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IBC and Park Amenities / Outdoor Spaces

fungineer

Registered User
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
31
Location
Milwaukee, WI
I want to proposed this question in two parts. The first under the as-written IBC 2015 and the second using the WI-Modified 2015 IBC (SPS 361 & 362). I want to only look at this under IBC first. I know this is a lot, with a lot of "related" questions, but it's an idea I am trying to work out in my head to better understand.

Under IBC:
The following definitions are provided which will be referenced
Building - Any structure used or intended for support or sheltering any use or occupancy.
Structure - That which is built or constructed
Facility - All or any portion of buildings, structures, site improvements, elements and pedestrian or vehicular routes located on a site.
Area, Building - The area included within surrounding exterior walls (or exterior walls and fire walls) exclusive of vent shafts and courts. Areas of the building not provided with surrounding walls shall be included in the building area if such areas are included within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above.
Exit discharge - That portion of a means of egress system between the termination of an exit and a public way.
Means of Egress - A continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from any occupied portion of a building or structure to a public way. A means of egress consists of three separate and distinct parts: The exit access, the exit, and the exit discharge.
Occupant Load - The number of persons for which the means of egress of a building or portion thereof is designed.
Occupiable Space - A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individual congregate for amusement, educational, or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.

IBC 101.2:
The provisions of this code shall apply to the construction, ... use, occupancy, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures.

IBC 424.1: Children's Play Structures inside all occupancies covered by this code that exceed 10 feet in height and 150 sq. feet in area shall comply with 424.2 through 424.5.

IBC 1004.5 Outdoor Areas:
Yards, patios, courts and similar outdoor areas accessible and usable by the building occupants shall be provided with means of egress as required by this chapter. The occupant load of such outdoor areas shall be assigned by the building official in accordance with the anticipated use. Where outdoor areas are to be used by person in addition to the occupants of the building, and the path of egress travel from the outdoor areas passes through the building, means of egress means of egress requirements for the building shall be based on the sum of the occupant loads of the building plus the outdoor areas.

IBC 1110.4 Recreation facilities ... specific facilities which should be accessible or on accessible routes.

Here's the questions:

A) You have a building, let's say a restaurant, and there is an adjacent patio space with a fenced enclosure (open to sky).
i) Per 1004.5 the outdoor area would be assigned an occupant load (most likely 1/15 net for tables and chairs). Does that also mean it has an A-2 occupancy?
ii) Would this be considered an "occupied space", and if so is it because it is enclosed?
iii) Because of 1004.5, if the fenced enclosure were removed form this patio area, would it still fall under all the same provisions?
iv) If the patio space, associated with the restaurant, were moved a great distance away, would if change any of the previous questions?
B) Now you have a park. There is a grouping of picnic tables on a patio/paved surface within the park, but not specifically associated with a building. The patio itself is a structure.
i) If there patio has a fence, is it an occupiable space?
ii) If it does NOT have a fence, is it an occupiable space, and if so, what is the limit of the occupiable space?
C) If a large, permanent shade structure (assume non-fabric & not an umbrella for this purpose) with a roof but no walls is placed over a portion of the picnic tables, the shade structure appears to qualify as a building, with a building area and "volume".
i) Is there any reason not to consider this a building?
ii) If it is a building, confirm it is occupiable, and if so, what would it's occupancy be - B (Small assembly), A-3 (Assembly over 5), U, or something else?
iii) If this shade structure has picnic tables adjacent to it, but beyond, do the provision of 1004.5 apply to all the picnic tables beyond (the same as they would for A)?

Other Park Questions:
D) In an open-air play structure
i) Is it an occupiable space? Is there any occupancy or occupant load?
ii) Because IBC applies to "structures" it would apply to this, however, it doesn't appear any part of IBC 424 would apply this structure is not "within an occupancy", correct?
iii) Does egress apply to this structure?
iv) How about the soft play area around the structure, with or without a fence?
v) (Ignoring ADA, looking only at IBC or its references for this exercise - I don't see anything which would require accessibility, as there's nothing explicitly to play structures in 1110.4, is that correct? I could see calling it an area of sport activity, but that could be a stretch. =

E) Similar question to D, but it is a basketball court or tennis court.
i) Is it an occupiable space, Is there any occupancy or occupant load (A-5 seems the most likely occupancy if any is applicable).
ii) If there were not a fence around this court, does the answer to i change,
iii) What if there are no traditional "buildings" on the lot?
iv) 1104.4 would require accessibility to the courts, correct?
v) Is egress required?
vi) Is a padlock allowed to lock off the fence for off-season or after hours, which would prevent egress were someone to climb over it?

D) Parking lot
i) Is the parking lot (not parking structure) ever occupiable space?
ii) Because it's a structure, we can enforce accessibility to it, but are there (generally) other provisions of the building code which are applied, structural perhaps, but anything else?

F) If all of the above items B-D are in a park, do any of them independently or combined produce an occupant load for which toilet fixtures per IBC Chapter 29 would be required, or is doing so voluntary unless occupied spaces are provided?

G) Accessibility items in 1104.4 include some odd structures like boat slips, mini-golf, etc.
i) Are such areas (in an open-air environment) at all occupiable? If not, are egress provisions applicable?
 
Last edited:
I want to proposed this question in two parts. The first under the as-written IBC 2015 and the second using the WI-Modified 2015 IBC (SPS 361 & 362). I want to only look at this under IBC first. I know this is a lot, with a lot of "related" questions, but it's an idea I am trying to work out in my head to better understand.

