Codes and Regulations Paper

Building codes and regulations have been created and enforced in order to help
keep our buildings safe and secure for the society. These codes include following
Universal Design and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements, which
provide accessibility for everyone. The International Building Codes (IBC), also intended
to be obeyed, have been written to help guide the safety of buildings, located in the
United States. Land Use Regulations -Local Ordinances- have additionally been put in
place in order to ensure the safety of Americans. LEED Certification requirements have
been established for buildings that the owners are willing to give extra attention to the
making or remaking, in order to be LEED Certified. Furthermore, plumbing requirements
have been written for the publics conveniences. Together, all of these codes and
regulations help make our present-day buildings safe and healthy for the public. More
specifically, they help guide the designers and builders of the redesigned Keystone
Library, to make it a safe and healthy environment for the public.
Universal Design refers to a broad-spectrum solution that produces buildings,
products and environments that are usable and effective for everyone, including those
with disabilities. The design regulations are required to be followed by every nation in
the world. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements are to be pursued in
order to ensure proper accessibility for the disabled. For example, public buildings are
not allowed to have doorways smaller than thirty-six inches and there must be a five-
foot turning radius at the end of dead end hallways and in every room, unless they are
able to go around a turnabout. There is a specific minimum number of water closets that
are required for each gender. For males, it is 1 per 125 people, and for females, it is 1
per 65 people. The minimum number of lavatories in a building is 1 per 200 people. The
minimum number of drinking fountains is 1 per 500 people. (Table: 2902.1) Separate
facilities will be provided for different plumbing fixtures, except in dwelling/sleeping
units, structures or tenant spaces with a total occupant load below 15, and mercantile
occupancies with a maximum occupant load of 50. (Section: 2902.2) Legible signs
designating the intended gender usage will be displayed near the entrances to separate
facilities. (Section: 2902.5) Every elevator is required to be automatic and working at all
times. Each elevator must be tested routinely for mistakes. Ramp slopes must have an
ADA clear zone of forty inches, no more than a two hundred foot clearing for the ramp
and must be maintained and clear, all of the time. Stairway landings are necessary at
the top and bottom of every stairway. The landing width should not be less than the
partnering stairway width. They must also have a minimum measured dimension,
alongside the travel direction, equaling the stairway width. These dimensions are not to
go over forty-eight inches at a stairway straight run. (Section: 1003.3.3.4) These are just
a few requirements that the library project has followed.
Noblesville, Indiana uses the Indiana State Building Codes (Section 154). The
current building code for Indiana is based on the 2006 International Building Code (IBC)
(1
st
printing) with Indiana Amendments. The occupancy class of the proposed Keystone
Building is A-3. (Section 303) The Keystone building will be made of steel frames,
encased in concrete, fireproofing and non-combinational material. (Section 600) It is not
necessary to have a fire protective layer over the building elements. (Table 503) A
couple of the proposed materials include sheetrock for the walls and wood finish for the
flooring. The reason that these materials are used is to make cleaning easier and
therefore, the environment healthier. The first floor may occupy up to one hundred and
eighty-nine people, while the second floor can occupy up to forty-four people, summing
up to a total of three-hundred and twenty occupants, maximum, within the building.
(Source: 1004) The total egress width for the building is three hundred and twenty. This
includes thirty-six inches for each door and forty inches, minimum for the stairway.
(Source: 1005) At the tallest point, the building measures twenty feet in height. Only two
exits are required for the library. (Source: 1021) This is because there could be more
than forty-nine people, not found within specified distances to the exits. (Source:
1021.2) These are also just a few International Building Codes that the Keystone Library
follows, which are stated on the International Building Code Website.
Here are a few presented Land Use Regulations: Local Ordinances, also evident
in the library construction plans. The zoning designation is Planned Business. The
purpose of this designation is because the building is a local business, therefore
belonging to the Planned Business Zone. The minimum lot size within the designation is
one half of an acre. (Section: 159.120) The library lot meets this requirement. The
maximum building height, according to Noblesville Ordinance is three stories and thirty-
five feet. (Section: 159.107) A few important facts to consider, while redeveloping the
library include not adding a second building on the librarys lot, no changing the building
unless changes follow regulations, no altering building and/or lot size, which contrasts
chapter 159.120, the fact that property access is required and there must be a minimum
yard setback. (Source: 159.120) The proposed use in the Keystone Library Project is
permitted on this property. (Source: Appendix C) Landscaping and screening is required
on the interior and perimeter parking lots, at the building base and on the buffer yard.
(Section: 159.180) The library also adheres to the International Building Codes,
discussing Land Use Regulations: Local Ordinances.
***LEED Certification***
Codes and regulations protect the peace and unity, as well as the safety of the
building and the people within it. Without these rules, many- if not every- building would
be unsafe, unhealthy and uncomfortable for the community. Because of the provided
International Building Codes and Regulations, the Keystone Library is a safe and public-
friendly environment.