The Ontario Building Code | Group C, Any Height, Any Area, Sprinklered
3.2.2.42. Group C, Any Height, Any Area, Sprinklered
(1) Except as permitted by Articles 3.2.2.43. to 3.2.2.48., a building classified as Group C shall conform to Sentence (2).
Note: On July 1, 2017, Sentence 3.2.2.42.(1) of Division B of the Regulation is amended by adding "other than a retirement home" after "Group C". (See: O. Reg. 139/17, s. 18)
(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,
(b) except as permitted by Sentence (3), floor assemblies shall be fire separationswith a fire-resistance rating not less than 2 h,
(c) mezzanines shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h, and
(d) loadbearing walls, columns and arches shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the supported assembly.
(3) In a building that contains dwelling units that have more than 1 storey, subject to the requirements of Sentence 3.3.4.2.(3), the floor assemblies, including floors over basements, which are entirely contained within these dwelling units, shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h but need not be constructed as fire separations.
In Plain Language
This article sets one of the specific size-and-construction packages available for a Group C (residential, other than retirement homes) buildings building: any height and area, provided the building is noncombustible construction, sprinklered, with 2-hour floor assemblies (subject to an exception) 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.