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Upon application of an owner or registered design professional, the building official is authorized to approve alternative methods for complying with any provision of the Chicago Construction Codes for individual cases under any of the following conditions:
1. Approval of an alternative method of compliance is specifically authorized or required by a provision of the Chicago Construction Codes.
2. There are practical difficulties in carrying out the strict requirements of the Chicago Construction Codes and all of the following are established:
2.1. Specific individual reasons, other than solely cost, make the strict application of the applicable provisions of the Chicago Construction Codes impractical.
2.2. The alternative to be approved will comply with the intent and purpose of the Chicago Construction Codes.
2.3. The alternative to be approved will provide equivalent or greater health protection, accessibility, life and fire safety, and structural performance.
3. A material, design, or method of construction not specifically allowed or prohibited by the Chicago Construction Codes complies with the intent of the Chicago Construction Codes and will, in the specific application, result in a structure providing equal or greater quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety as one meeting the strict requirements of the Chicago Construction Codes.
Where the Chicago Construction Codes provide that a condition must be approved by the fire code official, the building official must refer the request to the fire code official, provided that the building official is responsible for receiving and maintaining records related to all applications under Section 14A-10-1003.
The building official may require that requests under Section 14A-10-1003 be prepared and signed by a registered design professional or by an individual registered or licensed under the Municipal Code.
The applicant must pay a nonrefundable review fee in accordance with Section 14A-12-1210 before submitting a request under Section 14A-10-1003.
An approval under Section 14A-10-1003 for work requiring a permit is only valid if a permit to complete the work is applied for within 12 months of the date of approval, the permit is issued, and work under the permit is diligently pursued to completion. An approval under Section 14A-10-1003 is not a permit, nor may it waive any procedural requirement or fee to obtain a permit.
The building official must record and retain details of action granting or denying a request for approval under Section 14A-10-1003.
The building official, at the building official’s sole discretion, may require any request for alternative code approval to be considered by the Committee on Standards and Tests pursuant to Section 14A-10-1004 or the Building Board of Appeals pursuant to Section 14A-10-1005. In such case, a fee paid under Section 14A-10-1003.3 will be credited toward the fee due under Section 14A-10-1004.3.1 or 14A-10-1005.4.1, as applicable.
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