Under IBC:
The following definitions are provided which will be referenced
Building - Any structure used or intended for support or sheltering any use or occupancy.
Structure - That which is built or constructed
Facility - All or any portion of buildings, structures, site improvements, elements and pedestrian or vehicular routes located on a site.
Area, Building - The area included within surrounding exterior walls (or exterior walls and fire walls) exclusive of vent shafts and courts. Areas of the building not provided with surrounding walls shall be included in the building area if such areas are included within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above.
Exit discharge - That portion of a means of egress system between the termination of an exit and a public way.
Means of Egress - A continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from any occupied portion of a building or structure to a public way. A means of egress consists of three separate and distinct parts: The exit access, the exit, and the exit discharge.
Occupant Load - The number of persons for which the means of egress of a building or portion thereof is designed.
Occupiable Space - A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individual congregate for amusement, educational, or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.

IBC 101.2:
The provisions of this code shall apply to the construction, ... use, occupancy, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures.

IBC 424.1: Children's Play Structures inside all occupancies covered by this code that exceed 10 feet in height and 150 sq. feet in area shall comply with 424.2 through 424.5.

IBC 1004.5 Outdoor Areas:
Yards, patios, courts and similar outdoor areas accessible and usable by the building occupants shall be provided with means of egress as required by this chapter. The occupant load of such outdoor areas shall be assigned by the building official in accordance with the anticipated use. Where outdoor areas are to be used by person in addition to the occupants of the building, and the path of egress travel from the outdoor areas passes through the building, means of egress means of egress requirements for the building shall be based on the sum of the occupant loads of the building plus the outdoor areas.

IBC 1110.4 Recreation facilities ... specific facilities which should be accessible or on accessible routes.

Here's the questions:

A) You have a building, let's say a restaurant, and there is an adjacent patio space with a fenced enclosure (open to sky).
i) Per 1004.5 the outdoor area would be assigned an occupant load (most likely 1/15 net for tables and chairs). Does that also mean it has an A-2 occupancy?
ii) Would this be considered an "occupied space", and if so is it because it is enclosed?
iii) Because of 1004.5, if the fenced enclosure were removed form this patio area, would it still fall under all the same provisions?
iv) If the patio space, associated with the restaurant, were moved a great distance away, would if change any of the previous questions?
B) Now you have a park. There is a grouping of picnic tables on a patio/paved surface within the park, but not specifically associated with a building. The patio itself is a structure.
i) If there patio has a fence, is it an occupiable space? Roofing Contractor Northern Va
ii) If it does NOT have a fence, is it an occupiable space, and if so, what is the limit of the occupiable space?
C) If a large, permanent shade structure (assume non-fabric & not an umbrella for this purpose) with a roof but no walls is placed over a portion of the picnic tables, the shade structure appears to qualify as a building, with a building area and "volume".
i) Is there any reason not to consider this a building?
ii) If it is a building, confirm it is occupiable, and if so, what would it's occupancy be - B (Small assembly), A-3 (Assembly over 5), U, or something else?
iii) If this shade structure has picnic tables adjacent to it, but beyond, do the provision of 1004.5 apply to all the picnic tables beyond (the same as they would for A)?

Other Park Questions:
D) In an open-air play structure
i) Is it an occupiable space? Is there any occupancy or occupant load?
ii) Because IBC applies to "structures" it would apply to this, however, it doesn't appear any part of IBC 424 would apply this structure is not "within an occupancy", correct?
iii) Does egress apply to this structure?
iv) How about the soft play area around the structure, with or without a fence?
v) (Ignoring ADA, looking only at IBC or its references for this exercise - I don't see anything which would require accessibility, as there's nothing explicitly to play structures in 1110.4, is that correct? I could see calling it an area of sport activity, but that could be a stretch. =

E) Similar question to D, but it is a basketball court or tennis court.
i) Is it an occupiable space, Is there any occupancy or occupant load (A-5 seems the most likely occupancy if any is applicable).
ii) If there were not a fence around this court, does the answer to i change,
iii) What if there are no traditional "buildings" on the lot?
iv) 1104.4 would require accessibility to the courts, correct?
v) Is egress required?
vi) Is a padlock allowed to lock off the fence for off-season or after hours, which would prevent egress were someone to climb over it?

D) Parking lot
i) Is the parking lot (not parking structure) ever occupiable space?
ii) Because it's a structure, we can enforce accessibility to it, but are there (generally) other provisions of the building code which are applied, structural perhaps, but anything else?

F) If all of the above items B-D are in a park, do any of them independently or combined produce an occupant load for which toilet fixtures per IBC Chapter 29 would be required, or is doing so voluntary unless occupied spaces are provided?

G) Accessibility items in 1104.4 include some odd structures like boat slips, mini-golf, etc.
i) Are such areas (in an open-air environment) at all occupiable? If not, are egress provisions applicable?
For instance, a restaurant patio might need to comply with specific occupancy classifications, and the same goes for a shade structure in a park if it's designed for people to gather under. Play areas and sports courts also need to follow these rules, focusing on safe access and exit routes. Each scenario under the IBC aims to ensure these spaces are both safe and functional for public use. If you need more detailed guidance, reaching out to a building official or a codes expert is always a good move!
 
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