City
Council Meeting: November 13, 2007
Agenda Item: 7-B
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Eileen Fogarty, Director of
Planning and Community Development
Subject: Resolution
Making Findings Of Local Climatic, Geological And Topographical Conditions As
Required To Adopt Local Amendments To The
Staff
recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution making findings
of local climatic, geological and topographical conditions as required to adopt
local amendments to the California Building Standards Code, and adopt the
attached ordinance that adopts the California Building Standards Code and
The
2007 Edition of the California Building Standards Code is recommended for
adoption. In order to do so, Council is
required to make certain findings. (See Attachment A) This is also an
opportunity to adopt local amendments to the Code to address local climatic,
geological, and topographical conditions.
Attachment B sets forth the new Code edition along with Santa Monica
Amendments. The proposed amendments were
presented to the Building & Safety Commission and discussed in detail in
two separate meetings. The Commission unanimously approved all amendments
included in the proposed ordinance.
There
is no immediate impact on the General Fund associated with this item outside of
costs associated with updating the codes book.
Costs Associated with updating code book/electronic code references will
be absorbed within the department’s adopted budget. As with any code revision,
there may be impacts on future city projects.
Discussion
Background
Pursuant
to the Health and Safety Code, the California Building Standards Code applies
throughout the State of
During the period between publication of the
California Building Standards Code and mandatory local enforcement, cities and
counties may make amendments based on local topographical, geological and
climatic concerns. For amendments to be effective, the local governing body
must make specific findings that any one or more of the aforementioned concerns
is applicable, approve an ordinance adopting the amendments and file a copy of
the express findings and local ordinance with the Building Standards
Commission. These requirements apply to both new and previously adopted local
amendments.
Staff recommends certain local amendments
designed to increase fire and structural seismic safety protection - to address
issues not adequately addressed by the new 2007 standards - be adopted to
protect life safety and minimize property damage for the public and citizens of
(a) The
National Movement in Codes and Standards Development: The codes and standards adopted in this cycle are
the culmination of many years of recent research funded primarily by FEMA through the National Earthquake
Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) and industries such as steel, concrete and
wood manufacturers. Prior to the development of the International Building Code
(IBC), slated for adoption by reference in
The IBC was intended to provide improvement over the
existing codes by uniformly applying the latest code provisions to the entire
country. Seismic design application was expanded and mandated across the
country to address the potential hazards in many localities. In lieu of seismic
zones used in the UBC, which covered broad geographical areas, detailed seismic
maps were generated by the US Geological Survey that can estimate the expected
ground acceleration to much higher level of accuracy based on street address,
which are then used for generation of seismic forces for a specific structure. However,
as part of this national movement,
(b) The
Need For Local Amendments: The
proposed local amendments are necessary due to a number of unique local
conditions detailed in the attached resolution.
(See Attachment A). Of particular
note are the seismic conditions. The
Safety Element of the City’s General Plan, adopted in January 1995, showed a
high risk of seismic activity in the City due to the close proximity to the
Santa Monica-Malibu Coast fault, the Newport-Inglewood fault and the
(c) The Collaborative Program For
Developing Local Uniform Amendments: The City of Santa Monica
Building and Safety Division, in cooperation with major jurisdictions in the
region such as City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Los
Angeles County Building and Safety Division, the City of Long Beach Department
of Planning and Building continued their efforts to create uniformity of
Building Codes and regulation in the entire Los Angeles region. Over 58
jurisdictions actively participated in formulation and implementation of this
program, and the process received support from 85 jurisdictions representing
over 98% of the population in
(d) Summary of Amendments: Many of the previous local amendments to
the California Code were deemed unnecessary since these requirements have been
already incorporated in the new State standards. These items are shown as
stricken out in Attachment B. Some of the
amendments enacted during the 1999 and 2002 code adoption cycle continue to be necessary
for local adoption to protect the
community from the hazards of fires and earthquakes. The
following is a list of the proposed local amendments to the California Building
Standards Code. To distinguish between new amendments and those existing
amendments requiring readoption, the
word “Continue” precedes the existing amendments.
