Overlapping Door Maneuvering Clearances

[RLGA]

Received a comment back from plan review and this is the first time I've come across this, so I would like the collective knowledge here to express its opinions.

The situation is a pair of doors separated by a 18-inch wall between the two latch sides. Since this is the pull side of each door, the maneuvering clearance for each door shares the required 18 inches on the latch side. Neither the ADA Standards nor the ANSI Standards address overlapping of door maneuvering clearances; however, there are multiple instances where clearances are permitted to overlap.

What has been everyone else's experience?

(I plan on submitting this to the Access Board's Technical Assistance. I'll post the response that I receive.)

 

[Mech]

No experience with this exact scenario; but if I am interpreting your statement correctly, isn't this almost the same condition created as a pair of doors without the 18 inch section of wall? The clearance for the left side door would extend 18" into the clearance for the right side door and the clearance would also be extending into the swing of the right side door. And then the same applies for the clearance of the right side door.

It sounds like your scenario provides the required clearance without the possibility of a user getting hit by the adjacent door being opened.

 

[RLGA]

Mech, exactly. As long as the maneuvering clearance does not overlap the swing of the adjacent door, there should be no issue with that particular condition.

My opinion is that these areas can overlap. Users of a door do not occupy the maneuvering clearance space for an extended period of time, so it is not a case where a maneuvering space will be blocked, preventing users of the adjacent door from using it. This logic is manifested in the requirement for passing spaces on an accessible route that is less than 60 inches wide. Neither the ADA or ANSI require corridors, hallways, etc. to have two 32-inch-wide accessible routes—one for each direction. It is assumed that these spaces are temporarily occupied, and should one wheelchair user come in the opposite direction of another, well, one will have to move out of the way by using a passing space or other means if a passing space is not required for the situation. A similar premise would, in my opinion, apply to door clearances: one would have to wait for the other person to clear the area of one door to allow usage of the adjacent door.

 

[RLGA]

Well, I received a pretty quick response from the Access Board's Technical Assistance--they even called me directly to discuss. The technician's opinion is that the door maneuvering clearances can overlap. He referred me to their online guide to the ADA Standards and pointed out specifically the image I've shown below.

View attachment 2203

Although the image does not address the specific situation I described, it clearly indicates the position that clearances can overlap. He even went on further to say that the door swing of another door can encroach upon the clearance of another door. So in the situation I described, the 18-inch wall between the two doors can be reduced if desired.View attachment 2203

/monthly_2016_04/Overlapping_Maneuvering_Clearances.jpg.f55529ae3d126b85d79b72a5e213a606.jpg

 

[Yikes]

He even went on further to say that the door swing of another door can encroach upon the clearance of another door.

An example where that makes sense is a pair of 3' wide doors filling a 6-0 x 6-8 opening. If a door was not allowed to swing on another door's clearance, it would be impossible to have an accessible pair of doors - - and yet we see accessible pairs of doors all the time.

Now, if the doors were interpreted as being is series... we'll let's just save that discussion for another thread.

 

[naveed]

Even though this is a very old thread, I felt I should add my comment. As someone responsible for designing spaces for users, we need to do more than minimum code compliance.. The two doors are on walls at right angle to each other, one opens outwards, the other inwards. Their clearances overlap and just clear the door swing of the outward swing door. The users felt very uncomfortable opening the swinging out door lest they hit someone entering the other door, even though they meet the codes perfectly. The doors are in a clinic with wheelchair bound patients traffic thru both doors.

 

[JPohling]

Put a vision panel in the doors

 

[JGallon]

Well, I received a pretty quick response from the Access Board's Technical Assistance--they even called me directly to discuss. The technician's opinion is that the door maneuvering clearances can overlap. He referred me to their online guide to the ADA Standards and pointed out specifically the image I've shown below.

View attachment 2203

Although the image does not address the specific situation I described, it clearly indicates the position that clearances can overlap. He even went on further to say that the door swing of another door can encroach upon the clearance of another door. So in the situation I described, the 18-inch wall between the two doors can be reduced if desired.View attachment 2203

/monthly_2016_04/Overlapping_Maneuvering_Clearances.jpg.f55529ae3d126b85d79b72a5e213a606.jpg

Can you send me the image you mentioned please?

 

[mark handler]

U.S. Access Board’s Technical Assistance
Can clear floor/ground space or turning space overlap other space requirements?
Yes, clear floor or ground spaces and turning space can overlap other required clearances, including other clear floor spaces, door maneuvering clearances, and fixture clearances.

U.S. Access Board - Chapter 3: Clear Floor or Ground Space and Turning Space

The U.S. Access Board is a federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards for the built environment, transportation, communication, medical diagnostic equipment, and...

www.access-board.gov

 

[Yikes]

U.S. Access Board’s Technical Assistance
Can clear floor/ground space or turning space overlap other space requirements?
Yes, clear floor or ground spaces and turning space can overlap other required clearances, including other clear floor spaces, door maneuvering clearances, and fixture clearances.

U.S. Access Board - Chapter 3: Clear Floor or Ground Space and Turning Space

The U.S. Access Board is a federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards for the built environment, transportation, communication, medical diagnostic equipment, and...

www.access-board.gov

This is technically correct. But as a designer, you need to beware of encroachments that are allowed in some clearances but not others. For example:

A 5' deep bathroom door clearance can overlap a 5' wide toilet fixture clearance.
The toilet fixture clearance can also have grab bars and T.P. dispensers encroach (604.3.2).
But the door clearance requirement does not explicitly allow for those same grab bar and dispenser encroachments. You have to use the max. 8 inch "recessed door" provisions in Fig. 404.2.4.3 to make it work.

Likewise, doors are allowed to have door closers encroach on their min. 80" headroom - - - but an overlapping toilet clearance space does not allow for door closer encroachment.