Pagemike@standardsmichigan.com, Author at Standards Michigan

Modular Classrooms

Complete Monograph International Building Code

Note the following proposed changes in the transcript above: E59-24, F62-24, Section 323

Modular classrooms, often used as temporary or semi-permanent solutions for additional educational space, have specific requirements in various aspects to ensure they are safe, functional, and comfortable for occupants. Today we will examine best practice literature for structural, architectural, fire safety, electrical, HVAC, and lighting requirements. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Structural Requirements

Foundation and Stability: Modular classrooms require a stable and level foundation. This can be achieved using piers, slabs, or crawl spaces. The foundation must support the building’s weight and withstand environmental forces like wind and seismic activity.
Frame and Load-Bearing Capacity: The frame, usually made of steel or wood, must support the load of the classroom, including the roof, walls, and occupants. Structural integrity must comply with local building codes.
Durability: Materials used should be durable and capable of withstanding frequent relocations if necessary.

Architectural Requirements

Design and Layout: Modular classrooms should be designed to maximize space efficiency while meeting educational needs. This includes appropriate classroom sizes, storage areas, and accessibility features.
Accessibility: Must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other relevant regulations, ensuring accessibility for all students and staff, including ramps, wide doorways, and accessible restrooms.
Insulation and Soundproofing: Adequate insulation for thermal comfort and soundproofing to minimize noise disruption is essential.

Fire Safety Requirements

Fire-Resistant Materials: Use fire-resistant materials for construction, including fire-rated walls, ceilings, and floors.
Sprinkler Systems: Installation of automatic sprinkler systems as per local fire codes.
Smoke Detectors and Alarms: Smoke detectors and fire alarms must be installed and regularly maintained.
Emergency Exits: Clearly marked emergency exits, including doorways and windows, with unobstructed access paths.

Electrical Requirements

Electrical Load Capacity: Sufficient electrical capacity to support lighting, HVAC systems, and educational equipment like computers and projectors.
Wiring Standards: Compliance with National Electrical Code (NEC) or local electrical codes, including proper grounding and circuit protection.
Outlets and Switches: Adequate number of electrical outlets and switches, placed conveniently for classroom use.

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) Requirements

Heating and Cooling Systems: Properly sized HVAC systems to ensure comfortable temperatures year-round.
Ventilation: Adequate ventilation to provide fresh air and control humidity levels, including exhaust fans in restrooms and possibly kitchens.
Air Quality: Use of air filters and regular maintenance to ensure good indoor air quality.

Lighting Requirements

Natural Light: Maximization of natural light through windows and skylights to create a pleasant learning environment.
Artificial Lighting: Sufficient artificial lighting with a focus on energy efficiency, typically using LED fixtures. Lighting should be evenly distributed and glare-free.
Emergency Lighting: Battery-operated emergency lighting for use during power outages.

By adhering to these requirements, modular classrooms can provide safe, functional, and comfortable educational spaces that meet the needs of students and staff while complying with local regulations and standards.

Life Safety Code

National Electrical Code

ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard

Educational Facility Lighting

Occupancy Classification and Use

Occupancy Classification and Use

The Code Council partnered with @ConstructReach, a construction industry workforce development initiative and consultancy, to host “I built this!”, a work-based learning event at the #ICCAC24 expo. pic.twitter.com/o7KTAaV1xh

— IntlCodeCouncil (@IntlCodeCouncil) October 22, 2024

2025 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES

In educational settings, where large numbers of students, staff, and visitors gather, these rules protect vulnerable populations, especially children, who may lack the awareness or ability to respond quickly in emergencies. Proper classification ensures adequate exits, fire-resistant materials, and ventilation suited for classrooms or assembly areas like auditoriums.

These classifications also inform zoning, insurance, and funding by aligning facilities with educational purposes.

Libraries are multi-functional spaces and at the physical, and the heart, of any school, college or university. We take special interest in this discussion. Leaving the evolution toward “media centers” aside, the relevant passage in the current International Building Code that applies to library occupancy classification and use is linked below:

Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Use

The original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise may have raised the level of debate on structural engineering three cycles ago. Without any specific interest from attendees we will review our proposals in previous revision cycles:

Education facilities as storm shelters
Enhanced classroom acoustics
Carbon monoxide detection in Group E occupancies
Locking arrangements in educational occupancies
Interior lighting power allowances for classrooms
Occupancy sensors for classrooms
Automatic control of receptacle power in classrooms and laboratories
Expansion of voltage drop requirements into customer-owned service conductors

This is about as much as we can sort through this week. We will host another focus teleconference next week. See our CALENDAR for the date.

Finally, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE.

Real asset managers for school districts, colleges, universities and technical schools in the Albuquerque region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process. The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the 10-day webcast when it becomes available — but the experience of seeing how building codes are determined is enlightening when you can watch it live and on site.

