alarm-initiating and notification appliances shall not be required to be installed in tenant spaces outside of the work area.
- Visual alarm notification appliances are not required, except where an existing alarm system is upgraded or replaced or where a new fire alarm system is installed.
Where required by the International Building Code for new buildings, automatic fire detection systems shall be provided throughout the work area.
The means of egress shall comply with the requirements of Section 804 except as specifically required in Sections 905.2 and 905.3.
Means of egress from the highest work area floor to the floor of exit discharge shall be provided with artificial lighting within the exit enclosure in accordance with the requirements of the International Building Code.
Means of egress from the highest work area floor to the floor of exit discharge shall be provided with exit signs in accordance with the requirements of the International Building Code.
In buildings with elevator service, a two-way communication system shall be provided where required by Section 1009.8 of the International Building Code.
Where buildings are undergoing Level 3 alterations, the provisions of this section shall apply.
Where work involves a substantial structural alteration, the lateral load-resisting system of the altered building shall be shown to satisfy the requirements of Sections 1609 and 1613 of the International Building Code. Reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
Exceptions:
- Buildings of Group R occupancy with not more than five dwelling or sleeping units used solely for residential purposes that are altered based on the conventional light-frame construction methods of the International Building Code or in compliance with the provisions of the International Residential Code.
- Where the intended alteration involves only the lowest story of a building, only the lateral load resisting components in and below that story need comply with this section.
Where the building is assigned to Seismic Design Category F, the structure of the altered building shall meet the requirements of Sections 1609 and 1613 of the International Building Code. Reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
For any building assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F with a structural system that includes concrete or reinforced masonry walls with a flexible roof diaphragm, the alteration work shall include installation of wall anchors at the roof line of all subject buildings and at the floor lines of unreinforced masonry buildings unless an evaluation demonstrates compliance of existing wall anchorage. Reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
For any building assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F with a structural system that includes unreinforced masonry bearing walls, the alteration work shall include installation of wall anchors at the roof line, unless an evaluation demonstrates compliance of existing wall anchorage. Reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
Parapets constructed of unreinforced masonry in buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F shall have bracing installed as needed to resist the reduced International Building Code-level seismic forces in accordance with Section 304.3, unless an evaluation demonstrates compliance of such items. Use of reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
Where the building is assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F, unreinforced masonry partitions and nonstructural walls within the work area and adjacent to egress paths from the work area shall be anchored, removed, or altered to resist out-of-plane seismic forces, unless an evaluation demonstrates compliance of such items. Use of reduced seismic forces shall be permitted.
Level 3 alterations to existing buildings or structures are permitted without requiring the entire building or structure to comply with the energy requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code or International Residential Code. The alterations shall conform to the energy requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code or International Residential Code as they relate to new construction only.