1935-miami-dade-building-code

The 1935 Miami-Dade Building Code (Ordinance No. 1554) is a regulatory document adopted by the city-of-miami on August 4, 1936 (p. 17). It establishes minimum standards for the design, construction, maintenance, and occupancy of buildings and structures within the city limits (p. 18).

Key provisions include:

• Administrative Structure: Defines the roles of the building-inspector and board-of-examiners-and-appeals (p. 6, p. 32).
• Permitting: Requires permits for work exceeding $25andprofessionalsealsforprojectsover$5,000 (p. 20, p. 21). Fees are calculated based on building group and construction type, ranging from $5to$60 per cubic foot (p. 25). Work started without a permit incurs double fees (p. 25).
• Inspection: Mandates specific inspections (Foundation, Frame, Stucco, Final) before work can proceed to the next stage (p. 26). Type I buildings or complex designs require a registered-inspector bonded for $5,000 (p. 27). A Certificate of Occupancy is required before any building can be used (p. 28).
• Classification: Categorizes buildings by occupancy-classification (Groups A-J) and construction types (e.g., Frame, Masonry, Fireproof) (p. 5, p. 6, p. 8, p. 41). Mixed occupancies require specific fire-separation-standards (Absolute, Special, or Ordinary) to segregate different groups (p. 42, p. 44).
• Fire Safety: Divides the city into fire-zones with specific restrictions for Zones 1, 2, and 3 (p. 5, p. 8).
  • Fire Zone No. 1: Buildings over 400 sq ft must comply with new building requirements. Alterations exceeding 20% of the building’s value require full compliance with new standards (p. 105). Wood shingle roofing repairs are limited to 10% of the area; otherwise, new fire-retardant roofing is required (p. 105). Type IV and V constructions generally cannot be altered or moved, except for demolition, relocation outside the zone, or specific interior repairs that do not increase fire hazard (p. 105). All buildings in this zone must have fire-retardant roofs and one-hour fire-resistive doors/windows, with exceptions for openings facing wide public streets (p. 105-106). Group E occupancies (industrial/hazardous) are prohibited except for public garages or gas stations (p. 106).
  • Fire Zone No. 2: Type V buildings must have one-hour fire-resistive exterior walls. Type IV buildings over 1,000 sq ft are prohibited (p. 106). Alterations exceeding 50% of the building’s value require compliance with new zone standards (p. 106). Similar restrictions apply to Group E occupancies as in Zone 1 (p. 107).
  • Fire Zone No. 3: Any building complying with the general code requirements may be erected or moved into this zone (p. 107).
• Construction Types: The code classifies buildings into five types based on fire resistance, with Type I being the most fire-resistive and Type V the least (p. 108).
  • Type I (Fire-Resistive): The structural frame must be fireproofed steel/iron or reinforced concrete. Exterior walls and foundations must be masonry or reinforced concrete. There are no limits on height or area (p. 109). Structural members require 3-4 hours of fire-resistive protection depending on building height (p. 110-111). Floors and roofs must be fire-resistive, and vertical openings (stairwells, elevator shafts) must be enclosed with 2-hour fire-resistive construction (p. 109-110).
  • Type II (Heavy Timber): The structural frame can be fireproofed steel/iron, reinforced concrete, masonry, or heavy timber. Height is limited to 75 feet (7 stories), with exceptions for sloping ground (p. 114). Wood columns must be at least 8 inches nominal, and beams/girders at least 6 inches nominal (p. 116). Fireproofing for steel members is required unless the building is one story or under 65 feet (p. 116). Wood structural members do not require fireproofing (p. 116).
  • Type III (Ordinary Masonry): Interior load-bearing construction may be masonry, concrete, steel, or wood, but exterior walls and foundations must be masonry or reinforced concrete. Height is limited to 55 feet (5 stories) (p. 119). Partitions and floors may be wood, but in buildings over two stories (Groups C and D), bearing partitions must be one-hour fire-resistive (p. 123). Vertical openings require one-hour fire-resistive enclosures (p. 123). Wood construction shall not be carried through the exterior walls of Type III buildings (p. 125). Cornices and marquees must be of substantial incombustible materials (p. 125). Penthouses and skylights require one-hour fire-resistive construction (p. 125).
  • Type IV (Metal Frame): Defined as structures with steel, iron, masonry, or reinforced concrete frameworks and metal/incombustible exteriors (p. 125). Height is limited to 45 feet (55 feet on sloping ground) with a maximum of one story and a mezzanine (p. 125-126). Exterior walls must be galvanized iron or approved non-corrosive metal attached to horizontal supports no more than three feet apart (p. 126). Interior partitions must be incombustible (p. 126). Fireproofing of structural members is not required (p. 126). Roofs must be entirely metal or incombustible, though wood purlins are permitted for support (p. 126-127). Openings require metal doors/windows unless set back 16 feet from property lines (p. 127).
