ICC Permit Technician Practice Exam

Utilizing the provisions for separated occupancies, what is the required fire resistance separation between a group R-1 and a group I-1 located in a fully sprinklered building?

1. 1 hour

2. 2 hours

3. No rating required

4. 3 hours

The correct answer is: 1 hour

When considering separated occupancies, the building codes specify different requirements for the fire-resistance rating between different occupancy types. Group R-1, which includes transient residential groups such as hotels and boarding houses, must have a certain level of fire resistance when separated from Group I-1, designated for supervised residential care facilities. In fully sprinklered buildings, the fire-resistance separation requirements can be relaxed due to the additional level of safety provided by the sprinkler systems. The code typically requires a minimum fire-resistance rating of 1 hour for the separation between Group R-1 and Group I-1, given the protection measures in place. This helps to manage the risk of fire spread between the two different occupancy types, ensuring that even with the presence of sprinklers, there is a structural barrier that can help contain fire and smoke in case of an incident. Thus, the correct answer reflecting this regulation is that a 1-hour fire resistance separation is required between these two occupancy groups in a fully sprinklered building.