510.2 Horizontal building separation allowance. A building shall be considered as separate and distinct buildings for the purpose of determining area limitations, continuity of fire walls, limitation of number of stories and type of construction where the following conditions are met:
1. The buildings are separated with a horizontal assembly having a fire-resistance rating of not less than three hours. Where vertical offsets are provided as part of a horizontal assembly, the vertical offset and the structure supporting the vertical offset shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than three hours.
2. The building below, including the horizontal assembly, is of Type IA construction.
3. Shaft, stairway, ramp and escalator enclosures through the horizontal assembly shall have not less than a two-hour fire-resistance rating with opening protective in accordance with Section 716.
EXCEPTION: | Where the enclosure walls below the horizontal assembly have not less than a three-hour fire-resistance rating with opening protectives in accordance with Section 716, the enclosure walls extending above the horizontal assembly shall be permitted to have a 1-hour fire-resistance rating provided that the following conditions are met: |
| 1. The building above the horizontal assembly is not required to be of Type I construction. |
| 2. The enclosure connects fewer than four stories; and |
| 3. The enclosure opening protective above the horizontal assembly have a fire protection rating of not less than 1 hour. |
4. Interior exit stairways located within the Type IA building are permitted to be of combustible materials where both of the following requirements are met:
4.1. The building above the Type IA building is of Type III, IV, or V construction.
4.2. The stairway located in the Type IA building is enclosed by 3-hour fire-resistance-rated construction with opening protectives in accordance with Section 716.
5. The building or buildings above the horizontal assembly shall be permitted to have Group A, B, M, R, or S occupancies.
6. The building below the horizontal assembly shall be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, and shall be permitted to be any occupancy allowed by this code except Group H.
7. The maximum building height in feet (mm) shall not exceed the limits set forth in Section 504.3 for the building having the smaller allowable height as measured from the grade plane.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
19.27.031 and
19.27.074. WSR 22-13-094, 23-12-103, and 23-20-023, § 51-50-0510, filed 6/14/22, 6/7/23, and 9/25/23, effective 3/15/24; WSR 20-21-021, § 51-50-0510, filed 10/9/20, effective 11/9/20; WSR 20-01-090, § 51-50-0510, filed 12/12/19, effective 7/1/20; WSR 16-03-064, § 51-50-0510, filed 1/19/16, effective 7/1/16.]