barrier at dock

[rktect 1]

Well, I have an existing S-1 building type 2b built in such a way as to have a loading dock in the rear of each tenant space. The loading dock area is graded/sloped/depressed towards the dock (located within the building) creating a dock floor to truck tire floor distance of about 48 inches in height. The tenant is a vehicle repair/diagnostics training center for car company X. B use as vocational training. They want to, from roadway to dock edge, fill in with gravel and add a ramp (because the dock area is depressed it actually will be a flat floor area from the road) to level half the area in order to get cars into the training rooms. So half of this dock will reamain and be for loading dock purposes while the other half, about 12 feet wide, will be a driveway to get cars in and out of the tenat space. This creates a portion/length of this driveway where a person or car could just drop off the left hand edge into the depressed loading dock.

So the question becomes, does this require a vehicel barrier (IBC 1607.7.3) as well as a guard rail area (IBC 1013.1) or just a guard rail requirement?

The fun part is their other tenant space where they have the opposite condition as the picture shows. They want to add a 90 inch wide, maybe 30 foot long, pre-fab metal rampway so they can reach the farther dock edge. They could not fill this area in as there is an existing triple basin and storm drain at the bottom.

Got the image.

 

[peach]

usually don't see any kind of barrier at loading docks, only the walkways adjacent to them. In your situation, though, a highway grade guardrail may be a good idea. (I'm not sure it's addressed in the code).

 

[north star]

~ ~ ~ ~

rktect1,

Which "existing" code are you referencing out of?.....IMO, Section

1607.7.3 would not apply!....Good idea, but I cannot make the segue

from an existing code to "new".

The "could" always go above code!



~ ~ ~ ~

 

[rktect 1]

The vehicle barrier in 1607 was the only thing I could come up with. The highway type metal guard is probably a good solution. Where and in what code would that be found?

I am using the 2006 IBC north star. This is not just an existing condition but one in which they will infil a new concrete ramp up to where those stairs begin so they can drive cars onto it and into the tenant space.

 

[peach]

I don't think you're going to find this scenario addressed in IBC