Children play area occupant load

[Mech]

2018 IBC

Existing strip mall tenant space being renovated for a kids play area. Sprinkler heads will be relocated / added as required.

I am thinking this will be a group A-3. The party area could be stretched to A-2.

3,000 sq ft of children's play area (I am assuming similar to the play areas at McD's, Burger King, Chick-fil-a with numerous play structures and a carpet with a roadway image for kids to run / race on).
310 sf party area (I am assuming tables and chairs with carried in food. There is no kitchen or food prep area)
98 sf sensory room
Toilet rooms and janitor closet


What occupant load density should I be using for the play area? Day care is one person per 35 sq ft net, exercise room is one person per 50 sq ft gross, a pool in one person per 50 sq ft. Using day care, there would be 86 occupants and using exercise room, there would be 60 occupants.

At 7 sf net, the sensory room would have 14 people, which is probably way higher than what will be in there.

Thanks!

 

[steveray]

If it doesn't cross a big safety upgrade threshold, use the biggest number you are comfortable with?...Watch for the big plastic play structures and flammability......

 

[Sifu]

What is a "sensory" room?

3,000sf² is pretty large, not sure what "special investigation" would look like but I would find out. (IBC 424.5) Good question on OL, I would lean towards 35 net for day care. 86 kids would be considered in the "special investigation" I think.

 

[Mech]

Thank you for the replies. The two exits provide sufficient egress capacity for an even higher density of 1 person / 20 sf in the play area. I should be able to handle 1 per 15 sf.

The 3,000 sf includes the pathways from the front door to the party area and toilet rooms, so not all of the area will be technically available for the play area, although I may include it in the occupant calculations.

I never dealt with play structures before, so I was not aware of the 424 section. I will have to read through that. It appears most of it will affect the tenant when they go to select the exact equipment. I can only add some notes about construction, flammability, and keeping the equipment away from the egress path and walls.

I cherrypicked this from two websites: a sensory room is designed to provide an enjoyable or calming multisensory experience for children. They are often used for children with autism or sensory processing disorder. Sensory rooms contain different activities that engage a child's five senses. Sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch.

 

[steveray]

This is what I was thinking, but yeah, 424 is big...

424.2 Materials. Play structures shall be constructed of
noncombustible materials or of combustible materials that
comply with the following:
1. Fire-retardant-treated wood complying with Section
2303.2
2. Light-transmitting plastics complying with Section
2606.
3. Foam plastics (including the pipe foam used in softcontained
play equipment structures) having a maximum
heat-release rate not greater than 100 kilowatts
when tested in accordance with UL 1975 or when
tested in accordance with NFPA 289, using the 20
kW ignition source.
4. Aluminum composite material (ACM) meeting the
requirements of Class A interior finish in accordance
with Chapter 8 when tested as an assembly in the
maximum thickness intended for use.
5. Textiles and films complying with the fire propagation
performance criteria contained in Test Method 1
or Test Method 2, as appropriate, of NFPA 701.
6. Plastic materials used to construct rigid components of
soft-contained play equipment structures (such as
tubes, windows, panels, junction boxes, pipes, slides
and decks) exhibiting a peak rate of heat release not
exceeding 400 kW/ m2 when tested in accordance with
ASTM E1354 at an incident heat flux of 50 kW/m2 in
the horizontal orientation at a thickness of 6 mm.
7. Ball pool balls, used in soft-contained play equipment
structures, having a maximum heat-release rate
not greater than 100 kilowatts when tested in accordance
with UL 1975 or when tested in accordance
with NFPA 289, using the 20 kW ignition source.
The minimum specimen test size shall be 36 inches
by 36 inches (914 mm by 914 mm) by an average of
21 inches (533 mm) deep, and the balls shall be held
in a box constructed of galvanized steel poultry
netting wire mesh.
8. Foam plastics shall be covered by a fabric, coating or
film meeting the fire propagation performance criteria
contained in Test Method 1 or Test Method 2, as
appropriate, of NFPA 701.
9. The floor covering placed under the children’s play
structure shall exhibit a Class I interior floor finish
classification, as described in Section 804, when
tested in accordance with ASTM E648 or NFPA 253.
10. Interior finishes for structures exceeding 600 square
feet (56 m2) in area or 10 feet (3048 mm) in height
shall have a flame spread index not greater than that
specified in Table 803.13 for the occupancy group
and location designated. Interior wall and ceiling
finish materials tested in accordance with NFPA 286
and meeting the acceptance criteria of Section
803.1.1.1, shall be permitted to be used where a Class
A classification in accordance with ASTM E84 or
UL 723 is required.

 

[Mech]

I received some pretty color renderings from the owner, but no information on the equipment.

Time for semantics. The bold lettering below is mine.

Section 424.4 Separation. Children's play structures shall have a horizontal separation from building walls, partitions and from elements of the means of egress of not less than 5 feet. Children's playground structures shall have a horizontal separation from other children's play structures of not less than 20 feet.

Must the interior play structures maintain 20 ft separation from other interior play structures? Cambridge dictionary defines playground as being outside. Miriam-Webster also alludes to exterior play areas. Since this play area is inside, these are not playground structures (per Cambridge) and would not require 20 ft separation. I assume the intent is to limit interior play structures where flammability is of more concern than exterior play structures.