Date |
Text |
2003-10-01 00:00:00 | REVISIONS DATED 7/9/03 |
| |
| BRITO-COHAN LETTER DATED 7/11/03 SIGNED |
| AND SEALED BY LAWRENCE S. COHAN RE: |
| SUBSTITUTION OF FOAM CORE MOLDINGS FOR |
| EXTERIOR TRIM. |
| |
| THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT WAS PREVIOUSLY |
| DENIED PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF THE PERMIT |
| WITH CITATIONS OF THE PERTINENT CODE |
| SECTIONS FROM THE FBC WHY IT IS |
| PROHIBITTED. |
| |
| FBC 1404.1.1 LIMITS ARCHITECTURAL TRIM |
| OF TYPE VI CONSTRUCTION TO BUILDINGS OF |
| THREE STORIES OR 40' IN HEIGHT WHEN THE |
| BUILDING IS OF TYPE I, II, IV OR V |
| CONSTRUCTION.CITY PLAZA IS TYPE I |
| CONSTRUCTION AND HIGHER THAN 40'. |
| |
| FBC F102.2.7 AS AMENDED BY THE CITY |
| ALLOWS ARCHITECTURAL TRIM ON BUILDINGS |
| IN THE FIRE DISTRICT TO BE ONLY OF |
| NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS OR FIRE |
| RETARDANT TREATED WOOD.CLEARLY, THE |
| FOAM COATED WITH 0.040" OF POLYURETHANE |
| AS DESCRIBED IN THE UNIVERSAL FOAM, INC. |
| LETTER IS NEITHER. |
| |
| THE ARCHITECT'S LETTER ASSERTS THAT A |
| FLAME SPREAD OF 25 OR LESS AS DESCRIBED |
| IN FBC 803.2 IS EQUIVALENT TO THE CODE |
| REQUIREMENTS. |
| |
| FBC (OR THE FORMER SBC) 803.2 PERTAINS |
| TO INTERIOR FINISHES.THIS IS EXTERIOR |
| ARCHITECTURAL TRIM.NOTE WORTHY IS 803. |
| 4 FOAM PLASTICS, THAT PROHIBITS FOAM |
| WITH AN EXCEPTION FOR MOLDINGS AND |
| SIMILAR, LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM THICKNESS |
| OF 1/2" AND A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 4". |
| FURTHER, IT IS CONDITIONED UPON FOAM |
| HAVING A DENSITY OF 20 LB/CU FT, NOT |
| THE 1.25 LB/CU FT AND TICKNESSES OF 6" |
| AND INDETERMINATE WIDTH CALLED FOR IN |
| THE UNIVERSAL FOAM, INC. LETTER. |
| |
| ATTACHED TO THE ARCHITECT'S LETTER FOR |
| DATA TO SUBSTANTIATE HIS EQUIVALENCY |
| ASSERTION WERE COPIES OF REPORTS FROM |
| RADCO LABORATORIES TO THE CARPENTER |
| INSULATION COMPANY. |
| |
| THE PRODUCTS AND ASSEMBLIES IN THE |
| REPORTS SUCH AS DRYVIT, PAREX AND STO, |
| ARE PERMITTED TO BE USED WHEN INSTALLED |
| IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR LISTING, |
| CURRENT RECOGNIZED EVALULATION REPORT, |
| AND MANUFACTURER'S PUBLISHED |
| INSTRUCTIONS. |
| |
| ONE LETTER IS FOR A UL LISTING FOR ROOF |
| INSULATION WHICH IS COVERED BY OTHER |
| CODE SECTIONS AND NOT A COMPARABLE TO |
| THE PROPOSED USE.FURTHER, AS ALL OF |
| THE OTHER TEST LETTERS, THE FOAM |
| PRODUCT MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A |
| COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL AS DEFINED IN FBC |
| 202. |
| |
| IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE |
| INTRODUCTION TO THE TEST REPORTS |
| CONTAINS THE DISCLAIMER THAT THE TEST |
| IS NOT ACCURATE FOR CERTAIN PLASTICS. |
| |
| THE ARCHITECT'S LETTER SPEAKS TO THE |
| ALLOWED USE OF FIRE RETARDANT TREATED |
| WOOD.THE DEFINITION OF FRTW SETS OUT |
| CRITERIA FOR SPECIFIC TESTING AND TIMES |
| TO BE USED WITH ASTM E-84.THE LETTERS |
| DO NOT REFLECT THOSE. IN FACT THE SGS |
| U.S. LETTER FOR FUTURA COATINGS, IN THE |
| OBSERVATION SECTION DESCRIBES "FLAMING |
| PIECES FALLING TO THE FLOOR OF THE |
| CHAMBER AFTER 2 MINUTES". |
| |
| THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FOAM AND FRT |
| WOOD UNDER FIRE CONDITIONS ARE NOT THE |
| SAME NOR IS THIS DEMONSTRATED IN THE |
| DATA PROVIDED THUS FAR. |
| |
| MATERIAL MEETING THE DEFINITION OF |
| NON-COMBUSTIBLE IS REQUIRED. |
| |
| A DEMONSTRATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH FBC |
| 2603.8 FOAM INSULATION, SPECIAL |
| APPROVAL IS A MORE LIKELY "EQUAL AND |
| ALTERNATE" THEN THE ARGUMENT PROVIDED. |
| IT INCLUDES TESTING IN THE "END USE |
| CONFIGURATION". |