IBC table 504.4 number of stories above ground: does this refer to the entire building or the individual occupancy?
IBC table 504.4 gives allowed number of stories above ground in a building with given occupancy groups, construction types, and sprinkling condition. Does the limit on the number of stories here apply to the individual occupancies or the entire building?
For example, in a mixed-use building with different occupancies stacked together vertically, seperated by appropriate fire seperations (like an apartment building with ground floor retail, just for example's sake), is it true that you could calculate the maximum number of stories for each of these occupancies according to table 504.4, and add them together to get to the total allowed number of stories for the entire building?
I hope my question doesn't come across as a dumb one, as I am honestly struggling with one particular Black Spectacle question involving such scenario! :p Many thanks in advance!
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Hi Minquan -
Happy to help with this one! If you can either message us on our site or PM me on our community (links to both below) I'd be happy to find the specific question you're having trouble with and make sure the answer explanation is super thorough.
The scenario you describe - a mixed-use building with ground floor retail separated from apartments above, is governed by IBC section 508.4. 508.4.3 says that 'each separated occupancy shall comply with the building height limitations...of Section 503.1'...which ultimately leads you to table 504.3. Note that this table is titled 'Allowable Building Height in Feet above Grade Plane'.
In your scenario, if the commercial ground floor is 12' above the grade plane and table 504.3 says that your residential use has a maximum height above the grade plane of, for example, 65', that means that the residential portion is limited to 53' (65'-12').
Chris Hopstock RA
Black Spectacles
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