Building Code Glossary
Fallout Area: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define fallout area, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Fallout area is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Explosives and Fireworks. The code's own words are: “The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the ground depending on the wind and the angle of mortar placement.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 2 chapters of this corpus, most often in Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Fallout Area — IFC 2009, Explosives and Fireworks:
The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the ground depending on the wind and the angle of mortar placement.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Fallout Area is defined once in this corpus, in the Explosives and Fireworks chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the ground depending on the wind and the angle of mortar placement.
Where fallout area is used in the code
The term appears in 2 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Explosives and Fireworks | IFC 2009 | 7 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about fallout area, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
A plan establishing procedures to follow and actions to be taken in the event that a shell fails to ignite in, or discharge from, a mortar or fails to function over the fallout area or other malfunctions shall be provided to the fire code ofl1cial.
The terms fallout area is built out of
The definition above leans on 2 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what fallout area covers:
- Mortar — IBC 2009: A plastic mixture of approved cementitious materials, fine aggregates and water used to bond masonry or other structural units.
- Shell — IBC 2009: The outer portion of a hollow masonry unit as placed in masonry.
Fallout Area: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Explosives and Fireworks | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Mortar | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Shell | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of fallout area?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Explosives and Fireworks as: “The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the ground depending on the wind and the angle of mortar placement.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on fallout area?
In this corpus the term is used across 2 chapters, led by Explosives and Fireworks in the IFC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the definition of building area according to the IBC?
Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as fallout area, which the IFC 2009 defines as “The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the …” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
What does "fallout area" mean?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Explosives and Fireworks: “The area over which aerial shells are fired. The shells burst over the area, and unsafe debris and malfunctioning aerial shells fall into this area. The fallout area is the location where a typical aerial shell dud falls to the ground depending on the wind and the angle of mortar placement.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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