Door Swing Direction (based on load served, or load of room?)

[Ryan Schultz]

As a thought exercise, if you had...

• 2940sf Assembly
• with 2940sf/15sf per occupant = 196 occupants
• And (4) doors that serve that space with an occupant load of (49) occupants per door

... could the swing of those doors swing in the opposite direction of egress, that is, into the space?

If not, could you please point me to the bit of code that outlines this.

Thanks Much, Ryan

 

[RLGA]

No. Section 1010.1.2.1 states "doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving a room or area containing an occupant load of 50 or more persons." Since the "room or area" contains an occupant load of "50 or more persons," then all doors must swing in the direction of egress travel.

 

[mark handler]

https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/threads/door-swing-direction.21245/

 

[cda]

As a thought exercise, if you had...

• 2940sf Assembly
• with 2940sf/15sf per occupant = 196 occupants
• And (4) doors that serve that space with an occupant load of (49) occupants per door

... could the swing of those doors swing in the opposite direction of egress, that is, into the space?

If not, could you please point me to the bit of code that outlines this.

Thanks Much, Ryan

How do you herd 49 people through each door??

 

[Ryan Schultz]

Per 2009, https://up.codes/viewer/alabama/ibc-2009/chapter/10/means-of-egress#1008.1.2

exception 10...
Doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving an occupant load of 50 or more persons or a Group H occupancy.

In 2015, however...
https://up.codes/viewer/wyoming/ibc-2015/chapter/10/means-of-egress#1010.1.2.1

Pivot or side-hinged swinging doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving a room or area containing an occupant load of 50 or more persons or a Group H occupancy.

---

It seems there was some further clarification in 2015 that the load applied to the entire room, not just at that the door.

 

[RLGA]

Per 2009, https://up.codes/viewer/alabama/ibc-2009/chapter/10/means-of-egress#1008.1.2

exception 10...
Doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving an occupant load of 50 or more persons or a Group H occupancy.

In 2015, however...
https://up.codes/viewer/wyoming/ibc-2015/chapter/10/means-of-egress#1010.1.2.1

Pivot or side-hinged swinging doors shall swing in the direction of egress travel where serving a room or area containing an occupant load of 50 or more persons or a Group H occupancy.

---

It seems there was some further clarification in 2015 that the load applied to the entire room, not just at that the door.

Actually, it was the 2012 IBC that clarified the requirement. Regardless, the 2009 IBC requirement still implies the same thing. It states "Doors...where serving an occupant load of 50 or more persons..." Notice that it uses the plural (i.e., "Doors"), which refers to all doors serving an occupant load of 50 or more. If it was intended to apply to an individual door, then the requirement would have likely been written as follows: "Each door...where serving an occupant load of 50 or more persons..."