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Horizontal Exit Refuge Area

M

Mech

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Joined
Oct 30, 2009
Messages
1,054
Location
Eastern PA
2015 IBC

I am looking at a Horizontal Exit from building A to building B, but not building B to building A. Building B has sufficient exits.

1022.4 Capacity of refuge area. . . . each such refuge area shall be adequate to accommodate the original occupant load of the refuge area plus the occupant load anticipated from the adjoining compartment. . . .

Does the refuge area in building B really need to accommodate the original occupant load of this building as it has more than sufficient egress doors, widths, etc?

What code section requires a refuge area for the occupants of building B? It's getting late for me so I may not be thinking straight.

Does the refuge area need to be one dedicated space or can it be a multitude of spaces of varying sizes in building B to serve the occupant load, as long as it is not locked spaces, stairwells, corridors, toilet rooms, closets, mechanical rooms?

Thanks.
 
OK yes it was late,

Not my area, but::

"""Does the refuge area in building B really need to accommodate the original occupant load of this building as it has more than sufficient egress doors, widths, etc?""""""

If area B has sufficient area to accommodate building A, you are good to go.


Horizontal exits are used for numerous reasons, to include hospitals, which is where you would more than likely have to defend people in place, once you move them.
 
Thanks for the links.

This is an industrial facility and the original exit to the exterior is being replaced by a horizontal exit through a fire wall.
 
Mech said:
2015 IBC

I am looking at a Horizontal Exit from building A to building B, but not building B to building A. Building B has sufficient exits.

1022.4 Capacity of refuge area. . . . each such refuge area shall be adequate to accommodate the original occupant load of the refuge area plus the occupant load anticipated from the adjoining compartment. . . .

Does the refuge area in building B really need to accommodate the original occupant load of this building as it has more than sufficient egress doors, widths, etc?

What code section requires a refuge area for the occupants of building B? It's getting late for me so I may not be thinking straight.

Does the refuge area need to be one dedicated space or can it be a multitude of spaces of varying sizes in building B to serve the occupant load, as long as it is not locked spaces, stairwells, corridors, toilet rooms, closets, mechanical rooms?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
If you're egressing from Building A to Building B, then Building B is the refuge area and must accommodate the occupant load of Building B (by story) plus the occupant load from Building A (by story), which is limited to the capacity of the door in the horizontal exit or the occupant load of the adjacent story in Building A, whichever is smaller. This means that the floor area within the Building B story that is available to all occupants must be equal to or greater than the occupant loads from Building A and B times 3 sq. ft. per occupant. The refuge area can be any combination of spaces as long as the occupants have access to those spaces 24/7. For example, corridors, lobbies, restrooms, or any room that cannot be locked can be considered part of the refuge area. Also, the occupant load of Building A does not need to be included in the occupant load of Building B when determining the egress width for Building B.

There is no requirement that says a horizontal exit is required to work in both directions. The doors in a horizontal exit must swing in the direction of egress travel when the occupant load served by the door is 50 or more, so you would only need the door to swing in one direction since you are egressing in only one direction, which simplifies things. Also, don't put an exit sign over the door on the Building B side, since it would not be a legal egress path.
 
RLGA said:
If you're egressing from Building A to Building B, then Building B is the refuge area and must accommodate the occupant load of Building B (by story) plus the occupant load from Building A (by story), which is limited to the capacity of the door in the horizontal exit or the occupant load of the adjacent story in Building A, whichever is smaller. This means that the floor area within the Building B story that is available to all occupants must be equal to or greater than the occupant loads from Building A and B times 3 sq. ft. per occupant. The refuge area can be any combination of spaces as long as the occupants have access to those spaces 24/7. For example, corridors, lobbies, restrooms, or any room that cannot be locked can be considered part of the refuge area. Also, the occupant load of Building A does not need to be included in the occupant load of Building B when determining the egress width for Building B.

There is no requirement that says a horizontal exit is required to work in both directions. The doors in a horizontal exit must swing in the direction of egress travel when the occupant load served by the door is 50 or more, so you would only need the door to swing in one direction since you are egressing in only one direction, which simplifies things. Also, don't put an exit sign over the door on the Building B side, since it would not be a legal egress path.
Click to expand...


