Chicago Municipal/Building Code Notes

Division 3 Use and Occupancy Classifications

Subdivision 302 Classifications
Chapter 13-56 Classifications of Buildings By occupancy
13-56-10: Classes Designated
13-56-20 & 13-56-30: Residential (Class A), single family dwellings (A1), Multiple
(A2)
Family: consists of one or more persons each related to the other by blood (or
adoption), together with such blood relations' respective spouses, who are living
together in a single dwelling and maintaining a common household. A family
includes any domestic servants and not more than one gratuitous guest residing
with said family. A family also consists of the residents of a family home.
13-56-040 13-56-220: Other classes (institutional, assembly, industrial)
13-56-240 13-56-280: Mixed Occupancy
(Definition, Height Limit, Fire resistance separation); If wall is adjacent to
another type (A & B, etc..), it must have materials with proper fire resistance
ratings (Table 13-56-280)
13-56-300: Occupancy content determination; points to -310 & -320
13-56-320: Occupancy contents (not assembly units)
shall be determined by dividing net floor area within the perimeter of the space
or building not including elevators, stairways, or other shaft enclosures by the
floor area per person (Table 13-56-320; Residential: 125 sq.ft. per person)
Subdivision 303-209: Not relevant
Subdivision 310 Residential
Chapter 13-64 Residential Units
13-64-010: General Requirements (list)
Mentions: 13-56, 13-60, 13-48, 15-8, 15-12, 13-52, 13-120, 13-132, 13-140, 13144, 13-136, 13-148, 13-124, 13-128, 13-196, 13-172, 4-332,
13-64-022: Exterior Wall Standards
Any CMU and mortar unit used in construction of an exterior wall of a residential
(single fam. Dwelling) must comply with 13-120-150
13-64-050: Ceiling Heights
Minimum ceiling height is 7- 6 unless: (a) Sloping roof, less than 50% of area is
5 or more, less than 5 doesnt count as area; (b) Beams & furred spaces making
up no more than 20% of ceiling area having a height no less than 7 ; (c) care
facilities
13-64-120 13-64-280: Regarding smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
13-64-400: Business live&work units
Division 5 General Building Heights and Areas
Chapter 13-48 Heights and Area Limitations
13-48-010: Height and Area Limitations
Every building & structure shall conform to height limitations from 020 040
13-48-020: Application of height limitations
(a) Height governed by occupancy classification & construction type
(b) Nothing in this chapter overrules other limitations from Zoning Ordinance
(c) Height (ft) = Vertical distance from avg. grade to highest point of building
(parapet walls < 3, penthouses, roof tanks... are not included unless)
(d) Number of stories = actual number of stories above grade; Following not
stories: (1) Any level > 4 below grade
13-48-030: Maximum allowable building heights

 Table 13-48-030: Residential &Type 1-A = NO limit, &type 1-B = 12 stories, &
type 1-C = 6 stories, & type 2 = 1story, & type 3-A = 4 stories
13-48-040: Exceptions to height limitations
13-48-050: Area limitations
Conform -060 to -090
13-48-060: Applications of area limitations
(a) Max floor area governed by occupancy classification, # of stories, and type of
construction
(b) Nothing in this chapter overrules zoning ordinance
(c) In the application of area limitations, each part of a building separated from
all other parts of the building by fire walls as defined in Section 15-8-020 shall be
deemed to be a separate building
(d) Basement area
13-48-070: Area limitations One story buildings
Table 13-48-070: For residential & Type 1-A or Type 1-B = No limit; & Type 1-C =
24,000 sq. ft; Type 2 or Type 3-A or Type 3-B = 10,000 sq. ft; etc
13-48-080: Area limitations Multi story
For multistory the subsequent floors of the 1 st story shall be multiplied by a
factor: 2 stories, 1.00 factor; 3 stories, .90 factor; 4 stories, .85 factor, The
factor is multiplied by the values from table 13-48-080
13-48-090: Exceptions to area limitations
13-48-100: Mixed occupancy
13-48-110: Definitions
Division 17 Structural Tests and Special Inspections
Chapter 13-120: Materials, Methods, and Tests
13-120-020: Used Materials
Used materials permitted if they meet minimum requirements for new materials
and all other special requirements of the code
13-120-030: Classification of construction materials
All materials and methods used in design/construction shall be classified as
controlled materials or ordinary materials
13-120-040: Controlled Materials; Under following conditions:
(a) Shall be selected or tested to meet special strength, durability, and fire
resistance requirements upon which design is based
(b) The design, preparation of working drawings (details & connections),
checking of approval of all shop and field details and inspection of work during
construction shall be under supervision of a registered architect or structural
engineer
Records of tests, inspections, etc... shall be made available to building
commissioner at all times
13-120-050: Ordinary Materials
Are materials meeting the requirements of the code for minimum strength,
durability, and fire resistance for average materials without special selection,
testing and supervision
13-120-060: Accepted Engineering practice
The regulations, specifications, standards and tests of the technical
organizations which are referred to in this Code are hereby incorporated herein
by such reference with the same effect as though set forth. Authenticated copies
of all such regulations, specifications, standards and tests shall be kept on file in
the office of the building commissioner, available for public inspection and use

