USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1933 > Part 10
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(15) Spacing of Buildings, Etc. The external walls of any barn or out-building shall not be placed nearer than ten feet to any house or nearer than five feet to any other building un- less said external wall be of masonry and of thickness pre- scribed for the erection of external walls in masonry buildings. Such walls shall be built twelve inches above roof boarding and shall be covered with metal, or may stop at roof boarding when so allowed by the Inspector. Porches, piazzas, bays, etc., are included in this regulation.
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All buildings hereafter built of wood to be used as dwellings, for mercantile purposes, stables, or garages, shall be shingled, clapboarded, sheathed or covered with clap siding or cement plaster on the outside walls, and the roofs thereof shall be shingled, slated, or tarred and gravelled, or covered with a material suitable to the Building Inspector.
(16) Buildings With Masonry Walls. In all buildings hav- ing masonry walls, the brick or stone shall be solidly laid in cement mortar, or cement and lime mortar. No stone wall shall be less than 16 inches thick. All foundation walls, of brick, shall be at least four inches thicker than the walls in first story, and shall be bracketed out eight inches or more at the base. External brick walls shall nowhere be less than eight inches thick. Buildings of area of 2,500 square feet or over to have not less than 12-inch thick walls.
In all two story buildings the external walls shall be at least 12 inches thick in basement above ground, and at least eight inches thick above basement.
In all three story buildings the external walls above base- ment shall be at least twelve inches thick to the second floor and eight inches above. If the building is more than thirty- five feet in height from the sidewalk to the ceiling of upper story, the external walls shall be not less than sixteen inches in the first story and twelve inches above, except in steel frame construction with curtain walls.
(17) Hollow Block Masonry.
(a) When Permitted. Hollow building blocks either of well-burned terra cotta with at least one-half inch shells and webs or of Portland concrete may be used for walls except party and fire walls exceeding three stories or forty feet in height, provided that such blocks have met the test require- ments of this by-law and are not stressed beyond the safe limits prescribed herein. The minimum thickness for such walls shall be as required for brick walls. All building blocks shall be laid in Portland cement mortar.
(b) Furring. Where hollow blocks of any kind are used as furring for walls, they shall not be included in the measure- ment of the thickness of such walls.
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(c) Hoilow Brick. The inside four inches of walls may be built of hard-burned hollow brick of the dimensions of ordi- nary bricks properly tied and bonded into the walls.
(18) Ashlar. Stone, architectural terra cotta, or other approved material used for the facing of any building and known as ashlar shall be not less than four inches thick and be thoroughly anchored to the backing. Ashlar shall not be considered in determining the minimum thickness of wall as required in this code unless it is at least four inches in thick- ness and well bonded to backing with alternate stones of eight inches thickness.
(19) Wall Thickness. Wall Thickness Above Foundation.
(a) General Requirements. The thickness of masonry wall in buildings hereafter erected or altered shall in all cases, ir- respective of any other requirements of this section, be suffi- cient to keep the stresses in the masonry within the working stresses prescribed by this code. In all cases, the wall thick- nesseses herein specified shall be applied to the nearest tier of beams to the height specified. In determining thickness of walls, story heights shall be computed at not exceeding twelve feet. The unsupported height of any wall or part thereof shall not exceed twenty times the thickness of such unsupported part, unless reinforced by adequate cross-walls, buttresses, or columns.
(b) Residence Building Requirements. For the purpose of this section the term residence buildings shall include the following type of structures: apartments, asylums, club- houses, convents, dormitories, dwellings, hospitals, hotels, laboratories, lodging houses, parish buildings, studios, tene- ments and accessory buildings, and garages of not over four car capacity. Thickness of walls shall not be less than that called for in the following tables :
For dwellings only, with wooden beams spanning not over twenty feet.
Party Walls, Fire Walls or Walls carrying floor
EXTERIOR WALLS
STORIES
BASEMENT
BASEMENT beams both sides
2 3
1 2 3
1
story building 12
1 8
12
12
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2 story building 12 8
8
12
12
12
21/2 story building 12 8
8
12
12
12
3 story building 12 12 8
8
12
12
12 12
For all other types of Residence Buildings.
