SEC. 91.8803. DEFINITIONS.

(Amended by Ord. No. 179,324, Eff. 12/10/07, Oper. 1/1/08.)

For purposes of this division, the applicable definitions in CBC Sections 1602 and 1613 and the following shall apply:

ESSENTIAL BUILDING is any building housing a hospital or other medical facility having surgery or emergency treatment areas, fire or police stations, municipal government disaster operation and communication centers.

HIGH-RISK BUILDING is any building not classified as an essential building having an occupant load, as determined by CBC Section 1004.1, of 100 occupants or more.

EXCEPTION: A high-risk building shall not include the following:

1. Any building having exterior walls braced with masonry cross walls or wood-frame cross walls spaced less than 40 feet (12 192 mm) apart in each story. Cross walls shall be full-story height with a minimum length of 1 1/2 times the story height.

2. Any building used for its intended purpose, as determined by the Department, for less than 20 hours per week.

HISTORICAL BUILDING is any building designated as an historical building by an appropriate federal, state or City jurisdiction.

LOW-RISK BUILDING is any building not classified as an essential building having an occupant load as determined by CBC Section 1004.1 of less than 20 occupants.

MEDIUM-RISK BUILDING is any building not classified as a high-risk building or an essential building having an occupant load as determined by CBC Section 1004.1 of 20 occupants or more.

UNREINFORCED MASONRY BEARING WALL is a masonry wall having all the following characteristics:

1. Provides the vertical support for a floor or roof.

2. The total superimposed load is over 100 pounds per linear foot (1.5 kN/m).

3. The area of reinforcing steel is less than 50 percent of that required by CBC Section 2106.1.

SEC. 91.8804. RATING CLASSIFICATIONS.

(Amended by Ord. No. 179,324, Eff. 12/10/07, Oper. 1/1/08.)

The rating classifications as exhibited in Table No. 88-A are hereby established and each building within the scope of this division shall be placed in one rating classification by the Department. The total occupant load of the entire building as determined by CBC Section 1004.1 shall be used to determine the rating classification.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. For the purpose of this division, portions of buildings constructed to act independently when resisting seismic forces may be placed in separate rating classifications.

2. For the purpose of this division, to establish the rating classification of a building containing one or more artist in residence spaces, as defined in Section 91.8501 of this Code, the occupant load of each artist in residence space shall be one for each space less than 2,000 square feet (186 m² ) in area and two for each space 2,000 square feet (186 m² ) or more in area.