Two buildings or one?

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bcorbin

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I have a project I'm working on right now with one big building and one little building, approximately 30 feet apart. Each has its own electrical service.

We are tearing down the little building, and putting a new building of similar size in its place. However, it will now be attached to the big building by a bridge.

The plan is to provide a new service to the new small building. My issue is...at what level of attachment do two buildings count as one, and possibly run afoul of the "only one service" rule from Article 230? There will be fire alarm, access control, and voice/data cables run between the two buildings, so it doesn't truly seem to be two independent buildings to me, regardless of power circuits.
 
raider1 said:
Anything to back that up?

Chris
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Only generally. Because actually the "bridge" could be part of a horizontal fire barrier connecting two areas of one building, but typically if each portion has its' own foundation and the foundations are not connected then it would be considered 2 buildings. IMHO.:smile:
 
I agree that I have two buildings in this situation, but like raider1, I hope to find something that spells it out for me rather than go on my gut reaction.
 
but typically if each portion has its' own foundation and the foundations are not connected then it would be considered 2 buildings. IMHO.
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This is a tough question. There is nothing in the building code that states that 2 separate foundations must be 2 separate structures. If I have 2 separate structures then connect the roof system of the 2 structures are they one or 2 buildings?

This question becomes complicated because the building code provisions for buildings can be very complicated.

Chris
 
raider1 said:
This is a tough question. There is nothing in the building code that states that 2 separate foundations must be 2 separate structures. If I have 2 separate structures then connect the roof system of the 2 structures are they one or 2 buildings?

This question becomes complicated because the building code provisions for buildings can be very complicated.

Chris
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they would still be 2 buildings IMO. :)
 
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bcorbin said:
I have a project I'm working on right now with one big building and one little building, approximately 30 feet apart. Each has its own electrical service.

We are tearing down the little building, and putting a new building of similar size in its place. However, it will now be attached to the big building by a bridge.

The plan is to provide a new service to the new small building. My issue is...at what level of attachment do two buildings count as one, and possibly run afoul of the "only one service" rule from Article 230? There will be fire alarm, access control, and voice/data cables run between the two buildings, so it doesn't truly seem to be two independent buildings to me, regardless of power circuits.
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I've been thinking some more on this question. I think you have 3 buildings. I am envisioning two simple diaphragm buildings connected by another building. The span-type structure being connected to each of the other buildings in a way in which wind loads would be transmitted through floor (and roof?) diaphragms to the vertical lateral-force-resisting systems of each of the other buildings and eventually to their respective foundations. :)
 
Most likely this will be up to your building department. Being its 30 feet between i think you could push for it to be called seperate. All buildings are connected to others by dirt. Fire issue is issue that could get in the way.
 
The IBC has limits on projections from a building if the bridge exceeds this limit it will either be part of the building or a sperate structure depending on fire wall requirements. There are also requirements of distances between builings. I would ask your architect if this constitutes two buildings or one.
 
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