Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
Chicago Overview
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
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

You are viewing an archived code

Loading...
15-16-040  Hazardous use units.
   General. A standard system of automatic sprinklers, meeting the requirements of Article II of Chapter 15-16 of this Code shall be installed in every building or part of a building, hereafter designed, erected, altered, or converted for the purposes of the following occupancies:
   Asphalt tar, pitch, resin and paraffin heating rooms;
   Drying rooms for articles or materials which give off explosive or flammable vapors during the drying process whether or not a collection and disposal system is provided for such vapors;
   Fume or flammable compressed gas buildings of heavier timber or ordinary construction;
   Grinding or dust-producing rooms;
   Highly flammable material storage buildings and rooms; Highly toxic materials buildings and rooms;
   Japanning or enameling rooms;
   Nitrocellulose products building and rooms;
   Paint mixing or spraying rooms;
   Picker or shredder rooms;
   Rooms for storage or baling of wastepaper;
   Industrial properties with occupancies such as:
      Artificial flowers;
      Artificial leather;
      Carpet linings;
      Cotton batting;
      Cotton clothing;
      Cotton ragsorting;
      Cotton waste;
      Feather renovating or processing;
      Shoddy mills;
      Straw goods;
      Woodworking with application of flammable finishes which produce explosive or flammable vapors under normal room conditions;
and other such occupancies as shall be determined to be in fact of high hazard by the fire commissioner due to the inherent characteristics of the material involved and consistent with the occupancies definitely fixed as hazardous use units; provided, however, that if the nonhazardous areas of any building in which such an occupancy occurs, are separated from the hazardous use area by a fire wall, it shall be permissible to omit such sprinkler system from the nonhazardous areas; and provided further, that where required under other paragraphs of this section, every floor area above the lowest floor area in which certain hazardous use units occur, shall be equipped throughout with a standard system of automatic sprinklers; and provided also, that no sprinkler system shall be required in any vault used for the storage of files, records and other nonhazardous documents.
   Where Prohibited. No sprinkler system shall be permitted in any hazardous chemical room or in any hazardous chemical storage building, where the chemical has the ability to react with water to produce substances or violent chemical reactions which increase the hazard. When the presence of water will not add to the hazard, a standard sprinkler system shall be required in such hazardous chemical room or building.
   Fume or Flammable Compressed Gas. No sprinkler system shall be required for any fume or flammable compressed gas building of Type IA, IB or IC construction, nor for any room intended for the storage and use of chlorine gas for no purpose other than the operation of a water purification plant or refrigerating unit, nor for any unit of noncombustible construction used exclusively for the production of manufactured gas.
   Highly Flammable Material Storage. Every fire area containing any highly flammable material storage room shall be equipped throughout the story containing such room and throughout every higher story with a standard system of automatic sprinklers; provided, however, that if such room is designed, erected, altered or converted for the purposes of storing in baled condition only, not more than 5,000 pounds of any highly flammable material as described under Section 15-28-410, then such a sprinkler system shall be required in such room only.
   Nitrocellulose Products Rooms.
      (1)   General. Every fire area containing a nitrocellulose products room shall be equipped throughout the story containing such room and throughout every higher story, with a standard system of automatic sprinklers.
      (2)   Film Examining and Repair Rooms. Every room intended for the examination or repair of motion picture films shall be provided with not less than one automatic sprinkler head for 64 square feet of ceiling area, so spaced that the maximum distance between the adjacent heads and branch lines shall not exceed eight feet. Where nitrocellulose products are stored on shelves, there shall be one sprinkler head directly over the aisle in front of each section of shelving.
      (3)   Receiving, Shipping and Distributing Rooms. Every receiving, shipping or distributing room for nitrocellulose products shall be provided with not less than one automatic sprinkler head for each 64 feet of ceiling area, so spaced that the maximum distance between adjacent heads and branch lines shall not exceed eight feet.
