• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Exist Access Stair, 1019.3, Condition 4

annoyitated

SAWHORSE
Joined
Oct 25, 2013
Messages
43
Location
Pittsburgh
I have a 4 story building, Uses B and A2 which has three stairs. Two of the stairs are traditional enclosed stairs. The third stair is an "open" stair allowed per 1019.3, condition 4. We comply with all of the conditions required. The code official has commented as follows;

1. Where an exit access stair is used to comply with the requirement of IBC 1006.3, the path of egress travel to an exit must not pass through more than one adjacent story.

2. Please modify the drawings to identify a path of egress travel from the third floor to a qualifying exit as required by 1006.3. If using stair C as an interior exit access stair, please
verify that exit access travel distances for the third floor are maintained in accordance with IBC 1017.2.

With regards to comments 1, my reading of 1019.3 is that our stair complies with an "exit access stair" and is not considered "open" and that our access does not pass through an adjacent floor.

With regards to comment 2, again I would think the travel distance would terminate at the edge of the first riser of the "exit access stair".

Thoughts?
 
What is the occupant load on each story? Are you required to have three means of egress from each story, or just certain stories?

Regarding comment #1, complying with Section 1019.3, item 4, does not make it an exit stairway. You will notice that the IBC still refers to it as an exit access stairway; thus, all the requirements for exit access and exit access stairways apply, such as Section 1006.3.1. Also, since it is not enclosed with fire-rated assemblies, it is an "open" stairway. Per Section 1006.3.1, occupants using the open stairway from the 4th story technically cannot take the stair to the 1st story--they should leave the stair at the 3rd story and seek a protected means of egress (e.g., an enclosed exit stairway). Now, in reality, people will go all the way down the stairs, but the code's concern is the unprotected nature of the stair. Should smoke or fire hamper occupants' egress down to the 1st story, they must be able to seek an enclosed exit stair from the exit access stair at any other story. Therefore, they limit passage through one adjacent story for design purposes.

As for comment #2, only one exit is required to be within the prescribed travel distance. If at least one of the enclosed stairs on the 3rd story is within the maximum travel distance, the distance to an exit stair on another story using the exit access stairway is irrelevant. Section 1017.3 states that the measurement of travel distance is from the "most remote point of each room...to the entrance to an exit." You will notice it does not state all exits. So, if the travel distance from every room in the story to either one of the two exit stairways is within the allowed distance, you have complied with Section 1017.
 
What is the occupant load on each story? Are you required to have three means of egress from each story, or just certain stories?

Regarding comment #1, complying with Section 1019.3, item 4, does not make it an exit stairway. You will notice that the IBC still refers to it as an exit access stairway; thus, all the requirements for exit access and exit access stairways apply, such as Section 1006.3.1. Also, since it is not enclosed with fire-rated assemblies, it is an "open" stairway. Per Section 1006.3.1, occupants using the open stairway from the 4th story technically cannot take the stair to the 1st story--they should leave the stair at the 3rd story and seek a protected means of egress (e.g., an enclosed exit stairway). Now, in reality, people will go all the way down the stairs, but the code's concern is the unprotected nature of the stair. Should smoke or fire hamper occupants' egress down to the 1st story, they must be able to seek an enclosed exit stair from the exit access stair at any other story. Therefore, they limit passage through one adjacent story for design purposes.

As for comment #2, only one exit is required to be within the prescribed travel distance. If at least one of the enclosed stairs on the 3rd story is within the maximum travel distance, the distance to an exit stair on another story using the exit access stairway is irrelevant. Section 1017.3 states that the measurement of travel distance is from the "most remote point of each room...to the entrance to an exit." You will notice it does not state all exits. So, if the travel distance from every room in the story to either one of the two exit stairways is within the allowed distance, you have complied with Section 1017.
Only one story (3rd Floor) will be exceeding the 500 occupant threshold (549). Would enclosing the stair at the second floor resolve this issue? At the first level it terminates into a corridor (approximately 20 feet long) which then passes through the lobby (another 20 feet).
 
Last edited:
Only one story (3rd Floor) will be exceeding the 500 occupant threshold (549). Would enclosing the stair at the second floor resolve this issue? At the first level it terminates into a corridor (approximately 20 feet long) which then passes through the lobby (another 20 feet).
As a follow up I found this in a blog (I know dangerous) but about half way down was my original understanding that the Exit Access Stair passes vertically down through the building and as long as you meet the travel distance from the space, down the stair, to the exit, you were in compliance.

 
Top