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IBC Section 1207 | Classroom Acoustics

Chapter 12 of the 2021 International Building Code provides minimum provisions for the interior of building–the occupied environment. Ventilation, lighting and space heating are directly regulated in this chapter and in conjunction with the International Mechanical Code and the International Energy Conservation Code. Minimum room size and maximum root–to-room sound transmission are set for certain occupancies.

Chapter 12 Interior Environment

Section 1207 asserts a requirement for “Enhanced Classroom Acoustics” that recognizes occupants with special needs for all classrooms with a volume larger than 20,000 cubic feet or less, articulated in Section 808 of 2017 ICC A117.1, the latest version. Widespread use of personal hearing appliances — headphones — have complicated best practice in this domain.

20 February 2018

One noteworthy proposal for enhanced classroom acoustics — for classrooms with a volume larger than 20,000 cubic feet — appears on Pages 13-14 of the document linked below:

Classroom Acoustics BCAC General 5 – IBC A117.1 Coordination 11-20-1027 File 17-229

While this proposal is largely a correlation proposal to harmonize IBC Chapter 12 concepts with concepts already present in IBC A117.1 it does set up a new section to lock in the correlation with ICC A117.1 Section 808. It has been on the agenda of breakout committees of International Code Council (ICC) ahead of its Group A Committee Action Hearings April 15 to 25, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio.

Standards Michigan encourages user-interest subject matter experts in the education industry to participate in the ICC Committee Action Hearings. Other inquiries may be directed to Ed Wirtshorek (ewirtschoreck@iccsafe.org). We keep the ICC suite of standards as a standing item on our weekly Open Door teleconferences that are open to the public.

Issue 17-229

Category: Architectural, Accessibility

Acoustical Engineering

Sport Occupancies

We will spend most of our time this week preparing responses to the actions taken by technical committees at the April meetings; with our abiding interest in the proposals that affect the physical character of education settlements (K-12 schools, colleges and universities, university-affiliated research and clinical delivery networks).

The largest share of safety and sustainability concepts relevant to our SAFER-SIMPLER-LOWER COST-LONGER LASTING priorities appear in ICC’s Group A tranche of titles. Comments on Committee Actions taken on the April meetings in Atlanta will be received until July 8th — including own proposals for performance-based building interior power chain design.

We will use the transcripts linked in the Group A Model Codes link below

The Big House: With a seating capacity of 110.000+ auxiliary hosting and media enterprises adding another 10,000 occupants 8 Saturdays per year, the University of Michigan Football Stadium is the largest collegiate stadium in the world.

The language “code writers and vote getters”* use to perform their work can be confounding and supports the assertion that some safety and sustainability concepts can only be understood by experienced practitioners in context. It takes decades to fully understand the ebb and flow of ideas. That is one of the reasons we host daily colloquia — in addition to the obligation to respect intellectual property rights of standards setting organizations; a great deal of content is unstable and provisional. Unstable and provisional is the nature of leading practice discovery and promulgation.

As a point of origin for most safety and sustainability concepts for sport occupancies among US-based standards setting organizations we start with the most widely referenced building code bibliography in the United States:

2024 International Building Code: Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Use

Education communities have buildings, pathways and infrastructure in all of the groups identified in this chapter. We use the term “sport” to describe recreational and competitive athletic activity for all age groups. Some concepts span across all three groupings. Note the following:

Structural support for sport lighting

Sport arena lighting allowances

Television broadcast lighting requirements

Temporary special event structures

Athletic equipment hazard classification

Plumbing in arenas

Bleachers

Access

Use of arenas for disaster management

…And so on…

Group A Model Building Codes

Today we pick through the transcripts of the 2021 ICC Code Development Cycle (Group A)

2021 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2021 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP A INTERNATIONAL CODES

Keep in mind that the Group A titles are near the end of their development cycle (CLICK HERE). Next up, Hearings on the Group A tranche in September. We will post the link to the webcast.

michigan_stadium_2011-featured-image-1919-717

erasmus university rotterdam 1921 721 athletic interior

University of Florida Gators Volleyball interior facebook album 1919 719

texas tech university baseball night facebook 1921 721

"The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot" - Bill Russell

Tomsk Polytechnic University facebook interrior timeline russia international 1917 723

