San Francisco County Municipal Code Ch. 3 Provisions

SECTION 304 – STRUCTURAL DESIGN LOADS AND EVALUATION AND DESIGN PROCEDURES 304.3.2 Revise item 2 as follows: 304.3.2 Reduced seismic criteria. Where required, seismic evaluation or design shall comply with one of the following methodologies, which shall not be applied in combination with each other: 2. Except where these requirements are triggered by Section 503.11 or 805.2.1, applicable chapters of Appendix A of this code, for structures or portions of structures specified in Items 2.1 through 2.4 subject to the limitations of the respective chapter. 304 Add the following sections: 304.4 Minimum Lateral Force for Existing Buildings. 304.4.1 General. This section is applicable to existing buildings when invoked by SFEBC Section 503 or Chapters 6 through 9. This section may be used as a standard for voluntary upgrades. An existing building or structure which has been brought into compliance with the lateral force resistance requirements of the San Francisco Building Code in effect on or after the dates shown in Table 304.4.1 shall be deemed to comply with this section except when a vertical extension or other alterations are to be made which would increase the mass or reduce the seismic resistance capacity of the building or structure. Where multiple building types apply, the later applicable date shall be used. Where none of the building types apply, compliance shall be at the discretion of the Director. Building type definitions are given in ASCE 41, Table 3-1. TABLE 304.4.1 – DATES REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE BUILDING COMPLIANCE Building Type Date of Compliance Model Code (for reference) Building Type Date of Compliance Model Code (for reference) Wood Frame, wood shear panels (Types W1 & W2) 1/1/1984 UBC 1976 Wood Frame, wood shear panels (Type W1A) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997 Floor areas greater than 3,000 ft2 per level

Steel moment-resisting frame (Types S1 & S1a) 12/28/1995 UBC 1994 Steel concentrically braced frame (Types S2 & S2a) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997 Steel eccentrically braced frame (Types S2 & S2a) 1/1/1990 UBC 1988 Buckling-restrained braced frame (Types S2 & S2a) 1/1/2008 IBC 2006 Light metal frame (Type S3) 1/1/2008 IBC 2006 Steel frame w/ concrete shear walls (Type S4) 12/28/1995 UBC 1994 Steel plate shear wall (Type S6) 1/1/2008 IBC 2006 Reinforced concrete moment-resisting frame (Type C1) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997

Reinforced concrete shear walls (Types C2 & C2a) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997 Tilt-up concrete (Types PC1 & PC1a) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997 Precast concrete frame (Types PC2 & PC2a) 1/1/2008 IBC 2006 Reinforced masonry (Type RM1) 7/1/1999 UBC 1997 Flexible diaphragms

