Accessible egress

[gbhammer]

Apologies for being late to the party. Also that I don’t presently have access to the 2009 IBC, only the modified version adopted by my home state so there may be a discrepancy between sections I reference and what you are operating under.Did IBC make an exception regarding stairs and areas of refuge for buildings with NFPA 13 fire suppression (1007.3 Stairways and 1007.6 Areas of Refuge)? If so, I think “accessible” means of egress becomes a moot point. Likewise, 1007.2.1 doesn’t require an elevator for an accessible MOE for a two story building.

As I said, you may be operating under different requirements (and I could have missed another piece of information) but I think you may be able to disregard a concern for access to a particular exit.

Very good thought but;

The exception is for buildings equipped throughout with a sprinkler system. This is an old high school with a lot of additions that are separate fire areas but not separate buildings so they are only sprinkling part of the whole building, just one of many fire areas.

 

[pmarx]

Okie doke. In your initial post I interpreted "and they will retrofit and sprinkle the whole space" to mean that the entire existing building (plus the new addition) was going to constitute a building that was sprinklered "throughout". Barring that, I agree that my suggestion wouldn't apply.

 

[steveray]

Pmarx....the sprinklers don't get you out of accessible means of egress, but let you get out of the area of refuge and some width issues, etc...

 

[Big Mac]

Apples and Oranges. The means of egress must satisfy all means of egress elements. Number of required exits. Number of required accessible exits. Commoin path of travel. Travel distance. Since the original posting seemed to be mostly concerned with travel distance, the maximum travel distance permitted is goverened by Section 1016 and Table 1016.1. All points in a building must be within the distances listed in Table 1016.1 to an exit. The distance listed there does not mean that all points in a building must be within that distance to all exits, just one exit. But there can be no points in a building that are furhter away from at least one exit than the distance listed in Table 10106.1. There are typically longer exit travel distances to an exit when sprinkler systems are installed.

 

[Architect1281]

Caution many education facilities accept fereral funds and fall within ADA / UFAS as well

Many times not a building code issue but a title 2 / 3 issue.

Have had this come around a few times even as universities buy older pre 1976 properties

and then when our sister division (Govenors Commission on Disabilities) is done they say WTF.