B or M occupancy (change of use)

[classicT]

in Restroom, there wont be any thing that can force a person to take a route along rectilinear axis and rest of the egress line is straight because my client is thinking to have furniture display on sides thereby leaving center open for movement. I know there is issue with electric panel. I will make a suggestion to my client and water heater can be shifted. Any advice?

It is likely cost prohibitive. Suggest the tenant find a new space. This suite is pretty limited to a B occupancy.

Also, as Yankee has mentioned, fix the CPET to rectilinear at the front as well.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Any advice?

Candidly? Your client has rented the wrong space. He/she/they should cancel the lease and find a space they can occupy fully while complying with the codes.

Looking at the plan, I have to say that this looks very similar to a mattress store that went in about a year ago in the town where I work. And they added a new exit door at the rear to be compliant, as well as having to move the electrical panel to keep it within the tenant space.

 

[samv]

Just one more look at this option before I close this chapter. comments?

 

[classicT]

Just one more look at this option before I close this chapter. comments?

If I drew the CPET line, I could make it exceed 75-ft by putting the termination point just down from the HWH (towards plan bottom). Still a likelihood of creating the same issue for the adjoining tenant (at plan left). And obviously, the previous location of the sales counter would be an issue should it reappear on the plans.

 

[classicT]

If I drew the CPET line, I could make it exceed 75-ft by putting the termination point just down from the HWH (towards plan bottom).

 

[samv]

If I drew the CPET line, I could make it exceed 75-ft by putting the termination point just down from the HWH (towards plan bottom). Still a likelihood of creating the same issue for the adjoining tenant (at plan left). And obviously, the previous location of the sales counter would be an issue should it reappear on the plans.

The tenant on the left is a big grocery store so he will be ok. The counter position can be changed and placed on the side leaving center portion open for egress. I am sure normal movement of person from the HWH closet is not to walk like a robot in the rectilinear fashion but somehow looks like the way I have drawn. The diagonal portion is hardly 1-2 ft. Do you think it can be considered favorably by the AHJ?

 

[classicT]

The tenant on the left is a big grocery store so he will be ok. The counter position can be changed and placed on the side leaving center portion open for egress. I am sure normal movement of person from the HWH closet is not to walk like a robot in the rectilinear fashion but somehow looks like the way I have drawn. The diagonal portion is hardly 1-2 ft. Do you think it can be considered favorably by the AHJ?

The adjoining tenant is a Group M as well?! They must have gotten the rear exit doors then, haha.

My comment was not about the minor portion of the diagonal CPET. See the blue line I drew. If you measure there, I believe you will exceed 75-ft.

 

[mtlogcabin]

IEBC
SECTION 506
CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY

506.1 Compliance.
A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for the use or occupancy. Changes of occupancy in a building or portion thereof shall be such that the existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building or structure was prior to the change.

The travel distance has not been changed that would make the building more hazardous than before.

 

[classicT]

IEBC
SECTION 506
CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY

506.1 Compliance.
A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for the use or occupancy. Changes of occupancy in a building or portion thereof shall be such that the existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building or structure was prior to the change.

The travel distance has not been changed that would make the building more hazardous than before.

That is a generic section that does not apply here.

The more specific section is 1011.5.1. Group B to Group M is a higher hazard as it relates to MoE. Therefore, the following applies.

2021 IEBC 1011.5.1 Means of Egress for Change to a Higher-Hazard Category​

Where a change of occupancy classification is made to a higher-hazard category (lower number) as shown in Table 1011.5, the means of egress shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 10 of the International Building Code.
Exceptions:

1. Stairways shall be enclosed in compliance with the applicable provisions of Section 903.1.
2. Existing stairways including handrails and guards complying with the requirements of Chapter 9 shall be permitted for continued use subject to approval of the code official.
3. Any stairway replacing an existing stairway within a space where the pitch or slope cannot be reduced because of existing construction shall not be required to comply with the maximum riser height and minimum tread depth requirements.
4. Existing corridor walls constructed on both sides of wood lath and plaster in good condition or 1/2-inch-thick (12.7 mm) gypsum wallboard shall be permitted. Such walls shall either terminate at the underside of a ceiling of equivalent construction or extend to the underside of the floor or roof next above.
5. Existing corridor doorways, transoms and other corridor openings shall comply with the requirements in Sections 804.6.1, 804.6.2 and 804.6.3.
6. Existing dead-end corridors shall comply with the requirements in Section 804.7.
7. An operable window complying with Section 1011.5.6 shall be accepted as an emergency escape and rescue opening.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

View attachment 11955

And the door to the water heater closet will normally be closed, so the line should begin just off the hinge side of the closet door -- and be measured rectilinearly, not on a diagonal.

