Hotel common path of travel

[stradlin]

Hi all

I'm working on a hotel in Colorado where the building code official is asking that we calculate the common path of travel from the furthest point within each single-exit guest room. This runs contrary to how I've been accustomed to this calculation, as I've always done it from the guest room entry door rather than from from the furthest point within the room. This ends up messing with our plan considerably, as while we never have more than 75 feet to the room door, and never more than 75 feet from the room door to the egress path split, from a couple rooms an occupant has to travel down a one-way hallway before the egress paths split, and the overall path exceeds the 75 feet allowed in R-1 occupancies. While I know NFPA specifically states that common path of travel should be calculated from the outside of the guest room, I don't see a similar clear statement in the IBC. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[arwat23]

IBC 202:
Common Path of Egress Travel. "That portion of exit access travel distance measured from the most remote point of each room, area or space to that point where the occupants have separate and district access to two exits or exit access doorways."

 

[walker.t]

from a couple rooms an occupant has to travel down a one-way hallway before the egress paths split

Keep an eye out for dead-end corridors, based on your description it sounds like 1020.5 Exception 2 applies which would allow you to have a 50’ dead-end in your R-1 use.

 

[steveray]

Sounds like the inspector is correct...Welcome to THE Forum!

 

[stradlin]

Sounds like the inspector is correct...Welcome to THE Forum!

Thanks. Is he, though?

The IBC chart at 1006.2.1 references "spaces"- I guess my question is, as long as it's <75' common travel to the (fire-rated) door exiting a room (a "space"), and then <75' in the corridor from the door to the common path "split", shouldn't I be OK? Because otherwise the language would be from the most remote location on a given story, not from a given space. IBC 202 (quoted by arwat23 above) also references "the most remote point of each room, area, or space." Wouldn't that imply that when you've reached a fire-rated assembly, the "space" you are in changes, and the common path calc restarts?

 

[arwat23]

The IBC chart at 1006.2.1 references "spaces"- I guess my question is, as long as it's <75' common travel to the (fire-rated) door exiting a room (a "space"), and then <75' in the corridor from the door to the common path "split", shouldn't I be OK? Because otherwise the language would be from the most remote location on a given story, not from a given space. IBC 202 (quoted by arwat23 above) also references "the most remote point of each room, area, or space." Wouldn't that imply that when you've reached a fire-rated assembly, the "space" you are in changes, and the common path calc restarts?

Common path of egress travel is part of the "exit access". I think we can both agree on that based on IBC definitions (see #2 above). Here's the definition of "Exit Access" per 2024 IBC:

"A portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit."

If "any occupied space" is included in the common path of egress travel, then it would make sense, in my opinion, to measure from the most remote and occupiable space of the building (and each room). This means you're measuring from the most remote point of the guest room, not the entry door to the guest room. All occupied spaces typically need a means of egress, so why wouldn't the guest rooms themselves be included in the distance?

If you include the guest room as part of the exit access travel distance (which you should imo), then that portion is part of the common path of egress travel.

For the sake of argument, let's say you're right, that you can "split" the area by having a fire-rated separation. By that logic (assuming I'm understanding correctly), you could, in theory, make a unending hallway that complies with code since every 75 feet there's a rated door and wall. Obviously, that wouldn't work.

You need 75' to where there's an actual split in access to exits. Coming to a door isn't a split. A split would be something like leaving the guest room and entering a hallway, and both ends of the hallway have an exit.

TL;DR: Exit access travel distance is from the most remote point of any room or space to an EXIT (as defined in IBC). Common path of egress travel is part of the exit access travel distance. Wherever the start (furthest point from an exit) of the exit access travel distance is, that's where the common path of egress travel starts.

Edit: a door to enter or leave the guest room may not be considered an "EXIT" as defined by IBC. If it is an exit, then why are you measuring the common path of egress travel? You're already in an exit.

 

[stradlin]

For the sake of argument, the "unending hallway" of fire rated separations would be disallowed by egress through intervening spaces requirements in 1016. That noted, the difference in language still has me hung up. I agree exit access would begin at the furthest point on a story to an exit, but the common path of travel definitions and chart uses different language- as if to say CPT can end when you leave a space or when you have a choice between paths, whichever comes first. And in my case it's a clear "space" difference- a sleeping unit exiting directly to a public hallway.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Thanks. Is he, though?

The IBC chart at 1006.2.1 references "spaces"- I guess my question is, as long as it's <75' common travel to the (fire-rated) door exiting a room (a "space"), and then <75' in the corridor from the door to the common path "split", shouldn't I be OK? Because otherwise the language would be from the most remote location on a given story, not from a given space. IBC 202 (quoted by arwat23 above) also references "the most remote point of each room, area, or space." Wouldn't that imply that when you've reached a fire-rated assembly, the "space" you are in changes, and the common path calc restarts?

No.

What you are describing is a common path of egress travel with a length of 150 feet. At no point does the common path reset to zero and start over.

 

[arwat23]

I agree exit access would begin at the furthest point on a story to an exit, but the common path of travel definitions and chart uses different language- as if to say CPT can end when you leave a space or when you have a choice between paths, whichever comes first. And in my case it's a clear "space" difference- a sleeping unit exiting directly to a public hallway.

Common path of egress travel doesn't end when you leave a space. That directly conflicts with the definition of "common path of egress travel". It only ends when an occupant has separate and distinct access to two or more exits, or when the occupant reaches an exit when only one exit is required. Leaving a space doesn't necessarily give an occupant that option.

Edit: If you want to take code as literally as possible, you'd have multiple common path of egress travel distances. One from the most remote point of the hallway and one from the most remote point of the guest room. Both would (I assume based on the description) terminate at the exact same location, where the occupant has access to two or more exits.