Part 9

(1) The scope of this Part shall be as described in Subsection 1.1.2. of Division A.

(1) Signs shall conform to the requirements in Section 3.15.

(1) Self-service storage buildings shall conform to the requirements in Section 3.10.

(1) Tents shall conform to the requirements in Subsection 3.14.1.

(2) Air-supported structures shall conform to the requirements in Subsection 3.14.2.

(1) Where a building is constructed in close proximity to existing above ground electrical conductors the requirements of Subsection 3.1.19. shall apply.

(1) The requirements of Subsection 3.7.6. apply to all food premises.

(1) In addition to all other requirements, a building in the following designated areas shall be designed and constructed so that the annual average concentration of radon 222 does not exceed 250 millibecquerels per litre of air and the annual average concentration of the short lived daughters of radon 222 does not exceed 0.02 working levels inside the building for,

(a) the Town of Elliot Lake in the Territorial District of Algoma,

(b) the Township of Faraday in the County of Hastings, and

(c) the geographic Township of Hyman in the Territorial District of Sudbury.

(1) Buildings constructed on flood plains shall,

(a) be designed and constructed in accordance with good engineering practice to withstand anticipated vertical and horizontal hydrostatic pressures acting on the structure, and

(b) incorporate floodproofing measures that will preserve the integrity of exits and means of egress during times of flooding.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), a manufactured building intended for residential occupancy is deemed to comply with this Code if it is designed and constructed in compliance with,

(a) CAN/CSA-Z240.2.1, “Structural Requirements for Mobile Homes”, and CAN/CSA-Z240.3.1, “Plumbing Requirements for Mobile Homes”, if the building is constructed in Sections not wider than 4.88 m, or

(b) CAN/CSA-A277, “Procedure for Certification of Factory-Built Houses”.

(2) The requirements of this Code shall apply to,

(a) building components designed and constructed outside the place of manufacture, and

(b) site installation of such buildings.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), nominally unreinforced concrete shall be designed, mixed, placed, cured and tested in accordance with CAN/CSA-A438, “Concrete Construction for Housing and Small Buildings”.

(2) Nominally unreinforced site-batched concrete shall be designed, mixed, placed and cured in accordance with Articles 9.3.1.2. to 9.3.1.9.

(3) Except as provided in Sentence (4), reinforced concrete shall be designed to conform to the requirements of Part 4.

(4) For flat insulating concrete form walls not exceeding 2 storeys, and having a maximum floor to floor height of 3 m, in buildings of light frame construction containing only a single dwelling unit, the concrete and reinforcing shall comply with Part 4 or,

(a) concrete shall conform to CAN/CSA-A23.1, “Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction”, with a maximum aggregate size of 19 mm, and

(b) reinforcing shall,

(i) conform to CAN/CSA-G30.18-M, “Billet Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement”,

(ii) have a minimum specified yield strength of 400 MPa, and

(iii) be lapped a minimum of 450 mm for 10M bars and 650 mm for 15 mm bars.

(1) Cement shall meet the requirements of CAN/CSA-A3001, “Cementitious Materials for Use in Concrete”.

(1) Concrete in contact with sulfate soil, which is deleterious to normal cement, shall conform to the requirements in Clause 15.5 of CAN/CSA-A23.1, “Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction”.

(1) Aggregates shall,

(a) consist of sand, gravel, crushed rock, crushed air-cooled blast furnace slag, expanded shale or expanded clay conforming to CAN/CSA-A23.1, “Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction”, and

(b) be clean, well-graded and free of injurious amounts of organic and other deleterious material.

(1) Water shall be clean and free of injurious amounts of oil, organic matter, sediment or any other deleterious material.

(1) Except as provided elsewhere in this Part, the compressive strength of unreinforced concrete after 28 days shall be not less than,

(a) 32 MPa for garage floors, carport floors and all exterior flatwork,

(b) 20 MPa for interior floors other than those for garages and carports, and

(c) 15 MPa for all other applications.

(2) Concrete used for garage and carport floors and exterior steps shall have air entrainment of 5 to 8%.

(1) For site-batched concrete, the concrete mixes described in Table 9.3.1.7. shall be considered acceptable if the ratio of water to cementing materials does not exceed,

(a) 0.45 for garage floors, carport floors and all exterior flatwork,

(b) 0.65 for interior floors other than those for garages and carports, and

(c) 0.70 for all other applications.

(2) The size of aggregate in unreinforced concrete mixes referred to in Sentence (1) shall not exceed,

(a) 1/5 the distance between the sides of vertical forms, or

(b) 1/3 the thickness of flatwork.

(1) A 40 kg bag of cement contains 28 L.

(1) Admixtures shall conform to ASTM C260, “Air-Entraining Admixtures for Concrete”, or ASTM C494 / C494M, “Chemical Admixtures for Concrete”, as applicable.

(1) When the air temperature is below 5°C , concrete shall be,

(a) kept at a temperature of not less than 10°C or more than 25°C while being placed, and

(b) maintained at a temperature of not less than 10°C for 72 h after placing.

(2) No frozen material or ice shall be used in concrete described in Sentence (1).

(1) Lumber for joists, rafters, trusses and beams and for the uses listed in Table 9.3.2.1. shall be identified by a grade stamp to indicate its grade as determined by the NLGA, “Standard Grading Rules for Canadian Lumber (Interpretation Included)”.

(1) Except for joists, rafters, trusses and beams, visually graded lumber shall conform to the grades in Table 9.3.2.1.v1

(1) Machine stress rated lumber shall conform to the requirements of Subsection 4.3.1.

(1) OSB, waferboard and plywood used for roof sheathing, wall sheathing and subflooring shall be legibly identified on the face of the material indicating,

(a) the manufacturer of the material,

(b) the standard to which it is produced, and

(c) that the material is of an exterior type.

(1) Moisture content of lumber shall be not more than 19% at the time of installation.

(1) Lumber dimensions referred to in this Part are actual dimensions determined in conformance with CSA O141, “Softwood Lumber”.

(1) The thickness specified in this Part for plywood, hardboard, particleboard, OSB and waferboard shall be subject to the tolerances permitted in the standards referenced for these products unless specifically indicated in this Part.

(1) Joist, rafter, lintel and beam members up to 5% less than the actual Canadian standard sizes are permitted to be used provided the allowable spans for the grade and species of lumber under consideration are reduced 5% from those shown in the span tables for full size members.

(1) In localities where termites are known to occur,

(a) clearance between structural wood elements and the finished ground level directly below them shall be not less than 450 mm and, except as provided in Sentence (2), all sides of the supporting elements shall be visible to permit inspection, or

(b) structural wood elements, supported by elements in contact with the ground or exposed over bare soil, shall be pressure-treated with a chemical that is toxic to termites.

(2) In localities where termites are known to occur and foundations are insulated or otherwise finished in a manner that could conceal a termite infestation,

(a) a metal or plastic barrier shall be installed through the insulation and any other separation or finish materials above finished ground level to control the passage of termites behind or through the insulation, separation or finish materials, and

(b) all sides of the finish supporting assembly shall be visible to permit inspection.

(3) Structural wood elements shall be pressure-treated with a preservative to resist decay,

(a) where the vertical clearance between structural wood elements and the finished ground level is less than 150 mm, or

(b) where,

(i) the wood elements are not protected from exposure to precipitation, and

(ii) the configuration is conducive to moisture accumulation.

(4) Structural wood elements used in retaining walls and cribbing shall be pressure-treated with a preservative to resist decay, where,

(a) the retaining wall or cribbing supports ground that is critical to the stability of building foundations, or

(b) the retaining wall or cribbing is greater than 1.2 m in height.

(5) Where wood is required by this Article to be treated to resist termites or decay, such treatment shall be in accordance with the requirements of,

(a) CSA O80.1, “Preservative Treatment of All Timber Products by Pressure Processes”,

(b) CSA O80.2, “Preservative Treatment of Lumber, Timber, Bridge Ties and Mine Ties by Pressure Processes”,

(c) CSA O80.9, “Preservative Treatment of Plywood by Pressure Processes”,

(d) CSA O80.15, “Preservative Treatment of Wood for Building Foundation Systems, Basements and Crawl Spaces by Pressure Processes”, or

(e) CSA O80.34, “Pressure Preservative Treatment of Lumber and Timbers with Borates for Use Out of Ground Contact and Continuously Protected from Liquid Water”.

(6) In addition to the requirements of Clause (5)(e), where wood is protected in accordance with CSA O80.34, “Pressure Preservative Treatment of Lumber and Timbers with Borates for Use Out of Ground Contact and Continuously Protected from Liquid Water”, the wood shall be,

(a) protected from direct exposure to moisture during and after the completion of construction, and

(b) separated from permeable supporting materials by a moisture barrier that is resistant to all expected mechanisms of deterioration in the service environment when the vertical clearance to the ground is less than 150 mm.

(7) Wood that is required by this Article to be treated to resist termites or decay shall be identified by a mark to indicate its conformance to the relevant required standard.

(1) Minimum thicknesses for sheet metal material required in this Part refer to the actual minimum base metal thicknesses measured at any point of the material, and in the case of galvanized steel described in Sentence 9.3.3.2.(1), include the thickness of the galvanizing coating unless otherwise indicated.

(1) Where sheet steel is required to be galvanized, it shall be metallic-coated with zinc or an alloy of 55% aluminium-zinc meeting the requirements of,

(a) ASTM A653 / A653M, “Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-Iron Alloy-Coated (Galvanealed) by the Hot-Dip Process”, or

(b) ASTM A792 / A792M, “Sheet Steel, 55% Aluminum-Zinc Alloy-Coated by the Hot Dip Process”.

(2) Where galvanized sheet steel is intended for use in locations exposed to the weather or as a flashing material, it shall have a zinc coating not less than the G90 (Z275) coating designation or an aluminum-zinc alloy coating not less than the AZM150 coating designation, as referred to in Sentence (1).

(1) Subject to the application limitations defined elsewhere in this Part, structural members and their connections shall,

(a) conform to requirements provided elsewhere in this Part,

(b) be designed according to good engineering practice such as provided in the CWC, “Engineering Guide for Wood Frame Construction”, or

(c) be designed according to Part 4 using the loads and deflection and vibration limits specified in,

(i) this Part,

(ii) Part 4.

(2) Where floor framing is designed in accordance with Clause (1)(b) or (c) and where supporting wall framing and fastenings, or footings are designed according to Clause (1)(a), the specified live load on the floor shall not exceed 2.4 kPa.

(3) Location-specific information for structural design, including snow and wind loads and seismic spectral response accelerations, shall be determined according to Supplementary Standard SB-1.

(1) This Subsection applies to light-frame construction whose wall, floor and roof planes are generally comprised of frames of small repetitive structural members, and where,

(a) the roof and wall planes are clad, sheathed or braced on at least one side,

(b) the small repetitive structural members are spaced not more than 600 mm o.c.,

(c) the clear span of any structural member does not exceed 12.20 m,

(d) the maximum deflection of the structural roof members conforms to Article 9.4.3.1.,

(e) the maximum total roof area, notwithstanding any separation of adjoining buildings by firewalls, is 4 550 m², and

(f) for flat roofs, there are no significant obstructions on the roof, such as parapet walls, spaced closer than the distance calculated by,

D_o = 10(H_o – 0.8 S_s/γ)

where,

D_o = minimum distance between obstructions, m,

H_o = height of the obstruction above the roof, m,

S_s = ground snow load, kPa, and

γ = unit weight of snow, kN/m³.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), specified snow loads shall be not less than those calculated using the following formula:

S = C_b ∙ S_s + S_r

where,

S = specified snow load,

C_b = basic snow load roof factor, which is 0.45 where the entire width of a roof does not exceed 4.3 m and 0.55 for all other roofs,

S_s = 1-in-50 year ground snow load in kPa, determined according to Supplementary Standard SB-1, and

S_r = associated 1-in-50 year rain load in kPa, determined according to Supplementary Standard SB-1.

(2) In no case shall the specified snow load be less than 1 kPa.

(3) Bow string, arch or semi-circular roof trusses having an unsupported span greater than 6 m shall be designed in conformance with the snow load requirements in Subsection 4.1.6.

(1) Balconies, decks and other accessible exterior platforms intended for an occupancy and subject to snow loads shall be designed to carry the specified roof snow load or 1.9 kPa, whichever is greater, where the platform, or each segregated area of the platform, serves a single dwelling unit.

(1) Ceiling joists or truss bottom chords in residential attic or roof spaces shall be designed for a total specified load of not less than 0.35 kPa, where the total specified load is the sum of the specified dead load plus the specified live load of the ceiling and where,

(a) the attic or roof spaces have limited accessibility that precludes the storage of equipment or material, and

(b) the maximum attic height is not more than 1 000 mm measured vertically from the top of the truss bottom chord to the underside of the roof deck.

(1) The maximum deflection of structural members shall conform to Table 9.4.3.1.

(2) Dead loads need not be considered in computing deflections referred to in Sentence (1).

(1) Footing sizes for shallow foundations shall be,

(a) determined in accordance with Section 9.15., or

(b) designed in accordance with Section 4.2. using,

(i) the maximum allowable bearing pressures in Table 9.4.4.1., or

(ii) allowable bearing pressures determined from subsurface investigation.

