‘Chapter 4: Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings General Comments Determining the number of fixtures that are necessary for ‘given building has been a problem plaguing the plumb- ing industry for years. There have been various methods used to evaluate the need for plumbing fixtures. For office buildings, studies have indicated that design guidelines based on occupancy times, arrival rates and duration, along with pattems of fixture use, provide the number of reguired plumbing fixtures for @ desired level of service, ‘The ‘Bulldlng “Technology ‘Research Laboratory at the Stevens Institute of Technology conducted a study based on the Queueing “Theory'for determining the:number of plumbing: fixtures’ for: apreferred ‘level: of: service, ex- pressed as Walling times during peak periods of use, fix- {ure utilization and the probability of finding’ a vacant fix- ture. This type of method provides answers for designing service systems. For residential-type bulldings and health care faclities” plumbing fitures are based on the mink mum need, resulting in at least one'water closet and one lavatory: for-each-Purpose go “The purpose of Chapter 4's to provide'a billding with the necessary number of plumbing fixtures of a specific qual- ity. The fixtures must be propery installed to.be both ac- cessible and usable. by. the. individuals. occupying. the building. The quality and design of every fture must con- form to the appropriate referenced standard... If f ‘SECTION 401 te GENERAL 401.1 Scope, This chapter shall govern the raaterials, design ‘and installation of plurebig fixtures, faucels and fixture fit- tings in accordance with the type of occupaney, and shall pro- vide for the miinimum number of fixtures for Various types of oceupaiiies!" : pecan This, section. contains the scoping requirements. for Chapter 4. Compliance with this chapter will result in a building or structure containing adequate plumbing fix: tures for the. sanitary, hygienic, cleaning, washing and food preperation needs’of the occupants, including re- quirements for water conservation, This section also in- cludes. fixtures and connections that, are prohibited in the code. : : ‘2003 INTERNATIONAL. PLUMBING CODE, COMMENTARY, pel honsge ofthe contents of the bow back into the tank shall be probibited. Trough urinals shall be prohibited. + Fixtures that do not thoroughly scour the used surface ‘or area will harbor bacteria and germs such that these fixtures will become a souice of contamination to occu- ‘pants, Fixtures elther located in an unventllated space ‘or not thoroughly washed at each discharge ere prohib- Ited. Any water closet that allows the contents of the ‘bow fo siphon up into the tank will subject occupants to the same type of health hazard as fixtures that do not ‘thoroughly scour the used area. Fixtures listed in the ‘code are required by their respective referenced stan- dards to have self-cleaning capabilties.. “44013-4034 401.3 Water conservation. The maximum water law rates and Flush volume for plumbing fixtures and fixture fitings shall com- ply with Section 603.4. ‘This section intends to conserve the amount of water that is used in eithar the operation of the fixture or the fixlure fittings. The conservation requirements are listed in Section 604.4 and Table 604.4. SECTION 402” FIXTURE MATERIALS 4021 Quality of fixtures. Plutabing fixtures shall’ be con- structed of approved materials, with. smooth, impervious sur faces, free from defects. and concealed fouling surfaces! and. shall ¢onferm to standards cited in this code, All porcelain enameled surfaces on plumbing fixtures shall be acid resistant, +P Fixtures are regulated by various standards specified in this chapter. Each plumbing fixture is discussed in detall in the commentary tothe partiular ture stein his chapter, 402.2 Materials tor specialty fixtures. Materials for specials Fixtures not otherwise covered inthis code shal be of stailess steel, Soapstone, chemical stonewate Gf plastic, or sill be lined ‘with’ lead, copper-base alloy, nickel-copper_alloy, corro- ~Sfon-Tesstant see! or other material especially sited tothe ap plication for which the fixture ig imended, ‘When fixture isnot regulated by a xture standard this ‘Section specifies the type of material that must be used. The fixture would have to be evaluated and approved as. an‘alternative’ by the code official in'accordance’ wth Section 105.2.:The material requirements are intended {to provide a reasonable life for the fixture while main- taining a reasonable level of sanitation. Fixtures such as terrazzo shower bases and group ‘wash-up sinks are included in the scope of this section... 