Bldg Pre App MF-TH Park 212.doc
City of Edmonds
PRE-APPLICATION COMMENTS
BUILDING DIVISION
DATE November 16, 2008
STAFF: Leif Bjorback, Assistant Building Official
RE: Project: Park 212 Apartments
20 new Townhouses
One new 24 unit Multifamily building
A preliminary review was done with the pre-application materials provided and we have the
following comments. Floor plans were not provided, so occupancies and exiting could not be
reviewed. For purposes of this review, the townhouses are assumed to be designed under the IRC
and the multifamily building under the IBC.
1) Codes in effect at the time of this meeting:
a) 2006 International Building Code (including Accessibility) with State Amendments
b) 2006 International Residential Code with State Amendments
c) 2006 International Mechanical Code (including International Fuel Gas Code) with State
Amendments
d) 2006 International Fire Code with State Amendments
e) 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code with State Amendments
f) 2006 Washington State Energy Code (WAC 51-11)
g) 2006 Washington State Ventilation Indoor Air Quality Code (WAC 51-13)
h) Edmonds Community Development Code
2) Basic Design Loads specific to Edmonds
a) Snow load 25 psf – nonreducible
b) Seismic design category D2 (IRC); DD2 (IBC)
c) Wind speed 85 mph, 3 sec gust
d) Wind exposure most likely B for this location
3) List all deferred submittals on the cover sheet of the plans. The City prefers that mechanical and
plumbing plans be included with and issued with the main building permit to help avoid any
construction delays, however they can be deferred. Other common deferred items are fire
sprinkler, fire alarm, signs, side sewer, water meter, shop drawings, State electrical, State
elevator, etc.
4) A soils report is required for this project. See Handout B18.
5) Separate building permits will be required for each building.
6) All occupancy groups are to be listed on the plans.
7) An automatic sprinkler system is required for all buildings. (Standard NFPA-13).
8)7) See Fire Marshal’s comments for fire alarm and automatic sprinkler system requirements.
Building Division Pre-application Comments 1
Formatted: Not Highlight
Formatted: Not Highlight
9)8) For site retaining walls, provide engineered retaining wall details and calculations, and take
into account possible surcharges from adjacent buildings, driveways, parking areas, etc.
10)9) Provide a plan showing how temporary cuts will be treated, whether with shoring or grading
at a 1:1 slope with geotech approval. If shoring will be required, the shoring design and
calculations will require peer review at full cost to the applicant. Coordination must be made
between all design professionals for the shoring design.
11)10) Provide Residential Energy Code compliance forms for each building. These forms are
available on the following websites: http://www.neec.net/documents and
http://www.energy.wsu.edu/code
12)11) Contact Steve Fisher, Recycling Coordinator, at 425-771-0235 regarding dumpster
enclosure location and size.
13)12) Contact Linda McMurphy, Cross-connection Control Specialist, at 425-771-0235
regarding premise isolation requirements to protect the public water system.
14)13) Plans must be stamped by a State licensed Architect or Professional Engineer, including
structural plans and calculations.
15) Statement of Special Inspections and Special Inspection Agreement Form?
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS SPECIFIC TO THE MULTIFAMILY BUILDING
16)14) Provide allowable area calculations on the plans. Include justification for allowable area and
height increases according to the type of construction. IBC 503, 504 and 506.
17)15) When designing exterior walls, all imaginary property lines between buildings on the same
lot must be considered and indicated on the plans. See IBC 704. Balconies, overhangs and other
projections shall conform to Section 704.
18)16) Provide occupant load calculations for each floor and the total building.
19)17) Elevator shafts must be 1-hour rated (IBC 706 & 707).
20)18) All exit enclosures must be 1-hour rated with self-closing 60 minute rated doors. (IBC 706
& 1020.1).