I have a similar situation and came across this post. Is there somewhere that it is stated that the refuge area can include corridors or is it just implied that corridors can be used? Are there any restrictions on using the corridors (i.e. leave a certain width clear, etc.)? I can't seem to find this clearly defined anywhere.
 
Chuck94527 said:
I have a similar situation and came across this post. Is there somewhere that it is stated that the refuge area can include corridors or is it just implied that corridors can be used? Are there any restrictions on using the corridors (i.e. leave a certain width clear, etc.)? I can't seem to find this clearly defined anywhere.
Click to expand...


Welcome,,,

Is this a general question,,, Or do you have a real life problem??

If real life, what type of occupancy
 
Section 1026.4 (2018 IBC) states that the refuge area shall be for "the same tenant or public area." Corridors are public areas unless portions of the corridor have restricted access. The horizontal exit must lead to an exit, so if the door discharges into a corridor, then that corridor must lead to an exit and can be used as the "public area" and be included as part of the refuge area.
 
“continuous and unobstructed way of egress travel from any point in a building or facility that provides an accessible route to an area of refuge, a horizontal exit or a public way.”



[BE] AREA OF REFUGE. An area where persons unable to use stairways can remain temporarily to await instructions or assistance during emergency evacuation.
 
cda said:
Welcome,,,

Is this a general question,,, Or do you have a real life problem??

If real life, what type of occupancy
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply. Real life, B occupancy.

We are using horizontal separation to achieve an increased occupant load beyond what our two staircases will allow for. This is a co-working office space so most rooms are locked, leaving corridors and small lounge areas as the bulk of the space that can be accessed 24/7 as occupants move from one side of the horizontal separation to the other. I am trying to figure out whether I can use the corridors as part of the refuge area because if I cannot we may need to increase the size of lounges or other areas that are unlocked to meet the 3 sf/occupant requirement.
 
Chuck94527 said:
Thanks for the quick reply. Real life, B occupancy.

We are using horizontal separation to achieve an increased occupant load beyond what our two staircases will allow for. This is a co-working office space so most rooms are locked, leaving corridors and small lounge areas as the bulk of the space that can be accessed 24/7 as occupants move from one side of the horizontal separation to the other. I am trying to figure out whether I can use the corridors as part of the refuge area because if I cannot we may need to increase the size of lounges or other areas that are unlocked to meet the 3 sf/occupant requirement.
Click to expand...


Why do they need and area of refuge??? Just exit the building
 
cda said:
Why do they need and area of refuge??? Just exit the building
Click to expand...

Not an area of refuge. I am referring to a refuge area, which I believe to be different and is required as part of a horizontal separation. 2015 (or 2018) IBC 1024.6.1. This is the section that RLGA is quoting in the response to me.
 
cda said:
Why do they need and area of refuge??? Just exit the building
Click to expand...
Because it is a horizontal exit.

1026.4 Refuge Area
The refuge area of a horizontal exit shall be a space occupied by the same tenant or a public area and each such refuge area shall be adequate to accommodate the original occupant load of the refuge area plus the occupant load anticipated from the adjoining compartment. The anticipated occupant load from the adjoining compartment shall be based on the capacity of the horizontal exit doors entering the refuge area.

1026.4.1 Capacity
The capacity of the refuge area shall be computed based on a net floor area allowance of 3 square feet (0.2787 m2) for each occupant to be accommodated therein.
Exceptions: The net floor area allowable per occupant shall be as follows for the indicated occupancies:​
  1. Six square feet (0.6 m2) per occupant for occupancies in Group I-3.
  2. Fifteen square feet (1.4 m2) per occupant for ambulatory occupancies in Group I-2.
  3. Thirty square feet (2.8 m2) per occupant for nonambulatory occupancies in Group I-2.
 
cda said:
“continuous and unobstructed way of egress travel from any point in a building or facility that provides an accessible route to an area of refuge, a horizontal exit or a public way.”



[BE] AREA OF REFUGE. An area where persons unable to use stairways can remain temporarily to await instructions or assistance during emergency evacuation.
Click to expand...
You're confusing an "Area of Refuge" with the horizontal exit's "refuge area." These are two completely different things.
 
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