STEEL COMMITTEE OF CALIFORNIA
TECHNICAL INFORMATION & PRODUCT SERVICE
UN FIRE PROTECTED EXPOSED STEEL
PARKING STRUCTURES
INTRODUCTION
The key to construction economy in a
multistory parking deck is its structural
framing system. From 55 to 65 percent of the
total cost of most parking structures is the
cost of structural components -- framing,
floor slabs, and foundations. It is apparent,
therefore, that the selection of the structural
framing system is oneofthe most important
economic decisions involved in the design
of a parking structure.
Un Fire Protected exposed steel was pro-
hibited by restrictive building code provi-
sions, originally developed for enclosed
garage buildings, that required fire-rated
construction in all parking structures. Every
steel framing member had to be "fire-
proofed", at extra cost, even in open parking
decks.
The 1985 Uniform Building Code recog-
nizes the results of several recent fire tests
in open parking garages so that limitation
on area and height of non-fire protected
steel parking structures has been relaxed.
Changes have come about largely due to a
test sponsored by A.I.S.I. in cooperation
with the Scranton, Penna. Parking Authority,
the Scranton, Penna. Fire Bureau and Under-
writers Laboratory. The new code now allows
construction of Un Fire Protected steel
framed open parking structures of unlimited
area with certain restrictions noted later.
The elimination of fire-protective encase-
ment has reduced the cost of open-deck
steel parking structures by 7-10 percent. No
similar reduction has occurred in the cost of
concrete parking structures, because con-
crete construction is essentially the same
under both new and old codes. As a result,
prestressed and reinforced concrete parking
structures that once had been competitive
F E B R U A R Y 1986
with fireproofed steel structures are now
significantly more expensive than today's
exposed steel structures.
No owner or designer can afford to ignore
the potential savings inherent in steel con-
struction forparking structures. In 1986 it's
a new deal with a new structure -- an
exposed steel structure -- that offers Iow
cost and greater value than any other
parking structure.
GENERAL
An open parking garage is a structure of
Type I or Type II construction with openings
on two or more of its sides. Area and height
limits for open parking garages are given in
the table below, re-printed from the 1985
Uniform Building Code,
Type of Area Per Height
Construction Tier Ramp Access
I Unlimited Unlimited
II-FR 125,000 12 Tiers
I1-1 HR 50,000 10 Tiers
II-N 30,000 8 Tiers
In order to be considered "open" the
structure must meet the following:
1. It must be open on two or more sides
having an open wall area on each tier of 20%
or more of the total perimeter wall area of
each tier.
2. The total length of the openings must
be at least 40% of the perimeter.
AREA& HEIGHTINCREASES
Area & height increases over that allowed
by the above table are permitted if:
1. The structure is open on three fourths
of the perimeter, a 25% increase in area per
tier and one tier increase in height is per-
mitted.
 2. The structure is open around the entire
perimeter, a 50% increase in area per tier
and one tier increase in height is permitted.
These area & height increases allowed
when the structure is "open" on three or four
sides result in the following table for Type
I1-1 Hr & Type II-N construction. Also in-
cluded in the table is the parking capacity
based on a•3 area of 300 sq. ft. per car.
Type o! Area Per Gross
Construction Tier Height Area
II-N (Open 3 Sides) 37,500 9 Tiers 337,500
II-N (Open 4 Sfdes) 45,000 9 Tiers 405,000
I1-1 HR (Open 3 Sides) 62,500 11Tiers 687,500
H-1 HR (Open 4SJdeS) 75,000 11TJer$ 825,000
If the structure is constructed to heights
less than the number of tiers shown in the
above table the following applies:
1. The area per tier may be increased
provided the gross area does not exceed
that allowed for the higher structure.
2. At least three sides of each larger tier
must have openings at least 30" high for at
least 80% of the length of the side.
3. No part of the larger tier can be more
than 200 feet from an opening.
4. Each opening must face a street oryard
accessible to a street with a width at least 30
ft. for the full length of the opening.
5. Standpipes must be installed on each
tier.
Since publication of the 1982 UBC the
code has permitted construction of open
parking structures of Type I I-FR, Type I I-lH
or Type II-N of unlimited area. The following
restructions apply.
1. The height cannot exceed 75 feet.
2. All sides must be open for at least 50%
of the exterior area of each tier.
3. The openings must be equally dis-
No. of tributed along each side.
Cars
1,125 4. No part ofatiercan be more than 200 ft.
1,350 from an opening.
2,292 RECENTREVISIONS TOTHE1985 UBC
2,750
At the 1985 ICBO Annual Business Meet-
lng the following changes relative to open
parking structures were approved:
1. An open parking structure of Un Fire
Protected steel structure may be constructed
above an enclosed basement or first story
used for the parking or storage of motor
vehicles.
2. The distance to adjacent property lines
from exterior non fire rated walls has been
reduced from 20 ft. to 10 ft. and allows a one
hour fire rated wall less than 10 ft. and more
than 5 ft. This will increase the instances
when the designer can get more sides open
thus allowing greater use of unprotected
steel.
Both of these changes will appear in the
1986 supplement to the Uniform Building
Code.

THE STEEL COMMITTEE OF CALIFORNIA

Ace & Stewart Detailing, Inc.
Allied Steel Co., Inc.
Artimex Iron Co., Inc,
Bannister Steel, Inc.
Baresel Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
C A Buchen Corporation
Butler Manufacturing Co,
Central Industrial Engineering Co.,
Inc.
Cochran-lzant & Co., Inc.
Dovell Engineering, Inc.
The Herrick Corporation
Hoertig Iron Works Pascoe Steel Corporation
Hogan Mfg., Inc. Pittsburgh-Des Moines Corporation
Industrial Steel Corp. Riverside Steel Construction
Inland Steel Company H.H. Robertson Co.
Inryco, Inc. Ross-Carter Corporation
Junior Steel Co. Schrader Iron Works, Inc.
Kaiser Steel Corporation Stockton Steel
Lee & Daniel Stott Erection, Inc.
McLean Steel, Inc. USS Fabrications
Martin Iron Works, Inc. United States Steel Corporation
Nelson Stud Welding Co. Verco Manufacturing, Inc.
Palm Iron & Bridge Works Western States Steel, Inc.

Northern California X • Southern California

1250 Pine St. No. 301 • [ • • 9440 Telstar Ave. No. 103
Walnut Creek, CA 94596 El Monte, CA 91731
(415) 932-0909 (818) 444-4519

Funding for this publication provided by the California Field Iron Workers Administrative Trust.