Chapter 2- Occupancy Classifications & Loads
Residential (R) Occupancy
Business (B) Occupancy
Storage (S) Occupancy
- Acts as a dwelling and provides sleeping accommodations for normal residential purposes
- The IBC has 4 subclassifications (R-1 through R-4)
Utility (U) Occupancy
- Classified if it is used for the transaction of business, such as accounting, record keeping, and other similar functions
- Risk factors are considered to be relatively low
- Can become very broad
- Classified if it is used for storing or sheltering products, merchandise, vehicles, or animals
- Minor storage uses are typically treated as part of the predominant occupancy
- It is generally understood that relatively few people will occupy the space
- A building or part of a building that is not typical and/or cannot be properly classified as any other of the occupancy groups
- The size of the space or building should be a consideration
Occupancy Classification
Assembly (A) Occupancy
Educational (E) Occupancy
- Classified if it is used for educational purposed by a specified number of persons at any one time through the 12th grade
- Common for a school to be considered a mixed occupancy due to the auditoriums, cafeterias, and gymnasiums included in this building type
- Generally determined by the way that building or space is to be used
- Three things must be known:
- The type of activity occurring
- The expected number of occupants
- Whether any unusual hazards or risk factors are present
- Classified if people gather for political, social, or religious functions, recreation, entertainment, eating, drinking, or awaiting transportation
- Holds a large number of people (usually more than 50) who are unfamiliar with the space
- Other common characteristics:
- Low light levels
- Lack of awareness of surroundings
- Potential for panic because of the number of occupants
- IBC has 5 subclassifications based on the type of activity occurring (A-1 through A-5)
Institutional (I) Occupancy
Risk Factors & Hazards
Mercantile (M) Occupancy
Hazardous (H) Occupancy
Factory (F) Occupancy
- Classified if it is used for assembling, disassembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging, processing or repairing
- The product that is made or the materials used to make the product must typically be considered a low or moderate hazard
- Involves the generation, manufacturing, processing, storage, or other use of hazardous materials
- Categorized by an unusually high degree of explosive, fire, physical, and/or health hazards
- Classified if it is open to the public and used for the display, sale, or rental of merchandise
- A group of retail stores may have additional code requirements
- Classified if it includes medical treatment or other types of care or contains occupants detained under physical or security measures
- Occupants are either limited in their mobility, immobile, or incapable of mobility due to physical or security restraints
- The IBC has 4 subclassifications (I-1 through I-4)
- Can include harmful substances and/or potentially harmful situations
- Small levels of certain hazardous materials are allowed in almost every occupancy classification
- Risk factors include:
- Number of occupants
- If occupants are at rest or sleeping
- Alertness of the occupants
- Familiarity of occupants with the space or building
- Typical characteristics of the space used for a particular activity
- Potential for spread of fire