13-120-070: Adopted Standards: Following are considered accepted engineering

practice
(a) Foundations
(b) Masonry:

(c) Wood:
(d) Reinforce Concrete: ACI 318-81; ACI 322-72
(e)Reinforce Gypsum
(f) Steel and Metals

(g) Plastering

(j
)

Abbreviations.
ACI

American Concrete Institute

AFPA

American Forest and Paper Products Association

(formerly NFoPA)

AISC

American Institute of Steel Construction

AISI

American Iron and Steel Institute

AITC

American Institute of Timber Construction

ALSC

American Lumber Standards Committee

ANSI

American National Standards Institute (formerly

USASI)

APA

American Plywood Association

ASCE

American Society of Civil Engineers

ASHRAE

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air

Conditioning Engineers

ASTM

American Society for Testing Materials

AWPA

American Wood Preservers Association

FHA

Federal Housing Administration

FS

Federal Specifications

GA

Gypsum Association

HPMA

Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association

NBS

National Bureau of Standards, Department of

Commerce

NFoPA

National Forestry Products Association (see AFPA)

SJI

Steel Joist Institute

TMS

The Masonry Society

SMACNA

Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National

Association

TPI

Truss Plate Institute

USASI

United States of America Standards Institute (see

ANSI)

USDC

United States Department of Commerce

 13-120-080 13-120-160:
13-120-100: Test of materials
Selection and details of test shall conform to applicable standards of
authoritative agencies and laboratories
(a) When strength, durability, weather-resistance and other qualities of a
material have NOT been established by accepted engineering practice (or are in
doubt), tests shall be made
(b) Testing of materials shall be made where it specifically required by
provisions of this Code
(c) When required, materials shall be subjected to sustained & repetitive loading
to determine: resistance to fatigue, test for durability and weather resistance
(d) The applicable standards of the American Society for Testing Materials
(ASTM) are deemed accepted practice in conducting tests of materials,
assemblies, and systems
13-120-110: Test of structural assemblies
(a) When a structural assembly is NOT capable of design by engineering analysis
(or with reasonable doubt to strength or stability), the safe load-bearing capacity
of these assemblies shall be determined by tests acceptable to the building
commissioner
(b) These tests would simulate loads & conditions of application similar to when
the structure would be in normal use
13-120-120: Conditions of Acceptance; in evaluating physical properties:
(a) Floor, Wall, and Transverse Test
Test Load: Test assembly must sustain without failure: superimposed loads
equal to 2 and times the design live load
Deflection: Under design Live load; deflection < 1/360 th of span (plastered
construction) & < 1/240th of span (unplastered construction)
Residual Deflection: If actual deflection > computed after 24 hours under
total static test load, upon removal of load, construction should recover not
less than of total test load deflection
(b) Wall and Partition Compression Tests
Test Load: Test assembly (with and without window framing) should sustain,
without failure, superimposed loads equal to 2.5 times the vertical design live
loads
Recovery: After 24 hours, and removal of loading, should return to > of all
vertical/horizontal distortion and strain
(c) Wall Racking Tests
Test Load: Assembly should sustain LL without excessive distortion & > 2.5
times design LL without failure
Recovery: After 24 hours under total static load & upon removal of load,
construction shall recover not less than one-half of the total deflection
Comparative Test: When no data from authoritative test, then building official
can require comparative tests of standard traditional forms of construction
assemblies that are similar
(d) Concentrated load tests
Where design for conc. Loads required. Section 13-52-130, floe constructions
not capable of design is subjected to concentrated load test when such
loading exceeds in stress effect the prescribed uniformly distributed load
13-120-130: Workmanship Test
(a): When there is reasonable doubt of stability (safety), building commissioner
(B.C) or executive director may require load test of the building unit or portion

 (b): Unless otherwise noted, structure under consideration shall be subjected to

superimposed load = 2 times Design LL. If evidence of failure (after 24hr), B.C
can order reinforcement or modification, or can determine new safe load
capacity
(c) Structure passes if total deflection < theoretical deflection computed by
computed accepted engineering formulae. Or if total deflection > theoretical,
structure considered safe if it recovers 75% of max deflection within 24 hours
after removal of load
13-120-140: Prefabricated Construction
(a) def: prefab assembly is a building unit, the parts of which have been built up
or assembled prior to incorporation in the building
(b) Performance Standards: Should comply with ALL requirements of this code &
accepted practice such as structural, fire resistance, weather resistance, etc
(c) Tests: Tests required provided by 13-120-080
13-120-150: Exterior Wall Materials
(a) Exterior wood should be solid wood or weather resistant material not less
resistance to moisture absorption than grade MW clay or shale brick determined
by ASTM C-62-97a
(b) CMUs & mortar used: (integral water repellant, ASTM E514.)
(c) Exterior walls made of CMUs shall have flashing, weep holes, sealants and
caulking which prevents accumulation of water provide means of drainage
(d) Wall anchors & metal veneers
13-120-160: Welded