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How far outside the 'work area' do we need to upgrade the fire rating of corridor walls?

Ryan Schultz

Ryan Schultz

Registered User
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
271
Location
Madison, WI
Per IEBC 804.1, if we have alt 2 renovation for a non-sprinklered B occupancy, w/ a work area that is about 10% of the overall floor footprint, are we required to upgrade the fire rating of all the walls along corridor to 1hr, if the corridor serves 30 or more occupants?

Or just the corridor wall that's adjacent to the work area?

If we have to upgrade the fire rating of all the corridor walls, it just seems overkill and unusually onerous. I feel like I'm missing something.



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Typically just the work area, but I don't really even see that in the section you are quoting (804)...

804.1 Scope. The requirements of this section shall be
limited to work areas that include exits or corridors shared
by more than one tenant within the work area in which Level
2 alterations are being performed, and where specified they
shall apply throughout the floor on which the work areas are
located or otherwise beyond the work area.
 
"...and where specified they shall apply throughout the floor on which the work areas are located"

This part makes it sound as though all the corridor walls, on that floor where the work area is, need to be rated.

Maybe i'm reading it wrong.
 
804.1 is the general scope that tells you some other section in 804 would tell you that the upgrade would apply throughout the floor....Again, I don't think there is anything that makes you upgrade the corridor rating...Unless you are building part of a new or replacing part of a corridor...
 
It's not a corridor if not rated, it is just a hallway. All CORIDORS are rated assemblies. Just like in other areas of the code, once given a certain level of protection it must be maintained thru the exit discharge. JMHO
 
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