STANDARD

MAY 2004
the electronic IN THIS ISSUE:
TEXT IN RED is a LINK.
u Plumbing and Engineering
THE BUILDING CODES & STANDARDS DIVISION WEBSITE NEWSLETTER
Program Plan Review Req.
u ALERT: Update for
Minnesota Department of Health Mechanical Bond Holders

Plumbing and Engineering Program u Seminar Updates

u Code Admin Services
Plan Review Requirement u Q & A:
- Product Approval
The MDH reviews proposed plumbing projects to ensure compliance with the
Minnesota Plumbing Code (Minnesota Rules Chapter 4715). This review applies
- Interior air barriers and
to plans for modification or installation of plumbing systems that serve the public, spray-applied foam
except where plans are submitted to either a city of the first class (Minneapolis, insulation
St. Paul, or Duluth), or where a city has a plan review agreement with the - Joints in the firewalls of
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), as described on the MDH website: http:// garages or dwellings
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/plumbing/planrev. Plan review includes all interior u New Building Official List
plumbing, building sewer and water service connections and storm water drainage
systems within the property line.
u Composite Lumber Info
u Survey & Email Request
Plumbing plans must be submitted and reviewed on all plumbing systems that
serve the public. This includes, but is not limited to, restaurants, grocery stores,
department stores, offices, warehouses, churches, assisted living facilities, and Glass panels on the surface of the
housing with 5 units or more (excluding townhomes). Metro Square Building, where the
Building Codes and Standards Division
The Minnesota Department of Health, Environmental Health Division, Plumbing office is located, were shattered on
and Engineering Unit will begin charging fees for plan review of proposed plumbing Sunday, May 9th. Many downtown
projects. The new fee structure became effective on November 1, 2003. The St Paul buildings were damaged from
Department previously did not charge a fee for this service. The MDH fees do not winds clocked at 70 mph. Fortunately
apply where plans are submitted to either a city of the first class (Minneapolis, St. no one was injured.
Paul, or Duluth), or where a city has a plan review agreement with the Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH), as described on the MDH website. The MDH fees do
not affect any local government authority or permit requirements. These fees are
required by Minnesota Statute 326.42.
Plans submitted should include proposed interior plumbing, building sewer and
water service connections within the property line, and storm water drainage
systems. Some of the specific items that MDH looks for in the review are adequate
pipe sizing, proper pipe connections, approved materials, fixture specifications,
and backflow prevention devices. Complete plan approval must be given before
installation of any portion of the plumbing system may begin. The following items
are linked to documents:
• Plumbing Plan Review Application (pdf)
• Fee Calculator
• Fact Sheet and Fee Schedule for Plumbing Review (pdf)

BUILDING CODES & State Fair 2004

STANDARDS DIVISION Check the Schedule and
408 METRO SQUARE BUILDING 121 7TH PLACE EAST • ST. PAUL MN 55101
Sign up Now.
651.296.4639 • FAX: 651.297.1973 • TTY: (1-800) 627.3529
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1
ATTENTION: Code Administration Services
Mechanical Bond Holders Building code representatives from the Building Codes
and Standards, Code Administrative Services Section
Mechanical bonds that have been
are visiting all jurisdictions in the State of Minnesota
issued by the State of Minnesota
evaluating the administrative provisions of the State
will begin to expire on July 1st 2004.
Mechanical bonds expire annually on Building Code.
the date of your original bond. The purpose of their visit is to ascertain the effective-
ness of the building department’s administration of the
Reminders will be mailed prior to code by evaluating the entire permit process, identify
the bond policy expiration date areas of concern and help implement changes that
and will contain the requirements are required.
for continuation of your bond. This
reminder will be the only one you will The Bond List is posted This service is intended to provide resources to the
receive. Failure to renew your on the website. building official to carry out the full parameters of code
bond will result in your company enforcement. The evaluation process includes:
being deleted from our database and website. u Evaluating the effectiveness of the building
departments administration of the code by evaluating
Greg Karow, greg.karow@state.mn.us is the contact the entire permit process.
for questions regarding the mechanical bond.
u Identifying areas of concern and assistance to
implement change.

