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Forum Categories BOMA 2010 - Office Buildings Question

IGA Boundary

Roberta Techera: NIKKEN SEKKEI; April 6, 2010

Looking at Illustration 10.6; there are several (Note 2) explaining IGA boundary in walls and in some situations pillar's surfaces, what would be "finished suface of non-glass material where such material comprises 50% or more of the vertical floor to ceiling dimension".

Now...Why are the other pillars are not described the same way? I mean there are several (Note 1) walls which include pillars, but the IGA boundary continues to be the same line as the glass surface. For example. columns at axis 3,4,5. What's the difference??

How should I consider the pillars interrupting the glass surface?

Thanks in advance.

Adam Fingret: Extreme Measures Inc.; April 8, 2010

Hi Roberta,

I agree that the illustration is not as clear as it should be - in a few cases wall segments are small and I can see how they might be construed as columns. In any event, the text should always govern when in doubt. The text is quite clear about the IGA Boundary.

Basically it says to measure to one of nine possible boundary conditions. In each, columns and other projections necessary for the building are to be ignored. Always follow the IGA boundary through columns and projections as though they do not exist.

The trick with some buildings is determining whether constructed elements are columns (in which case they are ignored) or whether they are wall segments (in which case dominant portion is the most frequent condition).