Why so many 6-story buildings in OKC?

[Pete]

This is a question for those with a planning/building background...

I know for a long time that the building codes required anything taller than 6 stories to have a full sprinkler system, which of course adds a lot of cost. For this reason, many projects in the 70's and 80's stopped right at 6 levels.

Does this requirement still exist? And if not, what is the explanation for the tremendous amount of 4-, 5- and 6-story new and newer construction?


In this post about the 5 going on 6 new hotels at Meridian and the Oklahoma River, all are 5 or 6 stories. There has been no new residential built or proposed downtown taller than 6 stories; most stop at 4. Chesapeake has built over 20 structures on their campus, all 6 levels or less.

If you add up all the projects in the last decade and then add in what is proposed, there are probably 50 projects between 3 and 6 stories and a precious few that go taller than that.


There has to be a reason why 6 seems to be the magic number.

[CaptDave]

Is it the limit of stick built construction? Anything higher than X stories needs to be steel frame or reinforced concrete to handle the load?

[HangryHippo]

Is it the limit of stick built construction? Anything higher than X stories needs to be steel frame or reinforced concrete to handle the load?

I seem to remember Steve saying something like this when asked in a chat and he responded that taller buildings would have to be steel frame.

[Pete]

But even if the steel vs. wood framing bit is true, 99% of the commercial buildings I'm referencing -- all the hotels and CHK properties, for example -- are not wood framed anyway.

Some of the housing is (Level, The Hill, etc.) are wood framed but that doesn't explain the offices and hotels.

[Just the facts]

From my past experience it is because the higher you go the more parking you have to add, and the more parking you add the more landscaping is required. At some point you run out of room for the parking and landscaping so the building height has a maximum. If you had enough room you could keep building higher but the parking spaces start getting far away. They probably determined that 6 stories is the max height before the other requirements start posing a burden or are not practical.

[Snowman]

Is it the limit of stick built construction? Anything higher than X stories needs to be steel frame or reinforced concrete to handle the load?

It might be the tallest you can build one due to regulations but there has been many stick built constructions taller than 6 stories, at some point though it probably becomes more of a hazard if a fire got going than for structural reasons. It would not surprise me if the reason is most of our fire trucks are only effective from ground level to whatever height the sixth story is at.

[rlewis]

This is a question for those with a planning/building background...

I know for a long time that the building codes required anything taller than 6 stories to have a full sprinkler system, which of course adds a lot of cost. For this reason, many projects in the 70's and 80's stopped right at 6 levels.

Does this requirement still exist? And if not, what is the explanation for the tremendous amount of 4-, 5- and 6-story new and newer construction?


In this post about the 5 going on 6 new hotels at Meridian and the Oklahoma River, all are 5 or 6 stories. There has been no new residential built or proposed downtown taller than 6 stories; most stop at 4. Chesapeake has built over 20 structures on their campus, all 6 levels or less.

If you add up all the projects in the last decade and then add in what is proposed, there are probably 50 projects between 3 and 6 stories and a precious few that go taller than that.


There has to be a reason why 6 seems to be the magic number.

Pete, the building fire codes are even stronger than they were years ago. All new hotels, regardless of height, must have sprinkler systems. On new commercial buildings, the classification system and occupancy (not the number of floors) are the determining factors in the sprinkler requirements. Also the type of contents within the building play a large part in the requirements as well. Residential buildings have their own set of rules, but I'm not familiar with them.

[db411]

I know 6 stories is about the limit of hydraulic elevators - cable elevators can go much higher of course. Not sure if there is a single thing in the code anyone can point to but there are a lot of factors that start adding up that make tall buildings less economical. From a cost per square foot standpoint there is a point at which going taller starts costing more money (except in the cases where land is at a premium like in a CBD but even then there are limits).

[RodH]

"ZONING ORDINANCE:
Chapter 59, Section 6200.3, Table 6200.2 concerns the maximum six (6) story
height limit in the C-4 District."

The 9-story Hilton that is proposed for I-40 and Meridian is requesting a variance from this ordinance. I have no idea how widespread this zoning is or how long the height limit has been in effect. I think that it must have an influence.

[Mel]

Maybe that height goes well with four door pickups.

[RadicalModerate]

Maybe it has something to do with this:

[rlewis]

There may be a height restriction in the Meridian area due to its proximity to the airport. For example, San Diego has a height restriction of 500' in the downtown area due to its proximity to its airport.

[RodH]

The staff review stated the following as a favorable considering. "Many of the surrounding properties in the vicinity of I-40 and Meridian
are zoned industrial and have no height limit."

[catch22]

There may be a height restriction in the Meridian area due to its proximity to the airport. For example, San Diego has a height restriction of 500' in the downtown area due to its proximity to its airport.

I-40 and Meridian is roughly 5 miles from the closest runway. Hardly would interfere with WRWA.

[bluedogok]

There are a lot of variable that factor into building as as many have previously addressed them. I do know that the cost of a traction elevators is significantly more than a hydraulic, the freight elevator in JDM Place was half again more than the hydraulic in the clock tower. That includes the finishes in the front elevator and no finishes in the rear elevator. The freight elevator does go to the roof and is designed to carry more weight.

[mugofbeer]

I understood , I think from back when many of these buildings were built, that 6 stories was the max height for the largest hook and ladder fire truck to reach. Higher than this and there were additional construction requirements for fire safety.