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Handrailing

north star

north star

MODERATOR
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
4,596
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Greetings all !

I have a project that I am reviewing plans for, ... the renovation of some
cabins on a lake [ on a military training facility ].

On 2 of the cabins; that are designated as Accessible cabins, there is
an existing asphalt sloped ramp up to these cabins that changes in to
wooden, non-sloped decking that is the Accessible path to the entrance
door.........Currently, at these Accessible pathways there is wooden
guard-railing with vertical wooden pickets installed & no Accessible
hand-railing........There is horizontal top-railing in place, that is 36"
above the finished decking........The plan is to replace the vertical
wooden pickets with horizontal, metal cabling between the vertical posts
and leave the existing top-railing in-place.........The top-railing appears
to be approx. 5.5" in width, matching the vertical posts dimensions.
The proposal is to "clean, repair, prep. & stain" the guard-railing &
top-railing, and nothing else.

Q1) Are Accessibly compliant handrails "required" to be installed on this
renovated guard-railing ?
Q2) If Accessibly compliant handrails ARE required, are they required
on both sides of this Accessible pathway ?

The applicable Standards & Codes being used are the `15 I-Codes, ...the
`09 A117.1, ...the `10 ADASAD & the ABA [ current edition ].

If possible, please cite the applicable sections that will require this
guard-railing to become Accessibly compliant, or that is not required to
become Accessibly compliant.

Much Thanks in advance ! :)

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1. If a military training facility then why are you reviewing it?
2. If Military isn't it under UFAS?
3. What year/years was it constructed?
4. If a ramp, handrails are required ( how wide is it?)
 
Questions:

1. What is the slope of the asphalt path?
2. What is the height of the accessible path (asphalt and wooden) from the adjacent ground surface?
 
ADAguy said:
1. If a military training facility then why are you reviewing it?
Click to expand...

Good question ADAguy:
Usually the government properties only want first responders on their property like Fire and Police if they don't have them alraedy on site, they don't want us inspectors and they diffidently don't want to pay other entities permitting fees.
 
ADAguy said:
1. If a military training facility then why are you reviewing it?
2. If Military isn't it under UFAS?
Click to expand...
1. There could be a number of reasons, such as a being a consultant to the design team or the buildings are on private land leased to the DoD with an MOU between the local building department and the DoD. But I’ll let North Star explain his situation.
2. The old UFAS is only adopted by HUD for their facilities. All other governmental agencies have adopted the 2004 ADA/ABA standards in some form.
 
The current ABA (applicable to DoD, USPS, and GSA only I believe) is 2015.

ABA para. F202.3 Alterations says that "where existing elements or spaces are altered, each altered element or space shall comply...." I suppose if the handrail itself is not being altered then you could argue a non-compliant one can stay if it complied at the time it was built. However, if it is a designated accessible unit then it is hard to believe that it once complied and now does not.

405.8 requires handrails on ramps with a rise greater than 6 inches. 505.2 requires handrails on both sides of a ramp. If your "ramp" is not steeper than 1:20 then it is not a ramp per the definition at F106.
 
The US military does have to comply with codes as adopted by the DoD. Typically, it is a combination of IBC and NFPA 101. The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) predates ADA and applies to federal facilities. Some agencies have chosen the ABA Standards as their means of complying with ABA. The military does not, however, use local code enforcement folks, except for environmental stuff, they have their own AHJs.
 
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O.K., lot's of good responses from ya'll !

1st, ...I wear a lot of different hats & have a lot of
different roles......One of my roles is to review
construction projects for some military facilities.
2nd, ...I do not believe that the UFAS is applicable.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
3rd, ...I do not know the age of the cabins......That
info was not provided.......IMO, ...they appear to be
built in the late 90's or early 2000's.......The information
provided in the set of plans is intentionally vague &
minimal.
4th, ...the width was not provided on the plans, but
appears to be approx. 4 ft. wide.
5th, ...the slope of the asphalt path was not provided
on the plans & I do not know what it is.....It is a very
short length of asphalt from the parking area on to the
entrance path, which transitions to wooden decking.
This decking then extends out to the entrance door,
and also serves as a pier above the waters edge......The
height above the adjacent grade is this......The short length
of asphalt starts at grade and then the grade gradually
slopes off to the waters edge........In looking at the images
on the submitted plans, I would approximate the height of
the decking to be approx. 6 ft. below it.

Thank you all so much !......Keep the questions coming ! :)

@ ~ @ ~ @
 
If the path slope is 1:20 or less, then handrails are not required (i.e., it is not a ramp by IBC, ADA, and ABA definitions).

It sounds like the wood decking could be interpreted as a fishing pier or platform, thus ABA Section 1005 would be applicable, which requires railings (guards or handrails) regardless of height above the water. ANSI A117.1 (2009 edition as referenced by the 2015 IBC) also has fishing pier and platform requirements in Section 1105, which closely mimic those in the ABA Standards.

The IBC does not require guards unless the distance from the adjacent grade or floor surface below to the walking surface above is more than 30 inches per Section 1015.2. The IBC does not mention water, but it could be interpreted that the water surface is the "grade."
 
unless these cabins are R-3 (occupants are primarily permanent) or going by the IRC the guards need to be at least 42" high.
But there are no requirements for accessibility in IRC or for R-3 single units.
 
Are these cabins for use/rental by military personelle/families, if so they are under 11B not 11A aren't they?
 
@ ~ @

These cabins are rented for the use of military families,
...their families & guests.

What is a "11A" & "11B" ?.......This facility is not in
California.

Thanks !

@ ~ @
 
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