3.2.1.

(1) A roof-top enclosure provided for elevator machinery, a stairway or a service room used for no purpose other than for service to the building, shall not be considered as a storey in calculating the building height.

(2) Space under tiers of seats in a building of the arena type shall not be considered as adding to the building height provided the space is used only for dressing rooms, concession stands and similar purposes incidental to the major occupancy of the building.

(3) Except as required by Sentence (5), the space above a mezzanine need not be considered as a storey in calculating building height provided,

(a) the aggregate area of mezzanines that are not superimposed does not exceed 40% of the open area of the room in which they are located, and

(b) except as permitted in Sentence (8) and Sentence 3.3.2.11.(3) the space above the mezzanine is used as an open area without partitions or subdividing walls higher than 1 070 mm above the mezzanine floor.

(4) Except as required by Sentence (5), the space above a mezzanine need not be considered as a storey in calculating the building height provided,

(a) the aggregate area of mezzanines that are not superimposed and do not meet the conditions of Sentence (3) does not exceed 10% of the floor area in which they are located, and

(b) the area of mezzanine in a suite does not exceed 10% of the area of that suite.

(5) Except as permitted by Sentences (6) and (7), each level of mezzanine that is partly or wholly superimposed above the first level of mezzanine shall be considered as a storey in calculating the building height.

(6) Platforms intended solely for periodic inspection and elevated catwalks need not be considered as floor assemblies or mezzanines for the purpose of determining building height provided,

(a) they are not used for storage,

(b) they are constructed with noncombustible materials unless the building is permitted to be of combustible construction, and

(c) where they are intended to be occupied, they have an occupant load of not more that 4 persons.

(7) Mezzanines, elevated walkways and platforms that are intended to be occupied in Group F, Division 2 or 3 major occupancies need not be considered as storeys in calculating building height provided,

(a) the building is of noncombustible construction, and

(b) the occupant load is not more than 4 persons.

(8) The space above a mezzanine conforming to Sentence (3) is permitted to include an enclosed space whose area does not exceed 10% of the open area of the room in which the mezzanine is located, provided the enclosed space does not obstruct visual communication between the open space above the mezzanine and the room in which it is located.

(9) A service space in which facilities are included to permit a person to enter and to undertake maintenance and other operations pertaining to building services from within the service space need not be considered a storey if it conforms to Articles 3.2.5.15. and 3.3.1.23. and Sentences 3.2.4.19.(12), 3.2.7.3.(2)v1, 3.3.1.3.(7)v1, 3.4.2.4.(3) and 3.4.4.4.(9)v1.

(1) A basement used primarily as a storage garage is permitted to be considered as a separate building for the purposes of Subsection 3.2.2., provided the floor and roof assemblies above the basement and the exterior walls of the basement above the adjoining ground level are constructed as fire separations of masonry or concrete having a fire-resistance rating not less than 2 h, except as permitted by Sentence (2).

(2) The exterior wall of a basement that is required to be a fire separation with a fire-resistance rating in accordance with Sentence (1) is permitted to be penetrated by openings that are not protected by closures provided,

(a) the storage garage is sprinklered,

(b) every opening in the exterior wall is separated from storeys above the opening by a projection of the floor or roof assembly above the basement, extending not less than,

(i) 1 000 mm beyond the exterior face of the storage garage if the upper storeys are required to be of noncombustible construction, or

(ii) 2 000 mm beyond the exterior face of the storage garage if the upper storeys are permitted to be of combustible construction, or

(c) the exterior walls of any storeys located above the floor or roof assembly referred to in Sentence (1) are recessed behind the outer edge of the assembly by not less than,

(i) 1 000 mm if the upper storeys are required to be of noncombustible construction, or

(ii) 2 000 mm if the upper storeys are permitted to be of combustible construction.

(3) The floor or roof assembly projection referred to in Clause (2)(b) shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 2 h and shall have no openings within the projection.

(1) For the purposes of this Section any part of a roof that is pitched at an angle of 60° or more to the horizontal and is adjacent to a space intended for occupancy within a building shall be considered as part of an exterior wall of the building.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences 3.2.2.42.(3)v1v2, 3.2.2.43.(3)v1, 3.2.2.45.(3), 3.2.2.46.(3), 3.2.2.47.(3) or 3.2.2.48.(3), a floor assembly immediately above a basement shall be constructed as a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating conforming to the requirements of Articles 3.2.2.20. to 3.2.2.83. for a floor assembly, but not less than 45 min.

(2) All loadbearing walls, columns and arches supporting a floor assembly immediately above a basement shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than that required by Sentence (1) for the floor assembly.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (2) and 3.2.2.15.(3), in a building in which an automatic sprinkler system is not required to be installed by Articles 3.2.2.20. to 3.2.2.83., every basement shall,

(a) be sprinklered, or

(b) be subdivided into fire compartments not more than 600 m² in area by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the floor assembly immediately above the basement.

(2) An open-air storey need not conform to Sentence (1).

(1) The floor assembly of a mezzanine that is required to be considered as a storey in calculating building height shall be constructed in conformance with the fire separation requirements for floor assemblies in Articles 3.2.2.20. to 3.2.2.83.