Construction
Quality Control
1.
Add requirements for special inspection for one
and two-family dwellings when items of specialty construction are used. Also,
add provisions limiting construction of footings without special inspection in
order to maintain the current level of quality control in construction (see
Section 8.08.100).
2.
Continue to require
the engineer or architect of record to verify that their structural designs are
followed during construction by making periodical field observation of the
seismic elements of the building (see Section 8.08.120).
New
Codes and Structural Design Standards
1.
Adopt
necessary standards referenced in the code (see Section 8.12.030).
Geotechnical Reports
1.
Continue the
designation of Seismic Hazard Zones and Geologic Hazard Filled Area Zones in
the City to require special design features (see Section 8.12.050).
Fire
Retardant Roofing
1.
Continue to prohibit
the use of non-fire retardant wood shingles or non-fire retardant wood shakes
for new or replacement roofing and require a moderate level of fire retardant
roofing as a minimum standard (see section 9.12.070).
General
Seismic Design Provisions
1.
Add
provisions to ensure adequate seismic detailing for walls, roofs and floors in
irregularly shaped buildings (see Section
8.16.020).
2.
Increase
the minimum seismic load considered in the design of buildings since the new
code reduces such design load to a level that could potentially lead to
collapse in certain types of structures. The amendment increases this minimum
load to a level consistent with current code and that of
3.
Add
provisions to increase structural stability for essential facilities, such as
police and fire stations (see Section
8.16.020).
4.
Continue
current amendments regarding special seismic anchorage of wood roof and floor
diaphragms to concrete and masonry walls.
In addition, relax some provisions that have been proven by recent
research and testing to be overly restrictive (see Section 8.16.020).
5.
Add
provisions to require sufficient separation between adjacent buildings and
between buildings and property lines in order to prevent pounding of buildings
during a seismic event (see Section
8.16.020).
6.
Limit
the height of buildings to two stories when different seismic force resisting
systems are allowed to be mixed without penalties (see Section 8.16.020).
7.
Add provisions
for calculations of dynamic period for buildings using a new seismic force
resisting system (see Section 8.16.020).
Foundations
1.
Add
provisions for construction of stepped footings on sloped lots and require
continuous footings for interior load-bearing walls (see Section 8.16.030).
2.
Delete
prescriptive provisions in the code, which would allow construction of
inadequate reinforced concrete and masonry basement walls up to 10 feet in
height (see Section 8.16.030).
Concrete Construction
1.
Add
earthquake design provisions that maintain the current level of seismic
detailing used in concrete tilt-up wall construction (see Section 8.16.020).
2.
Add
provisions to maintain critical seismic detailing provisions in current code
pertaining to concrete columns, walls and slabs (see Section 8.16.040).
Fireplaces
1.
Continue
to require all masonry and concrete chimneys to be structurally designed by a
licensed architect or registered engineer instead of using prescriptive rules
that have allowed failed performance in recent earthquakes (see Section
8.16.050).
Steel Construction
1.
Prohibit
the use of hollow steel tubes as bracing members unless they are filled with
concrete or grout in order to prevent fracture of such critical elements in
steel building frame systems (see Section 8.16.060).
Wood Construction
1.
Continue
to amend provisions for wood framed construction, which limit the use of
materials that have proved ineffective or have not been sufficiently tested in
resisting earthquake forces. In
addition, relax some provisions that have been proven by recent research and
testing to be overly restrictive (see section 8.16.070).
2.
Continue
to limit the length of floors projecting beyond the supporting wall on lower
level when using a simplified analysis (see Section 8.16.020).
3.
Continue
to provide for special additional requirements for hillside buildings (see
Chapter 8.20).
Electrical Provisions
1.
Continue to ensure
that any wiring not having metal protection over the conductors shall be
entirely concealed within the building structure to prevent and inhibit
tampering and restrict the use of aluminum wiring found to be hazardous (see
Section 8.24.030).
2.
Continue to prohibit
the sale and use of any electrical material, device, or equipment unless it
complies with provisions of this section, including rating and conformance with
national standards (see Section 8.24.040).
