BCAB #1909

May 23, 2023

Re:  Buildings designated post-disaster.

Project Description:

The proposed Interim Psychiatric Assessment Unit (I-PAU) building is one storey in height and 453.8 m² in area. It will be a Group B Division 1 major occupancy and will be of noncombustible construction and sprinklered. The intent is to relocate the existing PAU currently in the Park Centre into the I-PAU temporarily to allow for the construction of a new 9 storey acute care tower (ACT) on the Richmond Hospital campus. When the ACT is complete in 2028, the I-PAU will relocate to its permanent location and the I-PAU will be demolished.

Applicable Code requirements: (BCBC 2018)
Post-disaster building means a building that is essential to the provision of services in the event of a disaster, and includes
• hospitals, emergency treatment facilities and blood banks,
• telephone exchanges,
• power generating stations and electrical substations,
• control centres for air, land and marine transportation,
• public water treatment and storage facilities, and pumping stations,
• sewage treatment facilities,
• buildings having critical national defence functions, and
• buildings of the following types, except buildings exempted from this designation by the authority having jurisdiction:
• emergency response facilities,
• fire, rescue and police stations and housing for vehicles, aircraft or boats used for such purposes, and
• communications facilities, including radio and television stations.
(See Note A-1.4.1.2.(1).)

Note A-1.4.1.2.(1) Post-disaster Building

There may be circumstances where the authority having jurisdiction would choose to exempt certain types of buildings or parts thereof from being designated as post-disaster buildings in order to permit them to be governed by Part 9 rather than by the rest of the Code. Such is the case in the following examples: an ambulance that is stored at a volunteer’s residence or a police station that is housed in a small shopping mall. The circumstances where such exemptions are permitted are intentionally limited by the definition of post-disaster building.

Decision being appealed: (local authority’s position)

The local authority has determined the code definition of post disaster building clearly includes hospitals and emergency treatment facilities.  The psychiatric assessment unit (PAU) is an integral part of the hospital's clinical services, and functions in cohesion with the Emergency Department for the treatment of psychiatric patients.  Hospitals are essential services required by the code to remain operational in the event of a major disaster.  In accordance with Sentence 4.1.2.1.(3), the PAU building shall be designed to the post disaster importance category for snow, wind, and earthquake loads.  There are no provisions in the code to exempt a 7-year hospital facility as part of a phased construction project from the post disaster requirements.

Appellant's position:

The proposed I-PAU is an assessment unit that receives patients after they have been processed by the Emergency Department, another building. In the event of a significant earthquake, the Emergency Department will not be able to process new patients or send new patients to the I-PAU, which would remain standing as per normal seismic conformance requirements of 2018 BCBC but may not be functional after such an event.

The I-PAU on its own would not be providing services to the general population in a post disaster scenario after a significant seismic event, as the Emergency Department may not be functional. We therefore take the position that this interim structure need not be designated a post disaster building.

Appeal Board Decision #1909

It is the determination of the Board that the proposed building meets the definition of a post-disaster building.

Reason for decision

There is no exception provided in the definition of a post-disaster building for a hospital. However, the local authority may want to consider the notes to 1.4.1.2.(1) that allows them to exempt certain types of buildings or parts thereof. The subject building has a very specific use and may not practically accommodate a post-disaster function.

Frankie Victor
Acting Chair, Building Code Appeal Board