apartment building codes and risk of penetration

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mustang_steve

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I was reading the .410 thread, when someone pointed out that modern building codes dictates a cinder block separator on unit boundaries.

Well, about when did that become a standard? I'm asking since I'm in a 50-year old apartment building...and honestly, it's good to know this, so one can make the decision between traditional or frangible ammo for HD.
 
Building codes are going to vary from municipality to municipality.

With the exception of my .45ACP, I use hollow-points in all of my pistols. I want big holes, and it happens to cut down over-penetration. Double win.

-Mark
 
Building codes are going to vary from municipality to municipality
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This.

There's no such requirement here. Mutli-dwelling apartments here are all stick built with extra insulation in between units only - no masonry of any sort.
 
Cool beans...well since they do vary, is there any easy (online) way to verify what the codes are or were for an area?

My concern isn't over-penetration as much as if a miss will end up out of bounds so to say.
 
"...Mutli-dwelling apartments here are all stick built..." Very old buildings maybe, but modern multiple dwelling building codes require fire stopping/retarding construction.
"...My concern isn't over-penetration..." It should be. You are responsible for where every shot ends up. A 50 year old building might be a bunch of hollow concrete blocks. Can you thump on the wall and expect the noisy neighbours to hear it?
 
Most codes only require a "fire break" which in actuality is fire resistant drywall. Results would be pretty much the same as regular drywall......
 
I should have used different wording in regards to over-penetration. It always matters...I just saw the odds of a miss as being the greater evil here. If the wall can handle a direct hit, it can deal with a stray due to over-penetration.

I've decided to bother the city to find out the details for this building...code here is pretty strange, and it seems some buildings in this complex aren't built the same as others.
 
When I used to do electrical, we did many typical houses, apartment complex style buildings, as well as many nursing/rehab facilities. If the house had an attached garage, the firewall was doubled up 5/8 sheetrock. Same for the walls that separated the apartments. In most nursing homes, each wing had to have a fire wall. This was also sheetrock, but floor to roof (meaning from the ground, all the way up through the living space, and all the way up through the attic, with doors that remained closed)

Not that sheetrock is all that great, but given you have double 5/8", then most likely 1/2" on the other side of the wall in most apartments, thats around 1 3/4" worth of sheetrock to go through, barring you dont hit a stud, or anything on the other side.

Is it going to stop a bullet? Doubtful, but at least its not paper mache'
 
Most codes only require a "fire break" which in actuality is fire resistant drywall. Results would be pretty much the same as regular drywall......
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As a contractor in major cities around the state, as well as many small communities, I have never seen a building code that requires masonry of any sort as a separation for living units!

Having taken many courses in building codes, including a rather thorough knowledge of the IBC (International Building Code- the standard used in the US), I seriously doubt this requirement exists in any community.

What is universally accepted is "UL listed Fire Separation".... which can be as simple as metal studs (very thin stamped metal studs) with 5/8 Firecode drywall on both sides, fire taped, with insulation for sound deadening (the insulation can be standard fiberglass batt insulation- read- no practical bullet stopping power)... This configuration is most often used in apartment buildings these days BY FAR... it can be a masonry wall (with no penetrations that aren't fire caulked), but, because of expense, that is only used where it fits into the plan (structural reasons).

DON'T COUNT ON YOUR BUILDING HAVING MASONRY SEPARATION WALLS WITHOUT CONFIRMING!!! (you can usually find some place that exposes the structure without damaging the unit.... or make a small hole in the wall to check and patch it)
 
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