Overhead egress door

[Yankee Chronicler]

It's a different section number in the 2021 IBC (1010.3.2), but the code language is the same. Here's what the 2021 Commentary has to say:

For convenience purposes, power-operated doors are intended to facilitate the normal nonemergency flow of
persons through a doorway. Where a power-operated or power-assisted door is also required to be an
egress door, the door must conform to the requirements of this section. The essential characteristic is
that the door is to be manually openable from any position to its full-open position at any time, with or
without a power failure or a failure of a door mechanism. Hence, both swinging and horizontal sliding
doors that comply with this section may be used, provided the door can be operated manually from any
position as a swinging door and that the minimum required clear width for egress capacity is not less
than 32 inches (813 mm). Note that the opening forces of Section 1010.1.3 are applicable, except that the 30-
pound (133 N) force needed to set the door in motion is increased to 50 pounds (220 N) as an operational
tolerance in the design of the power-operated door. Also note that BHMA A156.10 requires a power-operated
swinging door, when without power, to require not more than 30 pounds to set the door in motion. And
BHMA A156.19 limits the force to set a power-assisted or low-energy power-operated swinging door in motion
to not more than 30 pounds (133 N).

Definitions for the different types of power-operated doors help clarify which standard (BHMA A156.10,
BHMA A156.19 or BMHA A156.38) is applicable to which type of power-operated door (see Chapter 2 for
the definitions for “Low-energy power-operated door,” “Power-assisted door” and “Power-operated door”).

Power-operated doors are required to comply with BHMA A156.10. These doors open automatically
when approached by a person or upon an action by a person, close automatically and include provisions
such as presence sensors to prevent entrapment. Low-energy power-operated doors are required to
comply with BHMA A156.19 or A156.38, depending on whether they are swinging, sliding or folding. These
doors open automatically upon an action by a person such as pressing a push plate or waving a hand in
front of a sensor. Additionally, these doors close automatically and operate with decreased forces and
decreased speeds (compared to power-operated doors). Least common are power-assisted doors,
which are required to comply with BHMA A156.19. These doors are swinging doors that open by reduced
pushing or pulling force on the door-operating hardware, close automatically after the pushing or pulling
force is released, and function with decreased forces. Power-assisted doors do not open automatically—the
operators only reduce the opening force for easier manual operation.

It doesn't appear to include overhead doors, but it also doesn't specifically say "Yea" or "Nay." One concern with overhead doors is that the type of power operator may or may not allow manual operation if the power fails with the door in a closed or partially-open position. Residential garage doors (at least, those I've seen) require pulling a release rope to disengage the door from the opener mechanism before the door can be lifted manually. I don't think that fits the intent of this section.

 

[mtlogcabin]

1010.1.4.3 Special purpose horizontal sliding, accordion or folding doors.
In other than Group H occupancies, special purpose horizontal sliding, accordion or folding door assemblies permitted to be a component of a means of egress in accordance with Exception 6 to Section 1010.1.2 shall comply with all of the following criteria:

1. The doors shall be power operated and shall be capable of being operated manually in the event of power failure.

2. The doors shall be openable by a simple method from both sides without special knowledge or effort.

3. The force required to operate the door shall not exceed 30 pounds (133 N) to set the door in motion and 15 pounds (67 N) to close the door or open it to the minimum required width.

4. The door shall be openable with a force not to exceed 15 pounds (67 N) when a force of 250 pounds (1100 N) is applied perpendicular to the door adjacent to the operating device.

5. The door assembly shall comply with the applicable fire protection rating and, where rated, shall be self-closing or automatic closing by smoke detection in accordance with Section 716.2.6.6, shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 80 and shall comply with Section 716.

6. The door assembly shall have an integrated standby power supply.

7. The door assembly power supply shall be electrically supervised.

8. The door shall open to the minimum required width within 10 seconds after activation of the operating device.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

We have a project in town that has overhead doors. It's a seasonal bathhouse/pavilion for a public swimming pool, and the only entrance/exit is through a passageway (sort of like a vomitory) that passes between the men's locker room and the women's locker room. But the overhead doors just close off the passageway -- they don't enclose a weather/thermal envelope, and they will be open at all times the facility is occupied.

To guard against a prankster (or worse) closing the overhead doors while there are people within the fenced enclosure, the Fire Marshal imposed a restriction that when the overhead doors are open, they must be LOCKED in the open position. This satisfies the code reuirement that egress must be available at all times the premises are occupied.

What section of the code allows this overhead door? This building is not heated in a camp that is only open in the summer. Also has porch roofs large enough to keep the rain from coming in the doors. They are asking if the doors comply if they leave the doors open when the building is being used. Maybe I can use the same section in the code.

 

[mtlogcabin]

What section of the code allows this overhead door?

Is the bathhouse a B or A occupancy? Doesn't matter because the Fire Code Official can require it.

1010.1.4.5 Security grilles.
In Groups B, F, M and S, horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles are permitted at the main exit and shall be openable from the inside without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort during periods that the space is occupied. The grilles shall remain secured in the full-open position during the period of occupancy by the general public. Where two or more means of egress are required, not more than one-half of the exits or exit access doorways shall be equipped with horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles.

IFC 2018
[A] 102.9 Matters not provided for.
Requirements that are essential for the public safety of an existing or proposed activity, building or structure, or for the safety of the occupants thereof, that are not specifically provided for by this code, shall be determined by the fire code official.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Is the bathhouse a B or A occupancy? Doesn't matter because the Fire Code Official can require it.

1010.1.4.5 Security grilles.
In Groups B, F, M and S, horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles are permitted at the main exit and shall be openable from the inside without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort during periods that the space is occupied. The grilles shall remain secured in the full-open position during the period of occupancy by the general public. Where two or more means of egress are required, not more than one-half of the exits or exit access doorways shall be equipped with horizontal sliding or vertical security grilles.

IFC 2018
[A] 102.9 Matters not provided for.
Requirements that are essential for the public safety of an existing or proposed activity, building or structure, or for the safety of the occupants thereof, that are not specifically provided for by this code, shall be determined by the fire code official.

That's why in the bathhouse project we reviewed the Fire Marshal required that the overhead doors be locked in the open position when the facility is open.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

I see. They can't use them for an A building. The fire code has not been adopted by the state or the township. We only use the IFC when the IBC directly refers to it, like for high racks. The state fire marshals in PA only investigate fires to see if there was a crime involved, nothing else. The local fire chiefs are volunteers and have no qualifications or authority over fire codes even if the fire code was used.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Paul Sweet]

The overhead doors are just wall sections that can be raised, as long as there are adequate code-com[plying egress doors. I suspect their purpose could be to close up the building at night to keep critters or misbehaving campers out.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

The overhead doors are just wall sections that can be raised, as long as there are adequate code-com[plying egress doors. I suspect their purpose could be to close up the building at night to keep critters or misbehaving campers out.

That's not what was described in the question:

Plan review on an A3 Rec Hall building is indicating two overhead doors for egress. They will also be the accessible entrance and egress doors.

That doesn't sound like there are any code-compliant egress doors.