BCSD Seminar Update u Providing resources to the Building Official to carry

out the full parameters of the code.
The rest of the Spring Seminar classes are closed for
In addition, the Code Administration Services Section
regristration and the Manufactured Homes seminar is
provides municpalities with disaster preparedness
completed. However, dates and locations have been set for
the Fall Seminars: information and technical assistance, when requested,
September 22 - Maplewood at the time of a disaster. Disaster mitigation begins
September 29 - Rochester with planning and the use of building codes to
October 6 - St Paul construct safe buildings long before a disaster strikes.
October 13 - St Cloud
“The process of going over operational procedures and
October 20 - Burnsville
presenting a written report to each Building Official is
October 27 - Duluth
essential in developing and maintaining good building permit
November 3 - Plymouth
departments in municipalities.”
November 10 - Detroit Lakes
Fred Driver, Code Administration and Information Services Supervisor.
November 17 - Brooklyn Center
November 18 - Burnsville
November 24 - North Mankato
December 1 - Maplewood
FUTURE ON-LINE REGISTRATION
BCSD Education and Computer staff are developing
a web-based on-line registration program. Be sure to
provide us with a current email address and phone
number to receive future registration notices. You may
provide us up to three different email addresses - some Municipalities are provided
customers find it helpful to receive notices at their work and with a Code Admin manual
off-site computers (laptops, home). Our emails are very as part of the evaluation
short and we rarely include attachments. Send your email process.
address, phone number (to be used if there is a problem Building Department

with the email address) to jane.schmidley@state.mn.us.

JURISDICTION

Disaster placards
PHONE

Employer and job title are optional. LIMITED ENTRY

provided as
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
THIS STRUCTURE IS

For information about BCSD education seminars and part of disaster UNINHABITABLE
certification, go to www.buildingcodes.admin.state.mn.us preparedness
ADDRESS

INSPECTOR DATE

2
Education and Technical Opinions. planning.
BUILDING OCCUPANCY CLASS AND DESCRIPTION

CONTACT BUILDING DEPARTMENT BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY WORK

(SEE INSPECTION REPORT)

DO NOT REMOVE THIS PLACARD UNTIL AUTHORIZED BY GOVERNING AUTHORITY

YELLOW
Q&A BCSD receives phone calls regarding a wide range of building code questions.
Although each situation is different, some merit publication in this Q&A column.
Q: Does the Building Codes and Standards Division
publish lists of products that it has approved to
meet certain building code provisions?
A: No. The Building Codes and Standards Division does
not approve products. However, we do direct Building
Officials to industry resources that produce evaluation
reports or third party testing. (example on page 5)
A number of questions have been asked regarding interior
air barriers and spray-applied foam insulation. The
questions relate to the Minnesota Energy Code and merit a
brief review of some code definitions:
According to the Minnesota Energy Code (section
7672.0500 and 7672.0600):
Interior Air Barrier - “A material or combination of
materials which are durable and installed at the warm
side of the building envelope and continuously sealed
to resist the passage of air and airborne moisture
from a conditioned space into the building envelope.
Acceptable air barrier materials include supported four
mil polyethylene, gypsum board, wood products, rigid
insulation, plastic, metal, sealed concrete products, and
any air impermeable material that qualifies as a draft stop,
fire stop, or fire block.”
Interior Air Barrier (envelope criteria) - “A sealed,
continuous interior air barrier must be installed on the warm
side of the building envelope to resist air leakage and
movement of moisture into the building envelope to resist
air leakage and movement of moisture into the building
envelope at ceilings, walls, and floor rim joist areas.”
Thermal insulation - “Thermal insulation must be installed
in ceilings and walls in a permanent manner and in
substantial contact with the interior air barrier.”
Q: Could a spray-applied foam insulation be
considered a “interior air barrier” material?
A: Yes.
Q: Does a spray-applied foam insulation need to fill the
entire thickness of a stud wall cavity?
A: It only needs to be as thick as the required R-value of
the calculations of that wall. It may only fill half the stud
cavity if it meets the R-value.
Q: If this spray-applied foam insulation in the stud
cavity only fills half the thickness, what about
Be sure to check What’s New
at least once a week:
www.buildingcodes.admin.state.mn.us
the provision for “in substantial contact with the
interior air barrier” requirement?
A: The interior surface of the spray-applied foam is the
interior air barrier already. The balance of the cavity can
be left uninsulated.
Q: If this spray-applied foam insulation only fills half
the thickness of the stud cavity, do the penetrations
in the wall, such as for electrical receptacle boxes,
require any additional sealing at the gypsum
board?
A: No. The spray-applied foam already serves as the
sealed interior air barrier.
Q: Could the spray-applied foam insulation also serve
as the vapor retarder?
A: Only if it meets the definition of vapor retarder. “A
material or assembly to impede water vapor passage
designed to meet a maximum permeability rating of 1.0
grain per hour per square foot per inch Hg pressure
differential (in English, a perm rating less than 1.0).
Q: If the particular spray-applied foam insulation does
not meet the vapor retarder requirement, could
a vapor retarder be applied to the inside face of
the stud wall, even though there is an air space
between the foam and the interior face of the stud
wall?
A: Yes. Could that vapor retarder be in the form of a
primer/paint on the gypsum board? Yes, if the particular
primer/paint is tested/listed as a vapor retarder
(certainly supply the technical data to the local building
official for approval prior to application).
For additional information, feel free to contact:
peter.kulczyk@state.mn.us (BCSD)
don.sivigny@state.mn.us (BCSD)
bruce.nelson@state.mn.us (Energy division)
phil.smith@state.mn.us (Energy division)
DISCLAIMER: BCSD does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external
Internet addresses and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy,
timeliness, or correct sequencing of information located at such addresses. Use of any
information obtained from such addresses is voluntary, and reliance on it should only
be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy,
and timeliness. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or
service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not
constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by BCSD.
Recent updates:
Rules Section
u Final Draft of rule adopting 2000
3
International Mechanical Code and 2000
International Fuel Gas Code
Q&A BCSD receives phone calls regarding a wide range of building code questions.
Although each situation is different, some merit publication in this Q&A column.
If you have a question, use the Request Form on the BCSD website.

