OBC Small Buildings case studies
OBC Small Buildings · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The OBC Small Buildings qualification is a provincial credential for building practitioners who design, review, or inspect residential and small commercial projects governed by Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code. It suits designers, contractors, renovators, and municipal building officials who need to demonstrate working knowledge of the code as it applies to houses, small multi-unit residential buildings, and similar structures. The OBC Small Buildings case studies are 5 cases and about 2,406 words.
1Renovation Triggers a Change of Major Occupancy in a Two-Storey Wood-Frame Building
A developer buys a 60-year-old, two-storey wood-frame building of 1,180 m² gross area. The ground floor was a retail store (Group E) and the upper floor was a dance studio (Group A, Division 2).
552 words, about 3 min2Sprinkler Omission Requested for a Small Group C Office in a Combustible Building
A three-storey office building of 900 m² per floor is of combustible construction with a permitted area that is only adequate if the building is sprinklered. The owner wants to omit sprinklers on the third floor because it will be used only for storage of paper files and will be unoccupied most of the time.
454 words, about 2 min3Exit Width and Travel Distance in a Converted Small Retail and Apartment Building
A two-storey building has a ground-floor retail store of 400 m² and a second-floor apartment of 120 m². The only interior stair is 900 mm wide and open to the retail store at the bottom.
473 words, about 2 min4Accessibility Upgrade Triggered by a Change of Use to a Small Restaurant
A single-storey building of 250 m² was formerly a hardware store (Group E) and is being converted to a 70-seat restaurant (Group A, Division 2). The entrance has a 150 mm step up from the sidewalk, and the two washrooms are small, each about 1.5 m by 1.8 m, with 760 mm doors.
482 words, about 2 min5Energy Efficiency and Environmental Separation in a Small Addition Over a Crawl Space
A homeowner is adding a 40 m² one-storey sunroom to a small house. The sunroom will be heated and will have large glazing on three sides, a slab-on-grade floor over a crawl space, and a wood-frame wall assembly.
445 words, about 2 min