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Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED

Section 423

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

423.1 General.

This section applies to the construction of storm shelters constructed as separate detached buildings or constructed as rooms or spaces within buildings for the purpose of providing protection from storms that produce high winds, such as tornadoes and hurricanes during the storm. Such structures shall be designated to be hurricane shelters, tornado shelters, or combined hurricane and tornado shelters. Design of facilities for use as emergency shelters after the storm are outside the scope of ICC 500 and shall comply with Table 1604.5 as a Risk Category IV Structure.

423.2 Construction.

In addition to other applicable requirements in this code, storm shelters shall be constructed in accordance with ICC 500. Buildings or structures that are also designated as emergency shelters shall also comply with Table 1604.5 as Risk Category IV structures.

423.3 Critical emergency operations.

In areas where the shelter design wind speed for tornados in accordance with Figure 304.2(1) of ICC 500 is 250 mph, 911 call stations, emergency operation centers and fire, rescue, ambulance and police stations shall comply with Table 1604.5 as a Risk Category IV structure and shall be provided with a storm shelter constructed in accordance with ICC 500.

423.4 Group E occupancies.

In areas where the shelter design wind speed for tornados is 250 mph in accordance with Figure 304.2(1) of ICC 500, all Group E occupancies with an occupant load of 50 or more shall have a storm shelter constructed in accordance with ICC 500.

Exceptions:

  1. Group E day care facilities.

  2. Group E occupancies accessory to places of religious worship.

  3. Buildings meeting the requirements for shelter design in ICC 500.

423.4.1 Required occupant capacity. The required occupant capacity of the storm shelter shall include all of the buildings on the site and shall be the greater of the following:

  1. The total occupant load of the classrooms, vocational rooms and offices in the Group E occupancy.

  2. The occupant load of any indoor assembly space that is associated with the Group E occupancy.

Exceptions:

  1. Where a new building is being added on an existing Group E site, and where the new building is not of sufficient size to accommodate the required occupant capacity of the storm shelter for all of the buildings on the site, the storm shelter shall at a minimum accommodate the required occupant capacity for the new building.

  2. Where approved by the code official, the required occupant capacity of the shelter shall be permitted to be reduced by the

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

100735044

SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY AND USE

sification, as described in Section 804, when tested in accordance with ASTM E648 or NFPA 253.

[F] 424.3 Fire protection. Children’s play structures shall be provided with the same level of approved fire suppression and detection devices required for other structures in the same occupancy.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  7. ▸Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
    Overview
    1. Section 401
    2. Section 402
    3. Section 403
    4. Section 404
    5. Section 405
    6. Section 406
    7. Section 407
    8. Section 408
    9. Section 409
    10. Section 410
    11. Section 411
    12. Section 412
    13. Section 413
    14. Section 414
    15. Section 415
    16. Section 416
    17. Section 417
    18. Section 418
    19. Section 419
    20. Section 420
    21. Section 422
    22. Section 421
    23. Section 424
    24. Section 423
    25. Section 425
    26. Section 427
    27. Section 435
    28. Section 436
    29. Section 437
    30. Section 438
    31. Section 440
    32. Section 441
    33. Section 442
    34. Section 443
    35. Section 444
    36. Section 445
    37. Section 446
    38. Section 447
    39. Section 448
    40. Section 449
    41. Section 450
    42. Section 451
    43. Section 452
    44. Section 453
    45. Section 454
    46. Section 455
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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