Commercial Kitchen - Double Acting Door w/ Narrow Leafs

[smlstevens]

I am working on a new hotel project (2021 IBC) with a commercial kitchen. the kitchen consultant wants a double leaf double action door leading to/from the dishwashing area. The opening is 36" making the leaves 18" each. Our code consultant is saying that because it is the only door used for egress from that area, that the leaf must meet the minimum 32" clear requirement for one of the leaves. I'm getting push back from the kitchen consultant who is admittedly not a code expert.

I've read somewhere (not in the IBC) that double acting doors are considered cased openings and don't have to meet typical egress door requirements. I have nothing to back that up. Does anyone have insight on this? From a practicality standpoint, I would expect a non latching / locking doors such as this to have some flexibility but cant find anything in the code to support that.

First post! Thanks in advance for any insight y'all can share.

 

[TheCommish]

2015 IBC
1010.1.1 Size of doors. The required capacity of each
door opening shall be sufficient for the occupant load
thereof and shall provide a minimum clear width of 32
inches (813 mm). Clear openings of doorways with swinging
doors shall be measured between the face of the door
and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees (1.57 rad).
Where this section requires a minimum clear width of 32
inches (813 mm) and a door opening includes two door
leaves without a mullion, one leaf shall provide a clear
opening width of 32 inches (813 mm). The maximum
width of a swinging door leaf shall be 48 inches (1219
mm) nominal. Means of egress doors in a Group I-2 occupancy
used for the movement of beds shall provide a clear
width not less than 411/2 inches (1054 mm). The height of
door openings shall be not less than 80 inches (2032 mm).

bunch of exceptions none seem to be applicable