(2) The design procedures described in Section 4.2. are permitted to be used in lieu of the design procedures in this Subsection.

(3) The design procedures described in Section 4.2. shall be used where,

(a) deep foundations are used,

(b) the footing size falls outside the scope of this Section, or

(c) the foundation is constructed on peat, filled ground or on sensitive clays as described in Article 9.15.1.1.v1v2

(1) Where a soil or rock within a distance equal to twice the footing width below the bearing surface has a lower allowable bearing pressure than that at the bearing surface as shown in Article 9.4.4.1., the design capacity of the foundation shall not be greater than would cause the weakest soil or rock to be stressed beyond its allowable bearing pressure.

(2) In calculating subsurface pressures referred to in Sentence (1), the loads from the footings shall be assumed to be distributed uniformly over a horizontal plane within a frustum extending downward from the footing at an angle of 60° to the horizontal.

(1) Where a foundation bears on gravel, sand or silt, and the water table is within a distance below the bearing surface equal to the width of the foundation, the allowable bearing pressure shall be 50% of that determined in Article 9.4.4.1.

(1) Where a foundation is located in an area where soil movement caused by changes in soil moisture content, freezing, or chemical-microbiological oxidation is known to occur to the extent that it will damage a building, measures shall be taken to preclude such movement or to reduce the effects on the building so that the building’s stability and the performance of assemblies will not be adversely affected.

(2) Any surcharge shall be in addition to the equivalent fluid pressure specified in Sentence (1).

(1) Except where constructed in accordance with Section 9.15., walls supporting drained earth shall be designed,

(a) for a pressure equivalent to that exerted by a fluid with a density of not less than 480 kg/m³ and a depth equal to that of the retained earth, or

(b) in accordance with Section 4.2. so as to be able to resist the loads and effects described in Article 4.1.2.1.

(2) Walls supporting other than drained earth shall be designed,

(a) for the pressure described in Clause 1(a) plus the fluid pressure of the surcharge, or

(b) in accordance with Section 4.2. so as to be able to resist the loads, forces and effects described in Article 4.1.2.1.

(1) Unless otherwise specifically indicated, this Section applies only to dwelling units that are intended for use on a continuing or year-round basis as the principal residence of the occupant.

(1) Unless otherwise indicated in this Part, the areas, dimensions and heights of rooms or spaces shall be measured between finished wall surfaces and between finished floor and ceiling surfaces.

(1) Minimum floor areas specified in this Section do not include closets or built-in bedroom cabinets unless otherwise indicated.

(1) Two or more areas may be considered as a combination room if the opening between the areas occupies the larger of 3 m² or 40% or more of the wall measured on the side of the dependent area.

(2) Where the dependent area is a bedroom, direct passage shall be provided between the two areas.

(3) The opening required in Sentence (1) shall not contain doors or windows.

(1) Areas of rooms and spaces are permitted to be less than required in this Section provided it can be shown that the rooms and spaces are adequate for their intended use, such as by the provision of built-in furniture to compensate for reduced sizes.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2) and Article 3.8.1.1., every building shall be designed in conformance with Section 3.8.

(2) The requirements of Section 3.8. need not be provided for houses including semi-detached houses, duplexes, triplexes, town houses, row houses and boarding, or rooming houses with fewer than 8 boarders or roomers.

(1) Where a barrier-free path of travel required in Article 9.5.2.1. is provided to any storey above the first storey, the requirements in Article 3.3.1.7.v1 shall apply.

(1) If wood wall studs or sheet steel wall studs enclose the main bathroom in a dwelling unit, reinforcement shall be installed to permit the future installation of a grab bar on a wall adjacent to,

(a) a water closet in the location required by Clause 3.8.3.8.(1)(d)v1, and

(b) a shower or bathtub in the location required by Clause 3.8.3.13.(1)(f).

(1) The ceiling heights of rooms or spaces in residential occupancies and live/work units shall conform to Table 9.5.3.1.

(2) Areas in rooms or spaces over which ceiling height is not less than the minimum specified in Table 9.5.3.1. shall be contiguous with the entry or entries to those rooms or spaces.

(1) The ceiling height above and below a mezzanine floor assembly in all occupancies shall be not less than 2 100 mm.

(1) The clear height in a storage garage shall be not less than 2 000 mm.

(1) Living areas within dwelling units, either as separate rooms or in combination with other spaces, shall have an area not less than 13.5 m².

(2) Where the area of a living space is combined with a kitchen and dining area, the living area alone in a dwelling unit that contains sleeping accommodation for not more than 2 persons shall be not less than 11 m².

(1) A dining space in combination with other space shall have an area of not less than 3.25 m².

(2) Dining rooms not combined with other space shall have a minimum area of 7 m².

(1) Kitchen areas within dwelling units either separate from or in combination with other spaces, shall have an area of not less than 4.2 m² including the area occupied by the base cabinets, except that in dwelling units containing sleeping accommodation for not more than 2 persons, the minimum area shall be 3.7 m².

(1) Except as provided in Articles 9.5.7.2. and 9.5.7.3., bedrooms in dwelling units shall have an area not less than 7 m² where built-in cabinets are not provided and not less than 6 m² where built-in cabinets are provided.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.5.7.3., at least one bedroom in every dwelling unit shall have an area of not less than 9.8 m² where built-in cabinets are not provided and not less than 8.8 m² where built-in cabinets are provided.

(1) Bedroom spaces in combination with other spaces in dwelling units shall have an area not less than 4.2 m².

(1) Sleeping rooms other than in dwelling units shall have an area not less than 7 m² per person for single occupancy and 4.6 m² per person for multiple occupancy.

(1) Recreational camps shall have an area in the sleeping quarters of at least 3.72 m² per camper or, if double or triple tier bunk units are used, 2.79 m² per camper.

(1) A camp for housing of workers shall have a minimum area of 3.72 m² per employee in every room used for sleeping purposes.

(1) Despite Subsections 9.5.4. to 9.5.7., where living, dining, bedroom and kitchen spaces are combined in a dwelling unit that contains sleeping accommodation for not more than 2 persons, the area of the combined spaces shall be not less than 13.5 m².

(1) In every dwelling unit an enclosed space of sufficient size shall be provided to accommodate a water closet, lavatory and bathtub or shower stall.

(1) The unobstructed width of a hallway within a dwelling unit shall be not less than 860 mm, except that the hallway width is permitted to be 710 mm where,

(a) there are only bedrooms and bathrooms at the end of the hallway furthest from the living area, and

(b) a second exit is provided,

(i) in the hallway near the end furthest from the living area, or

(ii) in each bedroom served by the hallway.

(1) This Section applies to doors, to glazed areas in doors and to sidelights for doors.

(1) A door shall be provided at each entrance to a dwelling unit and to each room containing a water closet within a dwelling unit.

(1) Except as provided in Articles 9.6.3.3., 9.9.6.2. and 9.9.6.3., doorway openings within dwelling units shall be designed to accommodate at least the door sizes in Table 9.6.3.1. for swing-type doors or folding doors.

(1) Doors to public water closet rooms shall be not less than 810 mm wide and 2 030 mm high.

(1) Where a barrier-free path of travel conforming to Section 3.8. is provided into a suite of residential occupancy and where a bathroom within the suite is at the level of the suite entrance door, the doorway to such bathroom and to each bedroom at the same level as such bathroom shall have, when the door is in the open position, a clear width of not less than,

(a) 760 mm where the door is served by a corridor or space not less than 1 060 mm wide, and

(b) 810 mm where the door is served by a corridor or space less than 1 060 mm wide.

(1) Doors in buildings of residential occupancy, where the finished floor on one side of the door is more than 600 mm above the floor or other surface or ground level on the other side of the door, shall be protected by,

(a) a guard, in accordance with Subsection 9.8.8., or

(b) a mechanism capable of controlling the free swinging or sliding of the door so as to limit any clear unobstructed opening to not more than 100 mm.

(1) Exterior wood flush doors shall conform to CAN/CSA-O132.2 Series, “Wood Flush Doors”.

(2) Each door described in Sentence (1) shall indicate legibly,

(a) the name of the manufacturer,

(b) the standard to which it is produced, and

(c) that it is of an exterior type.

(1) Sliding doors shall conform to CAN/CGSB-82.1-M, “Sliding Doors”.

(1) Insulated steel doors shall conform to CAN/CGSB-82.5-M, “Insulated Steel Doors”.

(1) Except where a door is weather-stripped on all edges, and protected with a storm door, or by an enclosed unheated space, an exterior swing type door assemblies shall have a rate of air infiltration not exceeding 1.16 L/s for each metre of crack length when tested at a pressure differential of 75 Pa in conformance with ASTM E283, “Determining the Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen”.

(1) A patio type sliding glass door shall have a rate of air infiltration not exceeding 3.8 L/s for each square metre of door area when tested in conformance with ASTM E283, “Determining the Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen”.

(1) In buildings of residential occupancy weather stripping shall be provided around all exterior doors except garage doors.

(1) The maximum area of individual panes of glass for doors shall conform to Table 9.6.6.1.

(1) Glass in doors and sidelights for doors shall conform to Sentence 9.7.3.1.(1).

(2) Glass in sidelights greater than 500 mm wide that could be mistaken for doors, glass in storm doors and glass in sliding doors within or at every entrance to a dwelling unit and in public areas shall be,

(a) safety glass of the tempered or laminated type conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.1-M, “Tempered or Laminated Safety Glass”, or

(b) wired glass conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, “Wired Safety Glass”.

(3) Except as provided in Article 9.7.5.2., glass in entrance doors to dwelling units and in public areas other than the entrance door described in Sentence (2), shall be safety glass or wired glass of the type described in Sentence (2) where the glass area exceeds 0.5 m² and extends to less than 900 mm from the bottom of the door.

(1) Mirrored glass doors are permitted to be used only at the entrance to clothes closets and shall conform to the requirements of CAN/CGSB-82.6-M, “Doors, Mirrored Glass, Sliding or Folding Wardrobe”.

(2) Mirrored glass doors reinforced with a film backing shall meet the impact resistance requirements specified in CAN/CGSB-12.5-M, “Mirrors, Silvered”.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.7.5.2., every glass or transparent door accessible to the public shall be equipped with hardware, bars or other permanent fixtures designed so that the existence and position of such door will be readily apparent.

(1) Glass other than safety glass shall not be used for a shower or bathtub enclosure.

(1) This Subsection applies to doors and sidelights separating heated space from unheated space or the exterior.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), metal frames for doors, for glazing in doors, and for sidelights for doors shall incorporate a thermal break.

(2) Thermal breaks need not be installed in accordance with Sentence (1) where the doors are,

(a) garage doors,

(b) storm doors, or

(c) doors that are required to have a fire-resistance rating.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), this Subsection applies to,

(a) swinging entrance doors to dwelling units,

(b) swinging doors between dwelling units and attached garages or other ancillary spaces, and

(c) swinging doors that provide access directly or indirectly from a storage garage to a dwelling unit.

(2) Sentence (1) does not apply to exterior doors to garages and to other ancillary spaces.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., wood doors as described in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) shall,

(a) be solid core or stile and rail type,

(b) be not less than 45 mm thick, and

(c) if of the stile and rail panel type, have a panel thickness of not less than 19 mm, with a total panel area not more than half of the door area.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., doors described in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) shall be provided with a deadbolt lock with a cylinder having no fewer than 5 pins and a bolt throw not less than 25 mm, protected with a solid or hardened free-turning ring or bevelled cylinder housing.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., an inactive leaf in double doors used in locations specified in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) shall be provided with heavy duty bolts top and bottom having an engagement of not less than 15 mm.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., hinges for doors in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) shall be fastened to wood doors with wood screws not less than 25 mm long and to wood frames with wood screws such that at least two screws per hinge penetrate not less than 30 mm into solid wood.

(2) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., hinges for doors in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) shall be fastened to metal doors and metal frames with machine screws not smaller than No. 8 and not less than 10 mm long.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., strikeplates for deadbolts described in Sentence 9.6.8.3.(1) shall be fastened to wood frames with wood screws that penetrate not less than 30 mm into solid wood.

(2) Except as permitted in Article 9.6.8.10., strikeplates for deadbolts in Sentence 9.6.8.3.(1) shall be fastened to metal frames with machine screws not smaller than No. 8 and not less than 10 mm long.

(1) Except for storm doors or screen doors, doors described in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) that swing outward shall be provided with hinges or pins so that the doors cannot be removed when they are in the closed position.

(1) Main entrance doors to dwelling units shall be provided with,

(a) a door viewer or transparent glazing in the door, or

(b) a sidelight.

(1) Solid blocking shall be provided on both sides at the lock height between the jambs for doors described in Sentence 9.6.8.1.(1) and the structural framing so that the jambs will resist spreading by force.

(1) Doors, frames and hardware that conform to a security level of at least Grade 10 as described in the Annex to ASTM F476, “Security of Swinging Door Assemblies”, are not required to conform to Articles 9.6.8.2. to 9.6.8.6.

