Art studio to display student work in hallways

[danzare083]

Good morning!

Would really appreciate your feedback regarding this situation: an art studio in California plans to display student artwork (hang on walls) inside hallways not equipped with a sprinkler system. The artwork includes paper and fabric canvasses.

My question: can this be allowed under CA Fire Code? The hallways in question lead to building exits and as I understand are egress routes. On the other hand, artwork would not qualify as hazardous material and it is not technically "stored" in a hallway, so the appropriate corridor width is maintained.

Please advise and thank you very much!

 

[cda]

welcome!!!

how did you find us???

when you say art studio and student

1. is that is all that is there an art studio?? or is this a high school or below??

2. student what is the average age??

3. museum?

do not have the calif. fire code but will be the same or similar to this:::

this for high school or below, or day care::

807.4.3.2 Artwork. Artwork and teaching materials

shall be limited on thewalls of corridors to not more than

20 percent of the wall area.

in other types of occupancy, do not think the code is clear as far as what and how much can be there::::

1030.6 Furnishings and decorations. Furnishings, decorations

or other objects shall not be placed so as to obstruct exits,

access thereto, egress therefrom, or visibility thereof. Hangings

and draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or otherwise

be located to conceal or obstruct an exit. Mirrors shall not

be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in or adjacent

to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of

exit.

 

[danzare083]

@ cdaThank you for your reply! We are a college, I apologize for not specifiying that. Also, following my original post I received a photo.

View attachment 646

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[danzare083]

@cda

We are a college campus, I apologize for not stating that in my original post. I too have seen CFC Section 1030.6 regarding the furnishings, which the artwork can be deemed as, but what concerns me is that I got the perfect storm of having combustibles (paper and fabric) hanging from walls in a hallway without a sprinkler system, all while said hallway is part of the evacuation route. How would you defend it?

 

[lunatick]

What is the difference between these artworks and any other artwork.

It is just the manner in how it is hung, where it is placed, and that it not block or hinder access to exits, alarms, pulls, etc.

The issue they will also need to address is likely accessibility. None of the art mounted should project more than 4" into the corridor until 80 inches above the floor. and not project below, without a accessible barrier mounted about the artwork provided it doesn't reduce the egress wdith.

 

[danzare083]

Would this apply?

Per California Fire Code, Section 807.1.2 Combustible decorative materials. The permissible amount of decorative materials meeting the flame propagation performance criteria of California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 1 shall not exceed 10 percent of the specific wall or ceiling area to which it is attached.

 

[danzare083]

A bit of supplemental info:

@cda - the facility is operated by a college, the "students" are undergraduate juniors and seniors, presumed above 18. the site is deemed Occupancy Type B.

@lunatick - regarding student art projects being hung on the corridor walls, we abide by the rule permitting us to have outward projections from the wall, provided said projections do not exceed 4 inches from the wall (CA Fire Code Section 1003.3.3) and do not impede minimum corridor width requirement.

Thank you both very much!

 

[cda]

Would this apply? Per California Fire Code, Section 807.1.2 Combustible decorative materials. The permissible amount of decorative materials meeting the flame propagation performance criteria of California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 1 shall not exceed 10 percent of the specific wall or ceiling area to which it is attached.

If it is a high school or below or day care

http://www.osfm.fire.ca.gov/informationbulletin/pdf/2009/artworkforgroupeocc.pdf

 

[cda]

when you say art studio and student

1. is that is all that is there an art studio?? or is this a high school or below??

2. student what is the average age??

3. museum?

 

[Oldfieldguy]

The occupancy is outside the scope of regulation under the CA Fire Code. It only needs to follow IFC Section 803, which does not include artwork hanging on walls.

 

[danzare083]

@cda

My apologies, it looks like some of my replies were tagged for approval by admins before being posted. I saw your questions, but my replies were just not coming through on time.

To summarize, we are a private college, so it looks like I will have to enforce the "combustible decorations may constitute no more than 10 percent of the wall area" rule after all (per IFC Section 807) as any other commercial building would.

@oldfieldguy

Thank you for the reference, but it still looks like something that is part of the interior wall finish, as opposed to a decoration one hangs on the wall afterwards, like a painting, poster, or a photograph.