Hillsdale College water swimming sport michigan student 1919

cropped-Ballard-start ford dodge community school district high school cross country students sport iowa 1919

University of Detroit Mercy michigan sport students soccer 1921

We maintain sport facility literature on the standing agenda of our periodic Sport colloquium when we pull together specifics relevant to the safety and sustainability agenda of the final fiduciary in education communities — typically the tax payer or family. There are many, many more technologies that figure into these spaces; getting occupancy classification is the best place to start since it informs the way all other standards setting organizations develop their literature. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

ARCHIVE:

2021/2022 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

2018 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2018 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP A INTERNATIONAL CODES | APRIL 14 – 23, 2018 | COLUMBUS OHIO

2018 GROUP A PUBLIC COMMENT AGENDA | OCTOBER 24 – 31, 2018 | RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

2019 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES ALBUQUERQUE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS

2019 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2018 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP B INTERNATIONAL CODES

*A term of art we use to distinguish stakeholders who are effective in gathering data and persuading technical committees to improve consensus products. The most influential voices tend to have an elevated hourly consulting rate. The expertise of “code writers and vote-getters” is distinct from the expertise processes and administration. The private standards domain in most nations is top-heavy with administration.

Sound Transmission

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I-Codes

Hephaestus: God of Fire, Metalwork, and Building

Today we survey the broad sweep of the International Code Council catalog of best practice titles; incorporated by reference into public safety regulations in most of the United States. This session will be a “survey” and “organizational” session when we limit detail and simply identify priority titles and the technical specifics in play over the next twelve months.

Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

2024/2025/2026 International Code Council Code Development Schedule

Complete Monographs (To be posted soon)

International Green Construction Code: Definitions

International Fire Code

Storm Shelters

Hammurabi

International Energy Conservation Code

Sport Occupancies

International Mechanical Code

Higher Education Laboratories

Interior Finishes

Morning Shower

International Building Code | Electrical

Day Care

Stadium & Arena Structural Engineering

Off-Site Construction

K-TAG Matrix for Healthcare Facilities

Art Studios

“De Schilderkonst” 1666 Johannes Vermeer

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Last update: September 30 2021

Safety and sustainability for any facility begins with an understanding of who shall occupy the built environment and what they will be doing in it. Since we are guiding young people toward their goal of building things that are useful and beautiful we select the International Building Code as a starting point for an occupancy that requires a more elevated concern for safety than a typical classroom.

2021 International Building Code Section 307 High Hazard Group H

High-hazard occupancies in each of the International Code Council code development groups A, B and C; fetch back to these classifications.

Public input for the 2024 International Building Code will be received until January 8, 2024.

For the purpose of formulating our own proposals we begin with the developmental transcripts of the previous code cycle. Recommended search terms: “Section 307”, “Studio”, “Classroom” “University” will give you a sample of the ideas in play. The complete monograph is linked below:

2021 Group A Complete Proposed Changes Monograph (2306 Pages)

2021 PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING SCHEDULE September 21 – 26, 2021

Webcast: 2021 Group A Public Comment Hearings

Titles in the ICC catalog are relevant to nearly every study unit in our Syllabus. See our CALENDAR for topics and do not be shy about clicking in any business day at 16:00 UTC (11 AM ET).

Issue: [18-166]

Category: Various

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Marcelo Hirschler, Richard Robben

More

Mount Holyoke University: Safety Guide for Art Studios

Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films

IEEE: Textile humidity sensors

Fire at Pratt Institute Destroys Studios and Artwork of Students

Safety Guide for Art Studios

Princeton University Art Safety

International Green Construction Code: Definitions

Chapter 3: Definitions, Abbreviations and Acronyms

The Seven Sins of Greenwashing

Transcript of Group B Hearings: Proposed Changes for the 2024 International Green Construction Code (1974 pages)

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

International Green Construction Code

Form v. Function | Function v. Form

“We shape our buildings;
thereafter they shape us.”

— Winston Churchill

“The Architect’s Dream” 1840 Thomas Cole

Occupancy classification is “first principal concept”; the essential factor in architectural design because it helps determine the appropriate use of a building and the associated requirements for fire protection and life safety. Occupancy classification refers to the categorization of buildings or portions of buildings based on their intended use and the activities that will occur within them. The International Building Code provides a set of standards for occupancy classifications that are used by architects and building officials to ensure that buildings are designed and constructed to meet the necessary safety requirements. These standards help ensure that the building’s design and construction comply with fire and life safety codes and regulations.

