Aerial Access Road Requirements - all buildings?

[natureboyms]

Our office is working with an institutional owner to build a two-story addition alongside an existing building. We have presented our project to the local fire official for their feedback. They cautioned us that the addition is fine as long as it stays under 30ft tall, otherwise more stringent requirements would kick in. They referenced IFC App D during our discussion.

I see that App D requires an aerial access road positioned parallel along one entire side of the building. I believe I understand the nature of the requirement. I have one question though: Does this apply to "all" buildings, or does this only apply to certain buildings (perhaps based on occupancy type, construction type, area, etc.). To put it another way, do other parts of the code point to this requirement for only certain circumstances? I've researched the code and I haven't found such yet (but it can be difficult to research in reverse).

The AHJ acted as if this requirement applies to all buildings, but I find that hard to believe. Multi-story buildings in zero lot line configurations (downtown buildings), for example, do not allow such an access road along "one entire side of the building". Our site is not quite so stringent, but almost. The addition will be squeezed between other buildings and there is little to no room for an access road along an entire side.

I should clarify that the addition is quite oblong. The two short sides will be close to access roads, but the long sides will not be. I assume the requirement is for access roads along the long sides, not the short sides.

 

[Yikes]

natureboyms, welcome to the forum! First of all, where is your project located?
I see that you are registered in Alabama, and if the project is located there, then I note on Upcodes that Alabama did not adopt IFC Appendix D.

 

[natureboyms]

natureboyms, welcome to the forum! First of all, where is your project located?
I see that you are registered in Alabama, and if the project is located there, then I note on Upcodes that Alabama did not adopt IFC Appendix D.


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@Yikes, thank you! The project is located in Oxford Mississippi and the municipality has adopted the 2018 IFC and all appendices.
I suppose we can ask about the meaning of "an aerial access road positioned parallel along one entire side of the building". That code language is vague. There are two sides of the building that will be near access roads, but they are the short sides.

 

[Yikes]

D105.3 is written to give the local fire official complete discretion as to whether the apparatus access road must on a long side, or can be on a short side.

For example, here in the Los Angeles area if you are located in unincorporated LA county or if your city contracts for fire services with LA County, then LACoFD has issued their own interpretation that their aerial access road MUST be placed on which ever side of the building is longest.

This can be very difficult in the situation you have described, or when you have a U-shaped building where the courtyard opens up to the street and the longest side is the very back yard. I've seen all kinds of workarounds, like having curved facades so that the elevation wraps around the corner in one continuous facade. The LACoFD staff are notoriously inflexible if it is a brand new development or tract map, but if you get the right person on the right day, you can get a sympathetic ear for existing land parcels.