Reinforced masonry (Type RM2) 12/28/1995 UBC 1994 Stiff diaphragms

Seismic isolation or passive dissipation 7/1/1992 UBC 1991

304.4.2 Wind forces. Buildings and structures shall be capable of resisting wind forces as prescribed in San Francisco Building Code Section 1609. 304.4.3 Seismic forces. Buildings and structures shall comply with the reduced seismic forces, as defined in Section 304.3.2. The building separation limitations of Section ASCE 7-16 Section 12.12.3 need not be considered. When upper floors are exempted from compliance by Section 503.11 or 805.2.1, the lateral forces generated by their masses shall be included in the analysis and design of the lateral force resisting systems for the strengthened floor. Such forces may be applied to the floor level immediately above the topmost strengthened floor and distributed in that floor in a manner consistent with the construction and layout of the exempted floor. 304.5 Non-structural alterations. Whenever alteration work in a building or structure involves substantial changes to elements such as walls, partitions or ceilings, on 2/3 or more of the number of stories excluding basements, the building or structure as a whole shall comply with Section 304.4. The term “substantial change” means the addition, removal, repair or modification of such elements. All such work included in alteration permits issued within two years of the date of a permit application shall be included in the determination of whether the application is proposing substantial change to the building or structure. Removal and replacement of interior gypboard or plaster in Type V (wood framed) R3 occupancy (one or two residential units) is not to be considered as “Substantial Change”. The replacement gypboard must be 5/8" Type X with 5d cooler nails @ 4 inches on center or equivalent screws. SECTION 307 – SMOKE ALARMS, FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS, AND OPEN ATTICS 307.1 Revise this section as follows: 307.1 Smoke Alarms. [ ← ] When the valuation of an addition, alteration, or repair to a Group R Occupancy exceeds $1,000 and a permit is required, or when one or more sleeping rooms are added or created in an existing Group R Occupancy, smoke alarms shall be installed in accordance with San Francisco Building Code Section 907. Exception: Repairs to the exterior surfaces of a Group R Occupancy are exempt from the requirements of this section. 307 Add the following sections: 307.2 Fire alarm systems. For all buildings that are required to have a fire alarm system under this Code, the Fire Code, the Housing Code, or any other law, the building owner shall upgrade the fire alarm system, if necessary, to comply with the sound level requirement for sleeping areas set forth in Section 18.4.5.1 of NFPA 72, as amended from time to time, upon either (a) completion of work under a building permit with a cost of construction of $99,000 or more, (b) July 1, 2023, whichever occurs first. Exception. This subsection 307.2 shall not apply to mandatory seismic strengthening alterations being performed pursuant to Chapter 5E of this Code, or to transient Hotels within the Residential Group R-1 Occupancy Classification of Section 310.2 of the Building Code. 307.3 Open, accessible attics. When performing additions, alterations, or repairs in Group R-2 occupancies of six units or more under a building permit with a cost of construction of $50,000 or more, fire blocks, draftstops, or fire safing insulation (approved noncombustible material used as a fire barrier) shall be installed in open attics of 30 inches in height or greater that are accessible from other than an occupied residential unit. Exception. This requirement shall not apply to mandatory seismic strengthening alterations being performed pursuant to Chapter 5E of this Code. SECTION 314 – EXISTING HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS [SFM] 314.27 Revise this section as follows: 314.27 Automatic sprinkler system – Existing high-rise buildings. 314.27.1 General. Regardless of any other provisions of [ ← ] this code, every existing high-rise building as defined in San Francisco Building

Code Chapter 2 shall be provided with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system conforming to NFPA 13. Existing high-rise buildings that are also qualified historical buildings as defined in California Health and Safety Code Section 18950 shall be provided with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system when and as required by the State Historical Building Code. EXCEPTIONS: 1. An apartment house, condominium or other building used as a Group R, Division 2 Occupancy as defined in this code excluding tourist hotels as defined in Section 41.4 of the San Francisco Administrative Code. 2. A mixed-use occupancy building containing a Group R, Division 1 or Group R, Division 2 Occupancy. 314.27.2 Additional requirements. The following additional requirements shall also apply: 314.27.2.1 Valves and devices. A sprinkler control valve and a waterflow detecting device shall be provided at the lateral connection to the riser for each floor. 314.27.2.2 Signals. A separate and distinct supervisory signal shall be provided to indicate a condition that will impair the satisfactory operation of the sprinkler system. This shall include, but not be limited to, monitoring control valves, fire pump power supplies and pump running conditions. Such supervisory signals shall be annunciated at a constantly attended building security control center; when that location is not under constant supervision by qualified personnel, the signals shall be transmitted to a remote monitoring station in accordance with NFPA 72. 314.27.2.3 Water supply. The minimum water supply requirement for the sprinkler shall be determined without regard to inside hose stream demand. 314.27.2.4 Standpipe conversion. Existing standpipes may be converted to sprinkler risers, provided that they are hydrostatically tested for two hours at not less than 50 psi (345 Pa) in excess of the maximum pressure to be maintained in the system. 314.27.2.5 Supports. Additional hangers, braces or other attachments for support of existing standpipes which have been converted in accordance with Section 314.27.2.4 shall be provided if they are necessary to meet the requirements of NFPA 13. The installation of additional flexible fittings in such risers is not required. 314.27.2.6 Pipe material. Any type pipe which has been listed by an approved testing agency for use in automatic sprinkler installations may be used when installed in accordance with its listing limitations. 314.27.3 Permissible omissions. The following features required in new high-rise buildings are not required in systems installed under the provisions of this section:

Redundant fire pump;
Secondary on-site supply of water;
More than one fire department connection;
Connection of the system to two risers on each floor. Hydraulic calculations may consider all risers in service;
In a Group R, Division 1 or R-2 Occupancy building, sprinklers in bathrooms and closets. See San Francisco Building Code Section 903.3.1.1.1 for additional permissible sprinkler omissions.