Occupancy Classifications &

Codes, loads & Calculations

 Codes affected by Occupancy
Classification
• Building Areas • Fire Extinguishing
• Building Heights Systems
• Construction Types • Furniture
• Selection/Placement
Egress Capacities
• Means of Egress
• Emergency Lighting
• Occupancy Loads
• Finish
Selection/Placement • Plumbing Fixtures
• Fire Barriers • Smoke Barriers
• Fire Detection Systems • Smoke Detection
Systems
 Risk Factors
• Number of occupants
• If occupants are at rest or sleeping
• Alertness of the occupants
• Mobility of the occupants
• Familiarity of occupants with the space or
building
• Typical characteristics of the space used for a
particular activity
• Potential for spread of fire
 Occupancy Groups
• Assembly (A)
• Business (B)
• Education (E)
• Factory & Industrial (F)
• High Hazard (H)
• Institutional (I)
• Mercantile (M)
• Residential (R)
• Storage (S)
• Utility and Miscellaneous (U)
 Assembly
Large number of people (>=50)

Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA

International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
Assembly A-1 Assembly, Theatres A-A Assembly O.L. >1000
A-2 Assembly, Food or Drink A-B Assembly, O.L. =301-1000
Consumption
A-3 Assembly, Worship, A-C Assembly, O.L. = 50-300
Recreation, Amusement
A-4 Assembly, Indoor Sporting
Events
A-5 Assembly, Outdoor
Activities
 A-1 - Theatres
• Viewing of performing
arts or motion
pictures
• Stage not necessary
• Fixed seats
• Well defined Aisles
• Low light levels
• Unfamiliarity w/
building
 A-2 Assembly, Food & Drink
• Non fixed seating and
tables
• Poorly defined aisles
• Impaired alertness
• Poor fire history
A-3 Assembly, Worship, Recreation
& Amusement
• Category for those
that don’t fit
• Familiarity of
occupants with the
space or building
• Sample building types
include: Art Galleries, Bowling
lanes, community halls,
gymnasiums (without spectator
seating,) libraries, museums, pool
and billiard halls, etc.
 Spectator Seating

• A-4 Assembly Indoor

Sporting Events

• A-5 Assembly,
Outdoor Activities
 Business (B)
Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Life Safety Code and
Code NFPA 5000
Business B Business B Business

• Low Risk
• Very Broad classification
• Commonly mixed with other uses at a
less than 50 people rate
• Consider a conference room in a
office environment
• Sample building types include: Bank, City
Hall, Dentists or Doctors offices, Fire Stations, Car
Dealers, Travel Agencies, Outpatient clinics,
 Education (E)
Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000

Education E Education (including some E Education

daycare)

• Used by 6 or more people K-12

• Assembly rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias,
gymnasiums, are typically handled not
included
• Shop and lab classes are typically included
 Factory or Industrial (F) &
Hazardous (H)
Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000

Factory/Industrial F-1 Factory Industrial, Moderate I-A Industrial, General

Hazard I-B Industrial, Special Purpose
F-2 Factory Industrial, Low Hazard I-C Industrial, High Hazard

Hazardous H-1 Hazardous, Detonation Hazard (Included in Group I)

H-2 Hazardous, Deflagration Hazard
or Accelerated Burning
H-3 Hazardous, Physical or
Combustible Hazard
H-4 Hazardous, Health Hazard
H-5 Hazardous, Hazardous
Production Materials (HPM)

Other uses may shift into these categories due to

what they store
 Institutional (I)
• Where people have restrictions placed upon
them (typically medical or security based)

Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA

International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
Institutional I-1 Institutional, Supervised Personal D-I Detentional/Correctional,
Care, O.L. >16 Free Egress
I-2 Institutional, Health Care D-II Detentional/Correctional,
I-3 Institutional, Restrained Zoned Egress
I-4 Institutional, Day Care Facilities D-III Detentional/Correctional,
Zoned Impeded Egress
D-IV Detentional/Correctional,
Impeded Egress
D-V Detentional/Correctional,
Contained
H Health Care
DC Daycare
 Institutional I-1
• More than 16
people
• Occupants can
respond to
emergencies with
little to no
assistance
• Typical buildings
include: Alcohol and drug
centers, Assisted living
facilities, Convalescent
facilities, group homes,
halfway houses, etc.
 Institutional I-2
• More than 5
people
• Occupants are not
able respond to
emergencies on
their own
• Typical buildings
include: 24 Day care,
Detoxification facilities,
Hospitals, Nursing Homes,
etc.
 Institutional I-3
• More than 5
people
• Occupants are not
able respond to
emergencies on
their own due to
security measures
• Typical buildings
include: Correctional
Institutions, Detention
centers, jails, prisons, etc.
 Institutional I-4
• More than 5
people
• Less than 24 hour
basis
• Occupants are not
able respond to
emergencies on
their own
• Typical buildings
include: Adult day cares,
day care centers,
 Mercantile (M)
Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
Mercantile M Mercantile M-A Mercantile >3 levels or
>30,000 sqft
M-B Mercantile, floor above or
below grade level, or from
3,001 to 30,000 sqft

