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Need clarification on Ontario building code for guardrails

mhorton

Registered User
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Messages
5
Location
chicago
I'm trying to understand what is meant by section 3.3.1.17 'Guards' of the Ontario Building Code.

link to building code: http://www.buildingcode.online/328.html

Where it states:
"openings through any guard that is required by Sentence (1) shall be of a size that will prevent the passage of a sphere having a diameter more than 100 mm unless it can be shown that the location and size of openings that exceed this limit do not represent a hazard."

Can someone clarify if this is referring to just the vertical member spacing of the guardrail or does this also apply to the triangular spacing from the top of the thread to the bottom of the rail?

Thank you!
 
Hunh...Thought I replied to this earlier....IBC allows a 6" sphere at the triangle, 4" elsewhere....Not sure about ontario....Are you related to Tim?
 
It also applies to the triangular spacing created by the bottom rail of the guard, the stair riser and the stair tread. There is no similar allowance for a 6" sphere in the OBC.
 
I have to do some digging, been sometime since I worked on the Canadian Code, but there is a research paper floating around up north that specifies the different configurations that are allowed. I believe the supplier is George Bezdan and the website link is https://www.geobezdan.com/national-building-code
They could get you to the correct information faster than anyone here I believe.
 
Okay, thank you all for your comments. I'm currently trying to edit a stair detail for precast concrete. I'm now curious about what some solutions are to meeting this code and what that would look like in the form of a detail. It sounds like I have no choice but to extend all of the vertical members into the concrete, but it sounds quite laborious.
 
Okay, thank you all for your comments. I'm currently trying to edit a stair detail for precast concrete. I'm now curious about what some solutions are to meeting this code and what that would look like in the form of a detail. It sounds like I have no choice but to extend all of the vertical members into the concrete, but it sounds quite laborious.
Typically that is what we see. For the cable rail assemblies, like the Geobezdan, most people plow out the stringer so the tread in impeded in the full 2-by (usually 2x12).
 
I have to do some digging, been sometime since I worked on the Canadian Code, but there is a research paper floating around up north that specifies the different configurations that are allowed. I believe the supplier is George Bezdan and the website link is https://www.geobezdan.com/national-building-code
They could get you to the correct information faster than anyone here I believe.

The approval from Quispamsis on this website is me!
 
Quis * pam * sis

Most people mistakenly place the emphasis on the "pam" syllable, but there is only a very slight emphasis on the "Quis" syllable.
 
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