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Door Hardware

Jmb

REGISTERED
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
40
Location
PA
Here is an example of a door situation that I run into time and time again:

Inspections under the IBC 2009

  • 3 story medical office building with individual tenants (doctor offices, blood draw lab, etc.)
  • Tenants have entrance doors to the suites that are full glazed tempered glass doors without stiles
  • These doors swing in the egress direction and empty to the common corridors that lead to the stair towers.
  • The hardware on these doors is a thumbturn on the bottom rail on the tenant side and keyed cylinder on the corridor side.
  • A sign has been provided in the tenant side that states the “This door is to remain unlocked when building is occupied”.

The issues are:
  • They cannot have the thumbturn since it protrudes more than 1/16” on the bottom rail
  • They cannot have hardware on the door that is less than 34” to 48”
  • They cannot provide a double keyed cylinder on the bottom rail since this is not a main exterior door
  • To open a door, only one operation is allowed
  • Even if a double keyed cylinder was permitted, if any other tenant space is occupied, then this door cannot be locked since the “building is occupied”

I get fight back on this continuously; this is “allowed everywhere else”

Basically this is me venting
 
  • Even if a double keyed cylinder was permitted, if any other tenant space is occupied, then this door cannot be locked since the “building is occupied”
I would not apply this to individual sepearte businesses that are not open. Exiting through the suite should not be needed.

Kind of like a mall and requiring every business to open at the same time.
 
The code evolves and later editions of the IBC have addressed some of the issues you mention. However, the 2009 IBC does address some of the issues that you bring up.
  • They cannot have the thumbturn since it protrudes more than 1/16” on the bottom rail
ANSI A117.1 Section 409.2.9 (2003 and 2009 editions) state in Exception 2 that tempered glass doors having a bottom rail/shoe with a tapered top are not required to comply with the 10-inch bottom rail height requirement.
  • They cannot have hardware on the door that is less than 34” to 48”
Section 1008.1.9.2 (2009 IBC) states "Locks used only for security purposes and not for normal operation are permitted at any height." This has been in the 2009 and remains in the IBC. A similar requirement is located in ANSI A117.1 2003 and 2009 editions.
  • They cannot provide a double keyed cylinder on the bottom rail since this is not a main exterior door
Section 1010.1.9.3 (2015 IBC) states "main door or doors" now--it deleted the use of the word "exterior."
  • To open a door, only one operation is allowed
True for all IBC editions, but a security lock at the bottom of a door is not used for normal operation. If the door uses a lock/latch on the door handle device, then the door must be unlocked/unlatched when operating the door handle.
  • Even if a double keyed cylinder was permitted, if any other tenant space is occupied, then this door cannot be locked since the “building is occupied”
Section 1010.1.9.3 (2015 IBC) has changed the wording from "BUILDING" to "SPACE."
 
If it's in a jurisdiction that adopts NFPA 101, the double keyed cylinder would not be allowed. (101 still has the "exterior door" language)
 
Thanks for the responses.
ANSI A117.1-2009 will allow for less than a 10" bottom rail, but would not allow 1/16" protrusion whether the rail is 10" or less.
A blood draw phlebotomist doesn't always count for "security personal". Not a real good situation
If a code year is adopted in by my state, I cannot use another code cycle to justify a certain change; that's for a board of appeals
 
A board of appeals is used to address interpretations of code application by the Building Official, not for approving code modifications. For code modifications, use IBC Section 104.11 (2009 IBC) for alternate material, design, or method. I've used this to request code modifications for approving the use of a revised section in a newer code edition, even though the jurisdiction hadn't adopted that edition (yet).
 
I am located in Pennsylvania, Chapter 1 of the IBC is not adopted.
The state has an administrative chapter (regulation) that replaces Chapter 1.
This regulation (PA UCC Regulation 403.42a) does allow for a board of appeals to consider alternate means and methods. These considerations would include changes to future, un-adopted, code sections.
 
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