| (a) Construction phase.
(1) DADS' Regulatory Services Licensing and Credentialing
Section must be notified in writing before construction starts.
(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. 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. DADS 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; numbered doors 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; two
reduced plans must be submitted for file record. See subsection (d)(3)
of this section.
(5) Schedules must include door materials, widths,
types; window materials, sizes, 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,
fire dampers, or combination fire and smoke dampers; and equipment
types, sizes, and locations.
(12) If a sprinkler system is provided or required
by any authority, documents must include plans and details of NFPA
designed systems; plans and details of partial systems provided only
for hazardous areas; and 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 waste water authority having jurisdiction.
(14) Specifications must include installation techniques,
quality standards and/or 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 the DADS Regulatory Services
Regional Office before 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 DADS and found acceptable, this information will be conveyed to
DADS' Regulatory Services Licensing and Credentialing Section 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. The building,
grades, drives, and parking must essentially be 100% complete at the
time of this initial visit for occupancy approval and licensing,
including basic furnishings and operational needs. A facility may
accept up to three clients between the time it receives initial approval
from DADS and the time the license is issued.
(3) The following documents must be available to DADS'
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 agency (Fire Alarm Installation Certificate of the
Texas State Fire Marshal);
(C) documentation for all materials used in the building
that 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 documentation must include a signed letter from the installer
verifying that the material installed is named in the laboratory test
document;
(D) approval of the completed sprinkler system installation
by the designing engineer, including a copy of the material list and
test certification;
(E) service contracts for maintenance and testing of
alarm systems, sprinkler systems, etc.;
(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 certifies that the building was constructed to meet
Life Safety Code, NFPA 101, 2000 edition, 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) Nonapproval of new construction.
(1) If, during the initial on-site survey of completed
construction, the surveyor finds certain basic requirements not met,
he may recommend to DADS that the facility not yet be licensed and
approved for occupancy. Such basic items may include the following:
Cont'd... |
