Is Stair Enclosure Allowed as Access to Elevator?

[mstehlin]

2009 IBC 1022.1: "An exit enclosure shall not be used for any purpose other than means of egress"Can the exit stair enclosure be used to access the elevator? Does it matter if it is an old freight elevator vs a new elevator?See drawing

View attachment 2133

View attachment 2133

/monthly_2015_03/t-elev-stair.jpg.abea7b432e8bb5530907fe7c8c9c2a20.jpg

 

[cda]

is this an apartment building or other??

 

[cda]

FYI:

access to the 2009 commentary::

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ibc/2009f2cc/index.htm

Good question,

It is important that an exit stairway or ramp not be used for any purpose other than as a means of egress. For example, there is a tendency to use stairway landings for storage purposes. Such a situation obstructs the path of exit travel and if the stored contents consist of combustible materials, the use of the stairway as a means of egress may be jeopardized, creating a hazard to life safety. However, the restriction on the use of an exit stairway or ramp is not limited to situations when the contents are combustible.

maybe the question is access to exits, if you are coming off the elevator???

 

[mstehlin]

The project is 10 apartments going into a 3-story 19th century building last used as a hardware store in a small town in Ohio. The other two doors into the stairway are to the two third floor units.

The elevator is an existing freight elevator that is not proposed to be used except for moving furniture.

 

[Francis Vineyard]

I think the initial question is the elevator lobby a normally occupied space?

1023.5Openings and penetrations. Exit passageway opening protectives shall be in accordance with the requirements of :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_7_par237.htm')'>Section 715.



Except as permitted in :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_4_par017.htm')'>Section 402.4.6, openings in exit passageways other than exterior openings shall be limited to those necessary for exit access to the exit passageway from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the exit passageway.



Where an exit enclosure is extended to an exit discharge or a publicway by an exit passageway, the exit passageway shall alsocomply with :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_10_par268.htm')'>Section1022.2.1.



Elevators shall not open into an exit passageway.

Interpretation from the commentary provided by jdfruit;

“can an exit enclosure open into an elevator lobby? The answer is yes. An elevator lobby is a normally occupied space in the same manner that a corridor is a normally occupied space.”

http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/elevators/16221-waiting-room-elevator-lobby.html

Now ask can the freight elevator lobby be a normally occupied space?

 

[cda]

I think the initial question is the elevator lobby a normally occupied space?1023.5Openings and penetrations. Exit passageway opening protectives shall be in accordance with the requirements of :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_7_par237.htm')'>Section 715.



Except as permitted in :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_4_par017.htm')'>Section 402.4.6, openings in exit passageways other than exterior openings shall be limited to those necessary for exit access to the exit passageway from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the exit passageway.



Where an exit enclosure is extended to an exit discharge or a publicway by an exit passageway, the exit passageway shall alsocomply with :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_10_par268.htm')'>Section1022.2.1.



Elevators shall not open into an exit passageway.

Interpretation from the commentary provided by jdfruit;

“can an exit enclosure open into an elevator lobby? The answer is yes. An elevator lobby is a normally occupied space in the same manner that a corridor is a normally occupied space.”

http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/elevators/16221-waiting-room-elevator-lobby.html

Now ask can the freight elevator lobby be a normally occupied space?

It is not an exit passage way , unless I am missing something

 

[Francis Vineyard]

copied wrong section

1022.3 Openings and penetrations. Exit enclosure opening protectives shall be in accordance with the requirements of :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_7_par237.htm')'>Section 715.

Openings in exit enclosures other than unprotected exterior openings shall be limited to those necessary for exit access to the enclosure from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the enclosure.

Elevators shall not open into an exit enclosure.

 

[mstehlin]

Can the elevator open into a vestibule and the vestibule open to the exit enclosure?

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Yes if the tenants are not restricted from use of the elevator, the would be a normally occupied space.

 

[cda]

copied wrong section1022.3 Openings and penetrations. Exit enclosure opening protectives shall be in accordance with the requirements of :Next('./icod_ibc_2009_7_par237.htm')'>Section 715.

Openings in exit enclosures other than unprotected exterior openings shall be limited to those necessary for exit access to the enclosure from normally occupied spaces and for egress from the enclosure.

Elevators shall not open into an exit enclosure.

ok that sectionsays the elevator cannot open "directly" into the enclosure

The drawing in the op shows the elevator opening into a room, and than you walk through a door into the enclosure

 

[jdfruit]

My take on the layout:

Elevator is for furniture (maybe freight) moving only, so not normally occupied due to approximately monthly use for move in/out. However, if occupied, there must be exit from the area and it seems rational to allow opening to the exit enclosure.

Stair and landings that give access to dwelling unit doors are in a single enclosure, so the exit enclosure is not corridor.

Elevator should be in separate "shaft" construction.

Room outside elevator shaft can be considered as "elevator lobby" (if properly constructed) and can open to the exit enclosure for exit from the elevator lobby.

 

[Francis Vineyard]

cda my question pertains to freight elevators. passenger elevators can be freight elevators but freight elevators are not passenger elevators.

Would it be okay with a freight elevator that would be restricted?

 

[cda]

I don't know to me an elevator is an elevator most of the time