Q: What, if any, treatment is required for the joints in Q: Does the code require that all joints need to be
the firewalls of attached garages? on framing members?
A: No.
A: The answer for this question is multi-part and it merits
a brief review of some code history before being Q: How tight should the butt joints in the drywall
answered. be?
In the 1997 Uniform Building Code, in section 302.4, it A: The code is very silent on this. In IRC section
stated: R702.3, “Gypsum Board” references 13 ASTM
“...the separation may be limited to the installation standards, but none of those standards references
of materials approved for one-hour fire-resistive joint treatment. The code also does not reference
construction on the garage side...” any documents related to fire testing of assemblies,
The language implied that you would start with a one- such as the UL directory or the Gypsum
hour listed/tested assembly, and use one side of it. Association’s Fire Resistance Design Manual.
Joint treatment was also somewhat implied. The Gypsum Construction Handbook, published by
United States Gypsum, offers some things worth
In the current code, the 2000 edition of the International noting...”Fit ends and edges closely but do not
Residential Code (IRC), in section R309.2, it states: force boards into place.” ... Gypsum panel ends
“The garage shall be separated from the residence should be loosely butted together. Ends should
and its attic area by not less than 1/2 inch gypsum be separated slightly and not touching.”
board applied to the garage side.” In section R702.3, As far as the idea of “mudding” and “taping,” proper
“Gypsum Board,” and section R702.3.5, “Application,” installation of the gypsum board (without gaps and
it states “Gypsum board shall be applied at right angles holes) was more important that any mudding/taping.
or parallel to framing members. All edges and ends Mudding and taping would also prevent the inspector
of gypsum board shall occur on the framing members, from actually seeing if the gypsum board actually had
except those edges and ends that are perpendicular to enough fasteners, almost preferring that no mud or tape
the framing members.” be on the wall (or ceiling). This way you could really tell
Although somewhat less restrictive than the 1997 if they did a good job without hiding all of the bad spots.
Uniform Building Code, this language is almost word for
word exactly the same as the wording in the CABO One For additional information, feel free to contact:
and Two Family Dwelling Code (checked back to the peter.kulczyk@state.mn.us (BCSD)
1979 edition). This language implies that not all of the
joints in the drywall will need to fall on a framing member.
DISCLAIMER: BCSD does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy,
timeliness, or correct sequencing of information located at such addresses. Use of any information obtained from such addresses is voluntary, and reliance on it should
only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process,
or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by BCSD.

NON-BCSD TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

NOTE: If you are interested in obtaining C.E.U.s for any non-BCSD seminar, be sure to contact the BCSD
Education staff before participating: Rich Lockrem at rich.lockrem@state.mn.us, 651-205-4803, or Greg
Karow at greg.karow@state.mn.us, 651-205-4562.

