Headroom requirement? Classification

[Greybiscuit]

We have 9 portables making a 6,800 sq ft facility in which there are 2 dance studios and a black box theatre. Sadly, the ceilings are 8'. In actuality they are 94" We want to build seating risers for the black box space and from hours and hours of searching....does 80" sound right? Meaning I can have platforms as tall as 14"? There are sprinkler heads that are NOT recessed.....do we measure from the bottom of those?

Lastly, and I don't know if it is different in the Portable world, come to find out our building is classified as A3 occupancy which we didn't realize omits the usage for which we intended the largest room in this building, the theatre. Apparently we would need to be rated A1. Does anyone know what the procedure would be for changing this rating? The primary issue is theatre lighting and our understanding (again, illiterates pouring through codes we don't understand) Our plan was to mount dimmer packs and small pin spots directly above the drop ceiling grid, leaving all wiring exposed by omitting the ceiling tiles in the rows where the lights and dimmer packs and outlets are. (we would leave sprinkler heads covered by tile.) Apparently, if you are a theatre you can use extension cords to connect all the pin spots to the dimmer packs, otherwise we know extension cords are a no no. Am I correct in assuming that we MAY get away with having things plugged in with flexible cords above the drop ceiling if all is visible but not the extension cords UNLESS we are rated A 3?

Thank you so much for any help. Navigating this project from start to finish has worn through every nerve in my uneducated self.

 

[steveray]

Typically you cannot omit ceiling tiles in a sprinklered building unless you are sprinklered above the ceiling as well... Who is the designer on the project? State? Or codes that govern?

 

[cda]

Welcome.....,

 

[cda]

What state are you in??

Which building code and edition adopted ??

 

[cda]

If you have fire sprinklers all ceiling tile is required to be in place. Have a fire sprinkler company look at all rooms and have them modify it where needed. As in move the sprinkler heads closer to the ceiling/roof.

 

[cda]

Are you trying to be more of a theater ??

Are are you more theater training, with some shows thrown in every so often.

Your problem might be "type of construction"

A-1 Assembly uses, usually with fixed seating, intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures including, but not limited to:

Motion picture theaters

Symphony and concert halls

Television and radio studios admitting an audience

Theaters

A-3 Assembly uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not classified elsewhere in Group A including, but not limited to:

Amusement arcades

Art galleries

Bowling alleys

Community halls

Courtrooms

Dance halls (not including food or drink consumption)

Exhibition halls

Funeral parlors

Gymnasiums (without spectator seating)

Indoor swimming pools (without spectator seating)

Indoor tennis courts (without spectator seating)

Lecture halls

Libraries

Museums

Places of religious worship

Pool and billiard

 

[cda]

BEST advice find a "code consultant" pay them to advise you on what to do.

You will actually save money by doing it!!!!!

 

[ADAguy]

Calif. ? sounds like a school, is it? If so you should be contacting DSA for a pre-design review to consider these questions.

 

[Greybiscuit]

Thank you all. We are in California. The building is made up of 9 12x63' portable buildings. It was certified at the DOH. There are sprinklers both pointing down below the drop ceiling AND above pointing upward to the top of the roof. We are a non profit organization not a school school. Code consultants. What a wonderful thing. I had no idea such things existed. We are leasing and am going to start there, as we are feeling we were very clear as to our usage and are leasing these. We feel they should have provided the rating needed. But yes, PRIMARILY the room will be teaching space but there will be a hefty chunk of performances in there. The use of extension cords for the lighting fixtures is a concern but allowed for theatres (is what I read).

 

[cda]

Should have asked are the buildings already set in place, and you plan to do some remodeling?

Or, buildings have to moved somewhere and set up?

I would push more that you are theater training business, like dance studio, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc

Where you have classes, and sometimes performances.

 

[cda]

I use school as a generic term

 

[Msradell]

I actually believe that the A3 classification is correct for what you're doing. I'm basing this on several blackbox theaters that I've worked with in the past. Since nothing is fixed in place and things changed from show to show they are not considered a true theater but rather in place of assembly as noted earlier in this thread. You probably need to contact your local AHJ to verify this however.

 

[cda]

I actually believe that the A3 classification is correct for what you're doing. I'm basing this on several blackbox theaters that I've worked with in the past. Since nothing is fixed in place and things changed from show to show they are not considered a true theater but rather in place of assembly as noted earlier in this thread. You probably need to contact your local AHJ to verify this however.

