RJJ
Co-Founder
This should get the attic stair question going! :lol:
Attic, Habitable: So what does this mean?
Attic, Habitable: So what does this mean?
I would think a fire escape means should be employed whenever the means of rescue can become challenging with existing equipment like a fire-escape stairway protected by a 3 hour rated fire-wall. Such as a concrete wall. Accessed at all levels from grade to highest occupied/habited floor area with no more then one flight of stair travel to exterior fire-escape stairway landing.FM William Burns said:yep, and we can still have 40' high rescue and egress openings that the FD can't access with a 24' (typically carried) portable extension. Hope the new homes come equipped with:http://www.fireescapesystems.com/commer ... scape2.asp
I would agree, if it doesn't meet this definition that the stairs are still not required to meet the means of egress requirement.It means that if it can reasonably be finished as living space, it gets treated differently than an attic that cannot be reasonably finished as living space. And, Yes that will likely mean compliant stairs... D'OH!
I can go with 1hr rated door but not likely a 3-hour rated door. You want to move a brick door?kilitact said:RA;why go to all the trouble installing 3 hour-rated walls and be lenient on the door??
It's not. It is a design recommendation. I would also suggest any flight of stairs going up or down to an exterior fire escape stairway landing to be of 2-3 hour rated construction including the interior landing. The door has to be light enough to open and a door rated at 2-3 hours would be a brick or r.c. door. Not something I can imagine to be very easy to open or close.FM William Burns said:RA,I can't seem to find that requirement/alternative in the IRC.
There are techniques and possible improvements to my design concept that would keep the fire (slow down the progression) away from the door way to begin with. Essentially putting in a 3 hour rated wall on the interior side and exterior side of the interior stair way or a number of techniques to reduce fire progression. Fire does not progress over rock/concrete/brick as fast as wood in most cases. Giving additional time for escape. Door can't be too heavy to operate. I would be lenient on the door if there is essentially a fire break solution.FM William Burns said:RA,I knew that and sorry.........should have put a after the post, just being a little smart @$$. I also understood and agree with the door. That proposed design alternative would be a welcome sight for those types of McMansions we've seen far too often and will see again when the economy gets better and especially for those areas where the RFS will be amended out.
I'm just afraid that for similar reasons as mentioned in other threads, the costs would tick off the interest groups responsible for the historic reductions seen presently in the model and amended editions of the code. At least there remains a means in the model to contribute to greater escabability by reducing the hazards ability that forces civilians to make decisions to decend those heights by the only available makeshift means and hazardous options when the fight or flight mechanism kicks in.