Chapter 17.82

FIRE SAFETY DURING CONSTRUCTION

Parts:

• 1 General Provisions

• 2 Definitions

• 3 Specific Requirements

Part 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sections:

standards or fire protection measures for wood frame or other construction methods as may otherwise be set forth in this Code.

• B. No person shall engage in any aspect of construction on a large or major wood frame building project, or permit or authorize any such construction to occur, except in full compliance with this chapter.

• C. The property owner, as identified on the application for a building permit for a large or major wood frame building project, shall be liable for full compliance with this chapter.

• (Ord. 27025.)

The fire chief and the chief building official are authorized to, from time to time, as necessary to implement this chapter, issue, review and revise administrative regulations to implement the provisions of this chapter, including but not limited to regulations concerning the required content of construction fire protection plans and the manner in which fire safety officer duties are to be performed. (Ord. 27025.)

Part 2

DEFINITIONS

The purpose of this chapter is to minimize the potential for the occurrence and spread of fires, and to facilitate firefighting efforts, during construction of wood frame buildings. (Ord. 27025.)

• A. The provisions of this chapter shall apply only to activities occurring during the construction of certain wood frame buildings as specified herein.

  • Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to alter such building occupancy

• 17.82.220 Construction fire protection plan.

• 17.82.230 Exposed wood framing.

• 17.82.240 Fire safety officer.

• 17.82.250 Hot work.

• 17.82.260 Large wood frame building project.

• 17.82.270 Major wood frame building project.

• 17.82.280 Maximum allowable exposed wood framing limit.

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§ 17.82.260

The definitions contained in this part shall govern the interpretation of this chapter. Where terms are not specifically defined in this chapter, the definitions contained in Chapters 17.04, 17.12 and Title 24 of this Code shall control. (Ord. 27025.)

"Building height" for the purpose of this Chapter 17.82 only, shall mean the vertical distance above a reference datum, measured to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof, or to the deck line of a mansard roof, or to the average height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped roof. The reference datum shall be selected by either of the following, whichever yields the greatest height of building: (1) The elevation of the highest natural ground surface within a five-foot horizontal distance of the exterior wall of the building when the highest such natural ground surface is not more than ten feet above the lowest grade; or (2) An elevation ten feet higher than the lowest grade when the natural ground surface described in (1) is more than ten feet above the lowest grade.

(Ord. 27025.)

"Construction fire protection plan" means a document which specifies measures and practices to be incorporated into the construction process to minimize the potential for the occurrence and spread of fires, and to facilitate firefighting efforts during building construction. (Ord. 27025.)

any adjacent ongoing wood frame construction is considered to be within the project when adjacent structures are separated by less than sixty feet of open air.

(Ord. 27025.)

"Fire safety officer" means an individual employed on a construction job site whose job function is to minimize the potential for the occurrence and spread of fires in accordance with the requirements of this Chapter 17.82 and the approved construction fire protection plan. The duties of a fire safety officer shall be in addition to, and do not supercede, the duties of any contractor or individual engaging in activities which have the potential to cause the occurrence or spread of fire, including but not limited to the duties specified in Chapter 33 of the 2016 California Fire Code, as adopted in Chapter 17.12 of this Code, or such other fire safety code as may be adopted by the city from time to time.

(Ords. 27025, 29808.)

"Hot work" means construction activities including, but not limited to, cutting, welding, use of open torch, brazing, and glass blowing, which are regulated by Chapter 33 of the 2016 California Fire Code, as adopted in Chapter 17.12 of this San José Municipal Code, or by any similar fire safety code or provision as may be adopted by the city from time to time.

(Ords. 27025, 29808.)

"Exposed wood framing" means the area of a large or major wood frame building project that is enclosed, in whole or in part, by wood stud framing and decking of the floor or roof above. Attics not designated for occupancy, balconies open to the sky and other similar open space are not included in this square footage calculation. For the purpose of measuring total square footage of wood framing,

"Large wood frame building project" means a building project utilizing exposed wood framing in the construction of fifteen or more attached dwelling units, or construction exceeding a total of fifty thousand square feet. (Ord. 27025.)