Stories
Basement 1 8
2
3 4
5
6
7 8
1 story building
12
2 story building
12
12 12
3 story building
12
12
12 12
4 story building
16
12
12
12 12
(c) Public and Business Building Requirements. The term public and business buildings shall include all other buildings not used solely for residential purposes, among which are arm- ories, churches, factories, garages for more than four cars, libraries, light and power houses, markets, municipal build- ings, museums, railroad buildings, school, stables, stores, and warehouses. Thickness of walls shall not be less than called for in the following table:
Stories
Basement 1 12
2
3 4 5 6 7 8
1 story building 12
2 story building 12
12 12 3 story building
16 12 12 12
4 story building 16
16
12 12 12
(20) Special Thickness of Walls Required or Allowed.
(a) When Span is Over Twenty-five Feet. When the clear span between bearing walls is over twenty-five feet, such walls shall be increased four inches in thickness for every twelve and one-half feet or part thereof that said span is over twenty- five feet, or shall have in lieu thereof such piers or buttresses and curtain walls as in the judgment of the Building Inspector may be necessary.
(b) When Over One Hundred Feet Long Between Cross- Walls. Walls over one hundred feet long between cross-walls or proper piers or buttresses shall be increased in thickness over the minimum requirements at least four inches for every one hundred feet or part thereof over one hundred feet in length.
(c) When Over Thirty Per Cent of Area For Openings. If the horizontal section through a bearing wall shows more than
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thirty per cent area of flues and openings, such part of the wall where the excessive openings exist shall be increased four inches in thickness over minimum requirements for every fif- teen per cent, or fraction thereof, or flue or opening area in excess of thirty per cent, or adequate piers or buttresses shall be provided.
(d) When More Than One Requirement. In case the thick- ness of any wall must be increased by reason of some specific requirement of this by-law, it shall not be necessary to further increase such thickness by reason of any other specific require- ment, unless in the judgment of the Building Inspector it is deemed necessary for reasons of safety.
(e) Non-Bearing Walls-Stair Walls. Non-bearing walls and walls supporting stairs and stair landings only may be four inches less in thickness than required in clauses b. and c., of paragraph (19) provided that no such wall shall be less than eight inches thick. Non-bearing walls shall not have a greater height unsupported laterally than thirty times their thickness.
(f) Panel of Enclosure Walls. Panel or enclosure walls entirely supported at each story by girders shall be not less than eight inches thick.
(g) Existing Walls. Existing walls which are not in ac- cordance with the requirements of this code, if in good condi- tion, and if of sufficient strength, may be used without change in building hereafter erected or altered.
(h) Lining Walls. In case it is desired to use and increase the height of any existing wall which is less in thickness than required by this section, such wall shall be reinforced by a lining of brickwork, so that the combined thickness with the old wall shall be not less than four inches more than the re- quirements for a new wall corresponding with the total height of the wall as altered, provided that such lining shall not be used to a greater height than forty feet and that such wall shall not be increased to exceed sixty feet. Such lining shall be supported on proper foundations and shall be not less than eight inches in thickness and thoroughly anchored to the old wall with suitable anchors, placed two feet apart and properly
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fastened or driven into the old wall in rows, alternating ver- tically and horizontally with each other. The old wall shall be first cleaned of plaster, paint or other coatings, where any lining is to be built against the same. No wall, however, shall be lined unless in good condition and not until the approval of the Building Inspector has been given in writing.
(i) Parapets. All party walls over twenty feet high shall be finished with parapets except in fireproof buildings, de- tached dwellings, and dwellings in rows with pitched roofs. Parapets shall be the full thickness of the top story wall and shall extend two feet above the flat roof of dwellings and tene- ment houses in rows and three feet above the roof of other buildings. All parapets shall be coped with approved non- combustible material.
(j) Vaulted Walls. In all walls that are built vaulted, the same quantity of stone, brick, or concrete shall be used in their construction as if they were built solid, as in this code pro- vided, and no vaulted wall shall be built unless the parts of same are connected by proper ties, either of brick, stone, or iron, placed not over twenty-four inches apart, both horizon- tally and vertically.
(k) Bearing Walls In Running Bond. Shall be four inches thicker than the walls required under any paragraph of this section.
(21) Recesses, Chases and Flues.
(a) Stairway and Elevator Recesses. Recesses for stair- ways or elevators may be left in the foundation walls of build- ings, but in no case shall the walls be of less thickness than the walls of the fourth story unless reinforced by additional piers with iron or steel girders or iron or steel columns and girders, securely anchored to walls on each side.
