| (a) Construction phase.
(1) The Texas Health and Human Services Commission
(HHSC) in Austin, Texas, must be notified in writing of construction
start.
(2) All construction must be done in accordance with
minimum licensing requirements. It is the sponsor's responsibility
to employ qualified personnel to prepare the contract documents for
construction of a new facility or remodeling of an existing facility.
Contract documents for additions and remodeling and for the construction
of an entirely new facility must be prepared by an architect licensed
by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE). Drawings must
bear the seal of the architect. Certain parts of final plans, designs,
and specifications must bear the seal of a registered professional
engineer approved by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers to
operate in Texas. These certain parts include sheets and sections
covering structural, electrical, mechanical, and sanitary engineering.
(A) Remodeling is the construction, removal, or relocation
of walls and partitions; the construction of foundations, floors,
or ceiling-roof assemblies; the expanding or altering of safety systems
(including sprinkler, fire alarm, and emergency systems); or the conversion
of space in a facility to a different use.
(B) General maintenance and repairs of existing material
and equipment, repainting, applications of new floor, wall, or ceiling
finishes, or similar projects are not included as remodeling, unless
as a part of new construction. HHSC must be provided flame spread
documentation for new materials applied as finishes.
(b) Contract documents.
(1) Site plan documents must include grade contours;
streets (with names); north arrow; fire hydrants; fire lanes; utilities,
public or private; fences; unusual site conditions, such as ditches,
low water levels, other buildings on-site; and indications of buildings
five feet or less beyond site property lines.
(2) Foundation plan documents must include general
foundation design and details.
(3) Floor plan documents must include room names, numbers,
and usages; doors (numbered) including swing; windows; legend or clarification
of wall types; dimensions; fixed equipment; plumbing fixtures; and
kitchen basic layout; and identification of all smoke barrier walls
(outside wall to outside wall) or fire walls.
(4) For both new construction and additions or remodeling
to existing buildings, an overall plan of the entire building must
be drawn or reduced to fit on an 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch sheet; submit
two reduced plans for file record, as described in §551.60(c)(3)
of this subchapter (relating to Construction and Initial Survey of
Completed Construction).
(5) Schedules must include door materials, widths,
and types; window materials, sizes, and types; room finishes; and
special hardware.
(6) Elevations and roof plan must include exterior
elevations, including material note indications and any roof top equipment;
roof slopes, drains, and gas piping; and interior elevations where
needed for special conditions.
(7) Details must include wall sections as needed (especially
for special conditions); cabinet and built-in work, basic design only;
cross sections through buildings as needed; and miscellaneous details
and enlargements as needed.
(8) Building structure documents must include structural
framing layout and details (primarily for column, beam, joist, and
structural frame building); roof framing layout (when this cannot
be adequately shown on cross section); cross sections in quantity
and detail to show sufficient structural design and structural details
as necessary to assure adequate structural design, also calculated
design loads.
(9) Electrical documents must include electrical layout,
including lights, convenience outlets, equipment outlets, switches,
and other electrical outlets and devices; service, circuiting, distribution,
and panel diagrams; exit light system (exit signs and emergency egress
lighting); emergency electrical provisions (such as generators and
panels); fire alarm and similar systems (such as control panel, devices,
and alarms); sizes and details sufficient to assure safe and properly
operating systems; and a staff communication system.
(10) Plumbing documents must include plumbing layout
with pipe sizes and details sufficient to assure safe and properly
operating systems, water systems, sanitary systems, gas systems, other
systems normally considered under the scope of plumbing, fixtures,
and provisions for combustion air supply.
(11) Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC)
documents must include sufficient details of HVAC systems and components
to assure a safe and properly operating installation including heating,
ventilating, and air-conditioning layout, ducts, protection of duct
inlets and outlets, combustion air, piping, exhausts, and duct smoke
or fire dampers; and equipment types, sizes, and locations.
(12) Sprinkler system documents must include plans
and details of NFPA designed systems; plans and details of partial
systems provided only for hazardous areas; electrical devices interconnected
to the alarm system.
(13) Other layouts, plans, or details as may be necessary
for a clear understanding of the design and scope of the project;
including plans covering private water or sewer systems must be reviewed
by the local health or wastewater authority having jurisdiction. If
no local authority, then the plans will be reviewed by HHSC.
(14) Specifications must include installation techniques,
quality standards, manufacturers, references to specific codes and
standards, design criteria, special equipment, hardware, painting,
and any others as needed to amplify drawings and notes.
(c) Initial survey of completed construction.
(1) Upon completion of construction, including grounds
and basic equipment and furnishings, a final construction inspection
(initial survey) of the facility, including additions or remodeled
areas, is required to be performed by HHSC prior to occupancy. The
completed construction must have the written approval of the local
authorities having jurisdiction, including the fire marshal, and building
inspector.
(2) After the completed construction has been surveyed
by a representative of the architectural section of HHSC and found
acceptable, this information will be conveyed to the licensing specialist
as part of the information needed to issue a license to the facility.
In the case of additions or remodeling of existing facilities, a revision
or modification to an existing license may be necessary. Note that
the building, grades, drives, parking and grounds must be essentially
100 percent complete at the time of this initial survey visit for
occupancy approval and licensing, including basic furnishings and
operational needs.
(3) A copy of the following documents must be available
to HHSC's surveyor at the time of the survey of the completed building:
(A) written approval of local authorities as called
for in paragraph (1) of this subsection;
(B) written certification of the fire alarm system
by the installing agent (Form FML-009A of the Texas State Fire Marshal);
(C) documentation of materials used in the building
which are required to have a specific limited fire or flame spread
rating, including special wall finishes or floor coverings, flame
retardant curtains (including cubicle curtains), and rated ceilings.
This must include a signed letter from the installer verifying that
the material installed is the same material named in the laboratory
test document;
(D) approval of the completed sprinkler system installation
by the designing engineer. A copy of the material list and test certification
must be available;
(E) service contracts for maintenance and testing of
systems, including alarm systems and sprinkler systems;
(F) a copy of gas test results of the facility's gas
lines from the meter;
(G) a written statement from an architect or engineer
stating that he or she certifies that the building was constructed
to meet NFPA 101 and all locally applicable codes, and that the facility
is in substantial conformance with minimum licensing requirements;
and
(H) the contract documents specified in subsection
(b) of this section.
(d) Non-approval of new construction.
(1) If, during the initial on-site survey of completed
construction, the surveyor finds certain basic requirements not met,
he or she may recommend to HHSC that the facility not yet be licensed
and approved for occupancy. Such basic items may include the following:
(A) construction which does not meet minimum code or
licensure standards for basic requirements such as corridor widths
being less than eight feet clear width, ceilings installed at less
than the minimum seven feet six inches height, resident bedroom dimensions
less than required width, and other such features which would disrupt
or otherwise adversely affect the residents and staff if corrected
after occupancy;
Cont'd... |
