News Updates - December 14, 2011

2011 BCD Law Change course reminder

Building officials should be reminding certified staff members to take the 2011 BCD Law Change course. This course no longer only applies to building officials; it now includes inspectors and plans examiners - essentially anyone who has an Oregon Inspector Certification (OIC). So far, a limited number of those required to take this course have done so.

The 2011 BCD Law Change course is designed to summarize law changes passed during the most recent legislative session. Inspectors, plans examiners, and building officials are required to take this legislative training (law change) course as part of their continuing education requirements as specified in OAR 918-098-1450. The free, online class will be accessible from BCD's website for at least a year. Two continuing education credits will be issued for completing this course.

Certified individuals who attended the Oregon Building Officials Association class at its annual meeting in Bend from July 20-22 will be given credit and do not have to take this course.

Link to 2011 BCD Law Change course:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LawChange or access the course through BCD's homepage.

If you have any questions about this course, contact Tiffani Alexander at tiffani.k.alexander@state.or.us or 503-373-1248.

Online ADA/Chapter 11 course available in January

BCD is providing an online course on the 2010 Oregon Structural Specialty Code, Revised Accessibility Provisions (ADA/Chapter 11). This class will provide working knowledge of the accessibility revisions in the 2010 Oregon Structural Specialty Code based on the 2009 International Building Code and the 2010 ADA Standards. Participants will gain information in the course that will help them design, review, inspect, and construct affected buildings as they relate to the revised accessibility standards.

The ADA/Chapter 11 online course will be available on Jan. 9 through Chemeketa Online. There will be a link to the class from the BCD website. The course will be the equivalent of four hours of classroom training. There will be four lessons that will each consist of several presentations, an assignment, and a quiz. Registration for the course will take place directly through Chemeketa and will cost $35. Once registered for the course, students will have access 24/7 and can go at their own pace.

Once the class is up and running on the Chemeketa website, it will be available during each of their quarters. Students must finish the course in the same quarter that they registered in, and BCD will have the information posted on our website to keep students aware of the beginning and ending dates of each quarter.

For more information on this ADA/Chapter 11 online course, contact Sherri West, training coordinator, at 503-373-7509 or sherri.d.west@state.or.us.

Amendment to the accessibility provisions
in the Oregon Structural Specialty Code

The Building Codes Structures Board, at its Aug. 3, 2011, meeting, recommended that amendments to the accessibility provisions in the Oregon Structural Specialty Code proceed to public hearing. A public hearing was held on Sept. 19, 2011, regarding amendments to Chapter 10 Correlation Communication, Chapter 11 Accessibility, Section 3411 Existing Buildings, Section 907 Fire Alarms, and Section 1007 Egress placed in OAR 918-460-0015. Oral and written testimonies were received at the hearing and the record remained open until Sept. 23, 2011, for additional written testimony. The rule changes in OAR 918-460-0015 were then adopted and effective Nov. 1, 2011, although not enforceable until March 1, 2012.

Mid-cycle code amendments

2010 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code
BCD staff presented a mid-cycle code amendment for Section 503.2.4.5 Shut-Off Dampers to the Building Codes Structures Board on Nov. 2, 2011. The amendment was approved to go to public hearing in December and is anticipated to be effective Jan. 1, 2012.

2010 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code
BCD staff presented a mid-cycle code amendment for Chapter 15, Referenced Standards to the Mechanical Board on Sept. 7, 2011. The amendment was approved by the board and is open for public comment through Dec. 23, 2011, at 5 p.m. and is anticipated to be effective Jan. 1, 2012.

2010 Oregon Structural Specialty Code
BCD staff presented three mid-cycle code amendments to the Building Codes Structures Board on Nov. 2, 2011. Amendments for Fire suppression provisions for aircraft hangers and Chapter 35 Referenced Standards were approved to go to public hearing in December and are anticipated to be effective Jan. 1, 2012. The amendment for adult foster care homes will go to public hearing on Jan. 17, 2012, and has an anticipated effective date of Feb. 1, 2012.

Temporary stages, platforms, and membrane structures

With the various reports of stage failures in recent years, there is reason to pause and revisit the regulatory framework in Oregon for similar structures.

With the exception of temporary membrane structures, the 2010 Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC) is the adopted standard in this regard. Such temporary uses are subject to the permit and inspection requirements of the OSSC with the permit duration for such structures limited to 180 days. Conversely, membrane structures erected for a period of less than 180 days are regulated under the Oregon Fire Code.

The permit and inspection process occurs at the local level under the authority of the respective building official or fire official. The performance expectation of the OSSC is that temporary structures demonstrate full compliance with the code "to ensure public health, safety, and general welfare."

