2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 29 - Public Safety and State Police › Chapter 541 - Building, Fire and Demolition Codes. Fire Marshals and Fire Hazards. Safety of Public and Other Structures › Section 29-276b. - “Threshold limit” defined. Requirements when structure or addition will exceed threshold limit. Standards for facilities which perform testing of construction materials.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “threshold limit” shall apply to any structure or addition thereto (1) having four stories, (2) sixty feet in height, (3) with a clear span of one hundred fifty feet in width, (4) containing one hundred fifty thousand square feet of total gross floor area, or (5) with an occupancy of one thousand persons.
(b) The following use groups shall have the following additional threshold limits:
Use Group
Threshold Limit
I - Institutional
I-1 Residential care
150 beds or persons
I-2 Incapacitated care
I-3 Restrained, jails
and asylums
R - Residential
R-1 Residential - hotel/motel
Single structure
with 200 rooms
R-2 Residential - multifamily
Single structure
with 100 dwelling units
S - Storage
Parking structures
with 1,000 cars
S-1 Moderate hazard
250,000 square feet
S-2 Low hazard
250,000 square feet
(c) If a proposed structure or addition will exceed the threshold limit as provided in this section, the building official of the municipality in which the structure or addition will be located shall require that an independent structural engineering consultant review the structural plans and specifications of the structure or addition to be constructed to determine their compliance with the requirements of the State Building Code to the extent necessary to assure the stability and integrity of the primary structural support systems of such structure or addition. Any modifications of approved structural plans or design specifications shall require shop drawings to the extent necessary to determine compliance with the requirements of the State Building Code and shall be reviewed by such consultant. Any fees relative to such review requirements shall be paid by the owner of the proposed building project. The building official may prequalify independent structural engineering consultants to perform the reviews required under this subsection. In the case of such a project, each general contractor and major subcontractor shall keep and maintain a daily construction log in a manner prescribed by the State Building Inspector. The building official shall, upon request, have access at all reasonable times to such log. If a structure or addition exceeds the threshold limit, the architect of record, professional engineer of record responsible for the design of the structure or addition and general contractor involved in such project shall sign a statement of professional opinion affirming that the completed construction is in substantial compliance with the approved plans and design specifications. If fabricated structural load-bearing members and assemblies are used in such construction, the professional engineer licensed in accordance with chapter 391 responsible for the design of such members or assemblies shall sign a statement of professional opinion affirming that the completed fabrication is in substantial compliance with the approved design specifications.
(d) The building official of the municipality in which the structure or addition will be located shall satisfy himself that each architect, professional engineer, general contractor and major subcontractor involved in the project holds a license to engage in the work or occupation for which the appropriate building permit has been issued. If fabricated structural load-bearing members or assemblies will be used in such construction, the building official shall satisfy himself that each professional engineer responsible for the design of such members or assemblies holds a license issued in accordance with the provisions of chapter 391.
(e) (1) On and after January 1, 1990, any person, firm or corporation which performs testing of construction materials or structures, except any person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of chapter 391, may be designated by the building official or engineering consultant to perform such testing only if its facility has received and maintains accreditation by the national voluntary laboratory accreditation program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Each such person, firm or corporation shall have a professional engineer licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 391 certify tests and reports as required.
(2) Not later than July 1, 1991, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in consultation with the Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 establishing standards for the testing of construction materials and structures by any person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of chapter 391, criteria for its facility, including reinspection of such facility, and qualifications for persons performing such testing, which shall conform at a minimum to such standards, criteria and qualifications as required by the national voluntary laboratory accreditation program. On and after July 1, 1991, any person, firm or corporation licensed under the provisions of chapter 391 which performs testing of construction materials or structures may be designated by the building official or engineering consultant to perform such testing only if its facility meets the criteria established in regulations adopted under this subdivision. A professional engineer licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 391 shall certify tests and reports as required.
(P.A. 88-359, S. 4, 12; P.A. 89-255, S. 4, 7; P.A. 90-268, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-206, S. 2, 4; P.A. 02-59, S. 2; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 89-255 deleted references to “building” throughout the Sec. and inserted “structure or addition” in lieu thereof, deleted Subsec. (a)(6): “designed to be occupied by more than one family and having one hundred dwelling units”, amended Subsec. (c) to require local building official to require an independent structural engineering consultant to review structural plans and specifications to assure stability and integrity of primary structural support systems, to delete requirement that such consultant conduct field inspections, to provide that any modifications of approved structural plans shall require shop drawings to determine compliance with building code and be reviewed by consultant, to require fees for reviews to be paid by owner of project, to permit local building official to prequalify independent consultants to perform required reviews, to delete language permitting such building official or consultant to require independent lab tests for random key structural components, and to eliminate right of architect and engineer of record to have access to daily construction log, making technical changes as necessary, inserted new Subsec. (e) to require any person, firm or corporation proposing to construct a structure exceeding threshold limit to give written notice to building official of intent before filing application for building permit, relettering former Subsec. as (f), and amended Subsec. (f) to insert two Subdivs. and to extend date in Subdiv. (1) from January 1,1989 to January 1, 1990, making technical changes in Subdiv. (2) as necessary; P.A. 90-268 deleted Subsec. (f) and substituted new language requiring accreditation of, and standards for, facilities which perform testing of construction materials or structures, and that consumer protection commissioner adopt regulations establishing standards for testing of materials and structures by any licensed professional engineer for facilities and qualifications of persons performing testing; P.A. 99-206 amended Subsec. (c) by specifying that, for structures over the threshold limit, the statement of professional opinion shall be signed by the architect of record and the engineer of record responsible for the design, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 02-59 deleted former Subsec. (e) re 90-day written notice to local building official prior to filing application for building permit for structure or addition exceeding threshold limit and redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (e); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.