(b) Alcoves. Recesses for alcoves and similar purposes shall have not less than eight inches of brickwork at the back of such recesses and such recesses shall be not more than eight feet in width and shall be arched over or spanned with iron, steel, or reinforced concrete lintels and not carried up higher than eighteen inches below the bottom of the beams of the floor next above.
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(c) Pipe Chases. No chase for pipes or other purposes shall extend into any wall more than one-third of its thickness. No horizontal chase in any wall shall exceed four feet in length. No chase shall be made within the required area of any pier. ' Chases shall not be cut in walls of hollow block construction, but may be provided by properly formed blocks. Chases shall be filled up with solid masonry within the floor thickness at each story.
(d) Limitations. The aggregate area of recesses and chases in any wall shall not exceed one-fourth of the whole area of the face of the wall of any story. No recess shall be made within a distance of six feet from any other recess in the same wall.
(22) Walls of Plain Concrete.
Plain Concrete. Concrete shall be made of Portland cement and a fine and course aggregate. Rubble concrete shall be made of Portland Cement, a fine aggregate, and a course ag- gregate, to which after depositing, stones are added. The fine aggregate shall be sand or crushed screening passing a one- quarter inch screen. The course aggregate shall be screened gravel, crushed stone, or cinders from steam power plants, composed of hard clean vitrous clinker, reasonably free from sulphides, unburned or partially burned coal and ashes, but cinder concrete may be used for walls of one-story buildings, and for floor slabs, partitions, fire-stopping, and fire-proofing only. Run-of-Bank gravel shall be used only when approved by the Inspector of Buildings. When one-man stones are used to form rubble concrete there shall be not less than three inches between the stones and the forms and between edges of adja- cent stone. When stones larger than one-man size are used to form rubble concrete, there shall be not less than six inches between the stones and the forms and between edges of ad- jacent stones. Stones shall be clean and wet and shall be de- posited in concrete already in place before the latter has com- menced to set. In piers less than four feet long in greatest horizontal dimension no stone shall be larger than one-quarter of the horizontal cross-section of the pier. Rubble concrete shall not be used for any projecting footing.
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Joints formed between portions of concrete placed at dif- ferent times shall be made in such a manner as not to weaken the completed structure. Wherever fresh concrete joins con- · crete which is set or partially set, the surface of the old con- crete shall be rough, clean and thoroughly wet.
(23) Stone Walls.
(a) Rubble Stone Masonry. All stone walls 24 inches or less in thickness shall have at least one header extending through the wall in every three feet in height from the bottom to the top of the wall and in every three feet in length; and if over 24 inches in thickness shall have one header for every six square feet of surface on each side of the wall, laid on top of each other to bond together and running together into the wall at least two feet.
All headers in stone walls shall be at least 12 inches in width and eight inches in thickness and consist of good flat stones.
No stone shall be used that does not bond or extend into the wall at least six inches.
All rubble work shall be well laid and bedded with joints filled and flushed up with mortar at every course.
Field Stone Walls. Walls of natural field stone shall be four inches thicker than required for walls of dressed stone and shall be laid in mortar and similarly bonded.
(24) Veneered Walls.
(a) Masonry Veneer. Masonry veneer applied to the walls of frame structures shall rest directly upon the masonry foun- dations and shall not be less than four inches thick.
(b) Flashings. Flashings and such other expedients as may be necessary shall be installed to prevent moisture from penetrating through the wall.
(c) How Attached. Masonry veneer shall be securely at- tached to the frame structure at intervals of not less than 20 inches vertically and 24 inches horizontally.
(d) Sheathing Required. Sheathing shall be securely at- tached to the framework of the structure behind the masonry veneer.
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(25) Faced Wall. In a skeleton frame building, brick facing of not more than four inches in thickness may be bond- ed to the frame by metal ties if other suitable precautions satisfactory to the Inspector of Buildings are taken. Such ties shall be of galvanized wire or other suitable material satis- factory to him.
In the absence of satisfactory details approved by the In- spector of Buildings the bonding of stone or brick to concrete frame buildings shall be performed in the following manner:
Stone or brick facings shall be bonded to the concrete frame with loops of copper or annealed brass wire or galvanized wire not smaller than No. 8 and embedded in the concrete and pro- jecting from same not less than six inches. Loops shall not be more than two feet on center in both directions.
