Do bleachers count towards floor area?

[Brendan Webb]

Hi,

I am wondering if the bleachers like in the image shown will count towards floor area as I am trying to ensure that the level above can be counted as a mezzanine, therefore it needs to be less than 40% of the total floor area in the Alberta Building Code.

Thanks in advance

 

[steveray]

Not sure on Alberta, but here yes..

 

[Brendan Webb]

Not sure on Alberta, but here yes..

Ok great. Do you also happen to know if that is counted up to a certain height. For example, would it count stopping for floor area once the bleachers are 2 meters off of the first floor. I couldn't find this out in the code, or know how to decipher it properly. Thanks

 

[cda]

Ok great. Do you also happen to know if that is counted up to a certain height. For example, would it count stopping for floor area once the bleachers are 2 meters off of the first floor. I couldn't find this out in the code, or know how to decipher it properly. Thanks

There may be a definition in the book???

 

[Brendan Webb]

There may be a definition in the book???

? Yes there probably is, but as I mentioned, I could not find it or decipher it properly as I am new to the building code (student). thanks

 

[cda]

A little but my guess still reads the same

4. Floor Area
Floor area means the space on any storey of a building between exterior walls and required firewalls, including the space occupied by interior walls and partitions, but not including exits, vertical service spaces, and their enclosing assemblies

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/087af92b-785d-42d4-b32a-48aa9598f687/resource/fb91b7e0-7f85-4968-b494-6dd3eeaf1770/download/97ib033.pdf

 

[e hilton]

The bleachers look like millwork ... furniture ... removable. I would ignore them and calculate the floor area based on the plane of the structural floor.

 

[Brendan Webb]

The bleachers look like millwork ... furniture ... removable. I would ignore them and calculate the floor area based on the plane of the structural floor.

Great, this was the help I was looking for. Thank you very much!

 

[tmurray]

Yes, that would all count as floor area in this case. The deal with open mezzanines is that there is supposed to be open communication from the mezzanine to the floor area it overlooks. This way, someone in an open mezzanine can see hazards and react in a reasonable timeframe. This is also why closed mezzanines are restricted to 10%

 

[Brendan Webb]

Great - Thank

Yes, that would all count as floor area in this case. The deal with open mezzanines is that there is supposed to be open communication from the mezzanine to the floor area it overlooks. This way, someone in an open mezzanine can see hazards and react in a reasonable timeframe. This is also why closed mezzanines are restricted to 10%

Great - Thank you!

 

[tmurray]

The bleachers look like millwork ... furniture ... removable. I would ignore them and calculate the floor area based on the plane of the structural floor.

We include furniture (both fixed and permanent) in the floor area in this case.

 

[SCBO1]

The photo makes me ask: Do you have a Canadians Disability Act? like we have the ADA here?

I'd like to get a book off the second shelf.

 

[e hilton]

And handrails for the steps?

 

[tmurray]

The photo makes me ask: Do you have a Canadians Disability Act? like we have the ADA here?

I'd like to get a book off the second shelf.

It's included in our building code and much less restrictive than the ADA.

It's important to point out that compliance with our barrier free provisions does not guarantee immunity from a human rights discrimination suite. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (our founding document) stipulates that no identifiable minority may be discriminated against in a public place.

 

[tmurray]

And handrails for the steps?

Handrails for all steps. Guards required if the elevation between the levels are more than 600mm.