C402.1.4 Assembly U-factor, C-factor, or F-factor-based method. Building thermal envelope opaque assemblies shall meet the requirements of Section C402.2 based on the climate zone specified in Chapter 3. Building thermal envelope opaque assemblies intended to comply on an assembly U-, C-, or F-factor basis shall have a U-, C-, or F-factor not greater than that specified in Table C402.1.4. Commercial buildings or portions of commercial buildings enclosing Group R occupancies shall use the U-, C-, or F-factor from the "Group R" column of Table C402.1.4. Commercial buildings or portions of commercial buildings enclosing occupancies other than Group R shall use the U-, C-, or F-factor from the "All other" column of Table C402.1.4. The U-factors for typical construction assemblies are included in Appendix A. These values shall be used for all calculations. Where proposed construction assemblies are not represented in Appendix A, values shall be calculated in accordance with the ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals using the framing factors listed in Appendix A where applicable and shall include the thermal bridging effects of framing materials.

C402.1.4.1 Roof/ceiling assembly. The maximum roof/ceiling assembly U-factor shall not exceed that specified in Table C402.1.4 based on construction materials used in the roof/ceiling assembly.

C402.1.4.1.1 Suspended ceilings. Insulation installed on suspended ceilings having removable ceiling tiles shall not be considered part of the assembly U-factor of the roof/ceiling construction.

C402.1.4.1.2 Joints staggered. Continuous insulation board shall be installed in not less than two layers, and the edge joints between each layer of insulation shall be staggered, except where insulation tapers to the roof deck at a gutter edge, roof drain, or scupper.

C402.1.4.2 Thermal resistance of cold-formed steel stud walls.U-factors of walls with cold-formed steel studs shall be permitted to be determined in accordance with Equation 4-1:

C402.1.4.3 Thermal resistance of mechanical equipment penetrations. When the total area of penetrations from through-wall mechanical equipment or equipment listed in Table C403.3.2(4) exceeds 1 percent of the opaque above-grade wall area, the mechanical equipment penetration area shall be calculated as a separate wall assembly with a default U-factor of 0.5. Mechanical system ducts and louvers, including those for supply, exhaust and relief, and for condenser air intake and outlet, are not considered to be mechanical equipment for the purposes of this section.