On all buildings more than two stories or any building more than twenty-five feet high, in addition to the wire. bonding loops there shall be plates or angles embedded in or fastened to the concrete frame at the second story and at every other story above the second story but in no case more than twenty feet apart in the height of the wall.
The above regulations shall also govern the facing of all curtain walls between the skeleton frame and on all bearing walls so faced.
(26) Purty, Fire and Fire Division Walls.
(a) Construction. Fire walls shall be constructed of ap- proved brick or concrete as specified elsewhere in this division, not less than 12 inches thick, or eight inches thick if of rein- forced concrete. In non-fireproof buildings, fire walls shall be continuous from the foundation, with such parapets as may be required.
(b) Protection of Openings. All openings in a fire wall shall be protected on each side with automatic fire doors ap- proved for fire walls.
(c) Wooden Beams. Wooden beams entering a fire wall shall not extend more than five inches from the surface, and shall not be nearer than six inches to any other wooden beam, and shall be self releasing.
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(d) Stores in Blocks. Stores in blocks shall be separated by fire-resisting partitions of double metal lath and Portland cement mortar or its equivalent, extending from the cellar floor to roof boards in one story buildings and to store ceiling in higher buildings, with all openings protected by approved fire doors or shutters. All the ceilings of such stores shall be finished with metal lath and Portland cement mortar or its equivalent or metal ceilings. In cellars of such stores, except where such cellars are equipped with a standard system of automatic sprinklers, there shall be, in addition to such par- titions, fire walls running at substantially right angles with the street not more than 40 feet apart. The height of such cellars shall be at least seven feet in the clear, with such en- trances from the outside through a bulkhead or door as the Inspector of Buildings may consider necessary for protection against fire.
Party Walls. Every building of the third class hereafter erected to form a block of two or more buildings shall have a party wall of brick, concrete, or other equally substantial and approved fireproof material, between adjoining buildings, completely separating same, such wall to be not less than 12 inches thick.
CHAPTER XII. WOOD CONSTRUCTION.
(1) Frame Building. Every wooden building hereafter erected or enlarged shall have parts of sufficient strength for its purpose.
Any frame building shall be constructed with sills, posts, girths, plates, floor timbers, studs and rafters and all such timbers shall be of suitable size, framed and braced. All above members shall be solid timber except the plates which may be in two pieces.
(2) Sills, Posts, Etc. All buildings over one story in height used as dwellings, stores, stables, or for manufactur- ing purposes shall have sills not less than 4 x 6 inches and if over one and one-half stories high, set on piers, shall not be less than 6 x 6 inches. Posts, girths must be mortised and tenoned and pinned together. All buildings over one and one- half stories in height shall have end girths and posts mortised
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and tenoned and pinned together. Every post shall be secure- ly braced at each floor.
(3) Studs. All frame buildings shall have studs not less than 2 x 4 inches, placed not more than 16 inches on centres. All main carrying stud partitions shall not be less than 2 x 4 inches and shall extend through the floor and rest upon the header or girder below, and if over nine feet in height shall be bridged with two inch stock.
(4) Ledger Boards. When ledger boards are used they shall be at least 1 x 6 inches gained full size into posts and studs.
(5) Rafters and Plates. All buildings over one story in height shall have plates not less than 4 x 4 inches or its equiv- alent and all rafters shall be of the sizes specified in the follow- ing table.
MAXIMUM SPAN FOR RAFTERS
Total load, 66 pounds per square foot.
Size of
Distance on centers Ins.
Hemlock Ft.
Ins.
Ft.
Ins.
Ft.
2 × 6
16
9
5
10
8
12
1
2 × 6
20
8
6
9
6
10
9
3 × 6
16
11
7
13
1
14
10
3 × 6
20
10
4
11
8
13
3
2 × 8
16
12
7
14
2
16
2
2 × 8
20
11
3
12
9
14
5
2 × 8
24
10
3
11
7
13
2
3 × 8
16
15
5
17
5
19
9
3 × 8
20
13
9
15
3
17
8
3 × 8
24
12
7
14
2
16
2
2 × 10
16
15
9
17
9
20
2
2 × 10
20
14
1
15
11
18
9
2 × 10
24
12
10
14
6
16
6
2 × 12
16
18
10
21
4
24
2
2 × 12
20
16
10
19
1
21
8
2 × 12
24
15
5
17
5
19
9
(6) Girders, Trimmers, Headers, Etc. There shall be gir- ders not less than 6 x 8 inches, or their equivalent, under main
Fir Spruce
Hard Pine Ins.
joists
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partitions and floor joists shall be doubled or their equivalent, under all cross partitions. All girders or beams carrying main or cross partitions in the first floor shall be supported on masonry piers or concrete filled iron columns with iron caps top and bottom bearing Underwriters' Label, spaced not more than seven feet apart and of sufficient size to proper- ly sustain the load they carry.
