Storeys of buildings - an indicator that is used to characterize structures in terms of their height. It is used in a number of regulatory documents (about them - hereinafter) to indicate the technical characteristics of the buildings being created. It has a number of specific characteristics.
general information
SNiP 31-01-2003 was chosen as the most suitable regulatory document. It is necessary to extract from it several especially important points:
- Only the aboveground part is included in the concept of number of storeys.
- A space whose height does not reach 1.8 meters does not apply to it.
- Attic is included in the total number of storeys.
- Basement and technical levels can be considered as elevated only if their upper ceiling is not less than two meters from the ground.
The floors of the building are used to indicate the height of the structures.
About the quantitative factor
This concept is provided for by the Town Planning Code, and also applies to various examinations. This is one of the normative documents on which the concept of number of storeys is based. It is used to determine the height of structures in such cases as:
- deviations in the design documentation upon approval;
- problems during examinations;
- difficulties in participating in government projects and orders;
- problems in coordinating individual housing projects;
- and many others.
As many might guess, the problems here relate to determining the number of storeys of a building. How to prevent such a development of the situation?
Example
Most often, such confusion is faced by those who conduct individual housing construction. Why is this situation? The fact is that only the house in which the number of floors does not exceed three falls under the definition of individual housing construction. In this case, for the facilities under construction it is not necessary to conduct a state examination.
Let's say that a house has three elevated levels. And another underground technical floor, where boiler equipment and many other engineering units are located. And now the number of levels in the house is already four. And as we remember, state expertise is not needed in cases where the number of floors is not more than three. Many are confused in such a situation and believe that the conversation in the documentation is about the number of storeys, but this idea is not true. If this circumstance is not taken into account when preparing and further coordinating project documentation, then in the future troubles may arise. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that almost all the regulatory provisions available in the Town Planning Code, as well as other regulatory acts, are oriented, as a rule, not to the number of storeys of a building. What matters to them is how many levels are in it.
About number of storeys
Now is the turn of the housing inventory. Number of storeys is determined by the number of built elevated levels. When designing, it is necessary to take into account a number of specific points. Namely, that due to the number of storeys of a residential building fall:
- technical floor;
- attic;
- basement - provided that the top of its ceiling is at least two meters above the ground;
- platforms, mezzanines, tiers (if their area is at least 40% of the level size).
At the same time, one should not forget about safety requirements. Indeed, various problems, for example, the peculiarities of fires in high-rise buildings, can lead to significant casualties when people are cut off from escape routes and cannot leave the danger zone. The height of buildings can make this process difficult.
Space that is not counted
In this case, the following are noted, although the number of floors does not include:
- Technical underground under construction. Regardless of its height, it does not count.
- Interfloor space. Provided that its height does not exceed 1.8 meters.
- Technical loft. Provided that its height does not exceed 1.8 meters.
- Technical superstructures on the roof. These are machine rooms of elevators, ventilation chambers, exits from stairwells, roof boiler rooms.
Bureaucratic Question
You need to know about certain nuances during the preparation of the technical plan. For example, if a structure has a different number of levels, it is necessary to indicate the smallest and largest values using intervals. For example: 14-16. But with an inventory of the housing stock, the rules change a bit. So, if an object has a different number of levels, then the number of storeys is determined by the highest value. It is also necessary to remember the restrictions that allow the construction to be attributed to a specific group. For example, individual residential buildings should have no more than three above-ground floors. Whereas, according to the current legislation, for auxiliary facilities, state expertise is necessary if it is planned to build more than two levels.
Classification
The classification of buildings by number of floors provides for the allocation of small, medium and large objects. Each of them has its own requirements:
- Low-rise buildings. These include all buildings with one to four levels, taking into account the attic.
- Mid-rise buildings. The number of levels which ranges from five to eight.
- High-rise buildings (high-rise buildings). These are structures with nine or more levels.
It should be noted that this is far from the only classification approach. In addition to it, there is also such:
- Low-rise buildings. They have one or two levels.
- Mid-rise buildings. They have from three to five levels.
- Multi-story houses. Have from six levels.
- High-rise buildings. They have eleven to sixteen levels.
- High-rise buildings. Have from sixteen floors.
And even these two classification approaches are not limited to. This is due to the fact that there are no clear and uniform criteria for the many concepts used. For example, the designations presented in the article, but with other practical indicators, can be used. Until a uniform norm is developed and adopted at the legislative level, such "fluctuations" in the classification will continue.
Security questions
Of course, I would like nothing dangerous to happen, but it's better to be prepared for possible problems. This applies both to the means of elimination, and to the ways of salvation. If we talk about the totality of requirements related to durability, fire resistance, as well as a number of other operational qualities, then all buildings should be divided into four classes:
- These are large industrial and public buildings, residential buildings on nine or more floors. They are characterized by increased operational and architectural requirements.
- High demands are placed on most small public and industrial buildings, residential buildings up to nine floors.
- Buildings with average architectural and operational requirements - residential buildings of small and medium floors.
- Temporary buildings that must meet a minimum of operational and architectural requirements.
This is far from all that needs to be taken into account. So, you should always think about possible escape routes. If you touch on the features of high-rise buildings, then you should know that they need not only porches, but also stairs located on the sides of the buildings. With low-rise buildings, in this regard it is easier, because in case of an emergency, residents can leave them not only through doors, but also through window openings. Whereas for the ninth floor such a “backup plan” looks no better than the danger itself.
On the implementation of legislative norms of construction
This is very important for a number of factors:
- Neglect of established standards does not contribute to the reliability of the final product. Builders will not be able to realize it for future residents, and this is the best outcome. And it is also possible that the erected building will collapse and take away human lives.
- Neglect of the established norms, when they are identified by the controlling commissions, is “rewarded” with fines and regulations. If an unpleasant incident occurred, which resulted in loss of health or death of a person, then the responsible person may be suspended from work with subsequent imprisonment.
You should always remember that safety rules are written in blood, so you do not need to neglect them. And ultimately, in the event of unpleasant incidents, their compliance pays off in full. Although many do not like the regulatory bureaucracy (it should be noted that quite often it is deserved), but it should not be completely ignored. After all, many different aspects and nuances in question deserve to be given due attention.
To partially assess the consequences, you can see the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. Here we are most interested in article 9.4 "Violation of mandatory requirements in the field of construction ...". So, the amount of fines varies in the range from twenty thousand to a million rubles.
Conclusion
So the basic information on the main topic is considered. Of course, if you delve into more detailed nuances, then there is still something to talk about. But alas, even a whole book may not be enough for a full discussion of the topic. The information provided should be more than enough to learn how to distinguish the number of storeys of a building and its levels, understand the subject of the article and understand various issues that may arise during the design or execution of documentation. Although it is better not to hope that such a small amount of information is enough to confront a real professional in the dispute. And it should be remembered - the number of storeys of the building is used to give the characteristics of the height of buildings. But this parameter has a number of specific features and requirements, because of which there are differences between the use of household and bureaucratic terminologies.