 

[classicT]

IEBC
SECTION 506
CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY

506.1 Compliance.
A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for the use or occupancy. Changes of occupancy in a building or portion thereof shall be such that the existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building or structure was prior to the change.

The travel distance has not been changed that would make the building more hazardous than before.

That is a generic section that does not apply here.

The more specific section is 1011.5.1. Group B to Group M is a higher hazard as it relates to MoE.

I should reword what I said here.

IEBC 506.1 pertains to the Ch. 5 Prescriptive Compliance path. IEBC 1011.5.1 is a part of the Work Area Compliance Method. As per IEBC Section 301.3, the applicant may select either method (or the Performance Compliance Method).

That said, I wholeheartedly believe that the intent of 506.2 is not as you have portrayed. The first sentence of 506.2 indicates clearly that "A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements..." for the use/occupancy as if new construction (IBC).

The second sentence, which you have focused on, is intended to prohibit a change of occupancy that reduces compliance with the code. Given that the existing tenant space is understood to have complied with the CPET limit, I am not sure how you can suggest ignoring the proposed CPET that exceeds the limit of Table 1006.2.1. The MoE would go from conforming, to non-conforming.

Take note, the second sentence also specifies that the "...existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building..." The instruction is no less compliant with the code, meaning that the baseline is the code, not the existing building. It is essential to compare existing to code and proposed to code. You cannot short-change it and limit the thought process to only comparing existing building to proposed building.


Also, posting the full text of 506.1.

2021 IEBC 506.1 Compliance​

A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for the use or occupancy. Changes of occupancy in a building or portion thereof shall be such that the existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building or structure was prior to the change. Subject to the approval of the code official, changes of occupancy shall be permitted without complying with all of the requirements of this code for the new occupancy, provided that the new occupancy is less hazardous, based on life and fire risk, than the existing occupancy.​

Exception: The building need not be made to comply with Chapter 16 of the International Building Code unless required by Section 506.5.​

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

The tenant on the left is a big grocery store so he will be ok. The counter position can be changed and placed on the side leaving center portion open for egress. I am sure normal movement of person from the HWH closet is not to walk like a robot in the rectilinear fashion but somehow looks like the way I have drawn. The diagonal portion is hardly 1-2 ft. Do you think it can be considered favorably by the AHJ?

Why would the big grocery store have any reason to accept a useless bit of space added onto their space just to accommodate an adjoining new tenant who shouldn't have signed a lease before determining they could actually use the space for their operation?

As to the line of egress travel, as I have already stated both the IBC Commentary and the NFPA 101 Handbook tell us to measure on a rectilinear axis. Your AHJ may be flexible on this -- I'm generally not. I accept that we're nor likely to see an obstruction in the middle of a toilet room, so I'll accept a diagonal there, and I'll generally accept a diagonal path across a small entrance vestibule where I can be reasonable assured there won't be any furniture or equipment installed. Other than that, no.

When measuring travel distance, it is important to consider
the natural path of exit access travel [see Commentary
Figure 1017.3(1)]. In many cases, the actual layout
of furnishings and equipment is not known or is not identified
on the plans submitted with the permit application.
In such instances, it may be necessary to measure travel
distance using the legs of a right triangle instead of the
hypotenuse [see Commentary Figure 1017.3(2)]. Since
most people tend to migrate to more open spaces while
egressing, measurement of the natural path of exit
access travel typically excludes floor areas within 1 foot
(305 mm) of walls, corners, columns and other permanent
construction. Where the travel path includes passage
through a doorway, the natural route is generally
measured through the centerline of door openings.

And I don't automatically accept either the applicant's statement as to what the line of exit travel measures, nor do I automatically accept that they've chosen the most remote point. As one of out former presidents (Reagan?) once said, "Trust -- but verify."

