ICC PCS case studies
ICC PCS · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The International Code Council (ICC) describes its certification program as "one of the most historic and prestigious credentialing programs for construction codes and standards," and states that it maintains this standing "through continuous review and partnership with experienced professionals." ICC certifications are aimed at building safety professionals - code officials, inspectors, plan reviewers, contractors and trades practitioners - who want documented evidence of code knowledge to support career development; ICC lists "several certification opportunities" rather than a single credential, so candidates should confirm which specific exam title they need before studying. ICC groups its offerings into ICC certification exams, Special Inspector exams, UST/AST exams, reciprocity and transitions, Master Code Professional, and Combination Designations. The ICC PCS case studies are 5 cases and about 3,897 words.
1The 19-Day Lease and the 'To Follow' Letter
A general contractor submits a permit application for a 12,400-square-foot tenant fit-out in an existing single-story shell of Type IIB construction. The shell is already sprinklered.
789 words, about 4 min2Three Requests in One Cover Letter
A design team converting a 1928 three-story brick building into a 180-seat restaurant (A-2) with second-floor offices (B) submits three requests in a single cover letter. First, the existing 36-inch-wide exit access corridor cannot be widened to 44 inches without demolishing a historic stair; the team proposes to keep 36 inches and add an NFPA 13 sprinkler system, a monitored fire alarm, and photoluminescent egress markings.
775 words, about 4 min3The Applicant's 150 Occupants
A one-story, 6,800-square-foot building of Type VB construction, unsprinklered, is submitted with four uses: a restaurant totaling 2,500 square feet (1,200 square feet of dining room with loose tables and chairs, a 400-square-foot standing bar and lounge, and a 900-square-foot commercial kitchen), a 2,000-square-foot retail store, a 300-square-foot office, and the balance in restrooms, corridors, storage, and mechanical space. The applicant's code summary states a building occupant load of 150, proposes two 36-inch exit doors at the front and one at the rear, and asserts that no automatic sprinkler system is required because the restaurant is under 5,000 square feet.
791 words, about 4 min4'Commercial Is Commercial': A Warehouse Becomes a Taproom
A 1962 two-story, 22,000-square-foot building (11,000 square feet per floor) of Type IIIB construction, unsprinklered, has been used as a warehouse (S-2) with a small office. A developer proposes the ground floor as a 1,500-square-foot taproom and restaurant (A-2, about 180 occupants) plus a 3,000-square-foot brewing area (F-1), with storage and mechanical space in the remainder; the second floor becomes 8,000 square feet of open office (B).
765 words, about 4 min5The Corridor the Department Approved by Mistake
Eight months ago the department issued a permit for a 9,000-square-foot single-story building of Type IIB, sprinklered construction, containing 6,000 square feet of office (B) and 3,000 square feet of storage (S-1). The approved drawings show a 36-inch-wide exit access corridor serving the office suite, a building occupant load of 60, and two exits.
777 words, about 4 min