A building that is classified as a business occupancy — as many classrooms and offices are in education communities — will have different requirements for fire protection and life safety compared to a building that is classified as a residential occupancy. Business occupancies may require fire suppression systems, while residential occupancies may require smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Additionally, occupancy classification affects the number of occupants allowed within a building, the type and size of exits required, the need for fire-resistant construction materials, and the placement and quantity of fire extinguishers and other fire protection equipment.*

International Building Code | Chapter 2 Definitions

International Building Code | Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Uses

International Green Construction Code | Chapter 3 Definitions, Abbreviations and Acronyms

University of Toronto

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

Chapter 3 Definitions

Chapter 6 Classification of Occupancy and Hazard of Contents

Chapters 12 & 13 Assembly Occupancies

Chapters 14 & 15 Educational Occupancies

Chapters 18 & 19 Health Care Occupancies

Chapters 29 & 30 Hotels & Dormitories

Chapter 40 Industrial Occupancies

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

National Electrical Definitions

ASHRAE International

62.1 Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality Occupancy Categories

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

* The European Union (EU) does not have an equivalent to the International Code Council (ICC) occupancy classification system. Instead, the EU has its own set of regulations and standards for building safety and design, which vary by country.

The main regulatory framework for building safety in the EU is the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), which sets out requirements for construction products and materials that are placed on the market within the EU. The CPR is supported by national building codes and standards, which are developed and enforced by each member state.

In addition to the CPR, the EU has several directives and regulations related to building safety, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the Fire Safety of Buildings Directive (FSBD). These directives and regulations set out requirements for energy efficiency, fire safety, and other aspects of building design and construction.

Overall, while the EU does not have an occupancy classification system equivalent to the ICC, it has its own set of regulations and standards that aim to ensure building safety and design across its member states.

Chores

CLICK IMAGE

Living off-campus provides students with autonomy, independence, and lower costs, but it also requires greater responsibility and may present challenges such as commuting time, social isolation, and safety concerns about the property itseld. We provide direct access to a widely reference standard of care with specific passages about heating, cooling, plumbing electrical systems

Benefits:

More freedom and independence: Off-campus housing can provide students with more autonomy and independence than living on-campus. Students can choose their own roommates, decorate their own space, and set their own rules.
Lower costs: In some cases, off-campus housing can be more affordable than on-campus housing. Students may be able to find lower rent prices or split costs with roommates.
More space: Off-campus housing may offer more living space than on-campus housing, allowing students to spread out and feel more comfortable.
Opportunity to learn life skills: Living off-campus can help students develop important life skills, such as budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking, and maintaining a household.
More privacy: Living off-campus can offer more privacy than on-campus housing, allowing students to have more control over their living environment and social interactions.

Costs:

Commuting time and expense: Living off-campus may require a longer commute to classes, which can be time-consuming and costly. Students may need to pay for transportation or purchase a car.
Greater responsibility: Living off-campus requires greater responsibility and independence than living on-campus. Students must manage their own bills, maintenance, and household tasks.
Social isolation: Living off-campus may make it harder for students to connect with their peers and participate in campus activities. They may feel more isolated or disconnected from the college community.
Greater risk of safety concerns: Living off-campus can increase the risk of safety concerns, such as crime, accidents, and emergencies. Students may need to take extra precautions to ensure their own safety.
Difficulty with roommate relationships: Off-campus housing can strain roommate relationships due to the greater responsibility and shared living arrangements. Conflicts over finances, cleaning, and social activities can arise and be harder to manage.

Hammurabi

The world’s first building codes were put in action in ancient Babylon by King Hammurabi around 1754 BCE. The codes were a subset of the larger Code of Hammurabi and were designed to regulate the construction of buildings in the city of Babylon. These codes emerged from a time of great social and economic change in Babylon. The city* was rapidly expanding, and the construction of new buildings was essential for accommodating the growing population.

Famously, building unsafe buildings carried “risk” to the builder:

“If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.” (Law 229, Sacred Texts)

Fast forward 3700 years and construction litigation is Big Business. According to research by one of the first names in construction dispute research (Arcadis) the the average cost of construction disputes in North America is $19.6 million with an average length of was 15.2 months (2020 data).

