HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-03-22 MN Bldg Dept Fax to OPH Re Plan Review PoliciesMN BLDG CODES STDS 6512971973 03122 '02 15:55 NO.499 01/05
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Dcpxtment of Admimstm-don
BUILDING CODE & ST AINDARDS DIVISTON
408 Metro S Bu 'Iffin 1. 21 7'h Placc East, St. Paul, MN 55101-21.8 1.
Voice: 651.296,4639 Fax: 651.297.1973,; TTY: 1.,800,627.3529 and ask for 296.9929
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FAX NO.
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FROM; Scott McLellan, Supervisor
0. a S SUOD
P lan. Review & Re ervices eC
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State of Minnesota
DepartmeDt of Administration
Buildin Codes gaud Standards Division
P1.10NEYA 651.297.1658
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F 651..297-197-)
PAGES TO FOLLOW:
COMMENTS:
If y ou have an problems with this fax, please call. 651,296,9929 or 1,800.657.3944
MN BLDG ODES STD S 6512971973 03/22 '02 15:56 No . 499 03/05
r"
.ter
DepaTtmem, of Administration
�,k 6 ; f
Divi of Building Codes anal. Standards — Phan Review Section,
PLAIN REVIEW POLICIES
Background,:
Mi.nn.esot;a, St:at.te 1.6B, S Lihd. 1 a st ate s 9 [ffi,e Di vi s ion �, . shall adm and enforce
the state building code as a municipality with respect to public buildings and state licensed
facilities in the state. " The Division is, therefore, charged with a.d minis toying th-e state
building code on, these types of buildings. Tb.c a.utb- orit:y to puNi,sli. tli - ese Plan Reviow
Policies com.cs from. Umfor . Building Code section. 104.2. wb - ere it permits th.e i building
official try F�,..rcnder 'r tee• rota. "qr�s a f this code a d to ada f area orce rules and
M 1emg tal r wlat io � to c10,11fyL0 a lz ation ocif
Purpose;
Th.'esc P1,mr Review Policies serve two i.mpoi.tant purposes. One is to provide cl.aril :y and
direction regarding specific appl ications of certain. code provisions that cannot be clearly
in.terpr from tli.c text, of t�li.e code alone. Deese wi 1�.�1 .ly b i thal, surface
frequently and arc of a significant nature. The second is to provi d o a consi ston.t response to
those frequently occumn.g i.ssUes Where desizners r eatedly choose to use the same
'`alternate" design.. in. those instances t,be policy is restating the terms of an "alternate"
originally developed, subm -11ted an -d a=ppr ovod, for a specific instance.
Applicabilftye
` bcsc policies are applicable to those Public Building a.n.d. State Licensed Facility projects
ci.t lies reviewed directly by tlae Divi sTon. or delegated to an ot:h er rn um.ci.pal.i t for bizil.d.i ng
Gods ad.rn.inistra.don. Th e sub ject matt o tla.c policies will non be l,imi.ted to th.e
issues relating to t]3e building types. represented by Public Buildings and State Licensed.
Facilities.
Format:
The policy number and, date including latest revision dates, wi ll, be stated in the box across
tb,e top with the initia of the plan review supervisor, A section called backg tlaa,t
containing the reason and rati.onzl.e, will be included next} Th.e actual. poli will be stated
last will, attachments if necessary.
Uses
Tbis cover. sli ect shall be a.tta.ch,ed to every policy or group of policies tli a t are mailed.,
faxed, El-mailed or otherwis handed froze tb.e Di
2/00
Bu ilding Codes and Stmidards Division, 408 Metro Sgianr� Bu ilding, 121 7rh 'lace bast, Sl:. Paul, M. ,N 55101-2 131
voice: 65 1.2 9 6A 6 3 9; Fri x; 651..297.1-973; TTY: 1,.$00,627,3529 and ask e`er 296,9929
MN BLDG CODES STDS 6512971973 03122 ' 02 15.56 No . x+99 04/05
Deparrment ot` Adniinisrra.rion
Regarding, �`oficies on "Bleacher" Seating
Policy PR -04 page 7 of 6 (3/00)
Under Minnesota l aw, re v iewing st ands, grandstands, bleachers and, f o ldin_gltelesco i.n o
seating . �7V �1" �r • T � �
h h indoors or. ou must be designed., constructed, and installed. in. accordance
w1th the applicable provisions contained in the Minnesota Stote Building Cody au.thonit _: MS
16 B.59-6 ). ?rovisi specific to " Wea.chers" are located in the 1997 Unif Bu- ldi� Code
g G
(UBC) as adopted by r eference in rule part 1305.0010 of. the M nncsota State Building Code.
Unf,or, tuna.tely, the 1 997 LMC does not clearly and practically ad dress all of t°h e issues relevant
to bleacher constriction. A clear and M-ore comprehensive approach was lost due to extensive
ch,an.ges made. to th.e means, of egress provisions contained in chapter. 1, Q of the 1994 Z. C.
These means of egress provisions were totally rowritten for th.c 1997 edition because of
pr. essu.re to con form. to the format at of the other national model building cedes. Removed i.n. the
process were practical requirements rela.tin.c to when aisles are re quired, aisle wi dth, distance
to aisles and the delineation o.fprovisions between.. indoor and outdoor seating, to narne a few.
