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Elevator in Small 3-Story Building

C

CWares

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Location
Maryland
A 3-story Office Building (Regular offices, no health care). Each story is 1,750 sq.ft. in area. Is an elevator required per IBC; 1104.4? Because the aggregate area of the second and third Story is greater than 3,000 sq.ft.?
 
That is correct, an accessible route is required. Note the use of the word aggregate as shown by red text below.

1104.4 Multistory Buildings and Facilities
At least one accessible route shall connect each accessible story and mezzanine in multilevel buildings and facilities.
Exceptions:
  1. An accessible route is not required to stories and mezzanines that have an aggregate area of not more than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) and are located above and below accessible levels. This exception shall not apply to:
    1. Multiple tenant facilities of Group M occupancies containing five or more tenant spaces used for the sales or rental of goods and where at least one such tenant space is located on a floor level above or below the accessible levels;
    2. Stories or mezzanines containing offices of health care providers (Group B or I);
    3. Passenger transportation facilities and airports (Group A-3 or B); or
    4. Government buildings.
  2. Stories or mezzanines that do not contain accessible elements or other spaces as determined by Section 1107 or 1108 are not required to be served by an accessible route from an accessible level.
  3. In air traffic control towers, an accessible route is not required to serve the cab and the floor immediately below the cab.
  4. Where a two-story building or facility has one story or mezzanine with an occupant load of five or fewer persons that does not contain public use space, that story or mezzanine shall not be required to be connected by an accessible route to the story above or below.
 
Thank you. And I just said Elevator since that is the obvious choice, however any means to continue the Accessible Route would suffice.
 
Ty J. said:
That is correct, an accessible route is required. Note the use of the word aggregate as shown by red text below.

1104.4 Multistory Buildings and Facilities
At least one accessible route shall connect each accessible story and mezzanine in multilevel buildings and facilities.
Exceptions:
  1. An accessible route is not required to stories and mezzanines that have an aggregate area of not more than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) and are located above and below accessible levels. This exception shall not apply to:
Click to expand...

Are you saying that if you have a 4 story building, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are each 1001 SF, the aggreagate area of those floors above grade would be above 3000SF and would require an elevator?
 
Tim Mailloux said:
Are you saying that if you have a 4 story building, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are each 1001 SF, the aggreagate area of those floors above grade would be above 3000SF and would require an elevator?
Click to expand...
That is correct.

IBC 1104.4, Exception #1 states that ...stories and mezzanines that have an aggregate area of not more than 3,000 square feet... shall be exempt from an accessible route to those stories. The statement includes the word aggregate to indicate that the area of each story must be summed when determining if the exemption may be applied.
 
... mind blown ...
I had been thinking that each individual story could not exceed 3,000 S.F.
I totally missed the word "aggregate".

Speaking of supporting this forum by becoming a sawhorse, what kind of perks do you get as a "Corporate Sponsor"? Do you get to advertise your services as an online plan reviewer? Just asking for a friend.
 
I just read the code commentary and its pretty clear, the aggreate area of all levels not served by the accessible route can not exceed 3000SF. So in my (4) story building example, if an elevator served the 1st & 2nd floors, the aggregate area of the 3rd and 4th floors would be less than 3000SF and those two floors would not require an elevator.
 
Aggregate does get a lot of people...CT amends the IBC with statute and that is likely what Tim is remembering:

(Add) 1103.2.15 Statutory requirements. The following additional exceptions to requirements
for accessibility are in accordance with section 29-274 of the Connecticut General Statutes:
1. Accessibility shall not be required in renovations, additions or alterations to stories in
existing buildings above the street floor being converted to Group B provided each story
above the street floor contains less than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) of total gross area
per floor and the street floor is renovated or altered to provide accessibility to persons with
disabilities. This provision shall not apply to stories above the street floor that include the
offices of health care providers, municipal or state agencies or passenger transportation
facilities or offices located in airport terminals.
2. Buildings and structures of any occupancy not otherwise exempted from the requirements
of this chapter shall be exempt if each story above and below the street floor contains less
than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) of total gross area and the street floor is designed,
renovated or altered to provide accessibility to persons with disabilities. This provision
shall not apply to stories above or below the street floor that include the offices of health
care providers, municipal or state agencies or passenger transportation facilities or offices
located in airport terminals or mercantile facilities having five or more tenant spaces.
 
JPohling said:
California is 3,000 sf per floor
Click to expand...
That it is.... Go figure that CA would actually reduce the requirement for accessible routes. That is a surprise to me.

11B-206.2.3 Multistory Buildings and Facilities
At least one accessible route shall connect each story and mezzanine in multistory buildings and facilities.
Exceptions:
  1. The following types of privately funded multistory buildings do not require a ramp or elevator above and below the first floor:
    1. Multistoried office buildings (other than the professional office of a health care provider) and passenger vehicle service stations less than three stories high or less than 3,000 square feet (279 m2) per story.
    2. Any other privately funded multistoried building that is not a shopping center, shopping mall or the professional office of a health care provider, or a terminal, depot or other station used for specified public transportation, or an airport passenger terminal and that is less than three stories high or less than 3,000 square feet (279 m2) per story if a reasonable portion of all facilities and accommodations normally sought and used by the public in such a building are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
  2. Reserved.
  3. In detention and correctional facilities, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories where cells with mobility features required to comply with Section 11B-807.2, all common use areas serving cells with mobility features required to comply with Section 11B-807.2, and all public use areas are on an accessible route.
  4. In residential facilities, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories where residential dwelling units with mobility features required to comply with Sections 11B-809.2 through 11B- 809.4, residential dwelling units with adaptable features complying with Chapter 11A, Division IV, all common use areas serving residential dwelling units with mobility features required to comply with Sections 11B-809.2 through 11B- 809.4, all common use areas serving residential dwelling units with adaptable features complying with Chapter 11A, Division IV, and public use areas serving residential dwelling units are on an accessible route.
  5. Within multistory transient lodging guest rooms with mobility features required to comply with Section 11B-806.2, an accessible route shall not be required to connect stories provided that spaces complying with Section 11B-806.2 are on an accessible route and sleeping accommodations for two persons minimum are provided on a story served by an accessible route.
  6. In air traffic control towers, an accessible route shall not be required to serve the cab and the equipment areas on the floor immediately below the cab.
  7. Reserved.
 
Speaking of supporting this forum by becoming a sawhorse, what kind of perks do you get as a "Corporate Sponsor"? Do you get to advertise your services as an online plan reviewer? Just asking for a friend.
[/QUOTE]
PM Jeff = JAR546
 
I think the aggregate word is a mistake. CA can also use a single occupancy toilet room to satisfy a 5,000 sf B occupancy sanitary requirements.
 
I have a similar project: 2-story 8,000 SF per story, New construction, government building of B occupancy, sprinklered. The government explicitly said no elevator would be required, but to the contrary I found this section in the 2021 IBC: 1674232261478.png
 
I think he's misinterpreting the double negative in the IBC exemptions.

Title II of the ADA still requires federal, state, & local government buildings to meet ADA Standards for Accessible Design. I can't find an elevator exemption under the Title II standards.
 
Paul Sweet said:
I think he's misinterpreting the double negative in the IBC exemptions.

Title II of the ADA still requires federal, state, & local government buildings to meet ADA Standards for Accessible Design. I can't find an elevator exemption under the Title II standards.
Click to expand...
Yes - There is an exemption to the exemption for Government Buildings. LOL. I just wanted to make sure I was reading that correctly since the gov't. was so sure there would not be an elevator or assessible route to other stories. And the fact the each story is 8,000 sf definitely confirms the need for an elevator.
 
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