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Prior Chicago Building Code
BUILDING CODE AND RELATED EXCERPTS OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO
DIVISION 1 - ADMINISTRATION
DIVISION 2 - DEFINITIONS
DIVISION 3 - USE AND OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATIONS
DIVISION 4 - SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON USE AND OCCUPANCY
Subdivision 403 - High-Rise buildings
Subdivision 406 - Motor-Vehicle-Related Occupancies
Subdivision 407 - Special Institutional
Subdivision 411 - Special Amusement Buildings
Subdivision 413 - Combustible Storage
Subdivision 414 - Hazardous Materials
CHAPTER 4-108 FILLING STATIONS
CHAPTER 4-115 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 15-20 EXPLOSIVES AND FIREWORKS
CHAPTER 15-24 FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
CHAPTER 15-26 FUME AND FLAMMABLE COMPRESSED GASES
CHAPTER 15-28 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND COMBUSTIBLE SOLIDS
ARTICLE I. GENERAL (15-28-010 et seq.)
ARTICLE II. HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS (15-28-040 et seq.)
ARTICLE III. OXIDIZING MATERIALS (15-28-200 et seq.)
ARTICLE IV. NITROMETHANE (15-28-230 et seq.)
ARTICLE V. ASPHALT, TAR, PITCH, RESIN AND PARAFFIN (15-28-260 et seq.)
ARTICLE VI. AMMONIUM NITRATE (15-28-300 et seq.)
ARTICLE VII. ORGANIC PEROXIDES (15-28-340 et seq.)
ARTICLE VIII. POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE CHEMICALS (15-28-360 et seq.)
ARTICLE IX. HIGHLY TOXIC MATERIALS (15-28-380 et seq.)
ARTICLE X. CORROSIVE LIQUIDS (15-28-390 et seq.)
ARTICLE XI. RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS (15-28-490 et seq.)
ARTICLE XII. COMBUSTIBLE SOLIDS (15-28-500 et seq.)
ARTICLE XIII. SMOKEHOUSES AND SMOKEROOMS (15-28-680 et seq.)
ARTICLE XIV. LUMBER DRY KILNS (15-28-710 et seq.)
ARTICLE XV. MISCELLANEOUS COMBUSTIBLES (15-28-730 et seq.)
ARTICLE XVI. MANUFACTURE, TRANSPORTATION OR SALE OF MATCHES (15-28-760 et seq.)
ARTICLE XVII. NITROCELLULOSE PRODUCTS (15-28-810 et seq.)
ARTICLE XVIII. NITROCELLULOSE (15-28-940 et seq.)
ARTICLE XIX. MOTION PICTURE TRIAL EXHIBITION ROOMS (15-28-1000 et seq.)
ARTICLE XX. HAZARDOUS DUSTS (15-28-1050 et seq.)
ARTICLE XXI. UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK VIOLATIONS. (15-28-1220 et seq.)
Subdivision 421 - Special Detailed Requirements
DIVISION 5 - GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
DIVISION 6 - TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
DIVISION 7 - FIRE-RESISTANCE-RATED CONSTRUCTION
DIVISION 8 - INTERIOR FINISHES (NA)
DIVISION 9 - FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
DIVISION 10 - MEANS OF EGRESS
DIVISION 11 - ACCESSIBILITY
DIVISION 12 - INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
DIVISION 13 - ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
DIVISION 14 - EXTERIOR WALLS (NA)
DIVISION 15 - ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES (NA)
DIVISION 16 - STRUCTURAL DESIGN
DIVISION 17 - STRUCTURAL TESTS AND SPECIAL INSPECTIONS
DIVISION 18 - SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
DIVISION 19 - CONCRETE
DIVISION 20 - ALUMINUM (NA)
DIVISION 21 - MASONRY
DIVISION 22 - STEEL
DIVISION 23 - WOOD
DIVISION 24 - GLASS AND GLAZING (NA)
DIVISION 25 - GYPSUM BOARD AND PLASTER (NA)
DIVISION 26 - PLASTIC (NA)
DIVISION 27 - ELECTRICAL
DIVISION 28 - MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
DIVISION 29 - PLUMBING SYSTEMS
DIVISION 30 - ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
DIVISION 31 - SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION (NA)
DIVISION 32 - ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
DIVISION 33 - SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
DIVISION 34 - EXISTING STRUCTURES
DIVISION 35 - REFERENCED STANDARDS

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15-28-020  Definitions.
   As used in this chapter:
   “Corrosive liquid” means a liquid such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, hydrofluoric acid or any other corrosive acid, or other corrosive liquids, which when in contact with living tissue, will immediately cause severe damage of such tissue by chemical action; or in case of leakage will materially damage or destroy other containers or hazardous commodities by chemical action and cause the release of their contents; or are liable to cause a fire when in contact with organic matter or with certain chemicals.
   “Corrosive liquid storage building” means a building or part of a building, designed, intended or used for no purposes other than that of the storage of corrosive liquids.
