Architecture

Ever wonder why the door in a 2 hour partition is 1-1/2 hour rated?  The reason is that the code assumes there will be a “lower fuel load” for a door than for a wall.  That means that there will not be any flammable furniture or building contents placed immediately in front of a door.  […]

March Madness is in full swing and we here in Central New York are serious about basketball. Even at the High School level, March basketball can be intense. I was lucky enough to coach a local Varsity basketball team this season, and as an engineer as well as a coach, I have an interesting perspective […]

There has been a recent change to UFC 3-600-01 that could affect Fire Ratings if you are using the latest March 2013 version. Per UFC 1-200, fire ratings are per IBC Chapter 7 and UFC 3-600-01.  If there are any conflicts between the two, the UFC takes precedence. Previously, buildings such as Barracks and Hangars were […]

Change of occupancy and the life safety issues that can be created by it is an area that is not well understood by building owners and to some extent design professionals.  There is a Chapter 9 in the Existing Building Code of the State of New York dealing with this topic. The idea that there is […]