Articles about architecture, engineering, city planning, software, construction and other fun stuff. Put together by architects at EVstudio in Denver Colorado.

Tag Archive for ‘Code’

Steel Stud Track Attachment to Masonry with Simpson Wedge-All

Recently I have been working on a lecture hall project in Killeen, Texas. The structure of this lecture hall is primarily going to be composed of steel roof framing members and concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls. Covering the entrance to this lecture hall is a covered colonnade. The visual architectural requirements of the colonnade’s covering [...]

Killeen, Texas Adopts 2009 I-Codes

    The Killeen City Council has voted to adopt the 2009 International Code Council (ICC) Building Codes. The new codes will become effective April 1, 2011, however the 2008 National Electric Code will remain in effect. In addition to the ICC codes Killeen has published their local amendments to the Codes which take precedence [...]

2009 Code Update: Deck Attachments

The 2009 International Residential Code has new provisions concerning the attachment of decks to homes. Most significant in this is the new hold-down tension device requirement of R502.2.2.3. This device is illustrated below and will certainly add construction costs to deck addition projects due to the invasive nature of the interior tension device attachment. From [...]

Varying Design Wind Speeds for Arvada, Colorado

Contractors, Owners and Designers should be aware that the City of Arvada has five different wind zones of varying intensity. This could mean a difference of up to 20-25 pounds per square foot of wind pressure on the components and cladding of roofs. For a project such as solar panel installation this could have significant [...]

Connecting Wood Deck Railing Posts with the Simpson DTT2Z

Meeting the 2009 International Building Code requirements for with timber construction hasn’t always been the easiest thing. I found early in my career that the traditional methods of fastening wood deck railing posts to wood decks did not meet building code criteria (some frighteningly so). The method I developed to properly achieve code compliance wasn’t [...]

2009 Code Update: Live / Work Units

Typically, structures built for commercial use must conform to the International Building Code (IBC). Residential structures (single family homes, duplexes and townhomes) must conform to a similar, but separate set of standards, the International Residential Code (IRC). Prior to the 2009 I-codes, using a residential structure as business such as the hair salon pictured was [...]

Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Impact Insulation Class (IIC) Between Dwelling Units

In multifamily building construction you need to insulate the dwelling units for sound. When using the International Building Code all common interior walls, partitions and floor/ceiling assemblies between adjacent units and between units and hallways, stairs and service areas need to be insulated. There are two types of sound that need to be addressed, the [...]

2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are now available online On Friday, July 23, 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder signed final regulations revising the Department’s ADA regulations, including its ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The official text was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010. The revised regulations amend the Department’s Title [...]

Rating of Floors and Ceilings of Exit Enclosures

(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 you rate the ceiling or “lid” of a stair or [...]

Denver’s Form Based Code – CNU Colorado Event

The Congress for the New Urbanism Colorado Chapter is hosting an evening on Denver’s New Form Based Code. It will be held Friday, December 10, 2010 from 5:00 to 6:30 at UCD’s campus.

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