(1) Windows and skylights shall conform to the requirements of this Section.

(1) Except as required in Article 9.7.1.3. and Sentence (3), the minimum window glass area for rooms in buildings of residential occupancy or that are used for sleeping shall conform to Table 9.7.1.2.

(2) The unobstructed glass area of a door or skylight is considered equivalent to that of a window.

(3) Work areas in live/work units shall conform to Clause 3.7.2.1.(2)(a).

(4) Where rooms with different requirements for window glass area are combined as described in Sentence 9.5.1.4.(1), the more restrictive requirement shall govern.

(1) Except where a door on the same floor level as the bedroom provides direct access to the exterior, every floor level containing a bedroom in a suite shall be provided with at least 1 outside window that,

(a) is openable from the inside without the use of tools,

(b) provides an individual, unobstructed open portion having a minimum area of 0.35 m² with no dimension less than 380 mm, and

(c) maintains the required opening described in Clause (b) without the need for additional support.

(2) Except for basement areas, the window described in Sentence (1) shall have a maximum sill height of 1 000 mm above the floor.

(3) When sliding windows are used, the minimum dimension described in Sentence (1) shall apply to the openable portion of the window.

(4) Where the sleeping area within a live/work unit is on a mezzanine with no obstructions more than 1 070 mm above the floor, the window required in Sentence (1) may be provided on the main level of the live/work unit provided the mezzanine is not more than 25% of the area of the live/work unit or 20 m² whichever is less and an unobstructed direct path of travel is provided from the mezzanine to this window.

(1) Where a window required in Article 9.7.1.3. opens into a window-well, a clearance of not less than 550 mm shall be provided in front of the window.

(2) Where the sash of a window referred to in Sentence (1) swings towards the window-well, the operation of the sash shall not reduce the clearance in a manner that would restrict escape in an emergency.

(3) Where a protective enclosure is installed over the window-well referred to in Sentence (1), such enclosure shall be openable from the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge of the opening mechanism.

(1) In localities where termites are known to occur and where windows or other openings at or below grade contain wood elements, the bottom of window wells or adjacent ground shall be at least 150 mm below the nearest wood unless the wood is pressure-treated with a chemical toxic to termites in accordance with Article 9.3.2.9.v1v2

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), openable windows in buildings of residential occupancy shall be protected by,

(a) a guard in accordance with Subsection 9.8.8., or

(b) a mechanism capable of controlling the free swinging or sliding of the openable part of the window so as to limit any clear unobstructed opening to not more than 100 mm measured either vertically or horizontally where the other dimension is greater than 380 mm.

(2) Windows need not be protected in accordance with Sentence (1) where,

(a) the window serves a dwelling unit that is not located above another suite,

(b) the only opening greater than 100 mm by 380 mm is a horizontal opening at the top of the window,

(c) the top surface of the window sill is located more than 480 mm above the finished floor on one side of the window, or

(d) the window is located in a room or space with the finished floor described in Clause (c) located less than 1 800 mm above the floor or ground on the other side of the window.

(1) Air infiltration of exterior windows shall not exceed 0.775 L/s for each metre of sash crack when tested at a pressure differential of 75 Pa in conformance with ASTM E283, “Determining the Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen”.

(1) Windows shall conform to,

(a) CAN/CSA-A440, “Windows”, and

(b) the CAN/CSA-A440.1, “User Selection Guide to CSA Standard CAN/CSA-A440-00 Windows”.

(1) Glass shall conform to,

(a) CAN/CGSB-12.1-M, “Tempered or Laminated Safety Glass”,

(b) CAN/CGSB-12.2-M, “Flat, Clear Sheet Glass”,

(c) CAN/CGSB-12.3-M, “Flat, Clear Float Glass”,

(d) CAN/CGSB-12.4-M, “Heat-Absorbing Glass”,

(e) CAN/CGSB-12.8, “Insulating Glass Units”,

(f) CAN/CGSB-12.10-M, “Glass, Light and Heat/Reflecting”,

(g) CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, “Wired Safety Glass”, or

(h) ASTM E2190, “Insulating Glass Unit Performance and Evaluation”.

(1) Glass in windows, sloped glazing and skylights shall be designed in conformance with CAN/CGSB-12.20-M, “Structural Design of Glass for Buildings”.

(1) The sealing compound used to seal the glass component of a factory-sealed double-glazed unit to the sash component shall be compatible with the material used to edge seal the glass component.

(1) Caulking shall be provided between window frames or trim and the exterior siding or masonry in conformance with Subsection 9.27.4.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.7.5.2., transparent panels that could be mistaken as a means of egress shall be protected by barriers or railings.

(1) Sliding glass partitions that separate a public corridor from an adjacent occupancy and that are open during working hours need not conform to Article 9.7.5.1. and Sentence 9.6.6.2.(3)v1, except that such partitions shall be suitably marked to indicate their existence and position.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), windows over stairs, ramps and landings that extend to less than 1 070 mm above the surface to the treads, ramp or landing shall be,

(a) protected by guards, in accordance with Subsection 9.8.8., or

(b) non-openable and designed to withstand the specified lateral loads for guards as provided in Articles 4.1.5.15.v1 or 9.8.8.2.v1

(2) In dwelling units, windows over stairs, ramps and landings that extend to less than 900 mm above the surface to the treads, ramp or landing shall be,

(a) protected by guards, in accordance with Subsection 9.8.8., or

(b) non-openable and designed to withstand the specified lateral loads for guards as provided in Articles 4.1.5.15.v1 or 9.8.8.2.v1

(1) Windows in public areas that extend to less than 1 000 mm from the floor and are located above the second storey in buildings of residential occupancy shall be,

(a) protected by guards in accordance with Subsection 9.8.8., or

(b) non-openable and designed to withstand the lateral design loads for guards as provided in Articles 4.1.5.15.v1 or 9.8.8.2.v1

(1) In dwelling units, windows, any part of which is located within 2 000 mm of adjacent ground level, shall conform to the requirements for resistance to forced entry as described in Clause 10.13 of CAN/CSA-A440-M, “Windows”.

(1) Plastic skylights shall conform to CAN/CGSB-63.14-M, “Plastic Skylights”.

(1) Factory-built glass skylights shall meet the performance requirements of CAN/CGSB-63.14-M, “Plastic Skylights”.

(1) This Section applies to the design and construction of interior and exterior stairs, steps, ramps, railings and guards.

(1) Where a stair, ramp or landing forms part of an exit, the appropriate requirements in Sections 9.9. and 9.10. shall also apply.

(1) Escalators and moving walkways shall conform to the appropriate requirements in Part 3.

(1) Required exit stairs and public stairs shall have a width, measured between wall faces or guards, of not less than 900 mm.

(2) At least 1 stair between each floor level within a dwelling unit, and exterior stairs serving a single dwelling unit except required exit stairs, shall have a width of not less than 860 mm.

(1) The clear height over stairs measured vertically from a line drawn through the leading edges of the treads, shall be not less than,

(a) 1 950 mm for stairs within dwelling units, and

(b) 2 050 mm for stairs not within dwelling units.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), stairs shall consist of,

(a) straight-runs, or

(b) curved-runs.

(2) Stairs within dwelling units shall consist of,

(a) straight-runs,

(b) curved-runs,

(c) straight-runs with winders, or

(d) straight-runs with curved-runs.

(1) Except for stairs within a dwelling unit, at least 3 risers shall be provided in interior flights.

(1) The vertical height between any landings shall not exceed 3.7 m.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), risers shall have uniform height in any one flight with a maximum tolerance of,

(a) 6 mm between adjacent treads or landings, and

(b) 6 mm between the tallest and shortest risers in a flight.

(2) Except for required exit stairs, where the top or bottom riser in a stair adjoins a sloping finished walking surface such as a garage floor, driveway or sidewalk, the height of the riser across the stair shall vary by not more than 1 in 12.

(3) Treads shall have uniform run and tread depth, with a maximum tolerance of,

(a) 6 mm between adjacent treads, and

(b) 6 mm between the deepest and shallowest runs and treads in a flight.

(4) Where angled treads or winders are incorporated into a stair, the treads in all sets of angled treads or winders within a flight shall turn in the same direction.

(5) Cross-slope of treads shall not exceed 1 in 100.

(1) Risers shall conform to Table 9.8.4.2.

(1) The run and tread depth of rectangular treads shall conform to Table 9.8.4.2.

(2) The depth of a rectangular tread shall be not less than its run and not more that its run plus 25 mm.

(1) Angled treads in required exit stairs shall comply with Article 3.4.6.8.

(2) Except as provided in Article 9.8.4.5., angled treads in other than required exit stairs shall have an average run of not less than 200 mm and a minimum run of 150 mm.

(3) The depth of an angled tread shall be not less than its run at any point and not more than its run plus 25 mm.

(1) Stairs within dwelling units are permitted to contain winders that converge to a centre point provided,

(a) the winders turn through an angle of not more than 90°,

(b) individual treads turn through an angle of not less than 30° or not more than 45°, and

(c) adjacent winders turn through the same angle.

(2) Where more than one set of winders described in Sentence (1) is provided in a single stairway between adjacent floor levels, such winders shall be separated in plan by at least 1 200 mm.

(1) Leading edges of treads that are bevelled or rounded shall,

(a) not reduce the required tread depth by more than 15 mm, and

(b) not, in any case, exceed 25 mm horizontally.

(1) Interior stairways extending through the roof of a building shall be protected from ice and snow.

(1) This Subsection applies to pedestrian ramps except ramps in a barrier-free path of travel.

(2) Ramps in a barrier-free path of travel shall conform to the requirements in Article 3.8.3.4.v1

(1) Except for required exit ramps, public ramps shall have a width of not less than 900 mm.

(2) Ramps within dwelling units, and exterior ramps serving a single dwelling unit except required exit ramps, shall have a width of not less than 860 mm.

(1) The clear height over ramps shall be not less than,

(a) 1 950 mm for ramps within dwelling units, and

(b) 2 050 mm for ramps not within dwelling units.

(1) The slope of ramps shall be not more than,

(a) 1 in 10 for exterior ramps,

(b) 1 in 10 for interior ramps serving residential occupancies,

(c) 1 in 6 for mercantile or industrial occupancies, and

(d) 1 in 8 for all other occupancies.

(1) Where the slope of the ramp is greater than 1 in 12, the maximum rise between floors or landings shall be 1 500 mm.

(1) This Subsection applies to landings, except landings for ramps in a barrier-free path of travel.

(2) Landings for ramps in a barrier-free path of travel shall conform to the requirements in Article 3.8.3.4.v1

(3) Finished floors, and ground surfaces with a slope not exceeding 1 in 100, at the top and bottom of stairs or ramps shall be considered as landings.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) to (4) and Sentence 9.9.6.6.(2), a landing shall be provided,

(a) at the top and bottom of each flight of interior and exterior stairs, including stairs in garages,

(b) at the top and bottom of every ramp with a slope greater than 1 in 50, and

(c) where a doorway opens onto a stair or ramp.

(2) Where a door at the top of a stair in a dwelling unit swings away from the stair, no landing is required between the doorway and the stair.

(3) Except for an entrance from an attached garage, a landing may be omitted at the top of an exterior stair serving a secondary entrance to a single dwelling unit, provided,

(a) the stair does not contain more than 3 risers,

(b) except as provided in Clause (c), the door is a sliding door or swings away from the stair, and

(c) where a storm or screen door is provided, it may swing over the stair if it is equipped with hardware to hold it open.

(4) A landing may be omitted at the bottom of an exterior stair or ramp provided there is no obstruction, such as a gate or door, within the lesser of the width of the stair or ramp or,

(a) 900 mm for stairs or ramps serving a single dwelling unit, and

(b) 1100 mm for stairs or ramps not serving a single dwelling unit.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) to (4), the width and length of landings shall comply with Table 9.8.6.3.

(2) Where stairs or ramps of different widths adjoin a single landing, the width of the landing shall be,

(a) not less than the greater required stair or ramp width where one or more of the stair or ramp widths do not exceed their respective required widths, or

(b) not less than the lesser actual stair or ramp width where all of the widths of the stairs or ramps exceed their respective required widths.

(3) Where a door swings toward a stair, the full arc of the swing shall be over the landing.

(4) Where a doorway or stairway opens onto the side of a ramp, the landing shall extend for a distance of not less than 300 mm on either side of the doorway or stairway, except on a side abutting an end wall.

(1) The clear height over landings shall be not less than,

(a) 1 950 mm for landings within dwelling units, and

(b) 2 050 mm for landings not within dwelling units.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) and (3), a handrail shall be provided,

(a) on at least one side of stairs or ramps less than 1 100 mm in width,

(b) on 2 sides of curved stairs or ramps of any width, except curved stairs within dwelling units, and

(c) on 2 sides of stairs or ramps 1 100 mm in width or greater.

(2) Handrails are not required for,

(a) interior stairs having not more than 2 risers and serving a single dwelling unit,

(b) exterior stairs having not more than 3 risers and serving a single dwelling unit,

(c) ramps with a slope of not less than 1 in 12, or

(d) ramps rising not more than 400 mm.

