Shower in an office building.

[jl3]

Hopefully an easy question...

We have an office remodel project that includes updating an existing shower room to be accessible. The shower is not required, simply provided for people biking to work; all other minimum plumbing fixture requirements as being met. The question here is if the shower room can just be a shower and nothing else, provided it's completely accessible (required clearances and such); under IBC 2018, section 1109.2.1.3 (...Family or assisted-use bathing rooms shall also include one water closet and one lavatory...) - are we required to provide a lavatory and water closet as well, or is this only applicable in cases where the shower is required?

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Irrespective of if the shower were required -- where does it say that a shower room MUST also have a water closet and a lavatory?

 

[jl3]

Was basing it on 1109.2.1.3; if this does not apply that would be great.

 

[arwat23]

I believe that 1109.2.1 (and subsequent subsections) only applies to assembly or mercantile occupancies.

Full disclosure, we don't use IBC Ch11 in California, so I could me misunderstanding this section.

 

[jl3]

I believe that 1109.2.1 (and subsequent subsections) only applies to assembly or mercantile occupancies.

Full disclosure, we don't use IBC Ch11 in California, so I could me misunderstanding this section.

Reading over again I believe you may be right; this question was originally prompted by a CA colleague who mentioned there being a requirement in CBC for a lav/WC in a shower room and was wondering if there was an equivalent provision in IBC.

 

[arwat23]

Reading over again I believe you may be right; this question was originally prompted by a CA colleague who mentioned there being a requirement in CBC for a lav/WC in a shower room and was wondering if there was an equivalent provision in IBC.

Now that you mention it, ADAS does states that "Unisex bathing rooms shall contain one shower or one shower and one bathtub, one lavatory, and one water closet." (2010 ADAS 213.2.1). Assuming this shower is unisex, it appears that WC/lav should be required.

I'm not sure where IBC addresses this, but since ADAS requires it, I assume it's required in IBC somewhere... Hopefully someone with more knowledge of IBC accessibility will be able to point you to that section, because I can't seem to find it.

 

[Yikes]

Now that you mention it, ADAS does states that "Unisex bathing rooms shall contain one shower or one shower and one bathtub, one lavatory, and one water closet." (2010 ADAS 213.2.1). Assuming this shower is unisex, it appears that WC/lav should be required.

I'm not sure where IBC addresses this, but since ADAS requires it, I assume it's required in IBC somewhere... Hopefully someone with more knowledge of IBC accessibility will be able to point you to that section, because I can't seem to find it.

Several approaches / workarounds, in ascending order of sly-ness:

1. CBC 202 has a very specific definition of "bathroom":

BATHROOM. For the purposes of Chapters 11A and 11B, a room which includes a water closet (toilet), a lavatory and a bathtub and/or a shower. It does not include single-fixture facilities or those with only a water closet and lavatory. It does include a compartmented bathroom. A compartmented bathroom is one in which the fixtures are distributed among interconnected rooms. A compartmented bathroom is considered a single unit and is subject to the requirements of Chapters 11A and 11B.​

So, if you have only one fixture in the room, such as a shower, then in California the space would not be considered a "bathroom" and would not trigger additional requirements for a lavatory and/or toilet.

2. I have worked on beach projects where a spray nozzle was provided on a freestanding post, but no WC and no sink. The premise was that this was for "rinsing", and not "bathing". By narrowly defining the use, they did not trigger other 11B shower-specific requirements. To be fair, the intent really was just to rinse off ocean salt water in a public environment, not to bathe.

3. I knew of a guy who was having trouble getting a shower approved at his office because the planning department suspected he might be trying to make it into a dwelling. After much frustration, he simply labeled it a "janitor sink" instead, and it got approved.

