Chapter 1 Making Buildings

Front 1

building code

Back 1

A set of legal restrictions intended to assure a minimum standard of health and safety in buildings.

Front 2

model building code

Back 2

A code that is offered by a recognized national organization as worthy of adoption by state or local governments.

Front 3

National Building Code of Canada

Back 3

A separate model building code published by Canada.

Front 4

International Building Code (IBC)

Back 4

The first unified code in U.S. history, first published in March 2000.

Front 5

Uniform Building Code (UBC)

Back 5

One of the 3 earlier model codes adopted in the western United States and parts of the Midwest.

Front 6

BOCA National Building Code (BOCA)

Back 6

One of the 3 earlier model codes adopted in the East and other areas of the Midwest.

Front 7

Standard Building Code (SBC)

Back 7

One of the 3 earlier model codes adopted by many southern and southeastern states.

Front 8

occupancy group

Back 8

Groups defined by the International Building Code that divide different types of buildings into groups. The purpose of these groups is to distinguish various degrees and qualities of need for safety in buildings.

Front 9

construction type

Back 9

A set of definitions of construction types that follow the definitions of occupancy groups.

Front 10

fire resistance rating

Back 10

The time, in hours or fractions of an hour, that a material or assembly will resist fire exposure as determined by ASTM E119.

Front 11

bearing wall

Back 11

A wall that supports floors or roofs.

Front 12

nonbearing wall or partition

Back 12

Not carrying a load.

Front 13

access standards

Back 13

Regulate the design of entrances, stairs, doorways, elevators, and toilet facilities to assure that they are accessible by physically handicapped members of the population.

Front 14

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Back 14

Makes accessibility to buildings a civil right of all Americans.

Front 15

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

Back 15

Controls the design of workplaces to minimize hazards to the health and safety of workers. Sets safety standards under which a building must be constructed and also has an important effect on the design of industrial and commercial buildings

Front 16

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Back 16

Establishes standard specifications for commonly used materials of construction. These specifications are accepted throughout the U.S. and are generally referred to by a number.

Front 17

Canadian Standards Association (CSA)

Back 17

Establishes standards similar to the ASTM for buildings in Canada.

Front 18

zoning ordinance

Back 18

A law that specifies in detail how land may be used in a municipality.

Front 19

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Back 19

An organization that develops standards for many industrial products, such as aluminum windows and many of the mechanical components of buildings.

Front 20

Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)

Back 20

An organization that works towards the development of technical standards and the dissemination of information with relation to their respective fields of interest.

Front 21

MasterFormat

Back 21

A standard outline for organizing information about construction materials and components. It's used as the outline for construction specifications for nearly all large construction projects in the U.S. and Canada. It also forms the basis on which trade associations' and manufacturers' technical literature is cataloged and filed.

Front 22

Construction Specifications Canada (CSC)

Back 22

The counterpart to the Construction Specifications Institute of the United States. Developed over a number of years a standard outline called MasterFormat.

Front 23

trade association

Back 23

An association of people or companies in a particular business or trade, organized to promote their common interests.

Front 24

sustainability

Back 24

Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Front 25

"green" building

Back 25

Another term for sustainability design and construction.

Front 26

Occupancy groups A-1 through A-5

Back 26

Assembly occupancies: theaters, auditoriums, lecture halls, night clubs, restaurants, houses of worship, libraries, museums, sports arenas, etc.

Front 27

Occupancy group Group B

Back 27

Business occupancies: banks, administrative offices, higher education facilities, police and fire stations, post offices, professional offices, etc.

Front 28

Occupancy group E

Back 28

Educational occupancies: schools for grades K through 12 and day care facilities.

Front 29

Occupancy group F

Back 29

Industrial buildings.

Front 30

Occupancy group H-1 through H-5

Back 30

Various types of High Hazard occupancies in which toxic, combustible, or explosive materials are present.

Front 31

Occupancy group I-1 through I-4

Back 31

Institutional occupancies in which occupants may not be able to save themselves during a fire or other emergency, such as health care and geriatric facilities and prisons.

Front 32

Occupancy group M

Back 32

Mercantile occupancies: stores, markets, service stations, and sales rooms.

Front 33

Occupancy groups R-1 through R-4

Back 33

Residential occupancies, including apartment buildings, dormitories, fraternities and sororities, hotels, one- and two-family dwellings, and assisted-living facilities.

Front 34

Occupancy group S-1 and S-2

Back 34

S-1 includes buildings for Storage of hazardous materials, and S-2, low-hazard storage.

Front 35

Occupancy group U

Back 35

Utility buildings: agricultural buildings, carports, greenhouses, sheds, stables, fences, tanks, towers, and other secondary buildings.