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Hotel basement employee bedrooms

Coder

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Joined
Nov 15, 2011
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306
Location
Colorado
I have a hotel that is considering converting a portion of their basement into living quarters with several bedrooms for temporary housing of employees. Their is currently one definite means of egress up a flight of stairs to the outside of the building. I think they need to have emergency escape and rescue openings in the bedrooms. agree? disagree? any feedback is always appreciated. Thanks
 
1029.1 General.
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Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency escape and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining areas of the basement. Such openings shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
 
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More info would be helpful like state it’s located in, is the sleeping area totally below grade etc. I believe at the very minimum you are correct in your assumption that you will probably need escape windows.
Colorado. entire basement below grade. 2015 IBC.
 
Every and each sleeping room is required a EERO::


1030.1 General.
In addition to the means of egress required by this chapter, provisions shall be made for emergency escape and rescue openings in Group R-2 occupancies in accordance with Tables 1006.3.2(1) and 1006.3.2(2) and Group R-3 occupancies. Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story above grade plane shall have at least one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening in accordance with this section. Where basements contain one or more sleeping rooms, emergency escape and rescue openings shall be required in each sleeping room, but shall not be required in adjoining areas of the basement. Such openings shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way
 
IF this is an existing building and the state has not modified the IBC, then you would have to have a designer to use to meet or exceed one of the three methods of compliance as outlined in the IEBC (if adopted). They are Prescriptive; or Work Area; or Performance.
Since this such a broad spectrum in the IEBC, It would be up to the designer of record to figure out the most economical means of being code compliant for the owner/ tenants.
 
Even if the IEBC is referenced, the requirement for EERO's in bedrooms prevails. That is what I am going with as my final answer to the owner. I don't want the burden of a bunch of windowless bedrooms in a big ass hotel basement hanging on my shoulders.
 
In the 2015 IBC 1030.1, EEROs are required both because it is a basement, and because they are sleeping rooms.
However, California added the following exception #1 to not require EEROs:
Exceptions:
1. In Groups R-1 and R-2 occupancies constructed of Type I, Type IIA, Type IIIA or Type IV construction equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.


Maybe you could reference this as part of a request for alternate means of compliance in your state?
 
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