grk1234
Structural
- Feb 3, 2011
- 2
Hello:
I am working on a TI for a medical office building in Southern California. The medical office will have two operating rooms. The facility is for out-patient service only. The code used is 2007 CBC. The architect classified it as Occupancy type I-1.2 (CBC 2007 Vol. I). For structural seismic design I am looking at table 1604.5 to determine the occupancy category. I am not sure whether to classify the occupancy category as II or IV per table 1604.5. The confusion arises because category IV includes buildings- "Hospitals and other health care facilities having surgery or emergency treatment facilities". But I am not sure if a medical office building would be considered an essential facility to begin with to look at the category IV. Will this building be occupancy category IV because it has surgical rooms? or will it be category II since this is not an essential facility? Any clarification on this issue would be helpful.
I am working on a TI for a medical office building in Southern California. The medical office will have two operating rooms. The facility is for out-patient service only. The code used is 2007 CBC. The architect classified it as Occupancy type I-1.2 (CBC 2007 Vol. I). For structural seismic design I am looking at table 1604.5 to determine the occupancy category. I am not sure whether to classify the occupancy category as II or IV per table 1604.5. The confusion arises because category IV includes buildings- "Hospitals and other health care facilities having surgery or emergency treatment facilities". But I am not sure if a medical office building would be considered an essential facility to begin with to look at the category IV. Will this building be occupancy category IV because it has surgical rooms? or will it be category II since this is not an essential facility? Any clarification on this issue would be helpful.