M-C Mercantile, 1 story and

<=3,000 sqft

• Most retail falls under this category

• Limited to storage amount & hazardous materials
Occupancy Classification ICC
International Building Code
Residential R-1 Residential, Transient
R-2 Residential, Multi-unit
R-3 Residential, One- and Two-
Dwelling Units
R-4 Residential, Care and
Assisted Living Facilities O.L. 6-
16
Residential (R)
NFPA
Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
R-A Residential, Hotels &
Dormitories
R-B Residential, Apartments
R-C Residential, Lodging or
Rooming Houses
R-D Residential, One- and Two-
Family Dwellings
R-E Residential, Board and
Care
• Transient – typically less
than 30 days
• Occupants are not
familiar with the
surroundings
• Typical buildings include:
Boarding houses, Hotels, Inns, Motels,
etc.

R-1 Residential
• Permanent sleeping in
buildings containing more
than two dwelling units
• Typical buildings include:
Apartments, Convents, Dormitories,
Multiple single family dwellings,
Fraternities/sororities

R-2 Residential
• Defined as not fitting in R-1 or
R-2
• Primarily single-family
residences and duplexes
• Could also be day-care
facilities with fewer than 5
people for less than 24 hours a
day
• Often covered by the
International Residential Code
(IRC)

R-3 Residential
• In lieu of Group I for
residential or
assisted living uses
from 5-16 people.

R-4 Residential
 Storage (S)
Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
Storage S-1 Storage, Moderate Hazard S Storage
S-2 Storage, Low Hazard
• Dependant upon type of hazard and quantity stored
• Assumes very few people

Utility and Miscellaneous (U)

Occupancy Classification ICC NFPA
International Building Code Life Safety Code and NFPA
5000
Utility/Miscellaneous U Utility and Miscellaneous Special Structures and High-rise
Buildings
• Unoccupied for a short time and separate from other uses
• Used sparingly and not meant to be a catch-all
• Often lots of other codes apply
Special Uses and Occupancies
•Covered Malls
•High-Rise Buildings
•Atriums
•Underground buildings
•Parking garages
Additional code requirements are based on
their configurations – not their uses
More than one occupancy type
• Hotels (Residential) with restaurants, banquet halls, or
workout rooms (Assembly or Business
• Elementary and high schools (Educational) with
gymnasiums, auditoriums, and cafeterias (Assembly)
• Office buildings (Business) with day care centers
(Educational or Institutional)
• Hospitals (Institutional) with cafeterias (Assembly)
• Factories (Industrial) combined with office headquarters
(Business)
• Malls (Mercantile) with small restaurants (Business) or
large food courts (Assembly
 Incidental Use

• Typically small
• Hazardous like
boiler rooms,
furnace rooms,
large storage rooms
• Requires a fire
separation
 Accessory Use

• 10% or less of the

total space
• Not hazardous, not
fire separated
Multiple Accessory Use
Mixed Occupancies
 IBC’s
Separated Mixed Occupancy
• Each portion treated
under its own
requirements
 IBC’s
Non-Separated Mixed Occupancy
• Treated by the most
stringent set of
requirements
 NFPA’s
Mixed Multiple Occupancy
• “Intermingled”
• Same exiting
components
 NFPA’s
Separated Multiple Occupancy
• “Intermingled”
• Same exiting
components
 Accessibility Requirements

• Assembly - % of wheelchair locations, location/size of wheelchair areas in relation

to fixed seats, access to performance areas, types of floor surfaces, possible assistive listening
systems

• Business & Mercantile – size and height checkout counters and

work surfaces, clearance and height of self-service shelves/displays, size of teller windows and
information counters, width and quantity of checkout aisles, clearance at security elements, sizes
and number of dressing rooms, type ad clearance at automatic teller machines
 Occupant
Loads
• Determines a people
count that the other
codes are based on.
• You may increase or
decrease the
occupant load
• Gross vs. Net
Occupant load =
Floor area (sqft)
/ Occupant factor
Gross vs. Net
Primary & Secondary space
Mixed or Multiple Occupancies
 Homework
From the Study Guide:
• Chapter 2 Short Answer Questions
• Chapter 2 Study Problems
• Please photocopy sheets from your study
guides – fill them out and return at the
start of class next week.
• Explanation portion is important!