§ 15.04.290 CHAPTER 18 AMENDED—SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS.
    Section 1807.1.4 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1807.1.4 Permanent wood foundation systems. Permanent wood foundation systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with AWC PWF. Lumber and plywood shall be treated in accordance with AWPA U1 (Commodity Specification A, Special Requirement 4.2) and shall be identified in accordance with Section 2303.1.9.1. Permanent wood foundation systems shall not be used for structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
   Section 1807.1.6 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1807.1.6 Prescriptive design of concrete and masonry foundation walls. Concrete and masonry foundation walls that are laterally supported at the top and bottom shall be permitted to be designed and constructed in accordance with this section. Prescriptive design of foundation walls shall not be used for structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
   Section 1807.2 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1807.2 Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Section 1807.2.1 through 1807.2.4. Retaining walls assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F shall not be partially or wholly constructed of wood.
   Section 1807.3.1 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1807.3.1 Limitations. The design procedures outlined in this section are subject to the following limitations:
      1.   The frictional resistance for structural walls and slabs on silts and clays shall be limited to one-half of the normal force imposed on the soil by the weight of the footing or slab.
      2.   Posts embedded in earth shall not be used to provide lateral support for structural or nonstructural materials such as plaster, masonry or concrete unless bracing is provided that develops the limited deflection required.
      Wood poles shall be treated in accordance with AWPA U1 for sawn timber posts (Commodity Specification A, Use Category 4B) and for round timber posts (Commodity Specification B, Use Category 4B). Wood poles and posts embedded in direct contact with soil shall not be used for structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
      Exception: Wood poles and posts embedded in direct contact with soil may be used to support nonhabitable, nonoccupiable structures such as fences when approved by the building official.
   Section 1809.3 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1809.3 Stepped footings. The top surface of footings shall be level. The bottom surface of footings shall be permitted to have a slope not exceeding one unit vertical in 10 units horizontal (10-percent slope). Footings shall be stepped where it is necessary to change the elevation of the top surface of the footing or where the surface of the ground slopes more than one unit vertical in 10 units horizontal (10-percent slope).
      For structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F, the stepping requirement shall also apply to the top surface of continuous footings supporting walls. Footings shall be reinforced with four No. 4 deformed reinforcing bars. Two bars shall be placed at the top and bottom of the footings as shown in Figure 1809.3.
 
FIGURE 1809.3
STEPPED FOOTING
   Section 1809.7 and Table 1809.7 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code are amended to read as follows:
   1809.7 Prescriptive footings for light-frame construction. Where a specific design is not provided, concrete or masonry-unit footings supporting walls of light-frame construction shall be permitted to be designed in accordance with Table 1809.7. Light-frame construction using prescriptive footings in Table 1809.7 shall not exceed one story above grade plane for structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
   TABLE 1809.7
   PRESCRIPTIVE FOOTINGS SUPPORTING WALLS OF LIGHT-FRAME CONSTRUCTION a, b, c, d, e
 
NUMBER OF FLOORS SUPPORTED BY THE FOOTING f
WIDTH OF FOOTING
(inches)
THICKNESS OF
FOOTING (inches)
1
12
6
2
15
6
3
18
8 g
 
   For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm
   a.   Depth of footings shall be in accordance with Section 1809.4.
   b.   The ground under the floor shall be permitted to be excavated to the elevation of the top of the footing.
   c.   Interior stud-bearing walls shall be permitted to be supported by isolated footings. The footing width and length shall be twice the width shown in this table, and footings shall be spaced not more than 6 feet on center. Not Adopted.
   d.   See Section 1905 for additional requirements for concrete footings of structures assigned to Seismic Design Category C, D, E or F.
   e.   For thickness of foundation walls, see Section 1807.1.6.
   f.   Footings shall be permitted to support a roof addition to the stipulated number of floors. Footings supporting roof only shall be as required for supporting one floor.
   g.   Plain concrete footings for Group R-3 occupancies shall be permitted to be 6 inches thick.
   Section 1809.12 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1809.12 Timber footings. Timber footings shall be permitted for buildings of Type V construction and as otherwise approved by the Building Official. Such footings shall be treated in accordance with AWPA U1 (Commodity Specification A, Use Category 4B). Treated timbers are not required where placed entirely below permanent water level, or where used as capping for wood piles that project above the water level over submerged or marsh lands. The compressive stresses perpendicular to grain in untreated timber footings supported on treated piles shall not exceed 70 percent of the allowable stresses for the species and grade of timber as specified in the ANSI/AWC NDS. Timber footings shall not be used in structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
   Section 1810.3.2.4 of the 2022 Edition of the California Building Code is amended to read as follows:
   1810.3.2.4 Timber. Timber deep foundation elements shall be designed as piles or poles in accordance with ANSI/AWC NDS. Round timber elements shall conform to ASTM D 25. Sawn timber elements shall conform to DOC PS-20. Timber deep foundation elements shall not be used in structures assigned to Seismic Design Category D, E or F.
(`83 Code, § 15.04.290) (Ord. 99-7 § 1, 1999; Ord. 2003-01, § 1, 2003; Ord. 2007-21, § 1 (part), 2007; Ord. 2010-16 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2013-05 § 1, 2013; Ord. 2016-12 § 3, 2016; Ord. 2019-11 § 3, 2019; Ord. 2022-09 § 3 (part), 2022)