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IBC 1021.4 egress balcony edge location

Yikes

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Nov 2, 2009
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Southern California
Picture a "penthouse" room for 76 occupants on top of an art gallery flat roof (with parapets) that is open-to-the-sky. Let's say the gallery roof is 80'x 100' and the penthouse is 40'x60' in the middle of that roof. There are exit stairs at either end of the roof. The gallery roof footprint is less than 10' away from the property lines on all sides.

When a person leaves the penthouse, they walk across the middle of the roof deck to get to the stairs. Based on occupant load the required exit width is 44", but of course we have 80' width of roof to walk on, so that's not problem.

Q1. Does that egress description make the roof an "Egress Balcony" for the penthouse per 2016 CBC/IBC 1021.1?

Q2. If "yes", then 1021.4 says that exterior egress balconies shall have min 10' fire separation from adjacent lot lines, as measured from the exterior edge of the egress balcony. Question: if our roof is 80' wide and we only need 44" (or 48" for ADA) of path down the middle of the roof, then do I have to measure from the PL to the outermost edge of the roof? Or can I measure from the PL to the required width of the egress balcony?
 
cda, thanks for the link. Question: if it is not an egress balcony, that what is the code term that I use to define the space?
Example: "egress POT goes from inside a room, into a corridor, then outside the building onto a _____ , then back into a stairwell, to exit on grade."

What do I put in the blank?
 
So how do people get to this room to begin with???

They enter off the street by going up either a staircase or an elevator that takes them up to the roof deck. They walk across the roof deck and enter into the penthouse.

(Side comment: when I say "roof deck", don't picture some asphalt roof with a bunch of mechanical equipment and big crickets. Picture an enjoyable outdoor deck, like you might see at a hotel that has an al fresco dining terrace.)
 
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