KenH
SAWHORSE
Hi folks, Happy New Year!
I'm confused by the fire ratings of the corridor/tenant doors in a 1980's office building in Virginia. Type III-B construction. Footprint is around 13,000 SF, 3 stories, partially sprinklered (only in the main lobby and 1st floor corridor). I'm sifting through drawings to update tenant fit-outs that have been drawn up by various architects over the years, and they are all calling out for 1-hour rated doors and corridor walls. I agree that the corridor ratings are 1-hr but why aren't the tenant/corridor doors allowed to be 20-minutes per IBC 2012 (VUSBC 2012) Table 716.5? Did BOCA not allow reduced ratings at fire-protected openings as the IBC now does? Were the recent architects just being conservative and went with the existing fire protection rating of the other tenant doors that were initially installed?
All of the tenant/corridor doors are 1-hr, except for the restroom doors, which appear to be newer and probably installed when ADA upgrades were made. We're planning to replace some existing 1-hr doors tenant/corridor doors that are dinged/scratched/damaged and I can't find a reason why they can't be 20-minutes...
We'd prefer to go with 20-minute doors because of the significant reduction in cost and lead time. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
-Ken
I'm confused by the fire ratings of the corridor/tenant doors in a 1980's office building in Virginia. Type III-B construction. Footprint is around 13,000 SF, 3 stories, partially sprinklered (only in the main lobby and 1st floor corridor). I'm sifting through drawings to update tenant fit-outs that have been drawn up by various architects over the years, and they are all calling out for 1-hour rated doors and corridor walls. I agree that the corridor ratings are 1-hr but why aren't the tenant/corridor doors allowed to be 20-minutes per IBC 2012 (VUSBC 2012) Table 716.5? Did BOCA not allow reduced ratings at fire-protected openings as the IBC now does? Were the recent architects just being conservative and went with the existing fire protection rating of the other tenant doors that were initially installed?
All of the tenant/corridor doors are 1-hr, except for the restroom doors, which appear to be newer and probably installed when ADA upgrades were made. We're planning to replace some existing 1-hr doors tenant/corridor doors that are dinged/scratched/damaged and I can't find a reason why they can't be 20-minutes...
We'd prefer to go with 20-minute doors because of the significant reduction in cost and lead time. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
-Ken