IBC 3002.7 : Elevator/Stair shaft issue.

[palikona]

I received a code comment on the layout of this elevator and stair in a building I'm designing. It's a fully sprinklered, one story building with basement. The stair is one of two means of egress from downstairs. The building type is VB.

The layout is as follows: a single story elevator with door facing the switchback stair to the north, and approx. 8' of circulation space between the elevator door and stair. There's a door on both sides of this circulation space; one leading out to the parking lot and one leading into the commercial space. I have a CMU shaft around the elevator, and no rated shaft around the adjacent stair, so I thought 3002.7 wouldn't apply. I guess I'm wrong?

Is there anything I can do to keep this layout intact? Or do I need to rotate the elevator 90 deg. and have the door be outside of this stair enclosure. If so, I'll have to rework the interiors a bit.

Your help is appreciated.

 

[Sifu]

Without more info a definitive opinion can't be given, but I would ask why you need to have any enclosure at all. 3002.7 says the elevator can't be in a shaft enclosure, but if I understand it, 712.1.9 says you may not need a shaft enclosure for most 2-story openings. It sounds like you don't need the stair enclosure based on that and 1019.3. Other smarter people will chime in, give it a few days.

 

[palikona]

Without more info a definitive opinion can't be given, but I would ask why you need to have any enclosure at all. 3002.7 says the elevator can't be in a shaft enclosure, but if I understand it, 712.1.9 says you may not need a shaft enclosure for most 2-story openings. It sounds like you don't need the stair enclosure based on that and 1019.3. Other smarter people will chime in, give it a few days.

That is an interesting opinion. I’m wondering that myself. As I mentioned above, it’s VB but fully sprinklered, so now I’m wondering if we even need a “shaft enclosure” for two stories. Thanks for your post and yeah, if anyone knows, I’d love your help. Thanks!

 

[Sifu]

I re-read your post. It sounds like you don't have a shaft enclosure for the stair. If the comment says you can't open an elevator into a common shaft enclosure, it doesn't apply because you aren't opening into a common shaft enclosure. If the comment is that you must have a shaft enclosure then I would be curious what code is cited to require that.

 

[palikona]

I re-read your post. It sounds like you don't have a shaft enclosure for the stair. If the comment says you can't open an elevator into a common shaft enclosure, it doesn't apply because you aren't opening into a common shaft enclosure. If the comment is that you must have a shaft enclosure then I would be curious what code is cited to require that.

Hi,
You are correct and that's what I'm trying to figure out. This is a 1 story building with full basement below (it's a dental clinic), with a 6,000sf footprint (12,000' sf total). There are two means of egress from the basement level, it's fully sprinklered and its type VB. I'm not seeing where we would need a shaft enclosure around the stair in this case.