ICC G11 General Building Contractor (A) Exam (2018 IBC)

Key Concepts

Scope and applicability - The code applies to construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure (101.2). Exception: detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories above grade plane with a separate means of egress, and their accessory structures not more than three stories above grade plane, may comply with this code or the IRC (101.2). - Appendix provisions do not apply unless specifically adopted (101.2.1). - Referenced codes and standards are part of the code "to the prescribed extent of each such reference" (102.4); where a referenced standard conflicts with the code, the provisions of this code apply (102.4.1). The "most restrictive governs" rule applies between different sections of this code (102.1). - A building not previously occupied must comply with the IBC or IRC for new construction, or with any current permit for such occupancy (102.6.1). A building previously legally occupied may continue without change except as provided in this code, the IFC or IPMC, or as deemed necessary by the building official for general safety and welfare (102.6.2).

Building official authority - The Department of Building Safety is created and the official in charge is the building official (103.1), appointed by the chief appointing authority of the jurisdiction (103.2). - Interpretations, policies and procedures must comply with the intent of the code and shall not have the effect of waiving requirements specifically provided for in this code (104.1). - Inspection reports from approved agencies/individuals must be in writing and certified by a responsible officer of the approved agency or the responsible individual (104.4). - Modifications for practical difficulties may be granted in individual cases; the details shall be recorded and entered in the files of the department of building safety (104.10).

Key Concepts

Construction types & occupancy. Type III construction has noncombustible exterior walls with interior building elements of any material permitted by the code (IBC 602.3, p. 119). Group A-2 covers assembly uses for food and/or drink consumption — restaurants, cafeterias, nightclubs, banquet halls, taverns and bars (303.3, p. 46).

Height, area and mezzanines. - Frontage increase requires not less than 25 percent of the building perimeter on a public way or open space (506.3.1); the open space must have a minimum width W of 20 feet, and where W exceeds 30 feet, 30 feet is used (506.3.2). - Sa (actual stories above grade plane) shall not exceed three for NFPA 13 sprinklered buildings; four only under 903.3.1.2 (506.2.3). - Basements need not be included in total allowable floor area provided their total area does not exceed that permitted for a one-story above grade plane building (506.1.3). - Unlimited area buildings: the 60-foot yard may be reduced to not less than 40 feet for not more than 75 percent of the perimeter where those exterior walls are rated not less than 3 hours (507.2.1). Interior liquid storage rooms are limited to not more than 1,000 square feet (507.8.1.1.2). - Aggregate accessory occupancies: not more than 10 percent of the story's floor area (508.2.3). Furnace rooms with equipment over 400,000 Btu/h are incidental uses (Table 509). - Mezzanines: 7-foot minimum clear height above and below (505.2); aggregate area not more than one-third of the room (505.2.1), one-half in Type I/II with both an automatic sprinkler system (903.3.1.1) and an emergency voice/alarm communication system (907.5.2.2); two-thirds where a mezzanine and equipment platform share a room (505.2.1.1). Enclosure without two exits only where the enclosed occupant load is not greater than 10 (505.2.3, Exc. 1). - Elements enclosing occupied roofs shall not extend more than 48 inches above the roof surface (503.1.4.1). Group R-1/R-2 Type IIA may be increased to nine stories and 100 feet (510.6); Type IIIA is six stories/75 feet (510.5).

2018 International Building Code and Concrete Manual (based on the 2015 IBC and ACI 318-14)

Key Concepts

Construction document structural information (IBC Ch. 16) - Wind design data — basic design wind speed (V), allowable stress design wind speed (Vasd), risk category, wind exposure, applicable internal pressure coefficient, and design wind pressures for exterior components — must be shown regardless of whether wind loads govern the lateral force-resisting system design (Section 1603.1.4, p. 362). - The conventional light-frame exception (Section 1603.1 Exception, p. 361) requires only: floor/roof dead and live loads, ground snow load, basic design wind speed and wind exposure, seismic design category and site class, flood design data (if applicable), design load-bearing values of soils, and rain load data. - Where partition locations are subject to change in office buildings, partition load shall be not less than 15 psf uniformly distributed live load, unless the specified live load is 80 psf or greater (Section 1607.5, p. 367).

Footings, foundations, soils (IBC Ch. 18, App. J) - Prescriptive footing for light-frame construction supporting two floors: minimum width 15 inches, minimum thickness 6 inches (Table 1809.7). - Class 5 materials (clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clayey silt, silt, sandy silt — CL, ML, MH, CH): presumptive vertical foundation pressure 1,500 psf (Table 1806.2). - Fill compacted to 90 percent of maximum density per ASTM D1557 (Modified Proctor), in lifts not exceeding 12 inches (Section J107.5; also Section 1804.6). - Basement floor base course: not less than 4 inches of gravel or crushed stone, not more than 10 percent passing a No. 4 sieve (Section 1805.4.1). - Hollow piers in pier and curtain wall foundations: cap with 4 inches of solid masonry or concrete, or fill top-course cavities with concrete or grout (Section 1809.10, Item 3.3).

Key Concepts

Interior finishes (Chapter 8) - Interior wall and ceiling finish tested to ASTM E84 or UL 723 is grouped: Class A = flame spread 0–25; Class B = 26–75; Class C = 76–200; all with smoke-developed index 0–450 (Section 803.1.2). - NFPA 286 acceptance criteria (Section 803.1.1.1): flames shall not spread to the ceiling during the 40 kW exposure; no spread to the outer extremity; no flashover; peak heat release rate shall not exceed 800 kW; total smoke released shall not exceed 1,000 m². Compliant materials are considered to comply with Class A. - Finish applied over fire-resistance-rated or noncombustible construction may use furring strips not exceeding 1¾ inches (Section 803.15.1); intervening spaces must be inorganic/noncombustible, Class A material, or fireblocked at not greater than 8 feet in every direction (Section 803.15.1.1). - Interior floor finish: Class I = 0.45 watts/cm² or greater; Class II = 0.22 watts/cm² or greater, per ASTM E648 or NFPA 253 (Section 804.2). - Combustible decorative materials suspended from walls or ceilings in Groups A, B, E, I, M, R-1 and R-2 dormitories shall not exceed 10 percent of the specific wall or ceiling area (Section 806.2). Exceptions: 75 percent in sprinklered Group A auditoriums; 50 percent in sprinklered R-2 dormitory sleeping/dwelling units; the 10-percent limit does not apply to window coverings.

Exterior walls (Chapter 14) - Water-resistive barrier: not fewer than one layer of No. 15 asphalt felt complying with ASTM D226 Type 1, or other approved materials, attached to studs or sheathing with flashing per Section 1404.4 (Section 1403.2). - Vapor retarder classes (Section 1404.3.3): Class I — sheet polyethylene, nonperforated aluminum foil, perm ≤ 0.1; Class II — perm > 0.1 and ≤ 1.0; Class III — perm > 1.0 and ≤ 10.0. - Flashing and weep holes in anchored veneer: not more than 10 inches above finished ground level above the foundation wall or slab; at other supports, in the first course of masonry above the support (Section 1404.4.2). - Wood veneers on Type I, II, III and IV construction: not less than 1 inch nominal; not exceeding…