(a) Buildings of H-2 (hazardous) occupancies shall be those not otherwise completely provided for in this Building and Housing Code, which involve the storage, manufacture or use of highly combustible, flammable or explosive materials, and shall be constructed to provide a degree of fire protection adequate for the hazard involved. Such protection may exceed the fire-resistant requirements prescribed for Type 1 (fireproof) construction, when deemed necessary by the Superintendent of Building and Zoning Inspection in cases of extreme fire or explosion hazards. Type 4 (wood frame) construction shall not be used for hazardous occupancies, except as permitted in this section.
(b) In rooms or spaces within buildings of hazardous occupancies involving explosion hazards, venting areas shall be provided to afford not less than one square foot of relief area to thirty-five cubic feet of volume of the room. Venting areas shall be located in such a manner that no part of the room shall be farther away from such area than a distance equal to one and one-tenth times the least horizontal dimension of the room.
(c) Venting may be provided by having exterior wall areas of light noncombustible material or by use of approved automatic pressure relieving devices in the form of top-hinged windows with scored glass or panels arranged to open outward under predetermined pressure. To minimize damage resulting from an explosion, the exterior of such rooms shall be of noncombustible construction of as light weight as feasible.
(d) Warehouses used to store combustible fibers, such as cotton, sisal, jute, hemp, kapok, excelsior and similar materials having a flash fire hazard, shall be limited to story heights or not over twelve feet, floor to ceiling, and no single storage compartment shall exceed 5,000 square feet in floor area or 36,000 cubic feet in storage capacity.
(e) Approved automatic sprinkler equipment shall be installed throughout all buildings or parts thereof of hazardous occupancies, except that where the nature of the fire hazard is such that the application of water is not effective as a means of protection or would unduly spread a fire by flotation, other approved means of protection shall be provided.
(f) Stables and barns in which hay is stored, which do not exceed one story and a storage loft, which are not over twenty-five feet in height and which do not exceed 3,000 square feet in floor area, may be of Type 4 (wood frame) construction. Such buildings of frame construction shall be located thirty feet or more from other buildings and lot lines, other than street lines, and need not be equipped with sprinklers.
(g) Buildings or structures of hazardous occupancies involving the use of highly combustible materials or processes, and their equipment, shall be erected, altered and installed in accordance with the provisions of this Building and Housing Code and the Fire Prevention Code. Where not specifically provided for, such buildings and structures shall be erected, altered and equipped in accordance with the generally accepted standards of safe practice consistent with the intent and purpose of this Building and Housing Code.
(Ord. 42-1981. Passed 2-23-81.)