Yankee Chronicler
Registered User
This question relates to an existing building, but it involves two new stairs so I think this is the appropriate place to ask the question.
The building was constricted in 1883 -- 140 years ago. Old New England type mill building, now being repurposed and split up into multiple, small and medium-size tenant spaces. The current permit application calls for joining a space on the first floor to a space on the second floor (but not directly above the first floor space). This will mean constructing a new open interior stair, meaning that it's a communicating stair and potentially exit access, but it is not an exit stair.
This new stair leads to an exterior door at the first floor level, which is still half a story above grade, and then down a new exterior stair to grade. Constructing the new interior stair will remove a secondary exit from an adjacent occupancy, so the architect is removing a window and making that opening into a new exit door, which will also then lead to an exterior stair to grade.
In the elevation, the two stairs are circled. The one on the right is from the new interior stair, and will serve a space on the second floor. The one on the left is a new exit that will serve a space on the first floor. The architect has called for bricking up basement windows directly beneath the stair landings, but has NOT called for protecting other openings that are within 10 feet of the stairs.
What are the stairs: "exterior exit stairs," or "exit discharge stairs"? (Or both?) What I'm wrestling with is whether or not I need to call for other window openings to be protected.
The applicable code section is IBC 1027.6:
There are two more exceptions, but they don't apply to this building so I omitted them to save space. #2 also doesn't apply, so I'm really left with the code section and Exception #1. The first floor is a story above grade, so the building is three stories above grade plus a full-height basement. To the left of the the two new stairs you can see that the main entrance and a major exit are at an intermediate level between the basement floor elevation and the first story floor elevation.
I'm inclined to read the definition of "exterior exit stairway" as applying whether the interior stair is an open exit access stair or an enclosed exit stair. The definition of "exit access stairway" seems to encompass exterior stairs whether they are "exit" stairs" or "exit discharge" stairs. If that's correct, then I believe several more windows need to be bricked up or otherwise protected.
Opinions, please?
The building was constricted in 1883 -- 140 years ago. Old New England type mill building, now being repurposed and split up into multiple, small and medium-size tenant spaces. The current permit application calls for joining a space on the first floor to a space on the second floor (but not directly above the first floor space). This will mean constructing a new open interior stair, meaning that it's a communicating stair and potentially exit access, but it is not an exit stair.
This new stair leads to an exterior door at the first floor level, which is still half a story above grade, and then down a new exterior stair to grade. Constructing the new interior stair will remove a secondary exit from an adjacent occupancy, so the architect is removing a window and making that opening into a new exit door, which will also then lead to an exterior stair to grade.
In the elevation, the two stairs are circled. The one on the right is from the new interior stair, and will serve a space on the second floor. The one on the left is a new exit that will serve a space on the first floor. The architect has called for bricking up basement windows directly beneath the stair landings, but has NOT called for protecting other openings that are within 10 feet of the stairs.
What are the stairs: "exterior exit stairs," or "exit discharge stairs"? (Or both?) What I'm wrestling with is whether or not I need to call for other window openings to be protected.
The applicable code section is IBC 1027.6:
There are two more exceptions, but they don't apply to this building so I omitted them to save space. #2 also doesn't apply, so I'm really left with the code section and Exception #1. The first floor is a story above grade, so the building is three stories above grade plus a full-height basement. To the left of the the two new stairs you can see that the main entrance and a major exit are at an intermediate level between the basement floor elevation and the first story floor elevation.
I'm inclined to read the definition of "exterior exit stairway" as applying whether the interior stair is an open exit access stair or an enclosed exit stair. The definition of "exit access stairway" seems to encompass exterior stairs whether they are "exit" stairs" or "exit discharge" stairs. If that's correct, then I believe several more windows need to be bricked up or otherwise protected.
Opinions, please?