(3) Only one handrail is required on exterior stairs having more than 3 risers provided such stairs serve a single dwelling unit.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), at least one required handrail shall be continuous throughout the length of the stair or ramp, including landings, except where interrupted by,

(a) doorways, or

(b) newel posts at changes in direction.

(2) For stairs or ramps serving a single dwelling unit, at least one handrail shall be continuous throughout the length of the stair or ramp, except where interrupted by,

(a) doorways,

(b) landings, or

(c) newel posts at changes in direction.

(1) Handrails shall be terminated in a manner that will not obstruct pedestrian travel or create a hazard.

(2) Except for stairs and ramps serving a single dwelling unit, at least one handrail at the sides of a stair or ramp shall extend horizontally not less than 300 mm beyond the top and bottom of each stair or ramp.

(1) The height of handrails on stairs and ramps shall be measured vertically from the top of the handrail to,

(a) a line drawn through the leading edge of the stair treads served by the handrail, or

(b) the surface of the ramp, floor or landing served by the handrail.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (3), the height of handrails on stairs and ramps shall be,

(a) not less than 800 mm, and

(b) not more than 965 mm.

(3) Where guards are required, handrails required on landings shall be not more than 1 070 mm in height.

(1) A clearance of not less than 50 mm shall be provided between a handrail and any surface behind it.

(2) All handrails shall be constructed so as to be continually graspable along their entire length with no obstruction on or above them to break a handhold, except where the handrail is interrupted by newels at changes in direction.

(1) Handrails and projections below handrails, including handrail supports and stair stringers shall not project more than 100 mm into the required width of a stair or ramp.

(1) Handrails and any building element that could be used as a handrail shall be designed and attached in such a manner to resist,

(a) a concentrated load at any point of not less than 0.9 kN, and

(b) for handrails other than those serving a single dwelling unit, a uniformly distributed load of 0.7 kN/m.

(2) Where a handrail serving a single dwelling unit is attached to wood studs or blocking, the attachment shall be deemed to comply with Sentence (1) where,

(a) the attachment points are spaced not more than 1.2 m apart,

(b) the first attachment point at either end is located not more than 300 mm from the end of the handrail, and

(c) the fasteners consist of no fewer than 2 wood screws at each point, penetrating not less than 32 mm into solid wood.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), every surface to which access is provided for other than maintenance purposes, including but not limited to flights of steps and ramps, exterior landings, porches, balconies, mezzanines, galleries and raised walkways, shall be protected by a guard on each side that is not protected by a wall for the length where,

(a) there is a difference in elevation of more than 600 mm between the walking surface and the adjacent surface, or

(b) the adjacent surface within 1.2 m from the walking surface has a slope of more than 1 in 2.

(2) Guards are not required,

(a) at loading docks,

(b) at floor pits in repair garages, or

(c) where access is provided for maintenance purposes only.

(3) When an interior stair has more than 2 risers or an interior ramp rises more than 400 mm, the sides of the stair or ramp and the landing or floor level around the stairwell or ramp shall be protected by a guard on each side that is not protected by a wall.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (5), guards shall be designed to resist the loads specified in Table 9.8.8.2.

(2) Where the width and spacing of balusters in guards within dwelling units, and exterior guards serving not more than 2 dwelling units is such that 3 balusters can be engaged by a load imposed over the 300 mm width, the load shall be imposed so as to engage 3 balusters.

(3) None of the loads specified in Table 9.8.8.2. need be considered to act simultaneously.

(4) For guards within dwelling units and for exterior guards serving not more than 2 dwelling units, Table 9.8.8.2. need not apply where the guard construction has been demonstrated to provide effective performance.

(5) Guards constructed in accordance with the requirements in Supplementary Standard SB-7 shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of Sentence (1).

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) to (4), all guards shall be not less than 1 070 mm high.

(2) All guards within dwelling units shall be not less than 900 mm high.

(3) Exterior guards serving not more than one dwelling unit shall be not less than 900 mm high where the walking surface served by the guard is not more than 1 800 mm above the finished ground level.

(4) Guards for flights of steps, except in required exit stairs, shall be not less than 900 mm high.

(5) The height of guards for flights of steps shall be measured vertically from a line drawn through the leading edge of the treads served by the guard.

(1) Except for floors of garages referred to in Section 9.35., where garage floors or ramps are 600 mm or more above the adjacent ground or floor level, every opening through a garage floor and the perimeter of floors and ramps that have no exterior walls shall be provided with,

(a) a continuous curb not less than 150 mm in height, and

(b) a guard not less than 1 070 mm above the floor level.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), openings through any guard that is required by Article 9.8.8.1. shall be of a size that will prevent the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 100 mm unless it can be shown that the location and size of openings that exceed this limit do not represent a hazard.

(2) Openings through any guard that is required by Article 9.8.8.1. and that is installed in a building of industrial occupancy shall be of a size that will prevent the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 200 mm unless it can be shown that the location and size of such openings that exceed this limit do not represent a hazard.

(3) Unless it can be shown that the location and size of openings that do not comply with the following limits do not represent a hazard, openings through any guard that is not required by Article 9.8.8.1. and that serves a building of other than industrial occupancy, shall be of a size that,

(a) will prevent the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 100 mm, or

(b) will permit the passage of a spherical object having a diameter of 200 mm.

(1) Guards required by Article 9.8.8.1., except those in industrial occupancies and where it can be shown that the location and size of openings do not represent a hazard, shall be designed so that no member, attachment or opening will facilitate climbing.

(2) Guards shall be deemed to comply with Sentence (1) where any elements protruding from the vertical and located within the area between 140 mm and 900 mm above the floor or walking surface protected by the guard,

(a) are located more than 450 mm horizontally and vertically from each other,

(b) provide not more than 15 mm horizontal offset,

(c) do not provide a toe-space more than 45 mm horizontally and 20 mm vertically, or

(d) present more than a 1-in-2 slope on the offset.

(1) Glass in guards shall be,

(a) safety glass of the laminated or tempered type conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.1-M, “Tempered or Laminated Safety Glass”, or

(b) wired glass conforming to CAN/CGSB-12.11-M, “Wired Safety Glass”.

(1) Except as required in Articles 9.8.9.4. and 9.8.9.5., stairs and ramps shall be designed for strength and rigidity under uniform loading criteria to support specified loads of,

(a) 1.9 kPa for stairs and ramps serving a single dwelling unit, and

(b) 4.8 kPa for other stairs and ramps.

(1) Exterior concrete stairs with more than 2 risers and 2 treads shall be,

(a) supported on unit masonry or concrete walls or piers not less than 150 mm in cross section, or

(b) cantilevered from the main foundation wall.

(2) Stairs described in Sentence (1), when cantilevered from the foundation wall, shall be constructed and installed in conformance with Subsection 9.8.10.

(3) The depth below ground level for foundations for exterior steps shall conform to the requirements in Section 9.12.

(1) Exterior wood steps shall not be in direct contact with the ground unless suitably treated with a wood preservative.

(1) Wooden stair stringers shall,

(a) have a minimum effective depth of 90 mm, measured perpendicularly to the bottom of the stringer at the point of minimum cross-section, and an over-all depth of not less than 235 mm,

(b) be supported and secured top and bottom,

(c) be not less than 25 mm actual thickness if supported along their length and 38 mm actual thickness if unsupported along their length, and

(d) except as permitted in Sentence (2), be spaced not more than 900 mm o.c. for stairs serving not more than one dwelling unit, and 600 mm o.c. in other stairs.

(2) For stairs serving not more than one dwelling unit where risers support the front portion of the tread, the space between stringers shall be not more than 1 200 mm.

(1) Stair treads of lumber, plywood or O-2 grade OSB within dwelling units shall be not less than 25 mm actual thickness, except that if open risers are used and the distance between stringers exceeds 750 mm, the treads shall be not less than 38 mm actual thickness.

(2) Stair treads of plywood or OSB, that are not continuously supported by the riser shall have their face grain or direction of face orientation at right angles to the stringers.

(1) Except as required in Sentence (4), the finish for treads, landings and ramps shall be,

(a) wear resistant,

(b) slip resistant, and

(c) smooth, even, and free from open defects.

(2) The finish for treads and landings of interior stairs in dwelling units, including those from an attached garage serving a single dwelling unit, shall be deemed to comply with Sentence (1) where these treads, landings, or ramps are finished with,

(a) hardwood,

(b) vertical grain softwood,

(c) resilient flooring,

(d) low-pile carpet,

(e) mat finish ceramic tile,

(f) concrete, or

(g) for stairs to unfinished basements and to garages, plywood.

(3) Stairs and ramps, except those serving a single dwelling unit or service rooms or spaces, shall have either a colour contrast or a distinctive pattern to demarcate,

(a) the leading edge of the treads,

(b) the leading edge of the landing, and

(c) the beginning and end of a ramp.

(4) Treads and landings of interior and exterior stairs and ramps, other than those within dwelling units, shall have a slip-resistant finish or be provided with slip-resistant strips that extend not more than 1 mm above the surface.

(1) Exterior concrete steps and their anchorage system that are cantilevered from a foundation wall shall be designed and installed to support the loads to which they may be subjected.

(1) Cantilevered concrete steps in Article 9.8.10.1. shall be anchored to concrete foundation walls at least 200 mm thick.

(1) Suitable precautions shall be taken during backfilling and grading operations to ensure that subsequent freezing of the soil will not cause uplift forces on the underside of cantilevered concrete steps to the extent that the steps or the walls to which they are attached will be damaged.

(1) Stairways, handrails and guards in a means of egress shall conform to the requirements in Section 9.8. as well as to the requirements in this Section.

(1) In addition to the fire protection requirements provided in Subsection 9.9.4., flame-spread ratings, fire-resistance ratings and fire-protection ratings for means of egress shall conform to Section 9.10.

(1) The occupant load of a floor area or part of a floor area, or of a building or part of a building not having a floor area, shall be based on,

(a) 2 persons per sleeping room or sleeping area in a dwelling unit or suite, and

(b) for occupancies other than as described in Clause (a), the number of persons,

(i) for which the area is designed, or

(ii) determined from Table 3.1.17.1.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, an exit from any floor area shall be one of the following used singly or in combination:

(a) an exterior doorway,

(b) an exterior passageway,

(c) an exterior ramp,

(d) an exterior stairway,

(e) a fire escape (as described in Subsection 3.4.7.),

(f) a horizontal exit,

(g) an interior passageway,

(h) an interior ramp, or

(i) an interior stairway.

(2) Fire escapes are permitted to be used as exits on existing buildings provided they are designed and installed in conformance with Subsection 3.4.7.

(3) Fire escapes shall not be installed on any new building.

(4) Where a horizontal exit is used, it shall conform to Sentence 3.4.1.6.(1) and Article 3.4.6.9.

(1) An exit shall be designed for no purpose other than for exiting except that an exit may also serve as an access to a floor area.

(1) Elevators, slide escapes or windows shall not be considered as part of a required means of egress.

(2) Except for floor areas of mercantile occupancy, casement windows not less than 1 060 mm high, 560 mm wide, with a sill height not more than 900 mm above the inside floor, are permitted to be considered part of a required means of egress to provide access to fire escapes, when fire escapes are permitted.

(1) Except for doors serving a single dwelling unit, at least one door at every principal entrance to a building providing access from the exterior at ground level shall be designed in accordance with the requirements for exits.

(1) Except for curved stairs the front edge of stair treads in exits and access to exits shall be at right angles to the direction of exit travel.

(1) Treads and landings of exterior exit stairs that serve a hotel shall be designed to be free from ice and snow accumulation.

(1) This Subsection applies to every means of egress except exits that serve not more than one dwelling unit and access to exits within dwelling units.

(1) Except for doors and corridors, the width of every exit facility shall be not less than 900 mm.

(1) The width of every public corridor, corridor used by the public, and exit corridor shall be not less than 1 100 mm.

(1) Except for stairways, doorways and storage garages, the minimum clear height in exits and access to exits shall be 2 100 mm.

(2) The clear height in exits and access to exits in a storage garage shall be not less than 2 000 mm.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.9.4.4., this Subsection applies to the fire protection of all exits except exits serving a single dwelling unit.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (5) and Article 9.9.8.5., every exit other than an exit doorway, shall be separated from each adjacent floor area or from another exit by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the floor assembly above the floor area.

(2) Where there is no floor assembly above, the fire-resistance rating required in Sentence (1) shall not be less than that required by Subsection 9.10.8. for the floor assembly below, but in no case shall the fire-resistance rating be less than 45 min.

(3) A fire separation common to 2 exits shall be smoke-tight and not be pierced by doorways, duct work, piping or any other opening that may affect the continuity of the separation.

(4) A fire separation that separates an exit from the remainder of the building shall have no openings except those for electrical wiring, noncombustible conduit and noncombustible piping that serve only the exit and for standpipes, sprinkler piping, exit doorways and wired glass and glass block permitted in Article 9.9.4.3.

(5) The requirements in Sentence (1) do not apply to an exterior exit passageway provided the passageway has at least 50 per cent of its exterior sides open to the outdoors and is served by an exit stair at each end of the passageway.

