Building Laws

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 1

AR. CARYLL BUENALUZ

Chapter 12: General Design & Construction
Requirements

Section 1202. Excavation, Foundation, and Retaining

Walls

 Excavation and Fills

Excavation made on public property - restored immediately
to its former conditions w/in 48 hrs

Section 1203. Veneer

 Definition – nonstructural facing brick, concrete, tile,
metal, etc. attached at the backing or structural
components for the purpose of ornamentation.
Section 1204. Enclosure of Vertical Openings
 Elevator Enclosures
 Escalator – draft curtain – at least 200mm on all sides
 Automatic Sprinklers – provided around perimeter of
the opening w/in 600mm of draft curtain. Distance bet
sprinklers - max of 1.80 center to center

Section 1206. Roof Construction and Covering

 Attics
 Access – not < 600mm sq. or in diameter, min clear
headroom of 800mm
 Area Separation – enclosed attic space of combustible
construction shall be divided into horizontal area max
of 250 sq.m. area, 750 sq.m. in area for attic with Fire-
extinguishing system.
Section 1207. Stairs, Exits, and Occupant Loads
Exits
 Number of Exits
 Above 1st storey – 10 occupant – 2 exits
 Mezzanine – 185 sq.m area or more than 18m in dimension – 2 exits
 500-999 – 3 exits
 Exits – if only 2 exits required, shall be placed distance apart not < 1/5 of
the perimeter area.
 Distance of Exits – w/o sprinkler – 45m from exterior exit door, w/
sprinkler 60m
Doors
 Swing – exit door shall swing to exit travel in hazardous areas w/ 50 or
more occupant load
 Double acting doors – view panel of not < 1,300 sq. cm.
 Width and Height – not < 900mm in width, not < 2.00m in height,
opening – 90 degrees and exit way clear width not < 700mm
 Door Leaf Width – max of 1.20
 Corridors and Exterior Exit Balconies
 Width – not < 1.10m
 Dead Ends – max 6.00m in length
7. Stairways
a. Width – serving an occupant load of more than 50 shall not be
< 1.10m, occupant load of 50 or less may be 90m (900mm)
wide, private stairways serving an occupant load of < 10 may
be .75m (750mm)
b. Rise and Run. Rise – max 0.20m (200mm), Run - 0.25m
(250mm)
c. Winding Stairways – narrower side of the thread 150mm –
300mm
d. Circular Stairways – used as exit w/ min width of run not <
250mm
e. Landings – straight run – max of 1.20m, vertical
f. Distance bet landings – max of 3.60m vertical distance
landings.
g. Handrails – not < 800mm nor more than 900mm.
h. Stairway to Roof – if 4 or more storeys in height
i. Headroom – clearance 2.00m
•Ramps – width – 1.10m min
•Exit Outlets, Courts, Passageways
•Slope – exit courts max of 1:10, exit passageway max of 1:8
•Openings – on exit court not < 3.00m protected by fire
assemblies not < ¾ hour fire resistive. Except openings >
3.00m may be unprotected
•Exit signs illumination – not < 10.7 lux at the floor level
•Aisles
•Width – not < 800mm if serving one side, not < 1m if serving
both sides, side aisles shall not < 1.10m
•Exit Distance
•Groups H, I occupancies w/o seats, line of travel to exit door by
an aisle is not > 45.00m
•Exit doors clear width 1.70m if 30 seats bet aisles and 1m
distance of seat back to back
•Slope – max of 1:8
•11. Seats

a. Seat Spacing - spacing of rows of seats

from back to back – not < 840mm (standard
seating), Clear width of rows (continental seating)
as follows:
•450 mm Rows of 18 seats
•500mm Rows of 35 seats or less
•520mm Rows of 45 seats or less
•550mm Rows of 46 seats or more

b. Width – not < 450mm (0.45m) min, max of

480 (0.48m)
Reviewing Stands, Grandstands, and Bleachers
• Row Spacing (min)
•Rise bet Rows – 400mm (0.40m) max
•Number of Seats bet Aisles - not > 15 for open air
stands w/ seats w/o backrest, 6 w/ backrest seats in
bldgs.
600 mm w/o backrest in open air stand
750mm Seats w/ backrest
850mm Chair seating
Not < 300mm Bet the back of each seat and the
front of the seat immediately
behind it.
 Aisles

 Aisles Required – seats w/o backrest, the rise from row

to row doesn’t not exceed 300mm per row, number of
rows doesn’t exceed 11 in height, top seating board is
not over 3.00m above grade, 1st seating board not
more than 500mm above grade
 Stairs required – aisle is elevated more than 200nn
above grade, provide a stairway or ramp.

