Chapter 3A — PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS

User notes:

About this chapter: Chapter 3A controls the compliance options for alteration, repair, addition, evaluation and change of occupancy of existing structures regulated by the Department of Health Care Access and Information/Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development, which include hospitals and correctional treatment centers [applications listed in Section 1.10.1 (OSHPD 1)].

The provisions of this section are intended to maintain or increase the current degree of public safety, health and general welfare in existing buildings while permitting repair, alteration, addition and change of occupancy without requiring full compli- ance with California Building Code Chapters 2 through 33, or Sections 302A.3 and 502A through 506A, except where compliance with other provisions of this code is specifically required in this section.

Services/systems and utilities that originate in and pass through or under buildings and are necessary to the operation of the hospital buildings shall meet the structural requirements of this section. Examples of services/systems and utilities include but are not limited to normal power; emergency power; nurse call; fire alarm; communication and data systems; space-heating systems; process load systems; cooling systems; domestic hot and cold water systems; means of egress systems; fire-suppression systems; building drain and sewer systems; and medical gas systems that support basic and supplemental services.

After January 1, 2030, services/systems and utilities for acute care hospital buildings shall not originate in or pass through or under a nonhospital or hospital building unless it has approved performance categories of SPC-3 or higher and NPC-5.

310A.1.1 Services/systems and utilities. Services/systems and utilities that are necessary to the operation of the hospital buildings shall meet the structural requirements of this section, based upon the approved Structural Performance Category (SPC) of the build- ing receiving the services/systems and utilities.

Services from a conforming building shall be permitted to serve a nonconforming building with prior approval of the Office. The services/systems and utilities in the nonconforming building shall be equipped with fail safe valves, switches or other equivalent devices that allow the nonconforming building to be isolated from the conforming building.

Exception: Remodel projects that use available existing services/systems and utilities are exempted from the requirements of this section. The enforcing agency shall be permitted to exempt minor addition, minor alteration and minor remodel projects and proj- ects to upgrade existing services/systems and utilities from the requirements of this section.

310A.1.1.1 Services/systems and utilities for hospital buildings.

310A.1.1.1.1 New hospital buildings, additions, alterations and remodels of conforming (SPC-3, -4, -4D or -5) hospital buildings. Services/systems and utilities for new hospital buildings and additions, alterations or remodels to existing conform- ing buildings shall originate in hospital buildings that are conforming or have approved performance categories of SPC-3 or higher, and NPC-4/NPC-4D or higher. The services/systems and utilities shall not pass through or under buildings that do not have approved performance categories of SPC-2 or higher and NPC-4/NPC-4D or higher.

Exceptions:

Services/systems and utilities shall be permitted to pass through or under buildings that have approved nonstructural performance categories of NPC-3 or higher or NPC-2, provided that the building has an approved extension to the NPC-3 deadline. The services/systems and utilities feeding the new building addition, alteration or remodel shall conform to the new building provisions of this code and shall be deemed by OSHPD to be free of adverse seismic interactions that could be caused by potential failure of overhead or adjacent components.

310A.1.1.1.2 Additions, alterations and remodels of SPC-2 hospital buildings. Services/systems and utilities for additions, alterations or remodels of SPC-2 hospital buildings shall be permitted to originate in and pass through or under SPC-2 or higher buildings that have an approved nonstructural performance category of NPC-3 or higher.

Exception: Services/systems and utilities shall be permitted to pass through or under buildings that have approved nonstructural performance categories of NPC-2, provided that the building has an approved extension to the NPC-3 dead- line. Services/systems and utilities feeding the addition, alteration or remodel shall conform to the nonstructural bracing requirements for new buildings.

310A.1.1.1.3 Alterations and remodels of SPC-1 hospital buildings. Services/systems and utilities for alterations or remod- els of SPC-1 hospital buildings shall be permitted to originate in and pass through or under SPC-1 or higher buildings that have an approved nonstructural performance category of NPC-2 or higher.

310A.1.1.1.4 Buildings without SPC/NPC ratings. When services/systems and utilities for new buildings, additions, alter- ations or remodels pass through or under hospital buildings which would not otherwise require evaluation for an SPC rating, such buildings shall be evaluated in accordance with the requirements of Section 1.3, Chapter 6, of the California Administrative Code, to determine the appropriate ratings, or shall be shown to meet the structural requirements of these regulations for new hospital buildings. The services/systems and utilities feeding the new building addition, alteration or remodel shall conform with new building provisions of this code and shall be deemed by OSHPD to be free of adverse seismic interactions that could be caused by potential failure of overhead or adjacent components.

l be shown to meet the structural requirements of these regulations for new_ hospital buildings. The services/systems and utilities feeding the new building addition, alteration or remodel shall conform with new building provisions of this code and shall be deemed by OSHPD to be free of adverse seismic interactions that could be caused by potential failure of overhead or adjacent components.

310A.1.1.1.5 Buildings removed from acute-care hospital service. Services/systems and utilities for conforming acute care hospital buildings shall be permitted to pass through or under a building that has been removed from acute care hospital service until January 1, 2030, if the building removed from service meets the performance requirements of Section 310A.1.1.1.1. Services/systems and utilities for nonconforming nonacute care hospital buildings shall be permitted to pass

3A-10 2025 CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

PROVISIONS FOR ALL COMPLIANCE METHODS

through or under a building that has been removed from acute care hospital service only if the building removed from service meets the performance requirements of Section 310A.1.1.1.2.

Exception : Service/system and utilities for acute care hospital buildings may pass through or under the buildings that have been removed from acute care service and which do not meet the performance requirements of Section 310A.1.1.1.1 or Section 310A.1.1.1.2, provided all the following are met:

1. The building removed from acute care service remains under the jurisdiction of OSHPD.

2. The service/system and utilities only support acute care services in SPC-1 or SPC-2 buildings, and where no critical

care areas occur.

3. The SPC-1 or SPC-2 buildings supported by the service/system and utilities meet the nonstructural requirements of NPC-2, as defined in the California Administrative Code, Article 11, Table 11.1 and are served with essential power from a conforming building or source which does not pass through or under a building removed from acute care services.

4. The SPC-2 buildings supported by the service/system and utilities are removed from acute care service no later than January 1, 2026.

310A.1.2 Jurisdiction. Services/systems and utilities shall originate in and only pass through or under buildings that are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).