The Ontario Building Code | Group A, Division 3, Any Height, Any Area
3.2.2.29. Group A, Division 3, Any Height, Any Area
(1) Except as permitted by Articles 3.2.2.30. to 3.2.2.34., a building classified as Group A, Division 3 shall conform to Sentences (2) and (3).
(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 than 1 h,
(d) if the buildingis not sprinklered, roof assemblies shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h, and
(e) loadbearingwalls, columns and arches shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the supported assembly.
(3) If intended for occasional use for trade shows and similar exhibition purposes, the building referred to in Sentence (1) that is more than 1 500 m2 in building area shall be sprinklered.
In Plain Language
This article sets one of the specific size-and-construction packages available for a Group A, Division 3 (assembly, arena-type) 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.