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

I should reword what I said here.

IEBC 506.1 pertains to the Ch. 5 Prescriptive Compliance path. IEBC 1011.5.1 is a part of the Work Area Compliance Method. As per IEBC Section 301.3, the applicant may select either method (or the Performance Compliance Method).

Chapter 10 of the IEBC is NOT part of the Work Area Compliance method. Chapter 10 is Change of Occupancy. The Work Area Method chapters are 7, 8, and 9.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

IEBC
SECTION 506
CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY

506.1 Compliance.
A change of occupancy shall not be made in any building unless that building is made to comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for the use or occupancy. Changes of occupancy in a building or portion thereof shall be such that the existing building is not less complying with the provisions of this code than the existing building or structure was prior to the change.

The travel distance has not been changed that would make the building more hazardous than before.

The travel distance may or may not have changed (we haven't seen the actual floor plan for the previous occupancy), but IEBC Table 1011.5 puts Group B in hazard category 4 and M in hazard category 3, which is a higher hazard ==> less safe. IEBC 1011.5.1 tells us that for a change of occupancy to a higher hazard classification, the means of egress shall comply with Chapter 10 of the IBC. And Chapter 10 of the IBC says that the maximum exit access travel for a B occupancy with a single exit is 100 feet (complying) but for an M occupancy it's 75 feet (non-complying).

 

[classicT]

Chapter 10 of the IEBC is NOT part of the Work Area Compliance method. Chapter 10 is Change of Occupancy. The Work Area Method chapters are 7, 8, and 9.

I beg to differ...

2021 IEBC​

301.3.1 Prescriptive Compliance Method​

Alterations, additions and changes of occupancy complying with Chapter 5 of this code in buildings complying with the International Fire Code shall be considered in compliance with the provisions of this code.

301.3.2 Work Area Compliance Method​

Alterations, additions and changes of occupancy complying with the applicable requirements of Chapters 6 through 12 of this code shall be considered in compliance with the provisions of this code.

301.3.3 Performance Compliance Method​

Alterations, additions and changes of occupancy complying with Chapter 13 of this code shall be considered in compliance with the provisions of this code.

 

[mtlogcabin]

2021 IEBC​

301.3.1 Prescriptive Compliance Method​

Alterations, additions and changes of occupancy complying with Chapter 5 of this code in buildings complying with the International Fire Code shall be considered in compliance with the provisions of this code.

301.3 Alteration, addition or change of occupancy.
The alteration, addition or change of occupancy of all existing buildings shall comply with one of the methods listed in Section 301.3.1, 301.3.2 or 301.3.3 as selected by the applicant. Sections 301.3.1 through 301.3.3 shall not be applied in combination with each other.

It is the applicant's choice to choose one method. The Prescriptive, the Work Area or the Performance Compliance Method direction to use for design and code compliance not the AHJ.

Prior to the I-Codes common path was not in the code and two exits where not required until the occupant load exceeded 49 people. That is why 506.1 is applicable to meet code compliance for the existing travel distance within this space.

 

[samv]

Just for the info, New jersey has its own rehabilitation code and if I see this code. here's what I found and I am not sure if I look for 2021 code or 2018 because section 1017 belongs to 2018 code and it has 250' travel distance requirement. Please advice.
Thx,

 

[VERMA071]

Just for the info, New jersey has its own rehabilitation code and if I see this code. here's what I found and I am not sure if I look for 2021 code or 2018 because section 1017 belongs to 2018 code and it has 250' travel distance requirement. Please advice.
Thx,

I just found this code info. It seems updated and requires 2 exit if travel distance is more than 75'.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Just for the info, New jersey has its own rehabilitation code and if I see this code. here's what I found and I am not sure if I look for 2021 code or 2018 because section 1017 belongs to 2018 code and it has 250' travel distance requirement. Please advice.
Thx,

You look at the code in effect. If New Jersey adopted a new edition in 2021, you can't look at 2018 just because it's better for you.

From the current New Jersey Rehabilitation subcode:

§5:23-6.24 Basic Requirements--Group M​

2. A single exit is permitted in the story at the level of exit discharge when the occupant load of the story does not exceed 50 and the exit access travel distance does not exceed 75 feet. (Plan review--Building, Fire. Inspection--Building)