This thread is part of Real-World Practice, our self-paced, case study feature that helps you apply your knowledge in realistic scenarios using references, layered questions, and targeted takeaways.
Hello, I have a question about one of the options for question 4: “Unprotected steel framing is permitted for all load bearing walls”. Wouldn’t this be true because in Table 601, Fire Resistance Rating for Building Elements (Hours), it shows 0 for all the building elements. So, doesn’t that mean unprotected steel framing would be permitted for load bearing walls?
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @znfernando787! Great question – the key is that a 0-hour rating does not mean “no requirements.” In Type II-B, Table 601 shows 0 hours for load-bearing walls, meaning they don’t need fire-resistance protection. However, Type II construction still requires noncombustible materials (Section 602.2). So while unprotected steel may be acceptable in some cases, it’s not automatically permitted for all load-bearing walls without considering other code requirements (like exterior wall provisions).
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator Black Spectacles
I guess I am getting confused between Question 9 and 10. For question 9, I said it would need a 2 hour fire rated wall since I assumed, if it’s being built in two phases, whether connected or not, it would be seen as two separate buildings and therefore need a fire wall. However, question 9 says it needs a 2 hour rated fire barrier. Question 10 then goes on to list total allowable floor area and the 2 hour fire rated barrier, and asks what is the final fire separation needed, in which the answer is now a 2 hour fire rated wall. This confused me because why would question 9 not be the 2 hour fire rated wall if at the end of the day like in Question 10, its a 2 hour fire rated wall.
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @ryancmr611! This is a great question and definitely a common area of confusion.
Questions 9 and 10 actually both build onto Question 8. Question 8 is asking about allowable area exclusively (setting the baseline constraint) and Question 9 is asking about occupancy separation exclusively (considering standard mixed-occupancy separation). Question 10 takes these two answers into consideration and asks you to make the final determination for the required separation. Once the building exceeds allowable area, you can’t rely on a fire barrier anymore, and a fire wall is required to treat the phases as separate buildings.
Note that Real-World Practice (RWP) exercises are structured a bit differently than the ARE. In RWP, we’ve designed cohesive learning experiences that are each built around a scenario and references, and you’ll often see questions build on each other. This is intended to simulate real-world application - for example, when doing a code analysis in practice, you’ll often follow these steps of looking at components individually before looking at them as a whole. On the ARE, all questions are standalone and questions do not build on each other - in other words, you do not need to know the answer to one question in order to answer another.
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator Black Spectacles
For question 4: Per IBC404.3 fire sprinkler is not needed if atrium and other spaces separated by 2hr fire barrier. so fire sprinkler is not mandatory required for what I understand because in scenario, it does not say that client does not want any fire rated wall but on the contrary the scenario says the client wants the building unsprinklered. so why sprinkler is required in this question?
@xinruizhang You’re correct that the IBC includes exceptions to the atrium sprinkler requirement under certain conditions. However, this question is asking which requirements the architect should consider for the proposed design, not which provisions will ultimately apply after all design decisions are made. Since the scenario and questions/answers thus far don’t indicate that the project meets the exception criteria (such as the required fire barrier separation), the default IBC requirement is that atriums be sprinklered. On the ARE, unless an exception is explicitly established in the scenario, it’s generally safest to apply the base code requirement.
Utilizing IBC as a Reference [Exercise A]
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