International Building Code 2012 - Classification of Occupancy and Construction Type - a PDH Online Course for Engineers and Architects

2012 International Building Code - Classification of Occupancy and Construction Type

Course Outline

Defining the use of the buildings is very important as it relates to providing a reasonable level of protection or life safety for building occupants. This course highlights the use and occupancy classification and the types of construction, and helps engineers get familiar with the latest building code. The course materials are based entirely on IBC 2012: Chapter 3 - Use and Occupancy Classification and Chapter 6 - Types of Construction. Chapter 3 provides for the classification of buildings, structures and parts thereof based on the purpose or purposes for which they are used. Chapter 6 contains the required fire-resistance ratings of the principal structural elements in buildings of types of construction.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end. Currently, there is no other study material except the building code.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Be familiar with the building use and occupancy classification;
Be familiar with the types of buildings under each use group;
Be familiar with the types of building construction;
Be familiar with the required separation between use groups;
Understand the special design requirements for buildings containing hazardous materials; and
Be able to effectively coordinate design work with other trades on the design team.

Background Information

The International Code Council (ICC) was founded in 1994 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI).

The first draft of International Building Code was prepared in 1997. The first edition of International Building Code (IBC 2000) was officially published in March 2000 following several public hearings in 1998 and 1999 and a public comment forum in 1997. As of July 2013, 11 states have adopted IBC 2012; 30 states and territories have adopted IBC 2009; and the remaining states and territories have adopted IBC 2006.

Course Content

The purpose of this course is to help engineers and architects get familiar with the use and occupancy classification and types of construction defined in IBC 2012. In this course, you are required to study Chapters 3 and 6 of International Building Code 2012. If you or your office do not have this publication, you may order a copy from the Online Store of ICC or access the code provisions from the following weblink:

ICC eCode Free Viewing Access - International Building Code

or you may download a copy of the IBC 2012 using the link below:

2012 International Building Code (PDF, 728 pages)

Chapter 3 of IBC 2012 deals with the classification of all buildings and structures as to use and occupancy while Chapter 6 the classification of all buildings and structures as to type of construction. It is very important for engineers to understand these classifications so that they can work effectively with architects.

The following contains the outline (table of contents) of Chapters 3 and 6 of IBC 2012:

Chapter 3 - Use and Occupancy Classification

Section 301 - General
Section 302 - Classification
Section 303 - Assembly Group A
Section 304 - Business Group B
Section 305 - Educational Group E
Section 306 - Factory Group F
Section 307 - High-Hazard Group H
Section 308 - Institutional Group I
Section 309 - Mercantile Group M
Section 310 - Residential Group R
Section 311 - Storage Group S
Section 312 - Utility and Miscellaneous Group U

Chapter 6 - Types of Construction

Section 601 - General
Section 602 - Construction Classification
Section 603 - Combustible Material in Types I and II Construction

Course Summary

To protect the safety and welfare of the public, all engineers must get familiar with the latest building code requirements. This course and its quiz questions highlight the basic classification of occupancy and contruction types in IBC 2012.

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.org or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.