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Exterior Load-Bearing Walls of Multi-Story Construction

This motel is four stories high with an area of approximately 40,000 square feet. The building was originally designed as a UBC Type V-one hour, wood frame structure with an NFPA 13 fire sprinkler system throughout.
When a sprinkler system is installed in a multistory building, the Uniform Building Code (UBC) allows either a doubling of the base area or a height increase of one story.
Without sprinklers, the limit for a Type V-one hour motel is three stories with a maximum base area of 21,000 square feet.
With sprinklers it is either three stories and 42,000 square feet, or four stories (50 feet max) and 21,000 square feet.
This motel is four stories high with an area of approximately 40,000 square feet. The building was originally designed as a UBC Type V-one hour, wood frame structure with an NFPA 13 fire sprinkler system throughout.
When a sprinkler system is installed in a multistory building, the Uniform Building Code (UBC) allows either a doubling of the base area or a height increase of one story.
Without sprinklers, the limit for a Type V-one hour motel is three stories with a maximum base area of 21,000 square feet.
With sprinklers it is either three stories and 42,000 square feet, or four stories (50 feet max) and 21,000 square feet.

Type III requires exterior walls to be noncombustible, or when more than three feet from a property line, FRTW can be used. The UBC's allowable height and area for this type of building is four stories (65 feet max) and 54,000 square feet.

Insurance Recognition
Fire retardant treated wood (FRTW) is recognized by the insurance industry as slow burning and can result in reduced insurance rates when used in lieu of untreated wood.

Code Section
ICBO Uniform Building Code, Section 503.4.3: In Type III and IV construction FRTW studs and sheathing can be used in exterior bearing walls where a fire resistance rating of two hours or less is required.

SBCCI Standard Building Code: While there are many uses for FRTW there is no direct parallel for this use. However, FRTW can be used in exterior non-bearing walls of Types I, II, III, IV, and V construction when the wall faces an open space of more than 30 feet in accordance with Note K, Table 600.

BOCA National Building Code: While there are many uses for FRTW, there is no direct parallel for this use. However, FRTW can be used for exterior wall finish in accordance with Section 1406.2.