When university-affiliated healthcare facilities are included in the count, the education industry is the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States at about $100 billion every year.

Ædificare

Hanging Gardens of Babylon | National Geographic

We meet at the usual time today for a status check on public commenting opportunities on best practice titles that set the standard of care for designing, building and operating the physical spaces of education communities. In the past we have limited our coverage to the International Code Council suite. Today we expand our interest to other model building codes; a few of them listed below:

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (7-16)

International Building Code

Building Construction and Safety Code

Eurocodes

National Building Code of Canada

To a surprising degree these bodies borrow safety concepts from one another; owing to field experience, technological changes. response to government regulation regarding disasters and accessibility, among others. Some of the concepts we have been tracking:

Use of education facilities as storm shelters

Occupancy classifications

Carbon monoxide detection and alarms

Electric vehicle power supply from new buildings

Daylight responsive lighting controls

Scope of work in alterations

Enhanced classroom acoustics

Security (door locking, access, etc.)

Assemblies, laboratories, sport facilities, etc, etc, etc.

(Plenty to do)

We will pick through the transcript of the ICC Group B Public Comment Monograph to estimate the state of the debate ahead of this month’s meetings in Lexington:

LIVE: I-Code Group B Public Comment Hearings

Our meeting today at 11 AM/ET is open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Standing Agenda / Model Building Codes

LEARN MORE:

Videography:

Occupant Load

How is occupant load determined by the Life Safety Code

ADA Size and Clearance Requirements for Doors

Birth of Building Codes: Building Code of Hammurabi

Cambridge University Press: Roman Builders – A Study in Architectural Process

* The modern-day name of Babylon is Al Hillah, which is a city in central Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad. It is located on the east bank of the Euphrates River and was once an important cultural and political center in ancient Mesopotamia.

Stairway Lighting

Designing illumination for vertical ingress and egress paths requires reconciliation of competing requirements of safety economy:

Consistent and Adequate Lighting: Shadows and dark spots should be minimized to prevent trips and falls.

Light Direction and Glare: Light fixtures should be positioned to avoid creating excessive contrast between steps.

Staircase Configuration: Staircases come in various shapes, sizes, and configurations, such as straight, curved, or spiral.

Light Distribution: Lighting should adequately cover the entire stair tread and riser area to provide clear visibility and depth perception.

Energy Efficiency: Specifying energy-efficient light sources such as light emitting diodes and lighting controls such as motion sensors or timers.

Maintenance and Durability: Scaffolding safety should be a peak consideration.

Some of the foregoing challenges can be resolved with the use of handrail illumination but are accompanied by additional electrical wiring requirements.

Chazen Museum of Art | University of Wisconsin

The parent standard in the United States for designing and building facilities for accessibility is ANSI/A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities developed by the International Code Council. During 2023 this title will be revised but until then he 2017 release is the stabilized edition:

FREE ACCESS (ICC DIGITAL CODE PLATFORM)

Many A117.1 concepts require coordination with the International Building Code. We provide an example regarding stairway illumination below:

BCAC General 5 – IBC A117.1 Coordination 11-20-1027 File 16-124

We walked through this earlier in 2020. It is noteworthy because the proposed safety concepts will likely require harmonization with NFPA and IEEE standards bibliography. Committees usually take it upon themselves to get that right but getting it right means all committees need to work bi-directionally; action that is limited by time resources of volunteers.

Technical specifics in meeting the US Department of Justice requirements for accessibility is close coupled with A117 since it is incorporated by reference into federal law. 2021/2022 Code Development Cycle has been completed and another cycle has begun:

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

ICC (ASC A117) CONSENSUS COMMITTEE ON A117.1 04-27-2023 Minutes 31

Since the ICC catalog cuts across many disciplines we touch most titles almost every day at 15:00 UTC; open to everyone with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Issue: [13-36] and [16-124]

Category: Architectural, Risk Management

Colleagues: Richard Robben

FYI: Errata to 2017 Edition:

Errata to ICC A117.1-2017

Category Archives: @IntlCodeCouncil

IBC Section 1207 | Classroom Acoustics

Sport Occupancies

Sound Transmission

I-Codes

Art Studios

International Green Construction Code: Definitions

Form v. Function | Function v. Form

Chores

Hammurabi

Stairway Lighting

DIRECTIONS