But to me if more training/ classes, with occasional performances as in acting classes, improv classes, etc

Could be a "B occupancy'"

 

[Greybiscuit]

Yes, the building is already in place. We have our final inspection coming up in less than a week. Fire will be done Tuesday (after a few fixes from the original inspection, just need occupancy signs and to fix 2 exit signs) and hoping for long awaited pass so we can begin classes. It is just that we are investing the majority of our savings into the blackbox theatre space and I have seating platforms that I hope are not too high (16" being the highest stepping down to 4" and then the floor) and outlets and flexible cords (exposed) above the drop ceiling for theatre lighting. I can see the A3 for the making sense but there is that pesky rule about no extension cords which we have to have for the lighting instruments.

 

[cda]

Ok so you are farther along than I thought.

Normally extension cords are not allowed to be used for permanent power.

Can you have an electrician wire the pin spots with long enough cord and needed connector for the dimmer packs and outlets??

And all ceiling tile is required to be in place

 

[Paul Sweet]

National Electric Code 400-8 prohibits flexible cords from being run through holes in suspended ceilings.

Typically in theaters I have seen lighting grids or poles with multiple outlets, and short cords running from these outlets on the grid or pole to the light.

 

[Yikes]

For sake of this discussion, I'll take the position of advocating for a minimal approach to code compliance.

1. I know you are calling it a "theater", but the code doesn't consider it a formal Theater unless it has features such as a proscenium arch, a flyway with rigging, etc. (In that situation, the flyway works like a giant chimney in event of fire, and the scenery adds to the fuel.) If your ceilings are only 8' high, you probably don't get treated like formal theater, and the "stage" is not a stage but merely an "elevated platform".

2. Is all the stage lighting really considered permanent? Or are you just using a "road show connection panel" (patch panel) and the lighting is temporary? Road show panels comply with CEC 520.50 A thru D.

3. Regarding headroom: does any portion of the ceiling slope? Normally the minimum would be 7'-6" headroom per CBC 1208.2; but in a room with a sloping ceiling, then:

- one-half the room needs to be at least 7'-6" (ceiling height above finished floor/walking surface)

- the other half of the room can theoretically slope down to zero floor height per CBC 1208.2 exception #1, HOWEVER, you are not allowed to count any space with less than 5' headroom in your floor area computations for allowable # of occupants.

- Please also be aware that anything in a path of travel (including seat aisles) needs at least 6'-8" of headroom, otherwise it becomes a head-bump hazard per CBC 11B-307.2. Therefore, you generally need 6'-8" minimum headroom in up to half the space, and at least some portion of your ceiling needs to slope (how much?.. one ceiling tile?), and you need at least 7'-6" of headroom in the other half of the space.

 

[Greybiscuit]

THANK YOU YIKES! That is exactly the information I needed. Thank you thank you. All the lights will be on portable dimmer packs, also mounted above the ceiling. I will look up what a road show panel is. All flat ceilings but that gives me the max height I can build my seating platforms. Thank you for the codes, I will look those up. It is a pretty small town and our project is already giving the city fits because it is a portable so I know the fire inspectors are all going to have different opinions. I want to do it safely and per code so all my efforts aren't wasted but I also have a production of Chorus line going up in 6 weeks and have to get something up even if it is standalone trees....would much rather have the over stage set up we have planned. But this gives me information and direction. Thank you.

 

[Yikes]

Gary, a couple of caveats and clarifications:

1. Others on this board may have a different opinion than me.

2. When I said it's not a "theater", I meant that it's not a formal stage with a procsecnium arch and flyway, which triggers a bunch of other code stuff. It is definitely still a "theater" in the sense that it has scenery and perhaps a curtain? If all you have is just lights and sound (for example, like a church service), then it's not a "stage".

3. It is still an A occupancy if there are over 50 people inside the building. Even if it is A1 vs. A3, the allowable area for each is nearly identical, and there may be an opportunity for th sprinklers to give you "credit" to help the trailers meet the area requirements for the type of construction.

4. The other related issues have mostly to do with location of exits, and it would probably be similar in A1-vs A3, bthe significant issue is how you lay out the seating arrangement.

 

[Yikes]

Greybiscuit, you are in "The Show Must Go On" mode. You may want to contact the fire official (not just the building official) and ask them what can be done. You need a plan B in case you can't get all the work identified and done in 5 weeks or so.

Sometimes a fire official can approve a temporary (run of show) "fire watch", where either trained staff or, more expensively, a fireman, is present during showtime, as a tradeoff for not complyign prescriptively with the code. for example, I've seen this done on several occasions where there is a historic building that had been closed due to not meeting current code, but then they would open it up - with a fire watch - for a special fundraiser, etc.

 

[Greybiscuit]

Ok, yes, thank you. It is so helpful. I am constantly humbled by the vast amounts of things I don't know, and humbled that folks such as yourself are willing to give of your time and expertise that I'm sure has taken years to build. We do have community members who are firemen and will help. Thank you.