Issue: [16-169]

Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

#StandardsNewMexico

LEARN MORE:

ICC Group B Code Development Schedule

Plan now to participate in the International Code Council's 2019 Committee Action Hearings in Albuquerque, April 28 – May 8. Your expertise & participation in this year's code hearings are vital. Register for FREE now! https://t.co/kuLDyCiOH6 #CodeHeroes #BuildingSafety365 pic.twitter.com/SpZuehOmd8

— IntlCodeCouncil (@IntlCodeCouncil) March 6, 2019

Little Big Horn College

Every month we direct our colleagues in the education industry to the US Census Department’s monthly construction report to make a point: at an average annual clip of about $75 billion, the education industry is the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States. A large part of that construction involves infrastructure upgrades of existing buildings that contribute to sustainability goals but may not make flashy architectural statements for philanthropists.

EDUCATION INDUSTRY CONSTRUCTION SPEND

The International Existing Building Code (IEBC) is a model code in the International Code Council family of codes intended to provide requirements for repair and alternative approaches for alterations and additions to existing buildings (LEARN MORE). A large number of existing buildings and structures do not comply with the current building code requirements for new construction. Although many of these buildings are potentially salvageable, rehabilitation is often cost-prohibitive because compliance with all the new requirements for new construction could require extensive changes that go well beyond the value of building or the original scope of the alteration.

Education facility planners, architects and managers: Sound familiar?

ICC administered workgroups have been convening with considerable frequency over the past several months to pull together a number of relevant concepts for the next (2019 Group B) revision. For the purpose of providing some perspective on the complexity and subtlety of the issues in play, a partial overview of working group activity is available in the links below. Keep in mind that there are many other proposals being developed by our ICC working group and others.

IEBC Healthcare for BCAC December 11 2018

16-169 IEBC BCC Worksheet October 2-3 2018

There are other many other issues we have been tracking. The foregoing simply presents the level of detail and subtlety that is noteworthy.

On Tuesday the ICC has released its the complete monograph for use at the Group B Committee Action Hearings, April 28-May 8 at the Albuquerque Convention Center:

2019 Group B Proposed Changes

It is a large document — 2919 pages — so keep that in mind when accessing it. There are many issues affecting #TotalCostofOwnership of the education facility industry so we will get cracking on it again next week. See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconference. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Finally, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE. Real asset managers for school districts, colleges, universities and technical schools in the Albuquerque region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process. The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the 10-day webcast when it becomes available — but the experience of seeing how building codes are determined is enlightening when you can watch it live and on site.

Issue: [16-169]

Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

#StandardsNewMexico

LEARN MORE:

ICC Group B Code Development Schedule

Plan now to participate in the International Code Council's 2019 Committee Action Hearings in Albuquerque, April 28 – May 8. Your expertise & participation in this year's code hearings are vital. Register for FREE now! https://t.co/kuLDyCiOH6 #CodeHeroes #BuildingSafety365 pic.twitter.com/SpZuehOmd8

— IntlCodeCouncil (@IntlCodeCouncil) March 6, 2019

Little Big Horn College

Schools turn to prefabricated classrooms to create space quickly

CBC News (The National): Canada is challenged by a surge in asylum seekers from failed nations entering irregularly via the U.S. border or overstaying visas, straining public services amid a housing crisis. With 57,440 asylum claims in early 2025—up 22% from 2024, including 5,500 from international students—overcrowded schools in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia face acute shortages, especially for English-language programs.

To address this, jurisdictions are deploying modular prefabricated school buildings as a rapid, cost-effective solution. These portable yet permanent structures, like those at B.C.’s David Cameron Elementary, add capacity for 190+ students in months, easing enrolment pressures without long construction delays.

National Building Code of Canada 2020

British Columbia School Building Construction

Problems pic.twitter.com/2BwBOu30Jd

— GreatLakesLady (@GreatlakesladyM) October 6, 2025

Canadian Parliament Debate on Standards Incorporated by Reference

Student Build Relocatable Classrooms

Granite School District

Utah

Modular Classrooms

Off-Site Construction

The latest version of the ICC/MBI Standard 1200 is the 2020 edition, specifically the ICC/MBI 1200-2020: Standard for Off-Site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication and Assembly. This standard, developed by the International Code Council (ICC) in collaboration with the Modular Building Institute (MBI), addresses the planning, design, fabrication, and assembly of off-site construction projects. It is part of a series of standards aimed at ensuring safety and compliance in off-site construction processes.

READ ONLY 2021 Edition

More

ICC Off-Site and Modular Construction Standards Committee

Branch and Feeder Circuit Design

FREE ACCESS 2026 National Electrical Code

Branch circuits relevant to modular classroom buildings are primarily addressed in Article 120: Branch Circuits (formerly Article 210 in previous editions). This article covers requirements for branch-circuit sizing, overcurrent protection, outlets, and general installation rules for circuits up to 1000 volts AC or 1500 volts DC. Key sections include:120.19: Conductor sizing and derating.

120.20: Overcurrent protection.
120.21: Receptacle outlets and tamper-resistant requirements.
120.23: Specific rules for appliances and fixed equipment.

For outside branch circuits, see Article 267: Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders over 1000 Volts AC or 1500 Volts DC, Nominal (if applicable to higher voltages).Feeder Circuit RulesFeeder circuits are primarily addressed in Article 121: Feeders (formerly Article 215 in previous editions). This article details feeder conductor sizing, grounding, and disconnecting means for circuits supplying branch circuits or sub-feeders up to 1000 volts AC or 1500 volts DC.Key sections include:121.2: Minimum rating and sizing.