Stairs and Ramps

 Guardrails – provide top seat plank is more than 1.20
above grade
 Railings – 1.10m
 Midrail – 250mm
 f. Foot Boards – shall be provided above the
3rd row & where seating plank is more than
600mm above grade
 g. Safe Dispersal Area – at least 2 exits, more
than 6000 min of 3 exits, more than 9000
person min of 4 exits, clear width of exits not <
1 exit unit of 600 mm for each 500 persons,
clear width not < 1.10m
 13. Boiler Rooms – except Group A, 2
egress 1 ladder.
Section 1208. Skylights
 Shall be constructed w/ metal frames Except Group A
and J. Glass is set an angle of < 45 degrees, if
located above 1st storey, set at least 100mm (0.10m)
above the roof.
Space bet supports
 flat wire glass – not exceed 625mm
 corrugated wire glass - 1.5m
 glass no wired – 2.5m in diameter w/ mesh not larger
than 25mm
 Ordinary Glass – if ridge doesn’t exceed 6.00m above
the grade
 Glass for Transmission of Light – not < 12.5mm thick,
glass over 100 sq.cm. area have wire mesh
Section 1209. Bays, Porches and Balconies
 Railings for balconies, landings or porches
more than 750mm above grade

Section 1210. Penthouses and Roof Structures

 Height – Type V construction shall exceed
8.40m above roof, shall not extend more than
3.60m in height w/ the roof.
 Towers and Spires – framework of iron, steel
or RC when not enclosed, towers not enclosed
w/c extend more than 20m above grade, shall
not occupy more than ¼ of street frontage of
bldg.
Section 1212. Fire-Extinguishing Systems
 Fire-Extinguishing Systems
 Every storey, basement or cellar w/ 200sq.m or more w/c is
used for habitation, etc. w/c has an occupant load of more
than 20.
 Dressing, rehearsal rms., workshops or factories w/
occupant load of more than 10 or assembly halls w/
occupant load of more than 500, if the next doors of rooms
are more than 30.00m from safe dispersal area.
 Photographic x-ray, nitrocellulose films and inflammable
articles
 Dry Standpipes – for bldgs. w/ 4 or more storeys
 Construction and Test – shall be wrought iron of GS w/
fittings, connections to withstand 20 kg per sq.cm of water
pressure
 Size – 900 liters water per minute
 Number Required – every bldg 4 or more storeys where
any floor above 3rd floor is 950m or less, equipped w/ 1
dry standpipe.
•Siamese Connections:
2 way 100mm dry standpipe
3 way 125mm
4 way 150mm
Siamese inlet (located on Not < 300mm nor more
street front) than 1.20m above grade
 Outlets – standpipe 63mm outlet not more than 1.20m
above each floor level, with 2 way standpipes 63mm outlet
above the roof (all with gate valves)
 Wet Standpipes
 Size – Interior wet standpipes deliver 190 liters/water per
minute under 2.0 kg per sq.cm water pressure
 Outlets – 38mm valve each storey located not < 300mm
nor more than 1.20m above the floor.
 Water Supply – street main not < 100mm in diameter
 Pressure and Gravity Tanks – 1500 liters/water per minute
for not < 10 minutes
 Fire pumps – capacity not < 1000 liters per minute w/
pressure not < 2 kg per sq.cm connected to street main
w/ not < 100mm diameter
Section 1214. Motion Picture Projection Rooms
 Construction – 1 hr fire resistive, ceiling shall not be < 2.40m
from finished floor. Room shall have a floor area of not <
7.00sq.m and 3.50sq.m for every additional machine.
 Exit – Projection room – at least 2 exits separated by not < 1/3
the perimeter of room, each at least 750mm wide and 2.00m
high
 Ports and Openings (3 kinds) – projection, observation,
combination ports
 Ports required – limited in area to 750 sq.cm, not more than 1
observation ports w/c be limited to 1300 sq.cm. There shall be
not more than 3 combination ports w/c not exceed 750mm by
600mm. Projection ports not to exceed 4,500 sq.cm in area.
 Ventilation
 Inlet – fresh air inlet from the exterior bldg. not < 900sq.cm. &
protect w/ wire netting installed w/in 50mm of the floor in every
projection room
 Outlets – provide 1 or more mechanical exhaust systems.