Aisle Width question

[u-take-care]

We are working on a hotel project and got some review question to show compliance for all assembly spaces with CBC (california bldg code) section 1029.
So here are my Aisle question:
1. For example for a ball room, there are round table with seats filled with the whole ball room and the arrangement is pretty random without clearly identified path.

• Should the perimeter be aisle and in the middle between tables be aisle accessway or everywhere can be treated as aisle accessway or everywhere should be treated as aisle?
• For calculating the width, no matter it is aisle or aisle accessway, it is always a factor (depending slope or stepped...) times the occupant served. How do you calculate the occupant? For the accessway, will the occupant served be a table or multiple tables? For the aisle, if we have 4 exits, will each aisle be calculated using 1/4 or the overall occupant load?

2. We also have elevated outdoor patio. It is a little like a walkway. There will be people egress from both directions. For example, 100 people coming from east egress to west, another 150 egress from west to east. For calculating occupant load, do you add 100+150 or just use 150?

I am new to this forum. How to attached an image? I do not know how to get URL for image.

Thank you.
u-takecare

 

[cda]

Welcome

To post pictures the best/easy is become a forum supporting member


Otherwise have to make it a link and post

 

[cda]

I would not worry about the ballroom, just assign an occupant load.

 

[cda]

“”2. We also have elevated outdoor patio. It is a little like a walkway. There will be people egress from both directions. For example, 100 people coming from east egress to west, another 150 egress from west to east. For calculating occupant load, do you add100+150 or just use 150?“””


So where are these 250 people coming from
originally??

 

[RLGA]

Because the arrangement is temporary, there should be no need for the building department to look at a temporary layout of tables and chairs—that is something that the fire department will address during an inspection. Anyway, if they demand a layout, it would all be mostly aisle accessways that converge into larger aisles. There will be no common path issues, since tables are in rounds and everyone will have at least two paths to an egress door from every seat. What you describe seems reasonable. Just remember that aisle accessways widths are based on distance to an aisle; so, The distance from the center of the room to the perimeter aisle will set the aisle accessway width.

I don’t quite understand your patio question. Based on the numbers you provided, it sounds like it has an occupant load of 250–is that correct? Either way, it is over 50, so two means of egress are required; thus, you would typically split the occupant load 50/50 each going to one of the two means of egress paths.

 

[u-take-care]

Thank you all for helping me out.
To clarify patio question, say I have a space on the east of this patio. It requires 2 ways of egress, so I am sending half of the occupant (100 people)to the west thru the patio. I have another space on the west of this patio. Due to 2 ways of egress, I need to send half (150 people to the east through this patio. so at this patio location, what load should I be using to calculate the required width?

To RLGA:
1. Are you saying the code section of Aisle (1029) are for permanent arrangement (fixed seating)? But for temporary arrangement, when there is emergency, people have to egress thru the loose table/seats as well...if furniture are placed too close, that will be a hazard for egress, won't it?
2. example again. I have a narrow hallway with fixed counter on each side and casual seating. How should I measure the required egress width? I think it should be 19" from the edge of table. But the number does not work, I am short. If I use the seating, well the way it was drawn is it tucks under the counter several inches...plus the seating is temporary (back to question 1 above).
I guess I am confused...

 

[cda]

Ballroom problem

You can show it on paper but may not be set up that way

It is up to the business to set up per code and provide required egress paths

 

[cda]

Where are these people coming from, that you want to exit across the patio??


Once to one side or the other, where would they go?