3.
Continue to provide
regulations for temporary service poles used on construction sites (see Section
8.24.060)
4.
Continue to provide
regulations for underground concrete vaults and handholes (see Section
8.24.070).
5.
Continue to
require proper disconnecting means for multiple arrays on solar photovoltaic
systems (see Section 8.24.080).
Plumbing
Provisions
1.
Continue to
require enclosures of water heaters to prevent associated fire hazards from
uncontrolled adjacent combustible storage (see Section 8.32.030).
2.
Continue to prohibit
water softener systems from using drywells to discharge effluents in order to
protect local ground water and the
3.
Continue to prohibit
the use of combined storm drain and sewers to prevent the possible future
contamination of the
4.
Continue to
provide standards for waterless urinals (see Section 8.32.060).
Fire
Code
1.
Adopt
the 2007 California Fire Code published by the International Code Council and
the California Building Standards Commission with errata, together with those
portions of the International Fire Code, 2006 Edition, including, Appendix
Chapters 1, B and D. as modified and the most recent referenced version as
adopted by the State of California of the “National Fire Codes” published by the National Fire Protection
Association, and the local amendments of Chapter 8.44 are adopted as part of
the Fire Code of the City of
2.
Continue to require
automatic fire extinguishing and detection systems in all new construction and
when there is a change in use to a higher classification (see Section
8.44.050).
3.
Continue for require
automatic fire sprinkler systems for existing public assembly spaces above
5,000 square feet that protect assembly areas and exit ways (see Section
8.44.050).
4.
Remove
exemption of buildings used exclusively as open public garages and buildings
owned by any public agency from the requirement of automatic fire sprinkler
systems (see Section 8.44.050).
5.
Continue to require
compliance with the high-rise provisions of the California Building Code in new
high-rise buildings with human occupancy above 55 feet of the lowest level of
fire vehicle access point in accordance with authority granted to the City in
the California Health and Safety Code Section 13216 (see Section 8.44.090).
6.
Continue to
require the connection with control valves on each floor level with full
automatic sprinkler systems in any new building with floors more than 55 feet
in height (see Section 8.44.090).
7.
Continue to require
adequate seismic bracing of fire sprinkler installations (see Section
8.44.120).
Window
Guardrail Safety
1. Continue
to require guardrails for openable windows with low sill height (see Section
8.12.060).
1. Continue
to require new buildings subject to the provisions of the chapter to be built
with a minimum of four major construction materials that have a post-consumer
recycled content (see Section 8.108.030).
2. Continue
to require additional mandatory energy efficiency measures for Solar Water
Heating, Pipe Insulation and Heat Traps in all buildings (see Section 8.108.040).
On
August 21, 2007, the Building and Safety Commission met to consider the new
code and the state laws that affect local adoption of building standards. After
explaining the code adoption process, staff presented the draft report that
included all new proposed amendments and sought Commission direction. Staff
presented each separate item and the complete reasoning for the amendment in
detail. The Commission suggested several modifications that were consequently
included in the proposed ordinance. The Commission also requested another
meeting to allow an absent member of the Commission who is also a licensed
structural engineer to provide further input.
On
August 28, 2007, the Commission, with all its members present, again reviewed
and discussed each amendment in detail and provided suggestions for further
clarification on content and language of the
proposed ordinance. The
Commission unanimously moved to recommend the City Council adopt the staff proposed
ordinance with further minor modifications that were consequently included in
the attached ordinance.
There
is no direct budget and financial impact to the City of adopting the 2007
edition of the California Building Standards Code and local amendments. As a
result of the standards for seismic and fire life safety, the approval of this
ordinance will increase costs of construction and repair to certain structures,
including City-owned structures. The specific costs and cost sharing
arrangements for City structure repairs that might be mandated by the standards
are not known at this time. Council will have the opportunity to review such
costs and cost sharing arrangements when repair contracts are placed on
Council’s agenda.
Approved: Forwarded
to Council:
Eileen Fogarty, PCD Lamont
Ewell
Director City
Manager