Multi-Hazard Building Design The Multihazard Building Design Summer Institute (MBDSI)
was developed by FEMA in 1973. The Institute is designed
Summer Institute 2004 to provide instructional tools to support engineering and
Multiple sessions offered: July 19 - 29 architectural professors in conducting building design
National Emergency Training Center (NETC) courses. Sessions will address state-of-the-art design
Emmitsbury, MD (10 miles from Gettysburg, PA) research and applications to protect buildings against
Courses are FREE various hazards. There will be no charge for registration,
For engineeering an darchitectural faculty: tuition, or text books. Partial funding for travel expenses
- Flood Mitigation Design will be available to most participants. All reimbursements
will be made according to the government travel

4
- Wind Mitigation Design
- Fire Safe Design standards. Campus housing will be provided at no
- Topics in Performance Based Earthquake Engineering cost to most participants. http://www.usfa.fema.gov
Committee Reports Congrats To the recently designated
municipal Building Officials:

• Elroy Theis – Cold Springs

If you are interested in finding out what is
currently going on with a rules committee, • Alan Strand – Rosemount
go to our website - Rules - Committee • Jeff Fagerstrom – Fisher
Reports. Information is posted there • Jeff Fagerstrom – Warren
regarding meetings (for committees currently • Palmer Durdahl – Middleville Township
meeting), contacts for questions, and a rules • Loren Kohnen – Princeton
suggestion form. • Robert Orton – Zimmerman
• Ted Hays – Ghent
Composite Lumber Resources • Steve Horsman – Scott County

At a recent presentation for Building Officials on Building
with Code Compliant Materials, composite lumber was one
of the many products discussed. Peter Kulczyk, BCSD
Education reviewed current code and industry resources
that are available:
Composite Lumber
Current code language (paraphrased)
Deck lumber... shall require the use of an approved
species and grade of lumber, pressure preservative
treated in accordance with AWPA (American Wood and
Paper Association) C1, C2, C3, C4, C9, C15, C18, C22,
C23, C24, C28, P1, P2 or P3, or decay-resistant
heartwood of redwood, black locust, or cedars.
Deck lumber... shall meet the span requirements of
Table R503.1, “Minimum Thickness of Lumber Floor
Sheathing.” Chart IRC section R323.1
If a composite lumber, one that is at least 50 percent
wood based, is proposed to be used for decking instead
of a solid-sawn graded lumber, what concerns might the
Building Official might have? What about the product
strength, ability to resist exposure to the elements,
durability, method of attachment, flame spread, and smoke
developed rating?
The building code has no specific sections that address
composite plastic decking materials, and the Building
Official would need to consider it as an alternative material
and method. One source of information that could be
considered is the International Code Council Evaluation
Service, Inc. (www.icc-es.org). However, evaluation reports
from model code agencies must be read carefully and
reviewed with the intended use in mind.
The International Conference of Building Officials
Evaluation Service “Acceptance Criteria for Wood
Thermoplastic Composite Lumber Products,” AC 109, is
now contained in the International Code Council Evaluation
Service (ICC-ES), www.icc-es.org.
The scope of AC 109 addresses “Wood thermoplastic
composite lumber products.... to be used as a flooring,
guardrails... for exterior balconies, porches, decks, and
other walking surfaces.”... “Quality control inspections shall
be performed by an ICC ES accredited independent quality
control agency.”
Another local resource has been developed by Roger Axel
— A Plastic and Composite Decking Materials List. For
more information regarding the list, or to request a copy,
contact Roger:
Roger Axel, C.B.O.
Building Official
City of New Hope, MN 55428
Office: 763-531-5122
Fax: 763-531-5136
Email: raxel@ci.new-hope.mn.us
According to Roger Axel, the list he developed is a starting
point for determining acceptance of plastic and composite
decking materials by local building officials.
Roger states that the basis for acceptance of a particular
product should be that the decking material has an
Evaluation Report recognized by one of the model codes.
The decking material must be installed according to the
conditions of use noted in the report. He explains that most
of the Evaluation Service reports reference ASTM testing
that address criterion such as:
• Nail and screw withdrawal.
• Shear, compression, and tension.
• Moisture absorption.
• Flexure and allowable deflections.
• Modulus of elasticity and rupture.
• Thermal expansion.
• Hardness.
• Abrasion resistance.
• Accelerated weathering.
Roger encourages code officials to notify him of any new
decking products that they come across during plan review
or field inspections. He is planning on updating the list on a
quarterly basis.
Job Hunting?
Go to Department of Employee Relations:
http://www.doer.state.mn.us5
 Request for Email Notification
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