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Exterior/Interior Stairs

E

EPrice

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
92
Location
Utah
I am looking for some input regarding a discussion that I am having with an architect concerning a building under plan review.Given: A three story, 24 unit apartment building with each floor having a plan as shown in the attached jpg. Each stairway serves 4 units on each floor. The corridors containing the stairs are open to the exterior on each end, but are covered by the floors above and by the roof. Referencing the chapter 10 definitions for "Stairway, Exterior" and "Stairway, Interior" along with the chapter 2 definitions for "Yard", "Court", and "Public Way", are these interior stairways or exterior stairways?Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

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I would say that it is an exterior stair however the balcony may have issues and you should look at IBC section 1019 for exterior egress balconies.
 
I am thinking interior stair since there is a roof on the top and no other openings in the floor to justify classifying walkways outside of the unit doors as an exit balcony.

As long as the units are considered normally occupied (1022.3 2009 Ed) it seems like the entire center area could be an exit enclosure. The openings on the exterior would have to comply with separation requirements to other buildings/lot lines. This would be very restrictive though in use of the space openings and penetrations.
 
STAIRWAY, EXTERIOR. A stairway that is open on at least

one side, except for required structural columns, beams, handrails

and guards. The adjoining open areas shall be either yards,

courts or public ways. The other sides of the exterior stairway

need not be open.

STAIRWAY, INTERIOR. A stairway not meeting the definition

of an exterior stairway.

It meets the definition of exterior stairway with open sides. So how can it be an interior stair.
 
Ok agree, looking at the exterior stair section now. Yes exterior stair, however it does not meet any of the exceptions to eliminate the separation requirement.
 
The stairway is open, but it is open to the corridor or breezeway. That corridor or breezeway doesn't meet the definition of a yard, court, or public way. So, in my opinion, the stairway isn't an exterior stairway.

Edit: Unless you consider the entire corridor/breezeway to be the stairway. Is that how you are looking at it?
 
EPrice said:
The stairway is open, but it is open to the corridor or breezeway. That corridor or breezeway doesn't meet the definition of a yard, court, or public way. So, in my opinion, the stairway isn't an exterior stairway.
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I am looking at the entire center area of the building being considered the exterior stair. It is open on two sides (to the outside of your building) and those sides are likely a yard or public way. So the units would actually be exiting directly into an exterior exit stair. The walls to the units would have to meet the separation requirements of 1022.1 because it does not look like any of the exceptions in 1026 apply since there is only one exit stair.
 
Not saying that this is right, I am just tossing it out there because it does not look like it can work otherwise. I would think you would have to enclose the stair if you called the area outside the units corridor.
 
I have been looking at the stairs as being interior stairs requiring an enclosure, but I was think that the entire corridor/breezeway could be built as an enclosure. Since the ends of this enclosure would be exterior walls, they could be unrated and left open.

You are looking at the entire breezeway/corridor as an exterior stairway, but requiring separation from the interior.

Either way of looking at it arrives at the same conclusion. The corridor/breezeway area needs to be separated from the interior by fire barriers, but the ends can be open.
 
Either way of looking at it arrives at the same conclusion. The corridor/breezeway area needs to be separated from the interior by fire barriers, but the ends can be open.
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Agree otherwise the maximum 50 ft travel distance from 1021.2 could not be met
 
That is how I see it. With the separation to the units being provided, it is really semantics on whether you call it exterior stair or interior stair.
 
JustReid said:
That is how I see it. With the separation to the units being provided, it is really semantics on whether you call it exterior stair or interior stair.
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Your right.
 
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