horizontal exit question

[Tim Mailloux]

I have a question regarding a fire wall that divides a large elementary school into two separate buildings for the purpose of building size. I'm wondering, are all the doors within this fire wall automatically considered horizontal exits by default, simply because they are located in a fire wall? Or do they only become horizontal exits when specifically designated as such? If travel distance is not an issue can the doors in the fire wall be exit access doors instead of an exit?

 

[steveray]

I have a question regarding a fire wall that divides a large elementary school into two separate buildings for the purpose of building size. I'm wondering, are all the doors within this fire wall automatically considered horizontal exits by default, simply because they are located in a fire wall? Or do they only become horizontal exits when specifically designated as such? If travel distance is not an issue can the doors in the fire wall be exit access doors instead of an exit?

Correct....If you do not need them to be HE, they can be exit access or really nothing....I have struggled with this in the past...I think it probably should be a HE if you need to get through the FW for some required egress on the other side, but I am not sure that is actually spelled out anywhere...

 

[Tim Mailloux]

In most cases I need them to be HE's , but I currently have a project where the fire wall does not need to be an HE for exiting but it was an HE finding enough room for the HE refuge area would be a challenge.