# Parking Garage - FBC Building 406.5.2



## Michael Knott (Feb 13, 2018)

Can someone please help me understand the 2017 FBC Building 406.5.2 code? I am currently designing the HVAC for a building with a parking garage and am trying to determine whether I need to add mechanical ventilation in the parking garage or not. This parking garage has solid walls on three sides and fencing for one side. Is it possible to define a parking garage as an open parking garage if only one side has openings?


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## mark handler (Feb 13, 2018)

I do not have the Florida code with me but we have discussed this
https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/garage-open-air-calculations.5589/


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## cda (Feb 13, 2018)

Welcome


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## cda (Feb 13, 2018)

https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/do...ailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy


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## cda (Feb 13, 2018)

OPEN PARKING GARAGE. A structure or portion of a structure with the openings as described in Section 406.5.2 on two or more sides that is used for the parking or storage of private motor vehicles as described in Section 406.5.3.


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## cda (Feb 13, 2018)

Not into garages , but Don’t look like you have an open garage



406.5.2 Openings. 
For natural _ventilation_ purposes, the exterior side of the structure shall have uniformly distributed openings on two or more sides. The area of such openings in _exterior walls_ on a tier shall be not less than 20 percent of the total perimeter wall area of each tier. The aggregate length of the openings considered to be providing natural _ventilation_ shall be not less than 40 percent of the perimeter of the tier. Interior walls shall be not less than 20 percent open with uniformly distributed openings. 

Exception: Openings are not required to be distributed over 40 percent of the building perimeter where the required openings are uniformly distributed over two opposing sides of the building.


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