Headers and trimmers of all openings over four feet square shall be floor joists doubled or their equivalent.
(7) Trusses. All self-supporting walls and partitions above the first floor of any building shall be properly trussed, in a manner approved by the Inspector of Buildings.
(8) Floor Timbers. The floor joists for all dwellings shall be in accordance with the following table:
Distance between bearings Clear Span in feet 9
Size of
Distance on Centres in inches
in inches
2 × 7
16
10
2 × 7
16
11
2 × 8
16
12
2 × 8
16
13
2 × 9
16
14
2 × 9
16
15
2 × 10
16
16
2 × 10
16
17
2 × 12
16
18
2 × 12
16
Joists
or of sizes giving their equivalent strength of floor. The attic floor joists in buildings whether finished or unfinished that may be used for storage purposes shall be framed with not less than 2 x 6 inch joists.
(9) Nails and Nailing. All boards which form any part of the frame of a building shall be nailed at each bearing with not less than two eight penny nails or their equivalent.
(10) Mill Construction. Buildings or structures of mill construction shall be constructed without hollow or concealed spaces with roofs of not less than 134 inch splined or tongued and grooved planking spiked directly to heavy roof timbers
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not less than six inches in the least dimension, covered with metal, five-ply tar and gravel or other approved incombustible roof covering, having solid floors (with protected openings) constructed of not less than 234 inch splined or tongued and grooved planking covered with not less than seven-eighths inch top flooring laid crosswise or diagonally properly nailed to heavy floor beams. The spacing of floor timbers shall be suitable for the load to be carried, the timbers in no case being less than 71/2 inches in the least dimension, and resting on top of girders or on stirrups, or on iron or steel plates in the walls, or on iron or steel caps on columns. Each timber at wall bear- ing shall be anchored with cast-iron anchor plates at least three-quarters of an inch thick, or with other suitable anchors and shall be self-releasing. In floors and roofs the timbers shall be tied together at joints with a seven-eighths inch joint bolt or with dog irons so that a continuous tie exists across the building. The columns and posts shall rest on iron or steel capitals or pintles, no wooden column or post being less than 71/2 inches in the least dimension, except under roof which may be not less than six inches, and all columns, girders, and beams of wood being of solid material, those of wrought- iron or steel being protected as required for structural metal.
(11) Enclosures of Stairs, Elevators, and other Shaft- ways.
(a) Where stairs, elevators, and other shaftways are re- quired to be enclosed, and for all vent shafts, the enclosure walls shall extend to the under side of the roof boarding, slab or arch; provided, however, that elevator shaftings running to the top floor shall extend 3 ft. above the roof. The enclo- sure construction shall be as follows or an approved construc- tion at least equivalent :
For first and second-class buildings as follows :-
(1) Brick or solid concrete or concrete block walls built according to the provisions of this ordinance and not less than 8 inches thick.
(2) Terra cotta or solid gypsum blocks at least 4 inches thick if supported on reinforced concrete or steel framing properly fireproofed. Blocks shall be plastered on both sides.
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(3) Metal lath and cement plaster making solid 2 inch partition, or hollow partition with metal studs and metal lath and cement plaster at least 3/4 inch thick on each side if supported on reinforced concrete or steel framing properly fireproofed.
(4) Wire glass in metal frames, no light of glass being over 720 sq. in. area. To be supported on reinforced concrete or steel framing properly fireproofed.
For third-class buildings, as follows :- -
(a) Walls of 4 inch studs, firestopped at each floor with brick or solid gypsum blocks laid in mortar or with cinder or stone concrete or with mineral wool and covered on both sides with metal laths and cement plaster or with approved plaster boards not less than 1/2 inch thick and coated with at least 1/4 inch of cement or gypsum plaster, except that elevator shaftways shall be built as required for first and second-class buildings.
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