COURTYARD RESIDENTIAL - OPEN? PARTIALLY OPEN?

[DCStone]

SO this is hopefully not going to become a bigger headache....a few issues to unravel with this one. Can't do as separate structures because of continuous roof...

FL - Partially Enclosed (.55) or Closed (.18)?

1. The Courtyard is NOT Covered with Roof
2. Covered walk has a Covered Roof with a Beam/Plate height at 13'
3. Sliders in back are 16' x 10'


This can't be prescriptive because of the size (>80' as per AFPA & ICC-600), and we have to revise a plate height change that occurs in the valley at the corner of the dining room and garage.

 

[Ron]

The courtyard is irrelevant to the analysis category, since the courtyard has no structure. The walls encompassing the courtyard are just exterior walls of the structure. The walkway in the courtyard is an open structure and I would design as such with no shielding (that's conservative, but there really is no other way to do it unless you had a wind tunnel analysis done).

The remainder of the structure (everything else) can either be partially enclosed or enclosed, depending on the protection of the openings. Presumably all of the openings are covered by a window or door. If you are in a windborne debris area with high winds, you obviously need impact resistant windows/doors or some ancillary protection of the openings in order to justify the enclosed condition. If you design for partially enclosed, you don't have to worry about that other than from a code mandate point.


A Great Place For Engineers to Help Engineers

Follow me there.....