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Are Exterior Balcony/ Walkways Included in Occupant Load?

K

KRS5

Registered User
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
30
Location
CNY
Hi All.
We have a 3 story office building in a warmer climate that has a central courtyard and fountain that employees and the public can assess. There are also central exterior walkways/balconies that are covered by the walkway above used as circulation to access the offices on each story. Do the exterior covered walkways/balconies need to be included in the occupant load?-I believe they do but cannot find the section of code that states this. Also, does the courtyard (open to the sky above) circulation need to be included in the occupant load? We are trying to determine the occupant load for plumbing fixture counts. Thanks.
 
Office buildings use gross area to determine occupant load, so walkways and the courtyard would be included.
 
bill1952 said:
Certainly for egress but for plumbing fixtures, the OP's interest?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately....yes...

[P] 2902.1 Minimum Number of Fixtures​

Plumbing fixtures shall be provided in the minimum number shown in Table 2902.1 based on the actual use of the building or space. Uses not shown in Table 2902.1 shall be considered individually by the building official. The number of occupants shall be determined by this code.
 
An occupied interior courtyard would have an occupant load. A courtyard like this would probably have benches and/or tables, so one person per 15 SF net (paved area) would not be unreasonable. I was giving them a break by counting it the same as the office area since it would probably be occupied by office workers on a break and not the general public.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. We have included the walkways/ balconies in the occupant load but not the court based on the definition of Gross Floor Area for Business use.
 
Tim Mailloux said:
both get included
Click to expand...

Maybe -- or maybe not.

1004.7 Outdoor areas. Yards, patios, occupied roofs, courts
and similar outdoor areas accessible to and usable by the
building occupants shall be provided with means of egress as
required by this chapter. The occupant load of such outdoor
areas shall be assigned by the building official in accordance
with the anticipated use. Where outdoor areas are to be used
by persons in addition to the occupants of the building, and
the path of egress travel from the outdoor areas passes
through the building, means of egress requirements for the
building shall be based on the sum of the occupant loads of
the building plus the outdoor areas.
Click to expand...

Taken at face value, if the court is an interior court that is used only by the occupants of the building, its occupant load is NOT added to the occupant load of the building interior. You would, however, have to account for exit access travel distance from the most remote point(s) in the court.

In addition, if the court doesn't egress through the building, whatever occupant load is assigned to the court doesn't affect the number of occupants for whom egress from the building must be provided.
 
Yankee Chronicler said:
Taken at face value, if the court is an interior court that is used only by the occupants of the building, its occupant load is NOT added to the occupant load of the building interior. You would, however, have to account for exit access travel distance from the most remote point(s) in the court.
Click to expand...
For OL yes...for egress back through the building is where you sum the building occupants and "others"...So...back to what the BO decides....
 
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