(1) This Article applies to wired glass in doors, and wired glass or glass block in sidelights, where these are installed in fire separations between exit enclosures and floor areas.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (3), the combined area of glazing in doors and sidelights shall not exceed 0.8 m².

(3) Where an exit enclosure connects with a floor area through an enclosed vestibule or corridor separated from the floor area by fire separations having not less than a 45 min fire-resistance rating, the glazed areas described in Sentence (1) need not be limited as required in Sentence (2).

(1) Where an unenclosed exterior exit stair or ramp provides the only means of egress from a suite, and is exposed to fire from openings in the exterior walls of another fire compartment, the openings in the exterior walls of the building shall be protected with wired glass in fixed steel frames or glass block conforming to Articles 9.10.13.5. and 9.10.13.7. when the openings in the exterior walls of the building are within 3 m horizontally and less than 10 m below or less than 5 m above the exit stair or ramp.

(1) Either openings in the exterior walls of an exit or openings in adjacent exterior walls of the building the exit serves shall be protected with wired glass in fixed steel frames or glass block installed in accordance with Articles 9.10.13.5. and 9.10.13.7., where,

(a) the exit enclosure has exterior walls that intersect the exterior walls of the building at an angle of less than 135° measured on the outside of the building, and

(b) the openings in the exterior walls of the building are within 3 m horizontally and less than 2 000 mm above the openings in the exterior walls of the exit.

(1) This Article applies to,

(a) exit doors serving other than single dwelling units, and

(b) exit doors serving single dwelling units where there is no second and separate exit from the dwelling unit.

(2) Where an exterior exit door described in Sentence (1) in one fire compartment is within 3 m horizontally of an unprotected opening in another fire compartment and the exterior walls of these fire compartments intersect at an exterior angle of less than 135°, the opening shall be protected with wired glass in fixed steel frames or glass block conforming to Articles 9.10.13.5. and 9.10.13.7. or with a rated closure conforming to Table 9.10.13.1.v1 with respect to the rating of the fire separation between the two compartments.

(1) Notwithstanding the requirements of Sentences 9.9.4.2.(1), 9.9.8.2.(1) and Article 9.10.9.5., where a suite of Group D or E occupancy is located partly on the first storey and partly on the second storey or partly on the second storey and partly on the third storey, stairways serving that suite need not be constructed as exit stairs provided,

(a) the building is not greater than 3 storeys in building height,

(b) the suite is separated from other occupancies by at least a 45 min fire separation,

(c) the area occupied by the suite is not greater than 100 m² per storey, other than the exit level storey,

(d) the maximum travel distance from any point in the suite to an exterior exit is not greater than 25 m,

(e) the floor assemblies have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min or are of noncombustible construction,

(f) the basement and first storey are separated by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min, and

(g) a smoke alarm is installed on each floor of the suite, including the basement, in accordance with Subsection 9.10.19.

(2) The requirements of Article 9.10.12.1., for separation of exterior openings, do not apply to an occupancy conforming with Sentence (1).

(1) This Subsection applies to obstructions and hazards in every means of egress except those within a dwelling unit or serving a single dwelling unit.

(1) Where a corridor contains an occupancy, the occupancy shall not reduce the unobstructed width of the corridor to less than the required width of the corridor.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), obstructions located within 1 980 mm of the floor shall not project horizontally more than 100 mm into exit passageways, corridors used by the public or public corridors in a manner that would create a hazard for visually impaired persons travelling adjacent to walls.

(2) The horizontal projection of an obstruction in Sentence (1) is permitted to exceed 100 mm where the obstruction extends to less than 680 mm above the floor.

(1) Except as permitted in Subsection 9.9.6. and Article 9.8.7.6., no fixture, turnstile or construction shall project within the required width of an exit.

(1) No obstructions such as posts or turnstiles shall be placed so as to restrict the width of a required means of egress from a floor area or part of a floor area to less than 750 mm unless an alternate unobstructed means of egress is provided adjacent to and plainly visible from the restricted egress.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (3), no obstructions, such as counter gates, that do not meet the requirements for exit doors, shall be placed in a required means of egress from a floor area or part of a floor area unless an alternate unobstructed means of egress is provided adjacent to and plainly visible from the restricted egress.

(3) Obstructions, such as counter gates, that do not satisfy Sentence (2), are permitted to be placed in a required means of egress from a part of a floor area in mercantile occupancies and business and personal services occupancies, provided that the part of the floor area served by the unobstructed means of egress is not generally accessible to the public.

(1) No mirror shall be placed in or adjacent to any exit so as to confuse the direction of exit, and no mirror or draperies shall be placed on or over exit doors.

(1) Fuel-fired appliances shall not be installed in an exit or corridor serving as an access to exit.

(1) Service rooms containing equipment subject to possible explosion, such as boilers designed to operate at a pressure in excess of 100 kPa, and certain types of refrigerating and transformer equipment, shall not be located under required exits.

(1) Ancillary rooms such as storage rooms, washrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and service rooms shall not open directly into an exit.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (4), swinging doors in their swing shall conform to Sentences (2) and (3),

(a) at exit doors,

(b) at doors that open into or are located within a public corridor, and

(c) at doors that open into or are located within another facility that provides access to exit from a suite.

(2) When fully open, doors described in Sentence (1) shall not decrease the required exit width by more than,

(a) 100 mm in exit corridors, and

(b) 50 mm for other exit facilities.

(3) The swing of doors described in Sentence (1), shall not reduce the width of the path of travel to less than,

(a) the required exit width in exit corridors and passageways, and

(b) 750 mm on exit stairs or landings.

(4) Doors serving a single dwelling unit need not comply with Sentences (2) and (3).

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), the clear opening height of doorways shall be not less than 2 030 mm high at,

(a) exit doors,

(b) doors that open into or are located within a public corridor, and

(c) doors that open into or are located within another facility that provides access to exit from a suite.

(2) The clear opening height under door closers and other devices in doorways described in Sentence (1) shall be not less than 1 980 mm.

(3) Doorways serving a single dwelling unit need not comply with Sentences (1) and (2).

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (4), the clear opening width of doorways shall comply with Sentence (2) at,

(a) exit doors, and

(b) doors that open into or are located within a public corridor, or

(c) doors that open into or are located within another facility that provides access to exit from a suite.

(2) Doorways described in Sentence (1) shall be not less than,

(a) 800 mm wide where there is only one door leaf,

(b) 800 mm wide where multiple-leaf doors are installed with only one active leaf with a latching mechanism described in Article 9.9.6.7, and

(c) 1210 mm wide where multiple-leaf doors are installed with two active leaves.

(3) In doorways described in Sentence (1) that have multiple-leaf doors installed,

(a) no active leaf shall be less than 810 mm wide where only one leaf is active, and

(b) no single leaf shall be less than 610 mm wide where two leaves are active.

(4) Doorways serving a single dwelling unit need not comply with Sentence (2).

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (4) and (5), required exit doors and doors in required means of egress, except doors in means of egress within dwelling units, shall swing on the vertical axis.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (5), breakaway sliding doors, installed as required exit doors or required doors in means of egress, shall be identified as swinging doors by means of a label or decal affixed to the door.

(3) Revolving doors shall comply with Article 3.4.6.14.

(4) Movable partitions used to separate a public corridor from an adjacent business and personal services occupancy or a mercantile occupancy need not conform to Sentence (1), provided the partitions are not located in the only means of egress.

(5) Exit doors need not conform to Sentences (1) or (2) where,

(a) the doors serve accessory buildings where life safety is not adversely affected, or

(b) the doors serve storage garages or other accessory buildings serving a single dwelling unit.

(1) Except for doors serving a single dwelling unit, exit doors that are required to swing shall swing in the direction of exit travel.

(2) Doors that open onto a corridor or other facility that provides access to exit from a room or suite having an occupant load of more than 60 persons shall swing on the vertical axis in the direction of exit travel.

(3) Doors that divide a corridor that is not wholly contained within a suite shall swing in the direction of exit travel.

(4) Where a pair of doors is installed in a corridor that provides access to exit in both directions, the doors shall,

(a) swing in opposite directions, with the door on the right hand side swinging in the direction of exit travel, or

(b) swing in both directions.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), the distance between a stair riser and the leading edge of a door in its swing, except for doors serving a single dwelling unit, shall be not less than 300 mm.

(2) Where there is a danger of blockage from ice or snow, an exit door, including a door serving a single dwelling unit, may open onto not more than one step provided the riser of such step does not exceed 150 mm.

(1) Principal entrance doors, exit doors and doors to suites, including exterior doors to dwelling units, and other doors in an access to exit shall,

(a) be openable from the inside or in travelling to an exit without requiring keys, special devices or specialized knowledge of the door opening mechanism, or

(b) in the case of exit doors, be controlled by electromagnetic locking mechanisms in accordance with Sentence 3.4.6.15.(4)v1.

(2) Except for doors serving a single dwelling unit and doors to accessory buildings and garages serving a single dwelling unit, door release hardware on doors in a means of egress shall be operable with one hand and the door shall be openable with not more than one releasing operation.

(3) Door release hardware on doors in a means of egress shall be installed not more than 1 200 mm above the finished floor.

(4) Except for hotels, a door opening onto a public corridor that provides access to exit from suites shall be designed not to lock automatically when such doors are equipped with an automatic self-closing device.

(1) Every exit door, except doors serving a single dwelling unit, shall be designed and installed so that when the latch is released the door will open in the direction of exit travel under a force of not more than 90 N applied to the door release hardware.

(1) An access to exit shall be provided from every roof intended for occupancy and from every podium, terrace, platform or contained open space.

(2) Where a roof is intended for an occupant load of more than 60 persons, at least 2 separate means of egress shall be provided from the roof to stairs designed in conformance with the requirements for exit stairs and located remote from each other.

(3) Where a podium, terrace, platform or contained open space is provided, egress requirements shall conform to the appropriate requirements for rooms or suites in Article 9.9.7.4.

(1) Except as required in Sentence 9.9.9.3.(1), each suite in a floor area occupied by more than one suite shall have,

(a) an exterior exit doorway,

(b) a doorway to a public corridor, or

(c) a doorway to exterior passageway.

(2) Except as provided in Sentences 9.9.7.3.(1) and 9.9.8.2.(2), from the point where a doorway described in Clauses (1)(b) or (c) enters the public corridor or exterior passageway, it shall be possible to go in opposite directions to each of 2 separate exits.

(1) A dead-end public corridor is permitted in an occupancy shown in Table 9.9.7.3. where,

(a) a dead-end corridor,

(i) does not exceed the distance of travel measured from the most remote point of the dead-end to a point where it is possible to go in opposite directions to each of two separate exits, and

(ii) is provided with doors equipped with self-closing devices, or

(b) there is a second and separate egress doorway from each room or suite not leading into the dead-end corridor.

(2) Dead-end public corridors in residential occupancies and business and personal services occupancies shall contain only suite door openings arranged so that not more than 2 such doors have to be passed to reach the nearest exit.

(3) The area of wired glass in doors required by Sentence (2) shall not exceed 645 cm².

(1) Except for dwelling units, at least 2 egress doors shall be provided where,

(a) the area of a room or suite exceeds 200 m² in a Group D, E, F2 and F3 occupancy, or 150 m² in a Group C occupancy, or

(b) the distance measured from any point within a room or suite to the nearest egress door exceeds 25 m.

(2) Doors in Sentence (1) shall be spaced so that in the event one door is made inaccessible by a fire within such a room or suite, the other door will provide safe egress.

(1) Required access to exit from suites shall not be through any other dwelling unit, service room or other occupancy.

(1) Except for dwelling units, the travel distance from any point within the room or suite to the nearest egress door shall not exceed the maximum travel distance in Article 9.9.8.2.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), for the purposes of this Subsection, travel distance means the distance from any point in the floor area to an exit measured along the path of exit travel.

(2) Where a room or suite is separated from the remainder of the floor area by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of at least 45 min, or in a sprinklered building, by a fire separation that is not required to have a fire-resistance rating, the travel distance is permitted to be measured from an egress door of the room or suite to the nearest exit.

(3) Where a public corridor is not less than 9 m wide and conforms to Clause 3.4.2.5.(1)(d), the travel distance is permitted to be determined in accordance with that Clause.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3) and Subsection 9.9.9., no fewer than 2 exits shall be provided from every floor area, spaced so that the travel distance to the nearest exit is not more than,

(a) 40 m in the case of business and personal services occupancies,

(b) 45 m for all occupancies where the floor area is sprinklered, and

(c) 30 m for all other occupancies.

(2) Except as provided in Subsection 9.9.9., a single exit is permitted from each storey in buildings of 1 and 2 storeys in building height provided the floor area and travel distance requirements conform to those required in Article 9.9.7.4. and the total occupant load served by an exit facility does not exceed 60 persons.

(3) In boarding, lodging or rooming houses,

(a) where sleeping accommodation is provided for not more than 8 persons, a single exit is permitted from each floor area, or

(b) where sleeping accommodation is not provided in the basement, a single exit is permitted from the basement floor area.

(1) Where more than 1 exit is required from a floor area, each exit shall be considered as contributing not more than half the required exit width.

