Press Box Roof Code Research
This morning I contacted the Access Board to inquire about Press Boxes roofs being part of the aggregate area for accessibility. His response was, if the roof is access via a stair, not a ladder, then the roof’s area would be part of the aggregate floor area. I mentioned to him that the roof, in my opinion, was nothing more than an equipment platform where the camera crews were located. The key here is how do you get up on the roof; ladder or stair?
I then wondered if the Building Code addressed occupied roofs and access thereto. The following is what I found.
The Building Codes required roof access when the building is 4-stories or more [ref: 1009.11]. However in the same section a roof that is occupied requires egress “In buildings without an occupied roof, access to the roof from the top story shall be permitted to be by an alternating tread device” [ref: 1009.11] The Press Box roof will be occupied for other than roof top equipment maintenance and therefore will require a stair not a ladder or alternating tread device. The Code Commentary for Section 1009.11 states the following; “Because of safety considerations, roofs used for habitable purposes such as roof gardens, observation decks, sporting facilities (including jogging or walking tracks and tennis courts) or other similar uses, must be provided with conventional stairways that will serve as required means of egress. Access by ladders or an alternating tread device for such uses is not permitted”.
Under the Building Code’s definition of an equipment platform; the use of the Press Box roof does not comply with an equipment platform. Maybe the roof possibly could be considered a fly gallery since its use is similar to theatrical functions [ref: 410.3.2]. As a fly gallery it would not be considered another floor or mezzanine. A fly gallery has restricted access by authorized personnel. However, under the Building Code’s definition of Fly Gallery the Press Box roof’s use as a filming platform or observation deck may not comply.
The Building Official may have to be the one to make this call. As I see it, a strict interpretation of the Code; the Press Box roof would require stair access because it will be used as an observation deck and the carrying of equipment using a stair is safer than up a ladder. Now comes the aggregate square footage issue with accessibility if the roof is required stair access.