(Prior code § 64-4; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 112)
15-16-041  Telephone exchanges.
   Fire alarm systems required in telephone exchanges pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 15-16-110 shall be connected to a central station supervisory service.
(Added Coun. J. 11-2-94, p. 58476)
15-16-050  Highly flammable material storage.
   Automatic sprinkler protection shall be required in every such room as required in Section 15-28-620. Such sprinkler system shall be so designed that the floor area covered by each sprinkler head shall not exceed 100 square feet. If piling of bales or loose highly flammable material exceeds 12 feet, such sprinkler system shall be hydraulically designed to provide a density of .20 to .30 gallons per minute per square foot over the maximum floor area which would be involved.
(Prior code §  64-5)
15-16-051  Public utility structures and technology centers.
   Every public utility structure (as defined in Section 13-96-1080) and every technology center (as defined in Section 13-56-121) hereafter erected, and every existing public utility structure which repairs or alterations are made within a 12-month period to 50 percent or more of the electrical equipment contained therein, shall be provided with either a standard sprinkler system or a non-water based extinguishing system that complies with the requirements of Chapter 15-16. The type of fire suppression system installed in a public utility structure or technology center shall be indicated on a sign installed and prominently visible at the entrance to the structure. If a building is protected in whole or in part by a non-water based extinguishing system in lieu of a standard sprinkler system, the bonuses provided in this Code for installation of a standard sprinkler system shall not apply.
(Added Coun. J. 11-2-94, p. 58476; Amend Coun. J. 6-28-00, p. 36679, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 11-8-12, p. 38872, § 233)
15-16-060  Smoke alarm requirements.
   Requirements for smoke alarms in residential buildings shall be as provided in Section 13-64-120.
(Prior code § 64-5; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VI, § 35)
15-16-070  Spray booths.
   A standard installation of automatic sprinklers, complying with Article II of Chapter 15-16, shall be installed in every spray booth.
(Prior code §  64-6)
15-16-080  Standard fireproof vaults.
   Every standard fireproof vault shall be equipped with a standard system of automatic sprinklers, with one standard automatic sprinkler head for each 64 square feet or fraction thereof.
(Prior code §  64-7)
PART 2.  STANDPIPE SYSTEMS (15-16-090 et seq.)
15-16-090  General requirements.
   (a)   Standard inside standpipe systems complying with the requirements of Article II of Chapter 15-16 shall be provided:
      (1)   High-rise Buildings. In all buildings exceeding 80 feet in height with the following exceptions:
         (A)   Standpipes shall not be required in grain elevators or similar storage structures where such standpipes are ineffective owing to the type of structure and inaccessibility of hose connections.
         (B)   This section shall not apply to a building used as a business unit or storage unit in existence prior to January 20, 1950, which is equipped throughout with an approved system of automatic sprinklers or is a fire-resistive building of Type IA, IB or IC construction; provided, that a standpipe system complying with Section 15-16-1190 is also provided in the building.
      (2)   Institutional Units. In institutional units, standpipes shall be provided in all buildings more than four stories or 55 feet in height.
      (3)   Stage Blocks. In stage blocks, standpipes shall be provided on each side of the stage, on each tier of dressing rooms and within 50 feet of all property rooms, storerooms or workrooms.
      (4)   Exhibition Areas. In exhibition areas, standpipes shall be provided regardless of the height of the building and standpipe locations shall provide complete coverage of the fire area with 100-foot hose lengths and 30-foot hose streams.
      (5)   New Buildings Greater Than 55 Feet. For buildings first permitted after February 1, 2019, that are greater than 55 feet and not more than 80 feet in height, a manual dry standpipe shall be provided in each enclosed stairwell.
   (b)   For the purpose of determining standpipe requirements, the height of a building shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 13-48-020.
(Prior code § 64-8; Amend Coun. J. 1-23-19, p. 94952, Art. II, § 1)
Loading...