(1) Where more than 1 exit is required from a floor area, no fewer than 2 exits shall be independent of each other and be placed remote from each other along the path of travel between them.

(1) Not more than one exit from a floor area is permitted to lead through a lobby.

(2) The floor of the lobby referred to in Sentence (1) shall be not more than 4.5 m above grade, and the path of travel through the lobby to the outdoors shall not exceed 15 m.

(3) The lobby referred to in Sentence (1) shall conform in all respects with the requirements for exits, except that rooms other than service rooms, storage rooms and rooms of residential or industrial occupancy are permitted to open directly onto such lobby.

(4) Except as required in Sentence (6), an exit is permitted to lead through a lobby referred to in Sentence (1) provided the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space other than as described in Sentence 3.2.8.2.(6)v1v2.

(5) Passenger elevator entrances are permitted to open onto the lobby referred to in Sentence (1) provided the elevator doors are designed to remain closed except while loading and unloading.

(6) An exit that serves a hotel is permitted to lead through a lobby referred to in Sentence (1) provided the lobby is not located within an interconnected floor space.

(7) Where the lobby referred to in Sentence (1) and adjacent occupancies that are permitted to open into the lobby are sprinklered, the fire separation between such occupancies and the lobby need not have a fire-resistance rating.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (2) and (3), the space above a mezzanine shall be served by no fewer than 2 means of egress leading to exits accessible at the mezzanine level on the same basis as floor areas.

(2) One means of egress from a mezzanine is permitted where,

(a) the mezzanine is not required to terminate at a vertical fire separation, as permitted by Sentence 9.10.12.1.(2),

(b) the occupant load of the mezzanine is not more than 60,

(c) the area of the mezzanine does not exceed the area limits of Clause 9.9.7.4.(1)(a), and

(d) the distance limits of Clause 9.9.7.4.(1)(b) measured along the path of travel, are not exceeded from any point on the mezzanine to,

(i) an egress door serving the space that the mezzanine overlooks if the space is served by a single egress door, or

(ii) an egress stairway leading to an access to exit in the space below if that space is required to be served by two or more egress doorways in conformance with Sentence 9.9.7.4.(1).

(3) One of the means of egress from a mezzanine that is not required to terminate at a fire separation as permitted by Sentence 9.10.12.1.(2) and that exceeds the limits of Sentence (2), is permitted to lead through the room in which the mezzanine is located provided all other means of egress from that mezzanine lead to exits accessible at the mezzanine level.

(4) Except as provided in Sentence (2), the maximum travel distance from any point on a mezzanine to the nearest exit shall be not more than,

(a) 40 m in a business and personal services occupancy,

(b) 45 m in a floor area that is sprinklered provided it does not contain a high hazard industrial occupancy, or

(c) 30 m in any floor area not referred to in Clauses (a) or (b).

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), every dwelling unit containing more than 1 storey shall have exits or egress doors located so that it shall not be necessary to travel up or down more than 1 storey to reach a level served by,

(a) an egress door to a public corridor, enclosed exit stair or exterior passageway, or

(b) an exit doorway not more than 1 500 mm above adjacent ground level.

(2) Where a dwelling unit is not located above or below another suite, the travel limit from a floor level in the dwelling unit to an exit or egress door is permitted to exceed 1 storey where that floor level is served by an openable window or door,

(a) providing an unobstructed opening of not less than 1 000 mm in height and 550 mm in width, and

(b) located so that the sill is not more than,

(i) 1 000 mm above the floor, and

(ii) 7 m above adjacent ground level.

(3) The travel limit from a floor level in a dwelling unit to an exit or egress door is permitted to exceed 1 storey where that floor level has direct access to a balcony.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence 9.9.7.2.(1), where an egress door from a dwelling unit opens onto a public corridor or exterior passageway it shall be possible from the location where the egress door opens onto the corridor or exterior passageway to go in opposite directions to 2 separate exits unless the dwelling unit has a second and separate means of egress.

(1) A dwelling unit shall be provided with a second and separate means of egress where an egress door from the dwelling unit opens onto,

(a) an exit stairway serving more than 1 suite,

(b) a public corridor serving more than one suite served by a single exit stairway,

(c) an exterior passageway more than 1 500 mm above adjacent ground level, serving more than one suite and served by a single exit stairway, or

(d) a balcony more than 1 500 mm above adjacent ground level, serving more than one suite and served by a single exit stairway.

(1) This Subsection applies to all exits except those serving not more than 1 dwelling unit.

(1) Exits shall be located so as to be clearly visible or their locations shall be clearly indicated.

(1) Except as required in Sentence (2), every exit door shall have an exit sign over or adjacent to it when the exit serves,

(a) a 3 storey building,

(b) a building with an occupant load greater than 150, or

(c) a room or floor area that has a fire escape as part of a required means of egress.

(2) Except for suite doors opening directly to the exterior, every exit serving a hotel shall have an exit sign placed over or adjacent to it.

(1) Exit direction signs shall be placed in corridors and passageways where necessary to indicate the direction of exit travel.

(1) Exit signs shall be installed so as to be visible from the exit approach.

(1) Exit signs shall have the word EXIT or the words EXIT/SORTIE in red letters on a contrasting background or a red background with contrasting letters when the sign is internally lighted, and white letters on a red background or red letters on a white background when the sign is externally lighted.

(2) Lettering referred to in Sentence (1) shall be made with not less than 19 mm wide strokes and be not less than 150 mm high when the sign is externally lighted, and at least 114 mm high when the sign is internally lighted.

(3) Where an exit sign having the word EXIT is installed in conformance with Sentence (1), an additional sign having the word SORTIE is permitted to be installed.

(1) Illumination of exit signs required in Article 9.9.10.3. shall conform to Sentences 9.9.11.3.(2) and (3).

(2) Where illumination of exit signs required in Article 9.9.10.3. is provided by an electrical circuit, that circuit shall serve no equipment other than emergency equipment.

(1) In buildings 3 storeys in building height, any part of an exit ramp or stairway that continues up or down past the lowest exit level shall be clearly marked to indicate that it does not lead to an exit where the portion below exit level may be mistaken as the direction of exit travel.

(1) Arabic numerals indicating the assigned floor number shall be,

(a) except in hotels, mounted permanently on the stair side of the wall at the latch side of doors to exit stair shafts,

(b) in hotels, mounted permanently on each side of the exit doors to the exit stair shaft,

(c) not less than 60 mm high, raised approximately 0.7 mm above the surface,

(d) located 1 500 mm from the finished floor and not more than 300 mm from the door, and

(e) contrasting in colour with the surface on which they are applied.

(1) This Subsection applies to the lighting of all exits except those serving not more than 1 dwelling unit.

(1) Every exit, public corridor or corridor providing access to exit for the public shall be equipped to provide illumination to an average level of not less than 50 lx at floor or tread level and at all points such as angles and intersections at changes of level where there are stairs or ramps.

(1) Emergency lighting shall be provided in,

(a) exits,

(b) principal routes providing access to exit in an open floor area,

(c) corridors used by the public,

(d) underground walkways, and

(e) public corridors.

(2) Emergency lighting required in Sentence (1) shall be provided from a source of energy separate from the electrical supply for the building.

(3) Lighting required in Sentence (1) shall be designed to be automatically actuated for a period of not less than 30 min when the electric lighting in the affected area is interrupted.

(4) Illumination from lighting required in Sentence (1) shall be provided to average levels of not less than 10 lx at floor or tread level.

(5) Where incandescent lighting is provided, lighting equal to 1 W/m² of floor area shall be considered to meet the requirement in Sentence (4).

(6) Where self-contained emergency lighting units are used, they shall conform to CSA C22.2 No. 141-M, “Unit Equipment for Emergency Lighting”.

(1) Where an assembly is required to be of noncombustible construction and to have a fire-resistance rating, it shall be supported by noncombustible construction.

(1) For the purposes of this Section, roofs with slopes of 60° or more to the horizontal and that are adjacent to a room or space intended for occupancy shall be considered as a wall.

(1) Tents, air-supported structures, transformer vaults, walkways, elevators and escalators shall conform to Part 3.

(2) Where rooms or spaces are intended for an assembly occupancy, such rooms or spaces shall conform to Part 3.

(3) Basements containing more than 1 storey or exceeding 600 m² in area shall conform to Part 3.

(4) Where rooms or spaces are intended for the storage, manufacture or use of hazardous or explosive material, such rooms or spaces shall conform to Part 3.

(5) Reserved.

(6) Openings through floors that are not protected by shafts or closures shall be protected in conformance with Subsection 3.2.8.

(7) Chutes and shafts shall conform to Subsection 3.6.3. except where they are contained entirely within a dwelling unit.

(8) Where sprinkler, standpipe and hose systems are installed, they shall be installed in conformance with Part 3.

(1) In kitchens containing commercial cooking equipment used in processes producing grease-laden vapours, the equipment shall be designed and installed in conformance with Part 6

(2) Where fuel-fired appliances are installed on a roof, such appliances shall be installed in conformance with Part 6.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.10.2.2., every building or part of it shall be classified according to its major occupancy as belonging to one of the groups or divisions described in Table 9.10.2.1.

(1) Children's custodial homes and convalescent homes for ambulatory occupants living as a single housekeeping unit in a suite with sleeping accommodation for not more than 10 persons are permitted to be classified as residential occupancies (Group C).

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.10.2.4., in any building containing more than 1 major occupancy in which one major occupancy is located entirely above another, the requirements of Article 9.10.8.1. for each portion of the building containing a major occupancy shall be applied to that portion as if the entire building was of that major occupancy.

(1) In a building containing more than 1 major occupancy, where the aggregate area of all major occupancies in a particular group or division does not exceed 10% of the floor area on the storey on which they are located, they need not be considered as major occupancies for the purposes of Articles 9.10.8.1. and 9.10.2.3. provided they are not classified as Group F, Division 2 occupancies.

(1) A restaurant is permitted to be classified as a Group E major occupancy provided such restaurant is designed to accommodate not more than 30 persons consuming food or drink.

(1) Where a fire-resistance rating or a fire-protection rating is required in this Section for an element of a building, such rating shall be determined in conformance with the test methods described in Part 3, or in accordance with Supplementary Standard SB-2.

(1) Where a flame-spread rating is required in this Section for an element of a building, such rating shall be determined in accordance with the test methods described in Part 3, or in accordance with Supplementary Standard SB-2.

(2) Unless the flame-spread rating is referred to in this Part as a “surface flame-spread rating”, it shall apply to any surface of the element being considered that would be exposed by cutting through it as well as to the exposed surface of the element.

(1) Floor, roof and ceiling assemblies shall be rated for exposure to fire on the underside.

(2) Exterior walls shall be rated for exposure to fire from inside the building, except that such walls need not comply with the temperature rise limitations required by the standard tests referred to in Article 9.10.3.1.v1 if such walls have a limiting distance of not less than 1 200 mm, and due allowance is made for the effects of heat radiation in accordance with the requirements in Part 3.

(3) Firewalls and interior vertical fire separations required to have fire-resistance ratings shall be rated for exposure to fire on each side.

(1) Where a ceiling construction has a suspended membrane ceiling with lay-in panels or tiles that contribute to the required fire-resistance rating, hold down clips or other means shall be provided to prevent the lifting of such panels or tiles in the event of a fire.

(1) Mezzanines shall not be considered as storeys for the purpose of determining building height where the aggregate area of mezzanine floors does not exceed 10% of,

(a) the suite in which it is located, where there is more than one suite in the storey, or

(b) the storey in which it is located, in all other cases.

(2) Mezzanines shall not be considered as storeys for the purpose of determining building height where they occupy an aggregate area not exceeding 40% of the area of the room or the storey in which they are located provided the space above the mezzanine floor has no visual obstructions more than 1 070 mm above such floors.

(1) Where more than 1 level of mezzanine is provided in a storey, each level additional to the first shall be considered as a storey.

(1) Where a basement is used primarily as a storage garage, the basement is permitted to be considered as a separate building for the purposes of this Section provided the floor 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 of not less than 2 h.

(1) Roof-top enclosures provided for elevator machinery, stairways and service rooms, used for no purpose other than for service to the building, shall not be considered as a storey in calculating the building height.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) and (4), a membrane forming part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating shall not be pierced by openings into the assembly unless the assembly has been tested and rated for such openings.

(2) A wall or ceiling membrane forming part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating is permitted to be pierced by openings for electrical and similar service outlet boxes provided such outlet boxes are tightly fitted.

(3) Where boxes referred to in Sentence (2) are located on both sides of walls required to provide a fire-resistance rating, they shall be offset where necessary to maintain the integrity of the fire separation.

(4) A membrane ceiling forming part of an assembly assigned a fire-resistance rating on the basis of Table 1.2. in Supplementary Standard SB-3, is permitted to be pierced by openings leading to ducts within the ceiling space provided the ducts, the amount of openings and their protection conform to the requirements in Supplementary Standard SB-2.

(1) Where a building or part of a building is required to be of noncombustible construction, combustible elements shall be limited in conformance with the requirements in Subsection 3.1.5.