Two relevant factors:
First, many bleachers and grand,stan.ds are being replaced to comply witl.) Minn,csota's
Bleacher Safety Act. As a, result:, everyone involved in blcach sales d6si. ..
manu facture, construction an inspection. is inquiring of th Division about the
i.n.terpretation. of bleacher codes, However, TJ i vi sion staff is un -able to adequately uatel
� y an ewer
many of these questions because certain of h,e appl.ica,blc UBC provisions are either
overly resta'aive contradictory, not un.derstandaWe. or no longer exist. The result is
inconsistent design and cornpli.ance with the state bui l ding code.
Second, th,e reality .is that. building permits have often not been obtained for these types of
structures. T •
here are two reasons for this. On e � s th at b l eac�licr seating us g ets
installed after bu ldin.gs are already constructed and building permits closed out. Another
is that because they are installed after buildings are complete, i th.e � a+
are o ften, viewed b
both i nspector and installer as equipment not requin.n� pern7its. Alth.ougl .these are
generalizations, th f ac t is that m ost code off cia.l.s arc not used t o w or king wi th
bleacher seating provisions oftl .e niform Building Code. It is because of this that a -t
# u
-to
comprehensive code re�u7remen.ts relating to bleacher seating have not been
estab listed in tho Uniform. Building Code.
Th,crefore, the Division has developed policies regarding bleacher code rovisions i.n order to
.derv.. fy and clarify applicable requtrurncn.ts of the state buildin ' code rela.tjn to bleacher
�
sca,t�ng and to recognize acceptable altemati.ve. methods of, a.chi eving cornplian.ce as P errnittcd
by UB C Sections l 04.2. l & 2.5, The User (design er /man,u.f a cturer) then has the. o p ti,on of
designing xn accordance wi th the 1 997 UBC' or the alternative equi - lent methods established
in the Division specific bleacher policies,
J3ui Id1ng Codes c.nd 5reind:or.ds Division, 4.08 j'YTc tro Squarc Bui 121 71h P1a.c:e. Last, 5t, Pau 1, MN 55 1
Voice 65 1.296.4639; Fax: 651,297.1,973; TTY: 1,800.627.3529 And nsk for 296.9929
MN BLDG COD SIDS 651 2971973 03/22 '02 15:57 NOR 499 05/05
D cpartmenr, of Adininistrat,' n
POLICY ON "BLEACHER" SEATING
Policy PR- 04,�c page 3 of 6 (3/00)
Number of Seats Wan. A isle:
It wasn't until the 1.997 edition of the Uniform Bu ilding bode came out
• " Open-air hat req u i:rem mts
spec to Grandstands, Mca.cb.ers, and Folding and Telescoping c a in Seating" � P � c �, .t n.� were
dropped. Prior to that edition, th.c code permitted the nurnber of seats without
backrests
between. any seat and an aisle to b e not ,- reater than- 20, for a total of 42 seat '
s �.n. a row WWI
. aisl es at each, end. In general, thl' S is wb at the b leacher s s at in in dust has used as a
for the � �' standard manufacture of 0icir product for years. N ow loth the 1997 UBC and 2000 IBC only
permit a Ma.xirnurn. of, 14 seats per row witli flit typical 1.2 -in.ch wid -c aisle a.ccessw
a y. i
contrast, for indoor bleachers the 1 997 UBC permits 9 seats between an seat and an, aisle
Y ,for
a, total of 20 seats in a row. This i s 1� restri.ctive than that p ermitted outdoors,
. � p s Therel�'orep as estal�l sled .n. NF PA 01, the followin an a.cce table e uivalent a.l.tc a 'v
p r t e to the nu- mber
ofsea.ts to an aisle provision contained in UBC Section 1,004.3. 2.3.2.
�' e raj '�nurn . um or of eats errn.i �ed be wccn . rthest seat and an aisle in bleachers is 2
in. QittdQorb ea ( 1997 NFPA. 1.01 Table 8 -2, 5.5.2
Required Plumbing Fixtures: .
Table A-29 -.A of the LM C requires a minimum n� rnber wa
a. of ter closets and Java.tonies for
each sex to be pr, bvided for all buildi and structures including exterior assembly . g ar. eas such
as b l,ea cher and grandstand seating. The Division i.on w' l l rec �ni
. � - t 110 u s c o f the so � l.ow� r� to
ati t _ `c uir ern er t; a enn cn hares l.oc, ed ei t or on �'
------- - .tc a.va'l.a le an a,d'a.cent
lauild.i l ortable tern a �;t�, res t a '
n
-_ .. _ � _ �� t v�.11 be a� a�l ab_ �.e s� tc d t� e s w
.. W_ �cr�t,e
l�c per eatix�� is in uso. �'ortable wi ll be er�z�ed a � � � ,�
P s approved `rr�.odi.fi.cat "on
as au.tl. onzcd lay UB �cchon 1 04,2.7 because the use of outdoor bleacher seating �s sea
subject to freezing tempera.tu.res. Also rote the following :
0 Fixtures m ust b accessible and located on are, accessible route i n accordance w.
Minnesota's �tla.
.in.n sota s Acccssib .11ty Codc.
Th rati of water closets for w o men to thiCas total of water, closets and `
n ur�nals provided for
men must be at least tbrec to two in accordance with the Minnesota Building d
(1300.3900).
Note.& To be used ire. accordance with the attached, ``Plan Review Polici.cs'y
3uildin�; Codes and St.andords Division, 408 Morro Sq uare Building, 121 7rh Place %asp, sf.. Paul, MN 551,01
Voice, 651.296,4639; Fa 65 1.297. TTY; ! .8UO.b27.3529 as for 296,9929