21)19) Dwelling units must be separated from each other with 1-hour fire-resistive assemblies and
must meet a minimum Sound Transmission Class (STC) of 50 or more. Provide copy of listed
and tested 1-hour fire rated assemblies with STC rating of 50 or more, and provide details
showing the specific requirements of the assembly on the plans.
22)20) Provide details of fire rated walls, floor-ceilings, and projections on the plans, including
the complete listed and tested fire rated assemblies and cross-reference where they apply on
the plans.
23)21) Where ducts, exhaust fans, can lights, etc. penetrate the 1-hour fire rated assemblies, show
how the rating will be maintained, such as with lined joist bays, vertical shafts, soffits, etc.,
and provide details.
24)22) All penetrations of 1-hour rated assemblies must be firestopped per IBC 712.3. 1-hour
rated putty pads must be installed on the electrical boxes, unless exception for steel electrical
boxes is used (see IBC 712.3.2).
25)23) See IBC 601 and 602 for additional fire rating requirements, such as roof-ceiling, individual
protection of structural members, etc.
26) The buildingsThebuildingThe building (each floor) must be provided with 2 exits, unless it can
meet IBC 1018.2 for Buildings With One Exit. In reviewing IBC Table 1018.2, it appears
that the current building design will exceed the maximum 50 foot travel distance.
Building Division Pre-application Comments 2
27) Assuming that 2 exits will need to be provided (per item 22 above), the common path of
egress travel cannot exceed 75 feet (see IBC 1013.1 and 1002 for definition).
28) Sleeping rooms must meet egress requirements of IBC 1025 and must open directly into a
public street, public alley, yard or court. In the case of a yard or court, the occupant must
have direct and unobstructed access to the public way. The plans must clearly show how this
will be provided for the upper floor sleeping rooms.
29)24) The building/site must be barrier free accessible including the main entrance, maneuvering
distances, parking, pedestrian access from the public street, mailboxes, etc. As an example, the
24 unit building must contain at least 2 Type A dwelling units with all other units Type B
accessible. Provide details showing compliance.
a) For Type A & B unit requirements see ICC/ANSI A117.1 sections 1003 and 1004.
b) Accessible parking stalls shall be provided for this building per IBC 1106.
30)25) This building is subject to RCW 64.55 (EHB 1848 -- see Handout #B83). For all
multifamily buildings, building enclosure documents stamped/signed by a State licensed
Architect or Engineer are required, and special inspection is required of the installation of the
building enclosure elements. Please provide a signed and stamped statement by the person
stamping the building enclosure design documents in substantially the following form: "The
undersigned has provided building enclosure documents that in my professional judgment are
appropriate to satisfy the requirements of RCW 64.55.005 through 64.55.090." RCW 64.55
can be found on the following website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS SPECIFIC TO THE TOWN HOUSE BUILDINGS
31)26) This review assumes the townhouses are to be designed under the IRC. As per IRC
R317.2, the attached dwelling units must be separated with a 2-hour fire wall or two 1-hour
walls, continuous from foundation through roof. Each dwelling unit is considered a separate
building. If the single 2-hour wall is used, it may contain no plumbing, mechanical equipment,
ducts or vents within the wall.
32)27) Where parapets are not used at party walls, the roof must be constructed according to the
exception in R317.2.2. Include all pertinent details for this construction on the drawings. There
may be no penetrations of any kind through the roof within 4 feet of party walls in this case.
33)28) Roof overhangs at party walls must be protected on the underside with 5/8 inch Type X
drywall.
34)29) Where there are 5 or more town house units connected, they must be sprinkled with an
NFPA-13 or 13R system.
35)30) Dwellings must be separated from each other by partitions with a Sound Transmission Class
(STC) rating of 50 or more. Provide listed and tested assemblies with STC rating.
36)31) For all fire rated walls, floor-ceilings, and roof-ceilings, provide listed and tested fire rated
assemblies (such as from Gypsum Fire Resistance Design Manual, UL or IBC Chapter 7
Tables). Provide the entire assembly on the plans and cross-reference where it applies on the
plans.