(1) Heavy timber construction shall be considered to have a 45 min fire-resistance rating when it is constructed in accordance with the requirements for heavy timber construction in Article 3.1.4.6.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 3.2.2.3., structural steel members used in construction required to have a fire-resistance rating shall be protected to provide the required fire-resistance rating.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection, the fire-resistance ratings of floors and roofs shall conform to Table 9.10.8.1.

(1) Except for roofs that support an occupancy, the requirements in Table 9.10.8.1. for roof assemblies to have a fire-resistance rating are permitted to be waived in sprinklered buildings where,

(a) the sprinkler system is electrically supervised in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.9.(2)v1, and

(b) the operation of the sprinkler system will cause a signal to be transmitted to the fire department in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.7.(4).

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection, all loadbearing walls, columns and arches in the storey immediately below a floor or roof assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that required for the supported floor or roof assembly.

(1) Construction supporting a service room need not conform to Article 9.10.8.3.

(1) Mezzanines required to be counted as storeys in Articles 9.10.4.1. and 9.10.4.2. shall be constructed in conformance with the requirements for “Floors Except Floors over Crawl Spaces” in Table 9.10.8.1.

(1) Where a portion of a roof supports an occupancy, that portion shall be constructed as a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating conforming to the rating for “Floors Except Floors over Crawl Spaces” in Table 9.10.8.1.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), the floor assembly of every exterior passageway used as part of a means of egress shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min or be of noncombustible construction.

(2) No fire-resistance rating is required for floors of exterior passageways serving buildings of Group D, E or F major occupancy that are not more than 2 storeys in building height.

(3) No fire-resistance rating is required for floors of exterior passageways serving a single dwelling unit where no suite is located above or below the dwelling unit.

(1) Where a crawl space exceeds 1 800 mm in height or is used for any occupancy or as a plenum in combustible construction or for the passage of flue pipes, it shall be considered as a basement in applying the requirements in Article 9.10.8.1.

(1) Table 9.10.8.1. does not apply to a dwelling unit that has no other dwelling unit above or below it or to a dwelling unit that is not above or below another major occupancy.

(1) The fire-resistance ratings of floors, roofs, loadbearing walls, columns and arches need not conform to this Subsection if such assemblies conform in all respects to the appropriate requirements in Section 3.2.

(1) This Subsection applies to fire separations required between rooms and spaces in buildings except between rooms and spaces within a dwelling unit.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.10.9.3., a wall or floor assembly required to be a fire separation shall be constructed as a continuous barrier against the spread of fire.

(2) The continuity of a fire separation shall be maintained where it abuts another fire separation, a floor, a ceiling, a roof or an exterior wall assembly.

(1) Except as permitted in Articles 9.10.9.5. to 9.10.9.7., openings in required fire separations shall be protected with closures conforming to Subsection 9.10.13.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (4), all floor assemblies shall be constructed as fire separations.

(2) Floor assemblies contained within dwelling units need not be constructed as fire separations.

(3) Floor assemblies for which no fire-resistance rating is required by Subsection 9.10.8. and floors of mezzanines not required to be counted as storeys in Articles 9.10.4.1. and 9.10.4.2. need not be constructed as fire separations.

(4) Where a crawl space is not required by Article 9.10.8.8. to be constructed as a basement, the floor above it need not be constructed as a fire separation.

(1) Except as permitted in Article 9.9.4.7., interconnected floor spaces shall conform to the requirements of Subsection 3.2.8.

(1) Piping, tubing, ducts, chimneys, wiring, conduit, electrical outlet boxes and other similar service equipment that penetrate a required fire separation shall be tightly fitted or fire stopped to maintain the integrity of the separation.

(2) Except as provided in Sentences (3) to (9) and Article 9.10.9.7., pipes, ducts, electrical outlet boxes, totally enclosed raceways or other similar service equipment that partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating shall be noncombustible unless the assembly has been tested incorporating such equipment.

(3) Electrical wires or other similar wiring enclosed in noncombustible totally enclosed raceways are permitted to partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (2).

(4) Electrical wires or cables, single or grouped, with combustible insulation or jacketing that is not totally enclosed in raceways of noncombustible material, are permitted to partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (2) provided the overall diameter of the wiring is not more than 25 mm.

(5) Combustible totally enclosed raceways that are embedded in a concrete floor slab are permitted in an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (2), where the concrete provides at least 50 mm of cover between the raceway and the bottom of slab.

(6) Combustible outlet boxes are permitted in an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (2) provided the opening through the membrane into the box does not exceed 160 cm².

(7) Combustible water distribution piping that has an outside diameter not more than 30 mm is permitted to partly or wholly penetrate a vertical fire separation that is required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (2) provided the piping is sealed in conformance with Article 3.1.9.1.

(8) Combustible sprinkler piping is permitted to penetrate a fire separation provided the fire compartments on each side of the fire separation are sprinklered.

(9) Combustible piping for central vacuum systems is permitted to penetrate a fire separation provided the installation conforms to the requirements that apply to combustible piping in Sentences 9.10.9.7.(2) to (6).

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (6), combustible piping shall not be used where any part of a piping system partly or wholly penetrates a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating or penetrates a membrane that contributes to the required fire-resistance rating of an assembly.

(2) Combustible piping not located in a vertical shaft is permitted to penetrate a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating or a membrane that forms part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating provided the piping is sealed at the penetration by a firestop system that has an F rating not less than the fire-resistance rating required for the fire separation.

(3) The rating referred to in Sentence (2) shall be based on ULC-S115, “Fire Tests for Firestop Systems”, with a pressure differential of 50 Pa between the exposed and unexposed sides, with the higher pressure on the exposed side.

(4) Combustible drain piping is permitted to penetrate a horizontal fire separation or a membrane that contributes to the required fire-resistance rating of a horizontal fire separation provided it leads directly from a noncombustible water closet through a concrete floor slab.

(5) Combustible piping is permitted,

(a) on one side of a vertical fire separation provided it is not located in a vertical shaft, and

(b) to penetrate a vertical or horizontal fire separation when the fire compartment on each side of the fire separation is sprinklered.

(6) In buildings containing 2 dwelling units only, combustible piping is permitted on one side of a horizontal fire separation.

(1) Combustible construction that abuts on or is supported by a noncombustible fire separation shall be constructed so that its collapse under fire conditions will not cause collapse of the fire separation.

(1) Where pockets for the support of beams or joists are formed in a masonry or concrete fire separation, the remaining total thickness of solid masonry and/or grout and/or concrete shall be not less than the required equivalent thickness shown for type S monolithic concrete in Table 2.1.1. of the Supplementary Standard SB-2 for the required fire-resistance rating.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), a horizontal service space or other concealed space located above a required vertical fire separation shall be divided at the fire separation by an equivalent fire separation within the space.

(2) Where a horizontal service space or other concealed space is located above a required vertical fire separation other than a vertical shaft, such space need not be divided as required in Sentence (1) provided the construction between such space and the space below is constructed as a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical fire separation, except that where the vertical fire separation is not required to have a fire-resistance rating greater than 45 min, the fire-resistance rating of the ceiling is permitted to be reduced to 30 min.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (4), residential occupancies shall be separated from all other major occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (3), a major occupancy classified as a residential occupancy, including live/work units, shall be separated from other major occupancies classified as mercantile or medium hazard industrial occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h.

(3) Where not more than 2 dwelling units or live/work units are located in a building containing a mercantile occupancy, such mercantile occupancy shall be separated from the dwelling units or live/work units by a fire separation having not less than 1 h fire-resistance rating.

(4) The requirement for fire separations between major occupancies in Sentence (1) is waived for the occupancies allowed within live/work units.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2), not more than 1 suite of residential occupancy shall be contained within a building classified as a Group F, Division 2 major occupancy.

(2) Except where a Group F Division 2 major occupancy is directly related to live/work units, not more than one suite of residential occupancy shall be contained within a building classified as Group F, Division 2 major occupancy.

(1) Except as required in Article 9.10.9.14., and as permitted by Sentence (2), each suite in other than business and personal services occupancies shall be separated from adjoining suites by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min.

(2) In sprinklered buildings, suites of business and personal services occupancy and mercantile occupancy that are served by public corridors conforming with Sentence 3.3.1.4.(4)v1 are not required to be separated from each other by fire separations.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3) and Article 9.10.21.2., suites in residential occupancies shall be separated from adjacent rooms and suites by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min.

(2) Sleeping rooms in boarding, lodging or rooming houses where sleeping accommodation is provided for not more than 8 boarders or lodgers shall be separated from the remainder of the floor area by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 30 min where the sleeping rooms form part of the proprietor’s residence and do not contain cooking facilities.

(3) Dwelling units that contain 2 or more storeys including basements shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), public corridors shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having not less than a 45 min fire-resistance rating.

(2) In other than residential occupancies, no fire-resistance rating is required for fire separations between a public corridor and the remainder of the building if,

(a) the floor area is sprinklered,

(b) the sprinkler system is electrically supervised in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.9.(2)v1, and

(c) the operation of the sprinkler system will cause a signal to be transmitted to the fire department in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.7.(4).

(3) In other than residential occupancies, no fire separation is required between a public corridor and the remainder of the building if,

(a) the floor area is sprinklered,

(b) the sprinkler system is electrically supervised in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.9.(2)v1,

(c) the operation of the sprinkler system will cause a signal to be transmitted to the fire department in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.7.(4), and

(d) the corridor exceeds 5 m in width.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), a storage garage shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation having not less than a 1.5 h fire-resistance rating.

(2) Except as permitted in Sentence (3), storage garages containing 5 motor vehicles or fewer shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation of not less than 1 h.

(3) Where a storage garage serves only the dwelling unit to which it is attached or in which it is built, it shall be considered as part of that dwelling unit and the fire separation required in Sentence (2) need not be provided between the garage and the dwelling unit.

(4) Where a storage garage is attached to or built into a building of residential occupancy,

(a) an air barrier system conforming to Subsection 9.25.3v1, shall be installed between the garage and the remainder of the building to provide an effective barrier to gas and exhaust fumes, and

(b) every door between the garage and the remainder of the building shall conform to Article 9.10.13.15.

(5) Where membrane materials are used to provide the required airtightness in the air barrier system, all joints shall be sealed and structurally supported.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), a repair garage shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h.

(2) Ancillary spaces directly serving a repair garage, including waiting rooms, reception rooms, tool and parts storage areas and supervisory office space need not be separated from the repair garage but shall be separated from other occupancies as required in Sentence (1).

(3) The fire separation referred to in Sentence (1) shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h, where,

(a) the building is not more than one storey in building height,

(b) the building is operated as a single suite, and

(c) the only occupancy other than the repair garage is a mercantile occupancy.

(4) Where a building containing a repair garage also contains a dwelling unit, an air barrier system conforming to Subsection 9.25.3.v1 shall be installed between the dwelling unit and the suite containing the garage to provide an effective air barrier to gas and exhaust fumes.

(5) Where membrane materials are used to provide the required airtightness in the air barrier system, all joints shall be sealed and structurally supported.

(1) Where a vertical service space contains an exhaust duct that serves more than one fire compartment, the duct shall have a fan located at or near the exhaust outlet to ensure that the duct is under negative pressure.

(2) Individual fire compartments referred to in Sentence (1) shall not have fans that exhaust directly into the duct in the vertical service space.

(1) A central vacuum system shall serve not more than one suite.

(1) This Subsection applies to service rooms in all buildings except rooms located within a dwelling unit.

(1) The fire-resistance rating requirements in this Subsection do not apply to the floor assembly immediately below a service room.

(1) Except as required in Sentence (2) and Articles 9.10.10.5. and 9.10.10.6., service rooms shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h when the floor area containing the service room is not sprinklered.

(2) Where a room contains a limited quantity of service equipment and the service equipment does not constitute a fire hazard, the requirements in Sentence (1) shall not apply.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2) and Article 9.10.10.5., fuel-fired appliances other than fireplaces shall be located in a service room separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having not less than a 1 h fire-resistance rating.

(2) Except as required in the appliance installation standards referenced in Sentences 6.2.1.4.(1) and 9.33.1.2.(1), fuel-fired space-heating appliances, space-cooling appliances and service water heaters need not be separated from the remainder of the building as required in Sentence (1) where the equipment serves,

(a) not more than one room or suite, or

(b) a building with a building area of not more than 400 m² and a building height of not more than 2 storeys.

(1) Service rooms containing incinerators shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h.

(2) The design, construction, installation and alteration of each indoor incinerator shall conform to NFPA 82, “Incinerators, Waste and Linen Handling Systems and Equipment”.

(3) Every incinerator shall be connected to a chimney flue conforming to the requirements in Section 9.21. and serving no other appliance.

(4) An incinerator shall not be located in a room with other fuel-fired appliances.

(1) Rooms for the temporary storage of combustible refuse in all occupancies or for public storage in residential occupancies shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having not less than a 1 h fire-resistance rating, except that a 45 min fire separation is permitted where the fire-resistance rating of the floor assembly is not required to exceed 45 min, or where such rooms are sprinklered.

