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S&B information on the March 1, 2008, Commercial Building and Fire Prevention Code changes Wisconsin Commercial Building (Comm 60-66) and Fire Prevention (Comm 14) Code changes were adopted November 7, 2007, by the state Department of Commerce after several years of development by the Safety and Buildings Division and extended consideration by the public and elected officials. The code changes go into effect March 1, 2008. Neither set of printed code changes is yet available from the state Revisor of Statutes. However, see below for link to download of free PDF files of special WCBC insert pages. See the adopted draft, PDF file, containing the Comm 14, Fire Prevention Code pages.
Date of receipt and a clearly stated intention are basic to which code version will govern commercial building code plan reviews around March 1, 2008 Plan review submittals at the time of the upcoming Wisconsin Commercial Building Code (WCBC) change will mostly follow what you would expect, although there are a couple extra possibilities. Generally, deliver a viable plan submittal to the Safety and Buildings Division before the change and the "old" code will be the "code in effect." Get the plans in after the change and the "new" code will apply. While municipalities delegated by S&B with plan review authority are expected to follow the same pattern, it is best to check with those local review authorities well in advance before submittal. Effective March 1, 2008, the WCBC, Comm 60-66, will be updated, adopting the 2006 editions of the International Building Code, International Energy Conservation Code, International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Code, and (for the first time) the International Existing Building Code. The “old” Comm 60-65 code is in effect until that date. Plan reviews scheduled to occur before March 1 and received before March 1 in a S&B office will be reviewed under the "old" code. S&B will accept a pre-March 1 postmark or delivery service pickup as receipt before March 1. Plan reviews scheduled to occur after March 1 and received after March 1 in a S&B office will be reviewed under the "new" code. Unscheduled plans received after March 1 in a S&B office will be reviewed under the "new" code. Plans scheduled after March 1, but received before that date, may be reviewed under the "old" code. This intent will be shown during Internet scheduling, after mid-February. Until then the intent will be shown when the submitter returns the scheduling confirmation letter to S&B with the plan submittal. On a revised plan review application form (SBD-118, R01/08), the submitter can also designate the pre-March 1 code as the "code in effect." There are additional notable points: - If someone submits for review before or after March 1, they can petition to have the review under the code version they desire. S&B does not suggest the petition will or won't be approved. - If someone submits a valid footing and foundation review request by itself before March 1, they may later choose to use either the "old" or "new" code versions for the later remainder of the review. - To establish the date of the “code in effect” for the project as before March 1, the submittal must be viable. Other than the preparatory footing and foundation review mentioned just above, a viable submittal must include complete appropriate plans, specs, and fees. - Tenant alteration plans following a shell approval are subject to the code in effect at the time of the tenant space submittal. - WCBC Chapter 66, Existing Buildings, will apply to alterations, additions and changes of use to existing buildings that have already had legal occupancy. Plan review submitters will need to declare the level of alteration (1, 2, or 3), as defined in IEBC chapter 4. Questions on plan review submittals may be emailed to planschedule@commerce.state.wi.us. WCBC pages to be inserted in copies of the adopted I-codes can be downloaded and printed from the S&B WebSite, http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-CommBldg2008InsertPages.html. The printed pages can also be purchased from state Document Sales beginning February 11, 2008, http://www.doa.state.wi.us/section_detail.asp?linkcatid=266&linkid=49&locid=2. Increased fire sprinkler protection and updated model codes included in commercial building and fire prevention code changes A flexible expansion of fire sprinkler protections in apartment buildings and an update to 2006 model building and fire codes are features of Wisconsin commercial building and fire codes changes adopted November 7, 2007, by the state Department of Commerce. After several years of development, with input from people throughout Wisconsin and review by the legislature, changes to Comm 60-66, Commercial Building Code, and Comm 14, Fire Prevention Code, are expected to go into effect on March 1, 2008. For new construction, a significant increase in the multifamily buildings provided with fire sprinklers was modified by phasing in the new fire sprinkler protection. The phase-in will provide sprinkler installation in 2008 for new construction of multifamily buildings of more than eight units, and will be lowered in 2011 to new multifamily dwellings of three or more units. (See Section 68 in adopted draft for phase-in.) The new rules will provide adjusted sprinkler coverage for three- and four-unit dwellings not served by municipal water systems or private community wells. Such buildings will be able to have systems conforming with NFPA 13D, a standard for dwellings that allows lower water usage while protecting lives from fire. (See Table 62.0903 and following and Section 74 in adopted draft.) Sprinkler protection changes will not affect existing buildings or new one- and two-family homes. Existing buildings coverted to residential use may require sprinkler protection. Building construction plan submittals made before the code change effective date to the Department of Commerce or delegated plan review municipalities will be reviewed under the old/current code. Submittals after the effective date will use the new code provisions, with a few vital exceptions dealing with initiated, ongoing projects. (See Sections 29m, 30, and 30m in adopted draft for extensions of review.) New printed copies of the Wisconsin commercial building and fire prevention codes are expected to be available from state Document Sales in February. The 2006 versions of the adopted national model codes can be obtained from the International Code Council, http://www.iccsafe.org/ and the National Fire Protection Association, http://www.nfpa.org, respectively. There will not be a new "Enrolled Code," which has been a printed combination of the Wisconsin and model building codes. Instead, the Safety and Buildings Division will put code insert pages on the Internet in early 2008. The pages will be designed to fit Wisconsin code provisions into the loose leaf versions of adopted model codes. The adopted draft of the code changes is available on Commerce's Safety and Buildings Division Website. People wishing to follow the process of bringing the code changes into fruition can become part of the S&B commercial buildings, fire prevention, or fire protection email groups, http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-DivEmailSignup.html. The same announcements that are sent to the email groups for interested parties will be on the S&B commercial buildings, fire prevention, and fire protection Web pages. Links -- County Web sites || City/Town/Village Web sites || State Portal || Licensing and Permitting || Build Your Business Email this page's manager, Todd Taylor, ttaylor@commerce.state.wi.us or 608-267-3606 The Department of Commerce Safety and Buildings Division is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. If you need assistance to access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact us, 608-266-3151, TTY 608-264-8777, or ttaylor@commerce.state.wi.us |
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