National Building Code of the Philippines

GROUND FLOOR The storey at or near the level of the grade, the other storeys, beginning with second for the first next above, shall be designated by the successive floor numbers counting upward. GUEST ROOM Any room or rooms used, or intended to be used by a guest for sleeping purposes. Every 9.30 square meters of superficial floor area in a dormitory shall be considered to be a guest room. HABITABLE ROOM Any room meeting the requirements of this Code for sleeping, living, cooking, or dining purposes, excluding such enclosed spaces as closets, pantries, bath or toilet room, service rooms, connecting corridors, laundries, unfinished attics, storage, space cellars, utility rooms, and similar spaces. HALL, COMMON A corridor or passageway used in common by all the occupants within a building. HALL, STAIRS A hall which includes the stair, stair landings, and those portions of the common halls through which it is necessary to pass in going between the entrance floor and the room. HELIPORT An area of land or water or a structural surface which is used, or intended for use, the landing and take off helicopters and any appurtenant areas which are used, or intended for use, for heliport buildings and other heliport facilities. HELISTOP The same as heliport except that no refueling, maintenance repairs, or storage of helicopters is permitted. HOTEL A building or a part thereof with rooms occupied or intended to be occupied for hire as temporary aboding place of individuals with a general kitchen and public dining room service, but no provision for cooking in any individual suite or room. HOTEL APARTMENT An apartment house which may furnish dining room service and other services for the exclusive use of its tenants. INCOMBUSTIBLE As applied to building construction material, as material which, in the form it is used, is either one of the following: (a) Material having an structural base of incombustible material as defined in Item (2), above, with a surfacing material not over 3.2 millimeters thick which has a flame- spread rating of 50 or less. (b) "Incombustible" does not apply to surface finish materials. Material required to be incombustible for reduced clearance to flues, heating appliances, or other materials shall refer to material conforming to the provisions of this Code. No material shall be classed as incombustible which is subject to increase in combustibility or flame-spread rating beyond the limits herein established, through the effects of age, moisture, or other atmospheric condition. INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL When referred to as structural material, means brick, stone, terracotta, concrete, iron, steel, sheet, metal, or tiles, used either singly or in combination. INCOMBUSTIBLE ROOFING A covering of not less than two thickness of roofing felt and a good coat of tar and gravel or tin, corrugated iron or other approved fire-resisting material with standing seam of lap joint. INCOMBUSTIBLE STUD PARTITION A partition plastered on both sides upon metal lath or wire cloth for the full height, and fire-topped between the studs with incombustible material 20 centimeters above the floor and at the ceiling. LINE, BUILDING The line formed by the intersection of the outer surface of the enclosing wall of the building and the surface of the ground. LINTEL The beam or girder placed over an opening in a wall, which supports the wall construction above. LOAD, DEAD The weight of the permanent portions of a building or structure; it includes the weight of the walls permanent partitions, framing floors, roofs, and all other permanent and stationary fixtures mechanism, and other construction entering into and becoming a part of a building or structure. LOAD, LATERAL That load cased by winds, earthquakes, or other dynamic forces. LOAD, LIVE The weight of the contents of a building or structure; it includes all loads except dead and lateral, and weight of temporary partitions, cases, counters, and similar equipment, and all loads imposed due to the occupancy of the building or structure. LOAD, OCCUPANT The total number of persons that may occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time. LODGING HOUSE Any building or portion thereof, containing not more than five guest rooms which are used by not more than five guests where rent is paid in money, goods, labor or otherwise. LOT A parcel of land on which a principal building and its accessories are placed or may be placed together with the required open spaces. A lot may or may not be the land designated as lot or recorded plot. LOT, CORNER A lot situated at the junction of two or more streets forming an angle of not more than one hundred thirty-five degrees (135º). LOT, DEPTH OF The average horizontal distance between the front and the rear lot lines. LOT, FRONT The front boundary line of a lot bordering on the street and in the case of a corner lot, it may be either frontage. LOT, INSIDE A lot fronting on but one street of public alley and the remaining sides bounded by lot lines. LOT LINE The line of demarcation between either public and private property. LOT, OPEN A lot bounded on all sides street lines. LOT, WIDTH OF The average horizontal distance between the side lot lines. MASONRY A form of construction composed of stone, brick, concrete, gypsum, hollow clay tile, concrete block or tile, or other similar building units of material or combination of these material laid up unit and set in mortar. MASONRY SOLID Masonry of solid units built without hollow spaces. MASONRY UNIT Brick, block, tile, stone or other similar building unit or combination thereof, made to be bounded together by a cementation agent. MEZZANINE OR MEZZANINE FLOOR A partial intermediate floor in any storey or room of a building having an area not more than one-half of the area of the room or space in which it is constructed. NON-CONFORMING BUILDING A building which does not conform with the regulations of the district where it is situated as to height, yard requirement, lot area, and percentage of occupancy. NON-CONFORMING USE The use of a building or land or any portion of such building or land which does not conform with the use and regulation of the zone where it is situated. OCCUPANCY The purpose for which a building is used or intended to be used. The term shall also include the building or room housing such use. Change of occupancy is not intended to include change of tenants or proprietors. OWNER Any person, company, or corporation owning the property or properties under consideration or the receiver or trustee thereof. PANIC HARDWARE A bar which extends across at least one-half the width of each door leaf, which will open the door if subjected to pressure. PARTITION An interior subdividing walls. PIER An insolated mass of masonry forming support for arches, columns, girders, lintels, trusses, and similar structural parts. PLASTER A portion of the wall which projects on one or both sides and acts as a vertical beam, a column, or both. PLASTER, PORTLAND, CEMENT A mixture of portland cement, or portland cement and lime, and aggregate and other approved material as specified in this Code.