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SAN JOSÉ CODE

§ 17.82.270

"Major wood frame building project" is large wood frame building project which will either:

• A. Exceed three hundred fifty thousand square feet; or

• B. Exceed two hundred thousand square feet if the project exceeds fifty feet in height as defined in Section 17.82.210.

(Ord. 27025.)

"Maximum allowable exposed wood framing limit" means:

• A. Three hundred fifty thousand square feet; or

• B. Two hundred thousand square feet for a large wood frame building project which exceeds fifty feet in height as defined in Section 17.82.210.

(Ord. 27025.)

"Mitigating fire protection barrier" means at least one layer of 5/8-inch gypsum board or other fire resistive blocking located at the end of a fire resistive area or separation wall or party wall, and installed such that the mitigating fire protection barrier(s) and fire resistive wall(s) enclose area(s) of not less than ten thousand square feet and not more than fifty thousand square feet. (Ord. 27025.)

Part 3

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Sections:

• A. No building permit shall be issued which allows the commencement of wood frame construction on a large or major wood frame building project, unless the fire chief has provided written approval of a construction fire protection plan for the project.

• B. Construction fire protection plans for a large or major wood frame building project shall state how the requirements of this chapter and all other fire safety requirements shall be met during construction of the project. Construction fire protection plans for major wood frame building projects shall, in addition, state how off-hours security will be addressed, and how construction sequencing, including the installation of mitigating fire protection barriers, will be utilized to minimize the potential for the occurrence and spread of fire.

• C. No person shall engage in, permit, authorize or allow any aspect of construction on any project for which a construction fire protection plan has been approved unless the fire chief has provided written approval of a fire protection plan for the project.

• D. No person shall engage in, permit, authorize or allow any aspect of construction on any project for which a construction fire protection plan has been approved except in full compliance with the approved construction fire protection plan for the project.

• E. The approved construction fire protection plan shall be a condition of the building permit and a copy of the plan shall be maintained on site at all times during construction of the project.

• (Ord. 27025.)

• A. No person shall perform, permit, authorize or allow any hot work on any large or major wood frame building project, after wood framing has commenced, unless a fire safety officer is present on the project site at all times while hot work is being performed.

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• B. A fire safety officer shall monitor, confirm and document the following:

  1. That a fire watch as required by Chapter 33 of the California Fire Code, as adopted in Chapter 17.12 of this Code, or by any similar fire safety code or provision as may be adopted by the city from time to time has been provided during all hot work operations;

  2. That storage, use and handling of flammable liquids conforms to all federal, state and local, legal and administrative requirements;

  3. That construction debris is promptly removed from the project site;

  4. That fire protection equipment, including fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, standpipes, and other fire service connections, are in place and operational, as required by law or specified in the approved construction fire protection plan;

  5. That mitigating fire protection barriers are in place on any major wood frame building project, in accordance with this chapter and the construction sequencing requirements of the approved construction fire protection plan;

  6. That such other requirements relating to fire safety have been met, as may be specified in this Code, in the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, or in the approved construction fire protection plan.

(Ords. 27025, 29808.)

• A. No person shall commence, permit, authorize or allow wood framing or engage in any construction activity after the commencement of wood frame construction, on a large or major wood frame building project unless an all weather access road is in place meeting the requirements of Section 17.12.810 of this Code, or such other fire apparatus access requirements as may be specified in the construction

fire protection plan for the project, or in any development or building permit for the project, are in place and functional.

• B. No person shall commence, permit, authorize or allow wood framing or engage in, permit, authorize or allow any construction activity after the commencement of wood frame construction, on a large or major wood frame building project, unless all fire protection equipment, including fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, standpipes, and other fire service connections, are in place and operational, as required by law or specified in the approved construction fire protection plan.

(Ords. 27025, 29808.)

No person shall continue, permit, authorize or allow any construction activity on any major wood frame building project, unless mitigating fire protection barriers are in place and operational, in accordance with the approved construction fire protection plan, to maintain the project at or below the applicable maximum allowable exposed wood framing limit.

(Ord. 27025.)