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one exit from front-of-house and back-of-house prep kitchens.

Ryan Schultz

Registered User
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
269
Location
Madison, WI
The circled area below is a front-of-house and back-of-house kitchens.

Would the one exit, indicated below be sufficient from these spaces?

We would like to keep the 2'-6" dimension indicated below. Which is not wide enough, obviously for a 2nd exit, if we need one.

As both of these spaces are essentially a kitchen, I would assume section 1016.2 exception 5, doesn't really apply.





2023-10-24_21-47-50_Autodesk_Revit_2020.2_-_[restaurant_whitefish_bay._Revit.png
 
The door you have marked as "EXIT" is not an exit door -- it is an exit access door. The exits are the front and rear EXTERIOR doors leading out of the building. So there are two exits, and they are remote by a distance equal to 1/2 the maximum diagonal.

The other issue to be looked at is the common path of travel. Since the area behind the counter appears to be open at the front (where the 2'-6" dimension line is drawn), it doesn't appear that there are any long dead-ends or long common paths of travel. However, since 2'-6" clear doesn't meet the code minimum, you will then have to measure the common path of travel distance from the point of the dimension line to the rear exit access door out of the kitchens, to a point at which people have a choice of which way to go to an exit. IMHO it would be preferable to open that up to the required width and make that a second path of exit access travel from behind the counter.

The bi-swing door out of the back-of-house kitchen to the rear corridor is a potential problem. Doors when open 90 degrees cannot reduce the width of the path of travel to less than half the required width. With that door open 90 degrees, what the clearance between the door and the corner of the toilet room?

The door from the rear stair into the exit passage definitely reduces the corridor width to less than half the required width.

Depending on occupant load, the door from the rear corridor into the stair enclosure may have to swing into the stair, in which case it will also reduce the corridor to less than half the required width.
 
The door you have marked as "EXIT" is not an exit door -- it is an exit access door. The exits are the front and rear EXTERIOR doors leading out of the building. So there are two exits, and they are remote by a distance equal to 1/2 the maximum diagonal.

The other issue to be looked at is the common path of travel. Since the area behind the counter appears to be open at the front (where the 2'-6" dimension line is drawn), it doesn't appear that there are any long dead-ends or long common paths of travel. However, since 2'-6" clear doesn't meet the code minimum, you will then have to measure the common path of travel distance from the point of the dimension line to the rear exit access door out of the kitchens, to a point at which people have a choice of which way to go to an exit. IMHO it would be preferable to open that up to the required width and make that a second path of exit access travel from behind the counter.

The bi-swing door out of the back-of-house kitchen to the rear corridor is a potential problem. Doors when open 90 degrees cannot reduce the width of the path of travel to less than half the required width. With that door open 90 degrees, what the clearance between the door and the corner of the toilet room?

The door from the rear stair into the exit passage definitely reduces the corridor width to less than half the required width.

Depending on occupant load, the door from the rear corridor into the stair enclosure may have to swing into the stair, in which case it will also reduce the corridor to less than half the required width.
This guy knows stuff. Here I was wondering if two exits are required.
 
Here I was wondering if two exits are required.

That's a valid question. The plan shows 30 seats, but the code would also require taking the public area available for seating and diving that by 15, PLUS the standing area in front of the counter and dividing that by 5, plus the occupant load of the kitchen and behind counter areas. Without a scaled drawing, I proceeded on the assumption that it has already been established that two exits are required. The kitchen areas may qualify as spaces with a single means of egress, but then common path of travel distance is a potential issue if that front passageway isn't wide enough to qualify as a compliant means of egress.

Assuming the total occupant load of the tenant space is less than 50, the business can be classified as Use Group B and the kitchen areas will fall within that classification. Table 1006.2.1 then tells us that to qualify as a space with a single means of egress the occupant load cannot exceed 49, and the common path of travel cannot exceed 100 feet, or 75 feet if the building is not sprinklered and the occupant load exceeds 30.
 
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I do see a clear floor space issue at the door though.

That table needs to be relocated/removed.

1698250675605.png

2017 A117.1 - 404.2.3.2 Swinging Doors and Gates

Swinging doors and gates shall have maneuvering clearances complying with Table 404.2.3.2.
12c7a008-49b4-4ce4-b6fc-55ac35201dbd.jpg

FIGURE 404.2.3.2(A)
MANEUVERING CLEARANCE AT MANUAL SWINGING DOORS FRONT APPROACH - PULL SIDE
 
Thank You.

The common path of travel is 65ft.

Yes, the total load of the space is <50.

View attachment 11820

Okay, but that's not where the common path ends. If a person makes a left turn where your path ends, they'll walk into the door jamb. Your common path is more like 67 feet.

There's still an issue with the door in the stair enclosure reducing the passage width to less than 1/2 the required width.
 
That is an existing door.

How does that resolve the violation?

According to both our State Building Inspector and the chief prosecutor for the State's Attorney's office, "A violation is always a violation." Violations don't get grandfathered just because someone missed it 'X' years ago.
 
And if the building was built before building codes were adopted?

Obviously, if there was no code there was no violation. Therefore, it's okay. The code that was in effect at the time the permit was issued remains the code for the life of the building, unless superseded by alterations invoking a newer code.

Fire codes, however, may be retroactive. My comments apply only to the building code.
 
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