(1) A generator to supply emergency power for lighting and fire safety systems shall be located in a room that,

(a) is separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation with a fire-resistance rating not less than,

(i) 1 h, if the floor assembly is not required to have a fire-resistance rating of more than 1 h, and

(ii) 2 h, if the floor assembly is required to have a fire-resistance rating of more than 1 h, and

(b) contains only the generating set and equipment that is related to the emergency power supply system.

(1) Except as provided in Articles 9.10.11.2. and 9.10.11.4., a party wall on a property line shall be constructed as a firewall.

(1) In a building of residential occupancy in which there is no dwelling unit above another dwelling unit, a party wall on a property line between dwelling units need not be constructed as a firewall provided it is constructed as a fire separation having not less than a 1 h fire-resistance rating.

(2) The wall described in Sentence (1) shall provide continuous protection from the top of the footings to the underside of the roof deck.

(3) Any space between the top of the wall described in Sentence (1) and the roof deck shall be tightly filled with mineral wool or noncombustible material.

(1) Where firewalls are used, the requirements in Part 3 shall apply.

(1) Where a garage is detached from the dwelling unit but attached to another garage on the adjacent property, the party wall so formed shall be constructed as a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min.

(1) Except as provided in Sentence (2) and in Articles 9.10.1.3. and 9.10.9.5., the portions of a floor area or mezzanine that do not terminate at an exterior wall, a firewall or a vertical shaft, shall terminate at a vertical fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the floor assembly that terminates at the separation.

(2) A mezzanine need not terminate at a vertical fire separation where the mezzanine is not required to be considered as a storey in Articles 9.10.4.1. and 9.10.4.2.

(1) Where a wall in a building is exposed to a fire hazard from an adjoining roof of a separate unsprinklered fire compartment in the same building, the roof shall contain no skylights within a horizontal distance of 5 m of the windows in the exposed wall.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.9.4.5., where exterior walls of a building meet at an external angle of less than 135°, the horizontal distance from an opening in one wall to an opening in the other wall shall be not less than 1 200 mm where the openings are in different fire compartments.

(2) The exterior wall of each fire compartment referred to in Sentence (1) within the 1 200 mm distance, shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the interior vertical fire separation between the compartment and the remainder of the building.

(1) This Article applies to the portion of any soffit enclosing a projection that is,

(a) less than 2.5 m vertically above a window or door, and

(b) less than 1.2 m from either side of the window or door.

(2) Except as provided in Sentences (4) and (5), the soffit described in Sentence (1) and shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (3) where the soffit encloses,

(a) a common attic or roof space that spans more than 2 suites of residential occupancy and projects beyond the exterior wall of the building,

(b) a floor space where an upper storey projects beyond the exterior wall of a lower storey and a fire separation is required at the floor between the two storeys, or

(c) a floor space where an upper storey projects beyond the exterior wall of a lower storey, and the projection is continuous across a vertical fire separation separating two suites.

(3) Protection required by Sentence (2) shall be provided by,

(a) noncombustible material having a minimum thickness of 0.38 mm and a melting point not below 650°C,

(b) not less than 12.7 mm thick gypsum soffit board or gypsum wallboard installed according to CSA A82.31-M, “Gypsum Board Application,”

(c) not less than 11 mm thick plywood,

(d) not less than 12.5 mm thick OSB or waferboard, or

(e) not less than 11 mm thick lumber.

(4) In the case of a soffit described in Sentence (1) that is at the edge of an attic or roof space, and completely separated from the remainder of the attic or roof space by fire stopping, the requirements in Sentence (2) do not apply.

(5) Where all suites spanned by a common attic or roof space or situated above or below the projecting floor are sprinklered, the requirements in Sentence (2) do not apply provided that all rooms, including closets and bathrooms, having openings in the wall beneath the soffit are sprinklered, notwithstanding any exceptions in the sprinkler standards referenced in Article 3.2.5.13.

(1) Except as provided in Article 9.10.13.2.v1, openings in required fire separations shall be protected with a closure conforming to Table 9.10.13.1. and shall be installed in conformance with Chapters 2 to 14 of NFPA 80, “Fire Doors and Windows”, unless otherwise specified in this Part.

(1) A 45 mm thick solid core wood door is permitted to be used where a minimum fire-protection rating of 20 min is permitted or between a public corridor and a suite provided the door conforms to CAN4-S113, “Wood Core Doors Meeting the Performance Required by CAN4-S104-77 for Twenty Minute Fire-Rated Closure Assemblies”.

(2) Doors described in Sentence (1) shall have not more than a 6 mm clearance beneath and not more than 3 mm at the sides and top.

(1) Doors required to provide a 20 min fire-protection rating or permitted to be 45 mm solid core wood shall be mounted in a wood frame of at least 38 mm thickness where the frame has not been tested and rated.

(1) Doors forming part of an exit or a public means of egress shall conform to Subsection 9.9.6. in addition to this Subsection.

(1) Wired glass conforming to Article 9.7.3.1. that has not been tested in accordance with Article 9.10.3.1.v1 is permitted as a closure in a vertical fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating of not more than 1 h provided such glass is not less than 6 mm thick and is mounted in conformance with Sentence (2).

(2) Wired glass described in Sentence (1) shall be mounted in fixed steel frames having a minimum metal thickness of not less than 1.35 mm and a glazing stop of not less than 20 mm on each side of the glass.

(3) Individual panes of glass described in Sentence (1) shall not exceed 0.8 m² in area or 1 400 mm in height or width, and the area of glass not structurally supported by mullions shall not exceed 7.5 m².

(1) Steel door frames forming part of a closure in a fire separation, including anchorage requirements, shall conform to CAN4-S105-M, “Fire Door Frames Meeting the Performance Required by CAN4-S104”.

(1) Glass block that has not been tested in accordance with Article 9.10.3.1.v1 is permitted as a closure in a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating of not more than 1 h.

(1) The size of an opening in an interior fire separation, even where protected with a closure, shall not exceed 11 m², with no dimension greater than 3.7 m, if a fire compartment on either side of the fire separation is not sprinklered.

(2) The size of an opening in an interior fire separation, even where protected with a closure, shall not exceed 22 m², with no dimension greater than 6 m, when the fire compartments on both sides of the fire separation are sprinklered.

(1) Every swing type door in a fire separation shall be equipped with a latch.

(1) Except as described in Sentence (2), every door in a fire separation shall have a self-closing device.

(2) Self-closing devices are not required between public corridors and suites in business and personal services occupancies, except in,

(a) dead-end corridors, or

(b) a corridor that serves a hotel.

(1) Where hold-open devices are used on doors in required fire separations, they shall be installed in accordance with Article 3.1.8.12.v1

(1) Swing-type doors shall open into service rooms containing fuel-fired equipment where such doors lead to public corridors or rooms used for assembly but shall swing outward from such rooms in all other cases.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (5) and Sentence 9.10.5.1.(4)v1, a duct that penetrates an assembly required to be a fire separation with a fire-resistance rating shall be equipped with a fire damper in conformance with Articles 3.1.8.4. and 3.1.8.9.

(2) A fire damper is not required where a noncombustible branch duct pierces a required fire separation provided the duct,

(a) has a melting point not below 760°C,

(b) has a cross-sectional area less than 0.013 m², and

(c) supplies only air-conditioning units or combined air-conditioning and heating units discharging air at not more than 1 200 mm above the floor.

(3) A fire damper is not required where a noncombustible branch duct pierces a required fire separation around an exhaust duct riser in which the air flow is upward provided,

(a) the melting point of the branch duct is not below 760°C,

(b) the branch duct is carried up inside the riser at least 500 mm, and

(c) the exhaust duct is under negative pressure as described in Article 9.10.9.18.

(4) Noncombustible ducts that penetrate a fire separation separating a vertical service space from the remainder of the building need not be equipped with a fire damper at the fire separation provided,

(a) the ducts have a melting point above 760°C, and

(b) each individual duct exhausts directly to the outside at the top of the vertical service space.

(5) A duct serving commercial cooking equipment and piercing a required fire separation need not be equipped with a fire damper at the fire separation.

(1) Fire stop flaps in ceiling membranes required in Sentence 9.10.5.1.(4)v1 shall be constructed in conformance with Supplementary Standard SB-2.

(1) A door between an attached or built-in garage and a dwelling unit shall be tight-fitting and weatherstripped to provide an effective barrier against the passage of gases and exhaust fumes and shall be fitted with a self-closing device.

(2) A doorway between an attached or built-in garage and a dwelling unit shall not be located in a room intended for sleeping.

(1) Where a door is installed so that it may damage the integrity of a fire separation if its swing is unrestricted, door stops shall be installed to prevent such damage.

(1) Except as permitted in Subsection 9.10.15., this Subsection applies to all buildings.

(1) The area of an exposing building face shall be,

(a) taken as the exterior wall area facing in one direction on any side of a building, and

(b) calculated as,

(i) the total area measured from the finished ground level to the uppermost ceiling, or

(ii) the area for each fire compartment where a building is divided into fire compartments by fire separations with fire-resistance ratings not less than 45 min.

(2) For the purpose of using Table 9.10.14.4.v1 to determine the maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings permitted in an irregularly-shaped or skewed exterior wall, the location of the exposing building face shall be taken as a vertical plane located so that there are no unprotected openings between the vertical plane and the line to which limiting distance is measured.

(3) For the purpose of using Table 9.10.14.5. to determine the required type of construction, cladding and fire-resistance rating for an irregularly-shaped or skewed exterior wall,

(a) the exposing building face is permitted to be divided into any number of portions and the fire-resistance rating, type of cladding and percentage of unprotected openings limitations is permitted to be determined individually for each portion based on the limiting distance for each portion so divided,

(b) the exposing building face shall be taken as the projection of the exterior wall onto a vertical plane located so that no portion of the exterior wall of the building is between the vertical plane and the line to which the limiting distance is established in Clause (a), and

(c) for the purpose of determining the actual area of unprotected openings permitted in an exterior wall, the unprotected openings shall be projected onto the vertical plane established in Clause (b).

(4) The required limiting distance for an exposing building face is permitted to be measured to a point beyond the property line that is not the centre line of a street, lane or public thoroughfare if,

(a) the owners of the properties on which the limiting distance is measured and the municipality enter into an agreement in which such owners agree that,

(i) each owner covenants that, for the benefit of land owned by the other covenantors, the owner will not construct a building on his or her property unless the limiting distance for exposing building faces in respect of the proposed construction is measured in accordance with the agreement,

(ii) the covenants contained in the agreement are intended to run with the lands, and the agreement shall be binding on the parties and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns,

(iii) the agreement shall not be amended or deleted from title without the consent of the municipality, and

(iv) they will comply with such other conditions as the municipality considers necessary, including indemnification of the municipality by the other parties, and

(b) the agreement referred to in Clause (a) is registered against the title of the properties to which it applies.

(5) Where an agreement referred to in Sentence (4) is registered against the title of a property, the limiting distance for exposing building faces in respect of the construction of any buildings on the property shall be measured to the point referred to in the agreement.

(1) Where there is no fire department or where a fire department is not organized, trained and equipped to meet the needs of the community, the required limiting distance determined from Sentences 9.10.14.4.(2)v1, (5) and (6) and Sentence 9.10.14.5.(6), shall be doubled for a building that is not sprinklered.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (3) to (7) and Sentence 9.10.14.6.(1), the maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings in an exposing building face shall,

(a) conform to Table 9.10.14.4.,

(b) conform to Subsection 3.2.3., or

(c) be equal to or less than,

(i) the limiting distance squared, for residential occupancies, business and personal services occupancies and low hazard industrial occupancies, and

(ii) twice the limiting distance squared, for mercantile occupancies and medium hazard industrial occupancies.

(2) Openings in a wall having a limiting distance of less than 1.2 m shall be protected by closures, of other than wired glass or glass block, whose fire protection rating is in conformance with the fire-resistance rating required for the wall.

(3) The maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings shall be not more than twice the area determined according to Sentence (1) where the unprotected openings are glazed with,

(a) wired glass in steel frames as described in Article 9.10.13.5., or

(b) glass blocks, as described in Article 9.10.13.7.

(4) Where the building is sprinklered, the maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings shall be not more than twice the area determined according to Sentence (1) provided all rooms, including closets and bathrooms, that are adjacent to the exposing building face and that have unprotected openings are sprinklered, notwithstanding any exemptions in the sprinkler standards referenced in Article 3.2.5.13.

(5) The maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings in an exposing building face of a storage garage need not comply with Sentence (1) where,

(a) all storeys are constructed as open-air storeys, and

(b) the storage garage has a limiting distance of not less than 3 m.

(6) The maximum aggregate area of unprotected openings in an exposing building face of a storey that faces a street and is the same level as the street need not comply with Sentence (1) where the limiting distance is not less than 9 m.

(7) The limits on area of unprotected openings need not apply to the exposing building face of a detached garage or accessory building facing a dwelling unit, where,

(a) the detached garage or accessory building serves a single dwelling unit,

(b) the detached garage or accessory building is located on the same property as that dwelling unit, and

(c) the dwelling unit served by the detached garage or accessory building is the only major occupancy on the property.