Elevator Access

[Brian Bergstrom]

We are designing an addition to a two story church building. The addition is fully sprinkled and separated from the existing by a fire wall. The existing building is not sprinkled. The elevator is located in the existing building and we would like to use this as the accessible route for the new addition rather than have 2 elevators. The code official is concerned that you have to leave the sprinkled building to access the elevator but says he can't point to a code reference that says we cannot do this. Does anyone know if the IBC or ADA addresses this scenario?

 

[steveray]

Where is the accessible egress?

 

[RLGA]

There is nothing in the code or accessibility standards that would prohibit that situation.

 

[michael2020]

it looks like you are going through a horizontal exit to reach the elevator. It should be ok. The question you may need to check to see if the existing elevator meets all the requirements to be considered as an accessible element during emergency. for example, does it have emergency/stand-by power, etc.

 

[RLGA]

Remember, the OP was asking about the “accessible route” and not the “accessible means of egress.”

 

[ADAguy]

Additions shares corridor access to elevator lobby? Fire Door in corridor between sprinklered and unsprinklered areas?

 

[RLGA]

Additions shares corridor access to elevator lobby? Fire Door in corridor between sprinklered and unsprinklered areas?

Since the OP mentioned a fire wall, a fire-rated door would be required at the opening between the two buildings.

 

[RLGA]

Okay, it looks like we received mixed messages from the OP. The OP mentioned an "accessible route" but then states the code official is concerned about accessing the elevator in the nonsprinklered building, which leads me to believe the code official is concerned about an "accessible means of egress."

Whether part of an accessible route or accessible means of egress, there is nothing to restrict this particular situation.

Regarding accessible route, the accessibility standards consider a building divided by fire walls as a single building, provided the accessible route connects all accessible elements of the building--even if that accessible route begins in one "building" and goes through other "buildings" separated by the fire walls. In the 2018 IBC, Section 503.1 was modified to state that the use of a fire wall was for the "purposes of determining area limitations, height limitations and type of construction." Thus, for all other purposes, a building divided by fire walls is a single building.

Regarding accessible means of egress, the elevator is only considered an accessible means of egress when determined by the design team for buildings less than five stories. If the building is five stories or more then the elevator must be used as an accessible means of egress. In this case, the building is only two stories, so the designers can elect not to make the elevator an accessible means of egress. The fire wall does meet the requirements for a horizontal exit, as previously mentioned, so disabled occupants can egress through a door in the fire wall and are considered to have "exited" the building. For occupants egressing from the sprinklered addition, the existing building is a refuge area. For disabled occupants, they can use the stairs in the existing building as part of an accessible means of egress, but there is no requirement to have an area of refuge for the stairway (Section 1009.3.3, Exception 6) and there is no requirement that the stairs have a clear width of 48 inches (Section 1009.3.2, Exception 2) even if though the building is not sprinklered. If the elevator will be used for the accessible means of egress, then it must comply with the requirements of Section 1009.4.

 

[ADAguy]

Good info RG.