402.3 Sheet copper. Sheet copper for general applications shall conform to ASTM B 132 and shall no Weigh esthan!2cunees per square foot (3.7 kg/m’) oo ln the past, general-use-sheet copper: was’ predomi- antl Used 2s a lining in plumbing fixtures. Today, the material is rarely used. The ASTM standard regulates cold-rolled tempered sheet copper, hotrolled tempered sheet ;copper-and annealed copper sheet. Note thet Section. 425.3.3. permits: the. use of 10-ounce-per- square-foot (0.026 kg/m?) sheet copper. to line: flush tanks, ‘and Section 902.2 permits: the use of, 8- ounce: pet-acuaredent (0.021 kot) sheet copper. fr vent flashings.: 402.4 Sheet lead. Sheet lead for pans shal not weigh less than 4 pounds per squire foot (19.5 kp/m®) coated with an asphalt paint ‘or other approved coating: #7 ‘© General-use sheet lead is offen used for a shower pan. It was previously used as a liner on a more extensive 42 FIXTURES, FAUCETS AND FIXTURE FITTINGS basis in plumbing systems. The approximate thickness {2 of 4-Bounds-per-square-foot (20 kg/m®) sheet lead is /45 inch (1.6 mm). SECTION 403 MINIMUM PLUMBING FACILITIES 403.1 Minimum number of fixtures. Plumbing fixes shal be provided forthe type of occupancy and inthe minim nuri- ber shown in Table-403:1: Types of oceipancies not shawa in shall be considered Individually by the éode offi shall be deter aby the Inter- + Table 4031 establishes the minimum numberof plum. Ing fixtures required for each building (see the commen-, tary. to, Table. 403.1, for-details on the proper use of the, table). The.ocoupantload Used for.celculating the num- ber of fixtures required is the same occupant load used for determining means of egress. Methods for calaulat- Ing eccupantioad ere found in the Intemational Building Code® (IBC*) and are not duplicated in the IPC. By us- ing the means of egress ocoupant load; there is consis ‘enoy in: occupant load calculations ‘for the- application and the requirements of the code... 85 ot always reflect typical day-to-day occupant loads; however; the: table ‘takes, this, into: account: by rmadiying the values for cetera the -number: of "able 403. See pape, ‘Table 403.1 provides simple straight-line ratios for de- termining the minimum: Rlenber oF emi fixtres. To ald in the use of the table, the type of building category has been listed by occupancy group classification along ‘with a brief description.,The occupancy groups are iden- tical to the classification listed in the I8C. ‘The user simply identifies the occupancy group of Ta- bie 403.1 and applies the ratio to determine the amount of water closets, lavatories, bathtubs, showers (when applicable), drinking fountains and sinks needed fr the structure, ‘Secilon 419.2 permits a urinal to be substiuled fora water closet for.a maximum. of 67. percent of the re- quired number-of water closets. This would apply to. both men's and women's facilities. For example, if five water closets are required in a men's room, the design professional could choose to install two water closets and thre® urinals. I four urnals are installed, however, {wowatrclosels ae also required. req ing, ex- is ‘and ‘dwelling units, The’one service sink per building must be avallable from all portions of the building. For example, a service sink installed in an office building should not be focated in an area that is ot accessible from all tenant spaces. 2003 INTERNATIONAL PLUMBING CODE® COMMENTARY: _:sThe-means.of egress.occupant, load. of a-bullding-— —_FIXTURES, FAUCETS AND FIXTURE FITTINGS TABLE 40334 _ “ABLE 403.1 unum nuuei’oF REQUITED PLUMBING FUETURES MMMM NN gee Sections 403.2 and 4003)" WATER CLOSETS Dawn {unmaLSSEe SECTION FOUNTAINS ‘ag | _wavaronies (cae : sciei : animus | sderion ioe, cLasiireation "|@éeubaiey| nescarnon wale | reals | wate | remace | ‘Swowens | “stan” | omen 1 | sent Sects | at [Mee zwisess) fen tetare id wa eb pcsas.| — |r 1300 = ves | es i spermine | steten pes : icin, ie fener desta pega, | ers - perso | ne estas i sin ras | | Resiawrants, banquet 4 isd Fo pes | pers ‘pert00 | tpersoo | Nee 3 aati : : het pemme { sng pte x xno hss nase 8 ters 1 per 300 = tesn | Here i bas ibraes, j eeseton : | | one = : | Pasar era rad soli ns Jntsopetoe prs) I pers00--| pe a]. terion | 3 | re z rcs fie | nd ote ego : eae fericencherte pert |. pers fe) = tte || ay iste t E [stains seme [197 | 2 {skating Hots, pools |forihe firs. | sete som ir |vsmaeat | ARTE | : ag [Reece Teen | ote |rpez00| pei | — | terion | mee Joes caches = 0 | foe faa 100 q jis, aI | Suidiues, [Uper 75 for ‘ Cc fanciers, HEB | aa rte etna PSD | gas ; AS |e for free l2B or peri forthe | 1 per200 | I per 150) = ‘perio | test a eaospeig [oe arabe ess i Jsenesedacrie [encnar | OR a Jenene iS 2 fioiventenseciom | 8 (Binar re Hossa eh) remsctnst 7 i ies | g tein 5rd | pra re i nk mee] f fev ie eestrtcrmaacr | Yptatrmeemicer |. — | apes | MEN erties oes | ees, eae 2. t eae, at, | ination i sterner | i tcomtniet ( i Y 2009 INTERNATIONAL PLUMBING CODE® COMMENTARY 43