Interpretation #6635
Published September 20, 2010
Original Request
- Code Version
- 2007
- Code
- BUILDING
- Code Description
- Building
- Chapter
- 24
- Section
- 2411 and 2414
- Topic
- design vs NOA
Question
Is it the intent of the Building Code to allow professional structural engineers to design the anchorage of glazing systems that differ from the products NOA do to substrate, or geometry, or pressure requirements?
Answer Published 09/20/2010 at 11:21 AM
Yes. Diverging from a product approval, be it local
approval, an authorized testing lab or NOA sheet, or
Florida approval number places the responsibility on the
design professional. Please see the commentary for
additional information.
approval, an authorized testing lab or NOA sheet, or
Florida approval number places the responsibility on the
design professional. Please see the commentary for
additional information.
Commentary
A properly registered design professional (engineer, for
example) may submit drawings as a "design" in accordance
with the product approval rule for local approval to the
local official as the system was intended (Step 1). A
design professional may also take testing data and provide
it with appropriate documentation as an alternate method to
the local official for approval (Step 2). The last step of
the product approval process, Step 3, is to use a product
approval number, or NOA. The building code did not intend
to take away the ability of the local official to approve
appropriate designs and this process is in comformance with
the building code.