   “Hazardous chemical” means a chemical such as aluminum powder, calcium carbide, calcium phosphide, metallic potassium, metallic sodium, phosphorus, sodium peroxide or any other chemical or material which, as determined by the committee on standards and tests will in fact create an equally or more serious flame hazard or an equally or more serious explosion hazard, or an equally or more serious flame and explosion hazard when coming in contact with water or moisture or any solid substance other than one classified as an explosive which is liable to cause fires through friction, through spontaneous chemical changes or as a result of retained heat from manufacturing or processing.
   “Hazardous chemical room” means a room designed, intended or used for the purposes of storing or using of hazardous chemicals.
   “Hazardous chemical storage building” means a building, or part of a building, designed, intended or used for no purpose other than that of the storage of any hazardous chemical.
   “Highly toxic materials” means materials so toxic to man as to afford an unusual hazard to life and health during firefighting operations. Such materials as parathion, TEEP (tetraethyl phosphate), HETP (hexaethyl tetra phosphate) and similar insecticides or pesticides. Any material classed as Poison “A” or Poison “B” by the Federal Department of Transportation shall be considered highly toxic by this Code.
   “Oxidizing materials” means chlorates, permanganates, inorganic peroxides or nitrates, and other substances which readily yield free oxygen when heated.
   “Potentially explosive chemicals” means any chemical substance, other than one defined as an explosive or blasting agent, which has a tendency to be unstable and which can be exploded by heat or shock or a combination thereof. Among others, potentially explosive chemicals shall include organic peroxides, nitromethane, ammonium nitrate and others which have an equal or greater potential explosive hazard.
   “Radioactive materials” means any material or combination of materials that spontaneously emits ionizing radiation.
   “Sealed source” means a quantity of radiation so enclosed as to prevent the escape of any radioactive materials but at the same time permitting radiation to come out for use.
   “Smokehouse” means a building, or part of a building, designed, intended or used for no purpose other than that of smoking meats or fish.
   “Smokeroom” means an enclosure designed, intended or used for the smoking of meats or fish, located within any building other than a smokehouse.
(Prior code §  92-2)
15-28-030  Definition by Department of Transportation.
   Any material classed as a corrosive liquid or oxidizing material by the Federal Department of Transportation shall be considered as a corrosive liquid or oxidizing material by this Code.
(Prior code §  92-3)
ARTICLE II.  HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS (15-28-040 et seq.)
15-28-040  Storage requirements.
   No hazardous chemicals, as defined in Section 15-28-020, shall be used for any purpose in any room other than a hazardous chemical room constructed as required.
   It shall be unlawful to store in any building more than ten pounds of metallic potassium, metallic sodium, phosphorous or sodium peroxide, or more than 20 pounds of aluminum powder or calcium phosphide, or more than 600 pounds of calcium carbide or more of any other such chemical or material than is determined by the fire commissioner to be a safe limit except in a hazardous chemical storage building or vault constructed as required in Chapter 15-28 of this Code. If stored in a vault, such chemicals shall be stored upon a platform or upon a shelf or shelves not less than one foot, six inches above the floor. No such chemical or material shall be stored or used in any building room or vault now existing or hereafter designed, erected, altered or converted, which is equipped with a sprinkler system or sprinkler heads.
(Prior code § 92-4; Amend Coun. J. 6-14-95, p. 2841; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 152)
15-28-050  Construction requirements.
   Type IA, IB, IC, II, IIIA, IIIB or IIIC construction shall be used for any hazardous chemical storage building. Every such building of Type IIIA construction shall be not more than two stories in height. Every such building of Type IIIB or IIIC construction shall not be more than one story in height and shall have no mezzanine. Every such building of any type of construction shall be without any basement except a basement provided and used solely for the purpose of a heating plant for the building which shall be separated from every other part of the building by a fire wall and shall have no doorway, window or other opening between such space and any other part of the building. Every such building shall be so constructed as to be dry.
(Prior code §  92-5)
15-28-060  General safety clearances.
   Every building hereafter designed, erected, altered or converted for the purpose of storing more of any hazardous chemical than the limited quantity provided for such chemical in Section 15-28-040 shall be isolated by a safety clearance of not less than 100 feet except as otherwise provided by this section.
   Class IA, IB or IC Construction. Every such hazardous chemical building of Type IA, IB or IC construction shall be isolated from any other building on the same premises by a safety clearance of not less than ten feet; provided, however, that such safety clearance shall not be required for any such building having no openings within ten feet of any openings in any other wall or building on the same premises, or for any such building which is separated from any adjoining buildings by a fire wall without openings therein.
   Types II, IIIA, IIIB or IIIC Construction. Every such hazardous chemical building of Type II, IIIA, IIIB or IIIC construction shall be isolated from any other building on the same premises by a safety clearance of not less than 20 feet; provided, however, that such safety clearance will not be required for any such building having no openings within ten feet of any openings in any other wall or building on the same premises or for any such building which is separated from any adjoining building by a fire wall without openings therein.
(Prior code §  92-6)
15-28-070  Floor area limit.
   No hazardous chemical room or storage building shall have a floor area of more than 600 square feet.
(Prior code §  92-7)
15-28-080  Ventilation.
   Every hazardous chemical room shall have means of natural ventilation or vent flues as required by Section 15-28-260 for material heating rooms; provided, however, that the combined area of ventilating openings which shall have closures arranged to open automatically in case of explosion or fire shall be not less than five percent of the total wall area of the room.
(Prior code §  92-8)
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