This section of the 1935-miami-dade-building-code outlines construction, safety, and occupancy requirements for Groups A through E buildings.
Group A Buildings (Chapter 6)
Group A includes assembly occupancies with seating capacities of 1,000 or more (Division 1) or 3,500 or more without a permanent stage (Division 2) (p. 45). These buildings must be of Type 1 Construction and have no limits on height, area, or seating capacity (p. 45). Key requirements include:
- Exits: At least three exits on different sides of the auditorium, with specific width calculations based on seating capacity (p. 46). Main entrances require a foyer with specific area-to-seat ratios (p. 46).
- Construction: Stages and platforms must be Type 1 construction (p. 45). Exterior walls near property lines require fire-separation-standards (p. 45).
- Safety: Automatic sprinklers and standpipes are required (p. 50). Inflammable liquids are prohibited (p. 50).
Group B Buildings (Chapter 7)
Group B covers assembly occupancies with seating capacities between 300–999 (Division 1) or 750–3,499 without a permanent stage (Division 2) (p. 51).
- Construction Limits: Type I construction has no height/area limits; Type II is limited to 75 ft/1,000 seats; Type III to 55 ft/750 seats (p. 51).
- Exits: Requirements mirror Group A but do not require a foyer, and balconies are only allowed in Type I construction (p. 52).
Group C Buildings (Chapter 8)
Group C includes smaller assembly occupancies: under 300 seats with a stage (Division 1), 50–749 without a stage (Division 2), and under 50 without a stage (Division 3) (p. 54).
- Construction: Allows Types I–V, with specific area/height tables based on street frontage (p. 55).
- Schools: Public/private schools over two stories must be Type I (p. 55). Classrooms for young children cannot be above the first floor in non-Type I buildings (p. 59).
- Exits: Foyers not required; seats need not be fixed (p. 57). Exit widths calculated per 100 occupants for classrooms (p. 57).
Group D Buildings (Chapter 9)
Group D covers detention facilities (Division 1) and hospitals/sanitariums (Division 2) (p. 60).
- Construction: Division 1 must be Type I throughout (p. 61). Division 2 over one story requires one-hour fire-resistive floors/partitions (p. 61).
- Safety: Hospitals require ramps (1:6 slope) for bed-ridden patients (p. 61). Exit doors must use self-releasing latches (panic bolts) (p. 61).
Group E Buildings (Chapter 10)
Group E includes high-hazard industrial/commercial occupancies like garages, paint shops, and aircraft hangars (p. 62).
- Construction: Allows Types I–V with strict area/height limits (p. 63). Aircraft hangars are restricted to Types I and II, with max areas of 30,000 sq ft (Type I) and 15,000 sq ft (Type II), doubling with sprinklers (p. 64).
- Hazards: Strict regulations on inflammable liquids and storage (p. 62, 63).
Related Concepts
- group-a-occupancy-requirements
- egress-and-exit-standards
- occupancy-classification
- fire-separation-standards
- fire-zones
- building-inspection-protocol