121.3: Overcurrent protection.
121.4: Feeders as branch circuits (when applicable).

Outside feeders are covered in Article 267: Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders over 1000 Volts AC or 1500 Volts DC, Nominal (for higher voltages) or cross-referenced in Article 267 for general outside installations.

For modular school buildings detached from the main building with pre-installed single or three phase wiring systems, designers must choose between a separate service drop from a merchant utility or tapping into an existing source from the nearby school building.

Compact Muon Solenoid / European Organization for Nuclear Research

Modular classroom buildings, often prefabricated and portable, require special attention in electrical power design to ensure safety, compliance, and functionality. The 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) emphasizes proper sizing of branch circuits (Article 120) and feeders (Article 121) based on load calculations (Article 122), accounting for lighting, HVAC, and technology demands. Designers must consider temporary or relocatable installations, ensuring grounding and bonding comply with Article 250 for safety. Flexible wiring methods, like cord-and-plug connections, may be needed for portability, per Article 400. Modular units often face environmental challenges, requiring weather-resistant materials and equipment (Article 110). Surge protection (Article 285) is critical to safeguard sensitive classroom electronics. Accessibility for maintenance and inspections, per Article 110.26, is vital due to compact designs. Finally, compliance with local codes and coordination with utility connections ensure reliable power delivery for educational environments.

We have tried for several cycles to change the “Type of Occupancy” listing in NEC Table 220.12 to reflect more granular definition for School/university and Sports arena lighting load calculations. We will have another chance in the 2026 NEC. [Public input is due September 10th]

~~Public Input Closing Date: September 7, 2023~~

4 February 2021

Let’s start marking up the 2023 National Electrical Code, shall we? We will collaborate with IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 18 — the committee that follows NFPA electrical safety consensus products and coordinates the response of IEEE electrical power professionals.

A good place to start is with the transcripts of the 2020 revision — AVAILABLE HERE for free. We look for proposals that failed for one reason or another; holding fast to our hunch that changes to the ampere load requirements that appear in the prescriptive statements to designers and inspectors of Chapter 2 could changed. The 2020 transcripts of Code-Making Panel 4 are linked below:

Code‐Making Panel 2 Public Input Report (991 Pages)

Code-Making Panel 2 Public Comment Report (402 Pages)

We have been trying for several NEC revision cycles to change the “Type of Occupancy” tabulations of Table 220.12 to reflect more granular definition in the Volt/Ampere requirement of 33 VA/m2 (3 VA/ft2) for School/university and Sports arena. Some of the problem in Table 220.12 regarding electrical loads in education facilities lies in its foundation built upon the International Building Code; the remainder of the problem lies with the education facility industry itself; described in detail in our ABOUT.

The good news is that the NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) recognizes the problem and is acting on it; described in previous posts and in its project portfolio. Keep in mind that Standards Michigan, the original voice of the user-interest for education facility industry in the global standards system, has to compete with other, competitor stakeholders who make their market in this and in other consensus products accredited by the American National Standards Institute.

~~Public input for the 2023 National Electrical Code is due September 10th.~~ We will collaborate with the FPRF and the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee, and others, to get informed public input to Code-Making Panel 2 and the NEC Technical Correlating Committee. See our CALENDAR for our next Electrical & Telecommunication teleconference, open to everyone.

Issue: [19-201]

Category: Electrical

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Scott Gibb, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Paul Kempf, Philip Ling, Jose Meijer

LEARN MORE:

IEEE Industrial Applications Society: The safety and economic benefit of reduced power design densities permitted in the 2014 National Electrical Code (Anthony, Ling, Meijer)

Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities

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Elevators & Lifts

The first elevator in the United States was installed at Harvard University in 1874. It was not a passenger elevator as we typically think of today, but rather a freight elevator used to move heavy items within a building. The installation of this elevator marked an important development in building technology and transportation within multi-story structures. It was based on the design of Elisha Otis, who is famous for inventing the safety elevator with a safety brake system that prevents the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Otis’ innovation played a pivotal role in making elevators safe and practical for everyday use, leading to their widespread adoption in buildings around the world.

Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405)

Education communities are stewards of 100’s of lifts, elevators and moving walks. At the University of Michigan, there are the better part of 1000 of them; with 19 of them in Michigan Stadium alone. The cost of building them — on the order of $50,000 to $150,000 per floor depending upon architectural styling — and the highly trained staff needed to operate, maintain and program interoperability software is another cost that requires attention. All building design and construction disciplines — architectural, mechanical and electrical have a hand in making this technology safe and sustainabile.

We start with international and nationally developed best practice literature and work our way to state level adaptations. Labor for this technology is heavily regulated.

Its a rarefied and crazy domain for the user-interest. Expertise is passionate about safety and idiosyncratic but needs to be given the life safety hazard. Today we review o pull together public consultation notices on relevant codes, standards and regulations today 11 AM/EDT.