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Old Code Interpretation

Rich_Grimshaw

Rich_Grimshaw

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2016
Messages
5
Location
Georgia
Hi, folks. I'm looking at an indoor sports facility designed and built under the 1982 Southern Standard Building code (SBCCI). This facility has what we call today "fixed stadium seating," and the aisles between the rows of seats have no handrails. That would not be allowed today. I'm trying to determine why the 1982 code would allow it. The 1982 code doesn't have a term for fixed stadium seating, just "grandstands" and "bleachers," and it says that the isles and steps in the aisles should be designed according to the section on Egress. That section clearly states that stairways having more than 3 risers must have handrails. What am I missing? I'm certain this building was properly designed, permitted, and built by reputable people and building departments, so I'm convinced I'm missing something in the code language.

Any ideas?
 
Have you considered that they were removed or possibly should have been installed and were not?
 
Rich_Grimshaw said:
Hi, folks. I'm looking at an indoor sports facility designed and built under the 1982 Southern Standard Building code (SBCCI). This facility has what we call today "fixed stadium seating," and the aisles between the rows of seats have no handrails. That would not be allowed today. I'm trying to determine why the 1982 code would allow it. The 1982 code doesn't have a term for fixed stadium seating, just "grandstands" and "bleachers," and it says that the isles and steps in the aisles should be designed according to the section on Egress. That section clearly states that stairways having more than 3 risers must have handrails. What am I missing? I'm certain this building was properly designed, permitted, and built by reputable people and building departments, so I'm convinced I'm missing something in the code language.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Back about 1965 they were completing the Oakland Colosseum project, a friend and I went in to see it and climbed to the top of the seats in the Arena, there were no rails and I had the feeling that if one guy fell at the top it would be like dominoes all the way down. A few days later I was in the Oakland City Hall to permit a house so I asked one of the inspectors at the counter, he said he had no idea, the complex was owned by the city and the county so he presumed that the architects and engineers were enforcing code in it, the applicable code would have been an early 60s version of the UBC, I don't think it ever got handrails.
 
Rich_Grimshaw said:
Hi, folks. I'm looking at an indoor sports facility designed and built under the 1982 Southern Standard Building code (SBCCI). This facility has what we call today "fixed stadium seating," and the aisles between the rows of seats have no handrails. That would not be allowed today. I'm trying to determine why the 1982 code would allow it. The 1982 code doesn't have a term for fixed stadium seating, just "grandstands" and "bleachers," and it says that the isles and steps in the aisles should be designed according to the section on Egress. That section clearly states that stairways having more than 3 risers must have handrails. What am I missing? I'm certain this building was properly designed, permitted, and built by reputable people and building departments, so I'm convinced I'm missing something in the code language.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...


How wide are the aisles??

Maybe just talking about rise and run?
 
There are some exceptions that Handrails are not required for aisles with seating on both sides.
I do not know if that was in the 1982 SBCCI.
Contact the ICC, the successive agency, for the SBC
 
Ty J. said:
Have you considered that they were removed or possibly should have been installed and were not?
Click to expand...
I thought about that, Ty. I'm lucky enough to have original design drawings, and there's nothing on them to indicate that handrails should be there. The building owners say that handrails have *never* been there, and there's no evidence that they have been removed. I'm convinced that when the building was designed and built that handrails were *not* required. I just don't understand how to interpret the code to get that conclusions.
 
Sometimes you can get there by working backwards. In today's design I think your handrails come in via IBC Section 1028 Assembly and 1028.13. So when did the IBC create this section? When was the Section modified? 1997 UBC had section 1008.5.6. I looked in my 1982 UBC Chapter 33 and did not find it although they did have requirements for the Aisles. Good Luck
 
Builder Bob said:
1981 SBCCI did not have the requirements for "any" handrails in section 503 stadium-

View attachment 6233
View attachment 6234-

The steps are not considered a stairway since it does not connect one story to another in a building - thus the handrail provisions were not required.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Builder Bob. That is the conclusion that I reached. It's reassuring to know that I am not alone in that reasoning.
 
Assuming that the original poster is the building official, and ADAguy is responding to Builder Bob's comment "you can't make things happen if they were not required":
ADAguy said:
Sure you can, code is only a minimum.
Click to expand...
ADAguy, please describe the legal mechanism that an individual building official could use on an existing legally built and occupied facility, in order to force the facility owner to exceed the code.
 
Has he encountered a changed or observed condition that he believes to be an unsafe condition impacting life safety?
If so, he is within his authority to exceed code minimum, this per Chapter 1 of the administration section of the code. You can always appeal/challenge his call but you had better be on firm ground.
 
If they are doing a major remodel, you may get there through the IEBC....

805.9 Handrails. The requirements of Sections 805.9.1 and
805.9.2 shall apply to handrails from the work area floor to,
and including, the level of exit discharge.
805.9.1 Minimum requirement. Every required exit
stairway that is part of the means of egress for any work
area and that has three or more risers and is not provided
with at least one handrail, or in which the existing handrails
are judged to be in danger of collapsing, shall be provided
with handrails for the full length of the stairway on
at least one side. All exit stairways with a required egress
width of more than 66 inches (1676 mm) shall have handrails
on both sides.
 
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