Building Code Analysis

 

LINCOLN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL:

 

The Middle School/High School is composed of 5 separate buildings. They are as follows:

 

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL:

 

¨      Constructed in 1954.

¨      It is a two-story building with a footprint of land.  It has a steel frame structural system with steel beams and cast in place floors and roof.

¨      The multi-purpose room has a pre-cast roof.

¨      It is constructed of 3B type construction.

¨      The exterior is a concrete masonry unit back up with a brick veneer exterior.

¨      The windows are wood frame with aluminum sash and quarter inch plate glass.

¨      It has a concrete slab lower level.

¨      There is no eyewash in the Family and Consumer Science Room.

¨      In Room C209 there is no eyewash in prep room.

¨      The acid cabinet in Room C209 is not vented to the outside.

¨      Classrooms have light levels of 25-40 foot-candles.

¨      The footprint square footage is 38,323.

 

Addition to the junior high school:

 

¨      Constructed in 1958. 

¨      It is a one story structure. 

¨      It is a steel frame with a concrete block back up and brick veneer. 

¨      The windows are single pane on an aluminum sash and window frame.

¨      It is a 3B construction type.

¨      It has a concrete slab lower level.

¨      At the stair tower, area of rescue does not have two way communication.

¨      There is no window at the stair tower.

¨      The footprint square footage is 4,384.

 

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL:

 

¨      Constructed in 1963.

¨      It is a two story building with a cast in place floor system on a steel frame.

¨      The roof is steel framed.

¨      Exterior wall construction consists of concrete masonry units with brick veneer.

¨      Windows are single pane aluminum frame with no thermal break.

¨      Construction type is 3B.

¨      The total footprint square footage is 100,000.

 

 

CONNECTOR AND ADDITION TO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL:

 

¨      Constructed in 1970.

¨      Concrete slab lower level.

¨      The roof is pre-cast concrete with a steel frame.

¨      The building has steel beams and cast in place frame and steel structure.

¨      The windows are aluminum frame without a thermal break and single pane glass.

¨      Exterior construction is concrete masonry block with a concrete masonry block veneer.

¨      It is a one story structure.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL ADDITION:

 

¨      Built in 1997.

¨      Concrete slab at lower level.

¨      Steel framed roof and floors with concrete masonry unit load bearing and brick veneer exterior.

¨      The windows are aluminum frame with a thermal break and insulated glass.

¨      Construction type is 3B.

¨      The area is 36,294 square feet.

 

From the existing construction documents that we have reviewed there are no fire walls separating the structures.  The total footprint square footage of the building is 150,450.  The maximum allowed area by current building codes is 14,400 square feet.  An allowance for accessible perimeter 1.5 times the allowable area is permitted.  The total permitted area is 36,000 square feet.  The current building substantially exceeds the allowed area.  The allowable area could be increased to 50,000 square feet if a sprinkler system was added.  Based on the current building codes the 1997 addition, 1970 addition and the 1958 addition could not have met current codes.  It is highly unlikely that even with building and fire code variances the existing structure could be added to even with the addition of a fire suppression system.

 

NORTHERN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

 

¨      The original building is a one story building constructed in 1970.

¨      The roof is steel frame.

¨      The exterior is load bearing concrete masonry units with a wood shake siding and concrete exterior.

¨      The windows are single pane aluminum sliding sashes without thermal breaks.

¨      The square footage of the original building is 34,722.

¨      The construction type is 3B.

¨      The addition is a two story building constructed in 1996.

¨      The exterior is a load bearing block with brick veneer.

¨      Load bearing block interior.

¨      Steel frame roof and floor system.

¨      It does not appear that a fire wall was constructed between the two buildings.

¨      The square footage of the addition footprint is 39,590.

¨      The total footprint square footage of the building is 54,303.

¨      The total footprint square footage allowed for this area under current building codes is a maximum of 36,000 square feet.

¨      Even if the addition was built with a fire wall any addition would require the installation of a sprinkler system in the entire building.

¨      The corridor from boiler room to exterior is currently used as a Reading Room.

¨      There are no windows in the Resource Room.

¨      In the Special Ed Room there is no door in the corridor, which does not meet building or fire codes.

¨      In the Lower Level Special Ed Room window does not comply with emergency egress window requirements.

¨      The doors in the Lower Level Special Ed Room were removed, deleting the required fire separation between a classroom and the corridor.

¨      The classroom next to ELC 16 does not have an egress window; therefore there is no provision for an egress window, which is required by the fire code.

¨      Emergency egress from classroom 112 to a courtyard is not permitted under fire code.

¨      Emergency egress from classroom 116 to a courtyard is not permitted under fire code.

