2012 IBC Door Operations

[cmalensek]

I have an egress door question.The attached image shows an elevator lobby in a typical office building. One of the main fire stairs for the building is within the elevator lobby so the doors swing into the space to allow for egress. However, as they are also the main entrance doors to the tenant on the floor, they are secured with a card reader from the lobby to the suite. My question is whether or not these doors need to fail safe?Since the doors are open in the direction of egress (1008.1.9), my initial inclination was that they could fail secure. However, as I began to think about this some more, I am concerned that if an individual needed to re-enter onto a floor out of the fire stair for any reason in an emergency, they would then become trapped on a floor. However, I can't find anything in the code specifically referencing this.thoughts?

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[cda]

Welcome

Start with the easy questions

I thought Chicago had its own building code or did they go to the 2012

 

[cda]

3007.7 Fire service access elevator lobby.

The fire service access elevator shall open into a fire service access elevator lobby in accordance with Sections 3007.7.1 through 3007.7.5.

Exception: Where a fire service access elevator has two entrances onto a floor, the second entrance shall be permitted to open into an elevator lobby in accordance with Section 708.14.1.

3007.7.1 Access.

The fire service access elevator lobby shall have direct access to an enclosure for an interior exit stairway.

3007.7.2 Lobby enclosure.

The fire service access elevator lobby shall be enclosed with a smoke barrier having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, except that lobby doorways shall comply with Section 3007.7.3.

Exception: Enclosed fire service access elevator lobbies are not required at the levels of exit discharge.

3007.7.3 Lobby doorways.

Other than the door to the hoistway, each doorway to a fire service access elevator lobby shall be provided with a 3/4-hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716.5. The fire door assembly shall also comply with the smoke and draft control door assembly requirements of Section 716.5.3.1 with the UL 1784 test conducted without the artificial bottom seal.

 

[cda]

Each tenant needs access to two exits?

1014.2.1 Multiple tenants.

Where more than one tenant occupies any one floor of a building or structure, each tenant space, dwelling unit and sleeping unit shall be provided with access to the required exits without passing through adjacent tenant spaces, dwelling units and sleeping units.

Exception: The means of egress from a smaller tenant space shall not be prohibited from passing through a larger adjoining tenant space where such rooms or spaces of the smaller tenant occupy less than 10 percent of the area of the larger tenant space through which they pass; are the same or similar occupancy group; a discernable path of egress travel to an exit is provided; and the means of egress into the adjoining space is not subject to locking from the egress side. A required means of egress serving the larger tenant space shall not pass through the smaller tenant space or spaces.

 

[cda]

And why could they not go back into the stairwell except if full of smoke

 

[cda]

These say unlock

1008.1.9.8 Access-controlled egress doors.

The entrance doors in a means of egress in buildings with an occupancy in Groups A, B, E, I-2, M, R-1 or R-2, and entrance doors to tenant spaces in occupancies in Groups A, B, E, I-2, M, R-1 or R-2, are permitted to be equipped with an approved entrance and egress access control system, listed in accordance with UL 294, which shall be installed in accordance with all of the following criteria:

1. A sensor shall be provided on the egress side arranged to detect an occupant approaching the doors. The doors shall be arranged to unlock by a signal from or loss of power to the sensor.

2. Loss of power to that part of the access control system which locks the doors shall automatically unlock the doors.

3. The doors shall be arranged to unlock from a manual unlocking device located 40 inches to 48 inches (1016 mm to 1219 mm) vertically above the floor and within 5 feet (1524 mm) of the secured doors. Ready access shall be provided to the manual unlocking device and the device shall be clearly identified by a sign that reads "PUSH TO EXIT.” When operated, the manual unlocking device shall result in direct interruption of power to the lock—independent of the access control system electronics—and the doors shall remain unlocked for a minimum of 30 seconds.

4. Activation of the building fire alarm system, if provided, shall automatically unlock the doors, and the doors shall remain unlocked until the fire alarm system has been reset.

5. Activation of the building automatic sprinkler or fire detection system, if provided, shall automatically unlock the doors. The doors shall remain unlocked until the fire alarm system has been reset.

6. Entrance doors in buildings with an occupancy in Group A, B, E or M shall not be secured from the egress side during periods that the building is open to the general public.

1008.1.9.9 Electromagnetically locked egress doors.

Doors in the means of egress in buildings with an occupancy in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, and doors to tenant spaces in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, shall be permitted to be electromagnetically locked if equipped with listed hardware that incorporates a built-in switch and meet the requirements below:

1. The listed hardware that is affixed to the door leaf has an obvious method of operation that is readily operated under all lighting conditions.

2. The listed hardware is capable of being operated with one hand.

3. Operation of the listed hardware directly interrupts the power to the electromagnetic lock and unlocks the door immediately.

4. Loss of power to the listed hardware automatically unlocks the door.

5. Where panic or fire exit hardware is required by Section 1008.1.10, operation of the listed panic or fire exit hardware also releases the electromagnetic lock.

