steveray
SAWHORSE
Or is it a classroom....?
-
Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades
Occupant Load - Do You or Don't You?
- Thread starter nealderidder
- Start date
Or is it a classroom....?
Tim Mailloux
Registered User
This thread was about occupant load, what does that occupancy classification have to do with occupant load calculations? Whether the training room is group B or A-3 it does not change the fact that the calculated occupant load for the space should either be 1 per 20 (classroom) or 1 per 15 (Tables and Chairs). If the furniture is fixed (aka bolted to the floor) than you should be able to count desks / chairs
nealderidder
Sawhorse
And so few jurisdictions actually adopt it. The chapter you're referring to is specifically NOT adopted by California.
steveray
SAWHORSE
Does Cali use anything for existing and alterations? 101?
nealderidder
Sawhorse
As you know, each local jurisdiction is supposed to adopt the EBC if they want to use it. But they rarely do. I have had B.O.s refer to it even though they haven't adopted it.
The state has adopted the IEBC (masquerading as the California EBC) but the adopted version specifically excludes chapters 5-14. So we get chapters 1-4 to work things out.
Michael Schirmer
Registered User
Michael Schirmer
Registered User
is there not an edit button in here? I messed up the last post again.
Beguelin
Registered User
Scenario:
In an Office TI you have a training room used for training call center new hires. The room is 1,671 SF. It is set up with tables and chairs for 50 students and one instructor. There are four (4) of these training rooms on a floor and this exceeds 10% of the floor area.
1. Is the Occupancy Load factor is 15 for Assembly unconcentrated with tables and chairs? 1,671/15=112 occupants.
2. Is the Occupancy Load factor is 20 for classroom? 1,671/20=84 occupants.
3. Is the Occupancy for B Concentrated is 51 actual seats? =51 occupants.
4. Is the space Occupancy Type considered A-3 (lecture Hall) and need to be separated from the rest of the B occupancy?
5. Is the space Occupancy Type considered B (training or concentrated) and not need to be separated from the rest of the B occupancy?
6. The space requires 2 exits from the room. When figuring out the total occupancy of the floor for exit width required from the floor do you use 112, 84, or 52 for this space? Does it matter that the people using the training room actually sit at a workstation on the same floor?
7. When figuring out the total occupancy of the floor for plumbing fixture count do you use 112, 84, or 52 for this space? Does it matter that the people using the training room actually sit at a workstation on the same floor?
In an Office TI you have a training room used for training call center new hires. The room is 1,671 SF. It is set up with tables and chairs for 50 students and one instructor. There are four (4) of these training rooms on a floor and this exceeds 10% of the floor area.
1. Is the Occupancy Load factor is 15 for Assembly unconcentrated with tables and chairs? 1,671/15=112 occupants.
2. Is the Occupancy Load factor is 20 for classroom? 1,671/20=84 occupants.
3. Is the Occupancy for B Concentrated is 51 actual seats? =51 occupants.
4. Is the space Occupancy Type considered A-3 (lecture Hall) and need to be separated from the rest of the B occupancy?
5. Is the space Occupancy Type considered B (training or concentrated) and not need to be separated from the rest of the B occupancy?
6. The space requires 2 exits from the room. When figuring out the total occupancy of the floor for exit width required from the floor do you use 112, 84, or 52 for this space? Does it matter that the people using the training room actually sit at a workstation on the same floor?
7. When figuring out the total occupancy of the floor for plumbing fixture count do you use 112, 84, or 52 for this space? Does it matter that the people using the training room actually sit at a workstation on the same floor?
RLGA
SAWHORSE
Here’s how I would do it:
- For occupant load use “Classroom” at 20 sf net per occupant.
- If occupant load is over 49, then the space is classified as Group A-3.
- If owner can prove to the building official’s satisfaction that the training rooms will only be used by other occupants of the building on the same story, then the occupant load could be based on the occupant load of the office areas only. If there’s a chance that employees from other stories or other buildings will use those rooms, too, then you’d have to include all of the occupant loads.
- For fixture counts, a similar condition as above would apply. If the training rooms are used only by building occupants, then, with the building official’s approval you may determine fixtures solely on the occupant loads for the office areas.
- For allowable area, if all of the rooms together exceed 10% of the floor area for the story, then they cannot be considered accessory occupancies; however, you can for some of the spaces if the aggregate area is less than 10% of the floor area. The area would then be determined using the separated occupancies method. You could also use the nonseparated occupancies method, but then everything would be based on the Group A-3 occupancy group since that would likely be the most restrictive.