¨      The construction of the addition made the egress window from classroom ELC 15 empty into a courtyard, which is not permitted under fire code.

¨      Classroom ELC 10 does not have a window.  An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      Computer lab/classroom #9 does not have a window.  An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      Classroom ELC 8 does not have a window.  An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      Classroom ELC 4 does not have a window.  An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      The doors to Classroom ELC 4 were removed, deleting the required fire separation between a classroom and the corridor.

¨      Classroom 1 does not have a window.  An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      The Reading Recovery classroom is subdivided.  You must go through the first space to get to the rear space.

¨      The first teaching space in the Reading Recovery room does not have a window. An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

¨      The Reading Room next to the boiler room does not have a window. An egress window is required in this space under fire code.

 


LONSDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

 

¨      This is a one story building and was built in 1963.

¨      It has a steel frame system with a concrete masonry unit exterior wall and brick veneer.

¨      The windows are single pane aluminum frame without a thermal break.

¨      The square footage of the original building is 15,001.

¨      An addition was constructed in 1962.  The square footage in this addition is 7,252.

¨      It has a steel frame system.

¨      The exterior is brick veneer with a concrete masonry unit backup.

¨      The construction type is 3B.

¨      Reading Room was converted from an original corridor.  This room does not appear to meet code, as classrooms 11, 12 and 13 egress through this space.  This space is also the normal circulation from and to the rest of the school from these rooms.

¨      The total footprint is 22,253 square feet.

¨      It is possible to add to this building.

 

CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

 

¨      The original building is type 3B construction.

¨      The area is 25,502 sq.ft.

¨      A one story addition was built in 1988.  The area is 8,876 square feet.

¨      It is a steel frame structure with metal studs and gypsum board exterior back up and interior walls.

¨      The exterior steel frame of the addition has fire proofing.

¨      The construction type is 3B.

¨      The lobby has been renovated to open work areas for blueprinting.  This does not comply with the building code, which requires these spaces to be separated by fire rated construction.

¨      The total foot print of the building is 34,378 sq. feet.

 

We do not feel that any possible addition can be done without providing a new sprinkler system throughout the building.

 

SAYLESVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

 

¨      The original one story building is 3B construction

¨      The area of the original building is 31,900 square feet.

¨      A one story addition was built in 1996, it has an area of 4,206 square feet.

¨      It is 3B construction type.

¨      Constructed of concrete masonry units with brick veneer.

¨      The roof is steel framed.

¨      There does not appear to be a fire wall between the addition and new construction.

¨      Renovations to the interior of the building to subdivide large classrooms was built in 1999. 

¨      There appears to be substantial fire code and building code violations in the renovation project.  We have inquired as to whether any variances were given for this project and have been advised that no fire or building code variances were granted.

¨      The corridors going to classroom 6,8,10,16,18 and 20 are 32 feet long.  This exceeds the maximum dead end corridor for both the building code and fire code of 20 feet.

¨      2 year old classrooms 3,5,7,9,15 and 17 do not provide the required emergency window exit.

¨      The corridors going to classroom 6,8,10,16,18 and 20 are 32 feet long.  This exceeds the maximum dead end corridor for both the building code and fire code of 20 feet.

¨      The total square footage is 37,100.

 

We do not feel that this building can be added to without providing a sprinkler system throughout the building.

 

FAIRLAWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

 

¨      This is a two story building with an area of 26,850.

¨      The original building was constructed in 1958.

¨      It has a steel framed pitched roof with a concrete masonry unit back up and brick veneer.

¨      Windows are single pane glass on a metal sash and wood frame.

¨      An addition was constructed in 1996.

¨      The addition has a steel framed roof with concrete masonry unit and brick veneer.

¨      The construction type is 3B.

¨      Classrooms 5 and 6 are both larger than 100 square feet and do not have the required operable window as a means of egress.

¨      The foot print square footage is 26,850.

 

Further analysis is required to determine the site perimeter in order to determine if an addition is possible to this building.

 

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING:

 

¨      There was a chairlift installed in one of the stair towers.  This reduces the egress capacity of the stair towers of the building and may not be code compliant.

 

 

Note: None of the existing buildings have sprinkler systems.  All of our calculations are based on the existing buildings having sufficient open perimeter to allow for an area increase, in addition to street frontage.  The building code allows an area increase if this perimeter access is 30 feet wide and is accessible to a fire apparatus.

 

Engineer Survey

Bldg Code Analysis

Bldg Code Analysis HS

Central ADA

Lonsdale ADA

Saylesville ADA

Northern ADA

Middle School ADA

Fairlawn ADA

High School ADA

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