 

[cda]

We do have a door guru

She does take emails

http://idighardware.com/about-2/about-me-mobile/

 

[cmalensek]

You are correct, Chicago does have its own code, (and its very confusing), but this particular case falls outside of the city proper.

 

[cmalensek]

Correct again, the exit stair shown in this image is one of the two exits for the tenant, I just didn't show the full plan. Each floor is a full tenant.

 

[cmalensek]

I did see this in my review as well but I believe this pertains to doors in the direction of egress. These will always be unlocked in the direction of egress, (traveling into the elevator vestibule), the question I'm trying to understand is if they need to be unlocked in the opposite direction.

These say unlock 1008.1.9.8 Access-controlled egress doors.

The entrance doors in a means of egress in buildings with an occupancy in Groups A, B, E, I-2, M, R-1 or R-2, and entrance doors to tenant spaces in occupancies in Groups A, B, E, I-2, M, R-1 or R-2, are permitted to be equipped with an approved entrance and egress access control system, listed in accordance with UL 294, which shall be installed in accordance with all of the following criteria:

1. A sensor shall be provided on the egress side arranged to detect an occupant approaching the doors. The doors shall be arranged to unlock by a signal from or loss of power to the sensor.

2. Loss of power to that part of the access control system which locks the doors shall automatically unlock the doors.

3. The doors shall be arranged to unlock from a manual unlocking device located 40 inches to 48 inches (1016 mm to 1219 mm) vertically above the floor and within 5 feet (1524 mm) of the secured doors. Ready access shall be provided to the manual unlocking device and the device shall be clearly identified by a sign that reads "PUSH TO EXIT.” When operated, the manual unlocking device shall result in direct interruption of power to the lock—independent of the access control system electronics—and the doors shall remain unlocked for a minimum of 30 seconds.

4. Activation of the building fire alarm system, if provided, shall automatically unlock the doors, and the doors shall remain unlocked until the fire alarm system has been reset.

5. Activation of the building automatic sprinkler or fire detection system, if provided, shall automatically unlock the doors. The doors shall remain unlocked until the fire alarm system has been reset.

6. Entrance doors in buildings with an occupancy in Group A, B, E or M shall not be secured from the egress side during periods that the building is open to the general public.

1008.1.9.9 Electromagnetically locked egress doors.

Doors in the means of egress in buildings with an occupancy in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, and doors to tenant spaces in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, shall be permitted to be electromagnetically locked if equipped with listed hardware that incorporates a built-in switch and meet the requirements below:

1. The listed hardware that is affixed to the door leaf has an obvious method of operation that is readily operated under all lighting conditions.

2. The listed hardware is capable of being operated with one hand.

3. Operation of the listed hardware directly interrupts the power to the electromagnetic lock and unlocks the door immediately.

4. Loss of power to the listed hardware automatically unlocks the door.

5. Where panic or fire exit hardware is required by Section 1008.1.10, operation of the listed panic or fire exit hardware also releases the electromagnetic lock.

 

[cmalensek]

The code requires that the fire stair doors be unlocked in the case of an emergency so that any individual may come back onto a floor if for some reason the fire stair becomes unpassable. My dilemma is that once a person exits the stair into the lobby, they would then become trapped in the elevator vestibule.

And why could they not go back into the stairwell except if full of smoke

 

[cda]

Is it may lock or electric strike on the door?

Seems code requires lock to release under loss of power and alarm

So no matter what the electric lock is released, now will the door open on the elevator side??

 

[cmalensek]

So I think I found my answer.

Code requires 2 exits from anywhere in the building. So, since there is only one exit in that lobby, they must fail safe so that occupants can access a secondary exit. If this was a more typical building core where 2 stairs were accessible within the lobby, then the suite would be allowed to fail secure.

thanks for all your help on this.

 

[cda]

So I think I found my answer.Code requires 2 exits from anywhere in the building. So, since there is only one exit in that lobby, they must fail safe so that occupants can access a secondary exit. If this was a more typical building core where 2 stairs were accessible within the lobby, then the suite would be allowed to fail secure.

thanks for all your help on this.

Not sure if that is true for single tenant

When it comes to access to an exit from the elevator , and not sure if it applies coming off a stairwell into an elevator lobby, since there is an exit there

Should get some more answers on this give it a day

 

[steveray]

Bad design......Can the doors be manually locked? If so, it shouldn't matter how they are locked....

 

[cmalensek]

Spoke with a representative from the ICC and that was his opinion. It makes sense to me.

Not sure if that is true for single tenantShould get some more answers on this give it a day

 

[cda]

Scenarios

Person comes up elevator -- exit needed --- met

Person comes up stairs --- I do not believe access to another exit is required

Offices doors locked with regular key- still have access to stairs in elevator lobby

Just a matter if the electric locks have to meet 1008.1.9.8