Elevator Standby Power for Accessible Means of Egress

[philip panzarella]

I am working on a 5-story condo in Florida (4 levels of type 3A residential over 1 level of parking). The typical floor is the standard double loaded corridor with stairs at either end and an elevator in the middle opening directly to the corridor (no elevator lobby).

I am trying to see if there is an exception to providing standby power to the elevator because it is required to be an accessible means of egress per 2003 IBC 1007.2.1 and have standby power per 1007.4. (don't get me started on why I am looking at the 2003 IBC. Florida's code adoption makes no sense to me)

I used to work in California and we would use a horizontal exit to avoid the backup power for the elevator but I can't find that exception anywhere in the Florida adopted codes.

I do see this listed as an exception on page 11 of this code commentary about accessible means of egress (but no code reference for the exception)

https://www.access-board.gov/files/ada/guides/amoe.pdf

 

[RLGA]

Refer to Exception 1 of Section 1007.2.1, which, in a roundabout way, says that an elevator is not required to be an accessible means of egress for floors with a horizontal exit and the floors are at or above the level of exit discharge.

Thus, to avoid the standby power requirement, horizontal exits will be required on all residential floors except the garage level.