Fire walls are the most robust form of fire-rated assemblies in the Building Code and have strict rules for their construction and continuity. In Seattle, fire walls are being used more frequently for a variety of reasons, including: Fire walls are required for compartmentalization when building 6 stories of wood construction using the Seattle amendment to promote more affordable housing (SBC 510.10); and Fire walls are used to subdivide a building into separate “buildings,” either to change the occupancy designation or to separate new construction from existing.
New Risk Category Occupant Load Calculations Code Interpretation
On February 27, 2020, SDCI issued a code interpretation of Seattle Building Code section 1604.5, Risk Category Occupant Load Calculations. This code interpretation will help applicants calculate the building occupant load to determine the building’s risk category. The code interpretation allows a reduction in gross area for certain occupancy groups. It allows for some areas to be excluded from the calculation based on non-simultaneous occupancy. A code modification is required to use this code interpretation.
January Publication Updates
We updated a Tip on code interpretation appeals and developed a draft Directors Rule on RRIO inspection selection methods.