  • Type V (Wood Frame): Type V encompasses all wood-frame buildings not classified as Types I-IV (p. 127). Height is limited to 38 feet (two stories) or 45 feet on sloping ground (p. 127-128). Foundations must be masonry or reinforced concrete piers; for Group I occupancies, piers must be at least 12x12 inches and reinforced (p. 128). Exterior walls require 2x4 studs at 16-inch centers, or 4x4 posts at 5-foot centers (p. 130). Exterior walls must be fire-stopped at floors and ceilings to limit concealed air spaces to seven feet (p. 131). Weatherboarding must average 5/8-inch thickness (p. 132). Stucco requires metal lath reinforcement and two coats totaling 7/8-inch thickness (p. 133-134). Masonry veneer must be at least 3 3/4 inches thick and bonded to sheathing (p. 134-135). Floor joists tables specify maximum spans for Southern Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir based on size, spacing, and ceiling type (p. 136). Attached garages require one-hour fire-resistive ceilings and walls, with gravity-closing doors (p. 139-140).
• Engineering Regulations: Live loads are defined by occupancy, ranging from 40 psf for dwellings to 250 psf for heavy storage (p. 141-142). Roof loads are 30 psf for low slopes (p. 142). Live load reductions are permitted for columns based on floor level and building type (p. 142-143). Wind pressure design values range from 25 to 45 psf depending on height (p. 143). Owners must post live load and seating capacity signs in commercial buildings (p. 144).
• Reinforced Concrete Design: The code provides detailed specifications for reinforced concrete structures, including beams, slabs, columns, and footings (p. 185-204).
  • Beams and Slabs: Defines effective depth and moment coefficients for various support conditions. For example, freely supported beams use $M=w{l}^2/8$ for positive moment (p. 187). T-beams have specific flange width restrictions (p. 185). Ribbed floor construction requires ribs no more than 36 inches apart (p. 186). Shear and diagonal tension calculations mandate web reinforcement (stirrups or bent-up bars) when stress exceeds concrete capacity (p. 189-190).
  • Flat Slabs: Defines flat slabs as concrete slabs without beams or girders, reinforced in two or four directions (p. 193). Design divides panels into “column strips” and “middle strips” (p. 194). Moment distribution varies based on dropped panels and capital dimensions (p. 195). Minimum slab thickness is calculated using specific formulas accounting for span length and load (p. 196). Reinforcement ratios must not be less than 0.0025 (p. 197).
  • Columns: Classifies columns as short or long based on unsupported length and radius of gyration. Short columns are limited to 11 times their least lateral dimension (p. 200). Spiral columns use formula (22) for axial load, with minimum longitudinal reinforcement of 0.01 of the core area (p. 200-201). Tied columns use formula (23), with minimum longitudinal reinforcement of 0.005 of the total area (p. 201). Composite columns encasing steel or cast-iron sections have specific stress limits (p. 202-203). Long columns require reduced permissible loads based on slenderness ratios (p. 204).
  • Footings: Must be proportioned based on total column load plus footing weight, though upward reactions for moment/shear calculations exclude footing weight (p. 204). Critical sections for bending are at the face of the column or pedestal (p. 204). Sloped or stepped footings are permitted if shear requirements are met (p. 204).
• Enforcement: The building-inspector has the power of a police officer to enforce the code, including ordering work stops, vacating unsafe buildings, or condemning structures damaged by more than 50% of their value (p. 29). The City can tear down or make safe condemned structures at the owner’s expense, which becomes a lien on the property (p. 30).
• Group A Occupancies: Imposes strict requirements on large assembly buildings (1,000+ seats), mandating Type 1 Construction, no limits on height/area, specific exit widths based on capacity, and automatic sprinklers (p. 45, p. 50).
• Group B Occupancies: Applies to mid-sized assembly buildings (300–999 seats), with height/area limits depending on construction type (Type I, II, or III) and prohibiting balconies in non-Type I buildings (p. 51, p. 52).
• Group C Occupancies: Covers smaller assembly buildings (<300 seats) and schools, allowing Types I–V construction with specific area/height tables, and requiring Type I construction for schools over two stories (p. 54, p. 55).
• Group D Occupancies: Regulates detention facilities and hospitals, requiring Type I construction for jails and specific ramp/exit requirements for hospitals (p. 60, p. 61).
• Group E Occupancies: Addresses high-hazard industrial/commercial buildings (e.g., garages, aircraft hangars), restricting aircraft hangars to Types I and II with strict area limits (p. 62, p. 64).

See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p5_24 for a detailed summary of its administrative guide and fee structures. See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p25_44 for details on inspection protocols, enforcement, and occupancy classifications. See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p45_64 for requirements for Groups A through E. See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p105_124 for details on fire zone restrictions and construction type classifications. See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p125_144 for details on Type III, IV, and V construction specifications and engineering regulations. See 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p185_204 for detailed requirements on reinforced concrete beams, slabs, columns, and footings.

Related Documents

• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p185_204
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p125_144
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p105_124
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p45_64
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p25_44
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p5_24
• 1935-Miami-Dade-Building-Code_p185_204

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