 

[jl3]

Several approaches / workarounds, in ascending order of sly-ness:

1. CBC 202 has a very specific definition of "bathroom":

BATHROOM. For the purposes of Chapters 11A and 11B, a room which includes a water closet (toilet), a lavatory and a bathtub and/or a shower. It does not include single-fixture facilities or those with only a water closet and lavatory. It does include a compartmented bathroom. A compartmented bathroom is one in which the fixtures are distributed among interconnected rooms. A compartmented bathroom is considered a single unit and is subject to the requirements of Chapters 11A and 11B.​

So, if you have only one fixture in the room, such as a shower, then in California the space would not be considered a "bathroom".

2. I have worked on beach projects where a shower was provided, but no WC or sink. The premise was that the shower was for "rinsing", and not "bathing". By narrowly defining the use, they did not trigger other 11B shower-specific requirements. To be fair, the intent really was just to rinse off ocean salt water in a public environment, not to bathe.

3. I knew of a guy who was having trouble getting a shower approved at his office because the planning department suspected he might be trying to make it into a dwelling. After much frustration, he simply labeled it a "janitor sink" instead, and it got approved.

To reply to item 3, this was actually what the previous tenant did, which is why the existing shower is non-accessible; was a thought for us to do as well and convert the shower Day 2; think we may permit it as a single shower and have an alternate solution if they push back.

 

[Yikes]

To reply to item 3, this was actually what the previous tenant did, which is why the existing shower is non-accessible; was a thought for us to do as well and convert the shower Day 2; think we may permit it as a single shower and have an alternate solution if they push back.

I theory, a janitor sink base and a shower base could be virtually identical, and the there could be a wand and hose for janitorial purposes that looks just like a shower wand.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

1109.2.1.3 from the 2018 IBC became 1110.2.1.3 in the 2021 IBC. It reads the same as in 2018. The 2021 commentary says:

A family bathing facility is required to have one shower
or tub, one water closet and one lavatory. The shower
can be a transfer type, a roll-in type or a combination
of the two. Accessible storage facilities, such as lockers,
are also required if storage facilities are provided
in the separate-sex bathing facilities. A family bathing
room can also serve a dual purpose (bathing and toilet)
as the required family toilet room (see commentary,
Section 1110.2.1.2).

 

[Inspector Gadget]

3. I knew of a guy who was having trouble getting a shower approved at his office because the planning department suspected he might be trying to make it into a dwelling. After much frustration, he simply labeled it a "janitor sink" instead, and it got approved.

That's a planning department that doesn't understand cycle commuting.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Back to the OP -- if the existing shower is not designated as a "family bathing facility" (the family that bathes together stays together?), then section 1109.2.1.3 doesn't apply.

 

[Penguin87]

That's a planning department that doesn't understand cycle commuting.

Maybe it was a Twitter office.

Also, offices are not designed for families. That code reference is probably referencing the residential portion of the code, for R-2 or R-3 occupancies.

The actual requirements per ANSI A117.1 for a basic transfer shower are pretty plain. Min 36" x 36" shower stall, foldable seat, and grab bars. Generally in office buildings that add exercise / cycle shower rooms, we see a small single occupancy unisex changing room, with a size to accommodate a 5' turning circle, with a small alcove to accommodate the actual transfer shower. Don't forget a ventilation fan and door occupancy indicator.

CHAPTER 6 PLUMBING ELEMENTS AND FACILITIES - 2017 ICC A117.1

ICC Digital Codes is the largest provider of model codes, custom codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.

codes.iccsafe.org

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

The actual requirements per ANSI A117.1 for a basic transfer shower are pretty plain. Min 36" x 36" shower stall, foldable seat, and grab bars. Generally in office buildings that add exercise / cycle shower rooms, we see a small single occupancy unisex changing room, with a size to accommodate a 5' turning circle, with a small alcove to accommodate the actual transfer shower. Don't forget a ventilation fan and door occupancy indicator.

Quick note on the highlighted part: The transfer shower stall is a minimum of 36" x 36" only in the 2017 A117.1. In all previous editions of A117.1 and in the ADA standards, the 36-inch dimension is not "minimum," it's an absolute dimension.