Given the transitory nature of many temporary stages and membrane structures, it may be difficult for their designs to conform with the established design loads as adopted for permanent structures. In such cases, the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) should verify the "engineered design" of the proposed structure and establish "atmospheric" thresholds (maximum allowed wind, snow, etc.) for determining safe occupancy. This also affords the AHJ the opportunity to monitor local weather alerts and forecasts coinciding with the planned event and serve as the final authority in determining if the activity must be canceled. Where atmospheric limitations are placed on the use of structures, it is highly recommended that written, event-specific evacuation plans for safe dispersion be required as part of the approval process.

While membrane structures are regulated through the Oregon Fire Code, their size and designs are becoming increasingly large and complex. In such cases, some jurisdictions have had success when the fire service partners with their respective building departments in the review of complex engineered systems.

The following excerpts from the OSSC provide a brief overview of specific requirements for temporary structures and uses:

SECTION 108
TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND USES
108.1 General. The building official is authorized to issue a permit for temporary structures and temporary uses. Such permits shall be limited as to time of service, but shall not be permitted for more than 180 days. The building official is authorized to grant extensions for demonstrated cause. See Chapter 31 for further requirements.

Note: Membrane structures erected for a period of less than 180 days are regulated under the Fire Code.

108.2 Conformance. Temporary structures and uses shall conform to the structural strength, fire safety, means of egress, accessibility, light, ventilation, and sanitary requirements of this code as necessary to ensure public health, safety, and general welfare.

108.3 Termination of approval. The building official is authorized to terminate such permit for a temporary structure or use and to order the temporary structure or use to be discontinued.

SECTION 410
STAGES AND PLATFORMS
410.4.1 Temporary platforms. Platforms installed for a period of not more than 30 days are permitted to be constructed of any materials permitted by the code. The space between the floor and the platform above shall only be used for plumbing and electrical wiring to platform equipment.

SECTION 3103
TEMPORARY STRUCTURES
3103.1 General. The provisions of this section shall apply to structures erected for a period of less than 180 days.

3103.1.1 Permit required. Temporary structures that cover an area in excess of 120 square feet (11.16 m2), including connecting areas or spaces with a common means of egress or entrance which are used or intended to be used for the gathering together of 10 or more persons, shall not be erected, operated, or maintained for any purpose without obtaining a permit from the building official.

3103.2 Construction documents. A permit application and construction documents shall be submitted for each installation of a temporary structure. The construction documents shall include a site plan indicating the location of the temporary structure and information delineating the means of egress and the occupant load.

3103.3 Location. Temporary structures shall be located in accordance with the requirements of Table 602 based on the fire-resistance rating of the exterior walls for the proposed type of construction.

3103.4 Means of egress. Temporary structures shall conform to the means of egress requirements of Chapter 10 and shall have a maximum exit access travel distance of 100 feet (30,480 mm).

Specialized inspector training survey

The second academic quarter of Specialized Inspector trainings wraps up this week with the two-day, live courses for the Specialized Electrical and Plumbing trainings. Now that the division has a few classes under its belt, we are looking for feedback from the jurisdictions. Whether or not your jurisdiction has participated in the Specialized Inspector pilot, please take a few moments to answer this survey. It should only take about five minutes and the information is invaluable to us. The division relies upon your feedback on why you participated, or why you didn't, to make the pilot program a success. The division will reconvene the House Bill 3462 scoping committee early next year to evaluate the program and chart future certification courses.

Building inspection program renewal reminder

Jurisdictions in Program Administration Group Three should have received notices to send in their program renewal form. ORS 455.148 and 455.150 require jurisdictions to renew their programs every four years. Renewal forms, along with an updated operating plan, and a copy of any Intergovernmental Agreement for building inspections services, are due in to the division by Jan. 1, 2012. If you have questions about your program administration group, they can be found on the Jurisdictions page. If you have questions about the renewal process, or if you will be unable to meet the Jan. 1 deadline, contact Aeron Teverbaugh before Dec. 23 at aeron.teverbaugh@state.or.us or 503-373-1354.

New Brown Bag Lunch sessions in 2012

Start off the new year with the latest session in the Brown Bag Lunch series on ecoroofs. The session will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12. In this session, the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services Ecoroof Program will talk about how vegetative roofs are part of a growing national effort to promote sustainable development and improve watershed health. The course will also cover structural load requirements, what to look for in plan review, and lessons learned. Ecoroofs are a project elective in the Oregon Reach Code.

There is also a Brown Bag Lunch session planned for February on the residential provisions of the Reach Code. Look for more information on this session in our January newsletter.

Be sure to register soon for the Ecoroof Brown Bag Lunch on BCD's website. If you have any questions about the program, contact Sherri West at 503-373-7509 or sherri.d.west@state.or.us.

Enforcement

Summary of enforcement cases presented
to the Board of Boiler Rules
Summary report: These cases were resolved by the division's enforcement section without going to a contested case hearing. No action was required by the Board of Boiler Rules.

Summary of enforcement cases presented
to the Electrical and Elevator Board
Summary report: These cases were resolved by the division's enforcement section without going to a contested case hearing. No action was required by the Electrical and Elevator Board.