37)32) Townhouses may also be constructed under the IBC. If this option is used, we can discuss
the requirements.
Building Division Pre-application Comments 3
FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED ITEMS
The following is a list of frequently overlooked items that apply to many projects. They are listed
as a tool to help minimize corrections required during plan review.
General
Incomplete submittals, insufficient number of copies, plans not separated out
General coordination of all plans not done prior to permit submittal nor throughout
resubmittals (architectural, structural, landscape, civil, mechanical, plumbing, fire
sprinkler, etc.)
Overall coordination of plans with details clearly and accurately referenced throughout the
plans as to where they apply. For example, a fire rated wall must be clearly identified and
refer to a construction detail that accurately describes how the wall is to be constructed so
it meets the listed and tested assembly requirements, including insulation for sound
transmission control if applicable, and the listed and tested assembly provided.
Deferred submittals and separate permits not called out on plans
Site plan, landscape plan and civil plan not to same scale—usually a vast difference
between landscape plan and civil for parking space width, planters, patios, driveway width,
location of electrical equipment, parking spaces, etc.
Shoring plan not submitted with initial application or submitted very late in the process;
plans show shoring extending onto adjacent private property or into City RW
Energy calculations deferred to mechanical permit submittal, energy submitted late which
affects framing approval
Allowable area calculations not provided with permit application, yards on site plans not
adequately shown
Fire hydrant locations not specified at pre-application meeting
Structures that require a permit are shown on landscape plans not on architecturals
Stairs, landings, walkways, ramps, architectural projections, cantilevers, bay windows, etc.
not shown on site plans
Garage headroom to obstructions such as sprinkler heads, pipes, ducts, beams, insulation
Fire Resistive Construction
Fire ratings and locations of required occupancy separations, fire walls, horizontal
separation walls, exit passageways, corridors, exterior walls, etc not clearly specified on
floor plans and in section views
Listed and tested fire-rated assemblies not specified on plans and do not match
construction details
Listed and tested fire-rated assemblies and details showing structural frame protection
(such as for columns and beams) not provided on plans, including those within wall and
floor-ceiling assemblies
Fire-stopping details and products not specified on plans, or listed as a deferred submittal.
Fire rated corridor detail not provided
Column jacketing in parking garage to protect fire-resistive covering from damage
Building Division Pre-application Comments 4
Mechanical/Plumbing
Locations of all fire/smoke dampers not shown on mechanical plans
Routing of exhaust ducts, dryer vents, gas appliance vents, HVAC ductwork not
coordinated prior to issuance of main permit
Locations and construction details of all mechanical shafts not provided on plans
Mechanical exhaust outlet locations, especially for parking garage exhaust not shown on
floor plans, roof plans, sections and elevations (generator location not approved by ADB
and placed in setback areas)
Appropriate cross-connection control devices provided at the property line on domestic
water line, fire sprinkler line, and irrigation line.
Appropriate cross-connection control devices provided on fixtures within the building.
Exiting
General exiting configuration not submitted at pre-application meeting, creates redesign in
many cases
Exit enclosure must exit directly to the outside or to an exit passageway
Elevators not permitted to open into exit passageways, lobbies not provided when
required
Occupant load calculations not included with permit application
Accessibility
Accessible signage location and details not provided on plans
Accessible means of egress and areas of refuge not shown on plans
Length and width of accessible parking space not shown on plans
Accessible cross walk not provided with in route of travel when crossing vehicular drive
aisles
Accessible route of travel not complete nor adequately detailed on the plans. For
example, from the public way (sidewalk) to the main building entrance, from the accessible
parking space(s) to the building entrance, to mailboxes, dumpsters, and accessory
buildings, and throughout building. Detail ramps, slopes, handrails, landings, width of
path of travel, etc.
Building Division Pre-application Comments 5