The Ontario Building Code | Group D, Any Height, Any Area
3.2.2.49. Group D, Any Height, Any Area
(1) Except as permitted by Articles 3.2.2.50. to 3.2.2.56., a building classified as Group D shall conform to Sentence (2).
(2) Except as permitted by Article 3.2.2.16., the buildingreferred to in Sentence (1) shall be of noncombustible construction, and,
(a) except as permitted by Sentence 3.2.2.7.(1), the building shall be sprinklered if it is regulated by Subsection 3.2.6.,
(b) floor assemblies shall be fire separations with a fire-resistance rating not less than 2 h,
(c) mezzaninesshall have a fire-resistance rating not less 1 h,
(d) if the buildingis not sprinklered, roof assemblies shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h, except that in a building not more than 1 storeyin building height this requirement is waived, and
(e) loadbearingwalls, columns and arches shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the supported assembly.
In Plain Language
This article sets one of the specific size-and-construction packages available for a Group D (business/personal services) buildings building: any height and area, provided the building is noncombustible construction, sprinklered if regulated as a high building, with 2-hour floor assemblies and 1-hour mezzanines. Designers can choose whichever of the several packages in this Subsection best fits the building being planned, trading height and area against construction type, sprinklering, and fire-resistance rating requirements.
This is a plain-language summary of the 2012/2017 Ontario Building Code text above, for general understanding only and not a substitute for the Code. Always confirm current requirements against the 2024 edition (O.Reg. 163/24) or a qualified professional before construction.