Code

LEED VOC MSDS SCAQMD

by EVstudio AEP August 25, 2017

Part of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is to provide better environments for building occupants. Something we do every day but don’t think about much is breathing. Our lungs are very sensitive to contaminants and dust. If you have ever walked into […]

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The ADA, ICC/ANSI A117.1 and Kitchen Sinks in Break Rooms

by EVstudio AEP August 15, 2017

Building codes and guidelines are always full of exceptions and variations on a theme and the Americans with Disabilities Act is no different. The ADA was first created in 1990. It is designed to protect against discrimination based on disability. The act has five titles […]

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Minimum Room Sizes and Minimum Ceiling Heights

by Sean O'Hara August 3, 2017

Occasionally when designing small residential units the question comes up about what the minimum size is for a room and what the minimum ceiling height needs to be. For single family homes and duplexes we go to the 2006 International Residential Code. It states that […]

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Staples or Nails? Choosing the Right Fastener for Wall and Roof Sheathing

by Dean Dalvit May 15, 2017

We are often asked by contractors if they can substitute framing staples instead of nails for their wall and roof sheathing fasteners. There is no easy universal answer to this question because the location of the project may place it in a high wind or […]

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Where the Building Code Requires More Than Two Exits

by Sean O'Hara April 15, 2017

In most building types the occupant count is low enough that the building is only required to have  one or two exits. The International Building Code calls out where you must have more. In each story where you have 501-1,000 occupants you are required to […]

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Understanding Xcel Design Requirements for Transformer Rooms

by Dean Dalvit January 29, 2017
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There are several design requirements that must be met in order to provide a transformer room within the building for your project. First, the fire ratings of the walls and ceiling must be a three hour assembly. Ventilation must be provided as well as street […]

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The Escalating Cost of Escalators

by Dean Dalvit January 20, 2017

Often in larger scale commercial developments, vertical circulation is handled by escalators in addition to elevators in order to move large volumes of people from one space to another. Escalators are complex truss structures with a remarkable mechanism of chained treads that move in sync […]

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Implementation Date for 2010 ADA Standards

by Sean O'Hara November 30, 2016

We’ve begun to see the 2010 ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act) Standards brought up on new construction projects. Like many codes the date in the title is not necessarily the date where it begins to apply. Given that commercial projects tend to takes month and […]

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Type ‘A’ vs. Type ‘B’ in Residential Design

by EVstudio AEP May 17, 2016

Type A dwelling units are those that are required by and defined in the International Building Code. These units are referenced in Chapter 11 of the IBC and have to comprise at least 2% of the units in R-2 occupancies so long as there is […]

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Can I Re-Use My Existing Building?

by EVstudio AEP April 22, 2016

With the increased demand for a more sustainable way to use buildings, adaptive reuse of existing buildings has become a viable economic solution. Adaptive reuse consists of improving, remodeling, and adding to an existing structure for either different or more extensive spatial requirements. The first […]

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What in the World is a Ufer Ground?

by evstudio April 21, 2016

In EVstudio’s structural engineering practice this question comes up almost every week. In contemporary construction, a ufer is a concrete encased ground electrode, which is most often a 20 foot long piece of #4 rebar cast into a foundation wall that will protrude from the […]

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Rating of Floors and Ceilings of Exit Enclosures

by Bill Foster March 24, 2016

(Disclaimer: Code Analysis especially for egress and fire ratings is very building specific and a solution that works for one building may not work for another.) In a recent project I set about to solve a question that occurs quite frequently in multi-story buildings. Can […]

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