Industrial storage silos. Classification and egress

[glzath]

IBC 2009

I'm running into a situation with some storage silos at an industrial facility. They are on average 12' in diameter and will be holding a lime and ash slurry. There are several stand-alone tanks and a grouping of three that we were going to access with an OSHA compliant exterior, open stair.

In the past, we have not had any issues and dealt with them as pieces of equipment. On the current project, the AHJ is stating that they all need to be building permitted (Group "U"?) with compliant means of egress stairs (handrails and guards on the rise/run).

Is there anything in the code that covers equipment access? Closest thing I could find deals with equipment platforms. Permitting of equipment has me scratching my head.

 

[mtlogcabin]

1009.1 General.

Stairways serving occupied portions of a building shall comply with the requirements of this section.

I would state they are not designed for human occupancy and therefore not an occupied structure. The only access is for maintenance and you comply with OSHA regulations governing the stair requirements.

OCCUPIABLE SPACE. A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals 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.

 

[JBI]

I agree. Group U occupancy, stairs are not required to comply as noted above by mtlogcabin.

 

[glzath]

Thanks for the replies. Pretty much in line with what I've used before, successfully. Having to permit them (aka, pay the fees) stings a bit. Every jurisdiction is different, for sure.

Going further on the stairs, from the ICC commentary: "Additionally, some spaces are neither habitable nor occupiable. The code identifies crawl spaces, attics, penthouses and elevated platforms (mechanical or industrial equipment) as unoccupied spaces. Since the code generally states how these spaces must be accessed, but does not specifically require means of egress, they would not be occupiable spaces. If access is limited to maintenance and service personnel, it is likely that a space is not occupiable."

 

[ICE]

106.1 Permits required. No person shall erect, construct,enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, connect, convert,

demolish, or equip any building, structure, or portion

thereof, or automatic fire protection system regulated by

Chapter 9, perform any grading, or perform landscaping as

regulated by Chapter 2.7 of Division 2 of Title 23 of the California

Code of Regulations (Model Water Efficient Landscape

Ordinance), or perform landscaping on slopes requiring

planting in conformance with Section J110, or cause the same

to be done, without first obtaining a separate permit for each

such building, structure, automatic fire protection system,

grading or landscaping from the Building Official.

STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed.

Will there be a foundation provided for the tanks? Obviously the answer is yes. The existing floor may suffice but there would be an engineered determination behind that and that constitutes a foundation.

Will the tanks be anchored to planet Earth? Most likely and there again an engineer decides how to accomplish that.

Will the employees access the upper levels on a regular basis to perform routine tasks not related to maintenance? Taking samples ... adding stuff or just checking the level are not maintenance related and as such would require a legitimate set of stairs that comply with chapter 10.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Will the employees access the upper levels on a regular basis to perform routine tasks not related to maintenance?

Disagree

Have you ever seen a code compliant stair on a windmill, fuel storage tank?

 

[ICE]

DisagreeHave you ever seen a code compliant stair on a windmill, fuel storage tank?

Well no I haven't but then access will not be required as part of a process either. It only comes into play if there is a need for access to perform a task related to the process.



I can't say that these are code compliant from a distance.

 

[zigmark]

Unless they meet the definition of egress from a technical production area as detailed in IBC Section 1006.10 Exception (3) then they definitely are not code compliant as I am certain those are a bit over 12'-0" n height...

ZIG