Alabama's State Building Code includes requirements for residential construction.
In the state of Alabama, all residential homes must comply with the Alabama Building Code, which follows the 2006 International Building Code. Individual municipalities and counties may apply additional ordinances or codes, imposing further restrictions on building practices and materials. Accordingly, most homeowners should consult with professionals for the most accurate interpretation of the code. However, familiarizing yourself with some of the code's basic guidelines makes an excellent first step towards building code-complaint residential structures.
Fire-Resistance
The Alabama's building stresses the necessity of fire-resistant materials and structures. The code outlines the standards for official fire-resistance tests and the requirements for various fire-resistance ratings. The code defines the requisites for specialized structures, such as fire walls, fire partitions, fire barriers, smoke barriers and fire doors. In addition, the code regulates materials to be used for interior and exterior finishes, such as incombustible paints and varnishes.
Means of Egress
The "means of egress" required by Alabama building codes refers to exit routes, whose number and capacity depends on the building's use, size and maximum occupancy. The egress requirements for homes are not the same as those for commercial or industrial establishments and depend largely on the character and intended use of individual rooms. In addition to other requirements, the code mandates certain levels of light that must be available at all times as well as a certain width of passage, unfettered by doors, objects or architectural details. The code addresses decks, ramps and staircases as well.
Structural Requirements
Structural requirements apply regardless of the building's function. The Alabama Code regulates the live and dead loads on various interior and exterior elements of any building. "Live" load refers to the the influence exerted on building structures through normal use. For example, a person's weight on a floor would be a live load on the floor. On the other hand, a "dead" load refers to a static force exerted by elements of the building. For example, the weight of the flooring material is a dead load for the support system of the entire structure. Other live loads, commonly calculated for roofs, include snow loads, wind loads and earthquake loads.
Materials
In Alabama, residential construction must entail materials that meet state code guidelines. For example, the state code regulates such qualities as strength, durability, flexibility and toxicity of aluminum, glass, concrete, steel, wood, masonry and gypsum or plaster. In addition, the code's energy efficiency provisions established the further requirement that materials will conserve a building's internal temperature as efficiently as possible.
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