School Science Lab Occupant Load

[LGreene]

To calculate the occupant load of a science lab in a high school, would you use the 20 net SF factor for classrooms, or 50 net SF for shops and other vocational room areas (2009 IBC)?

 

[steveray]

Just went through this with one of ours......they can justify 50 if they have large fixed tables and equipment and such....I hold their feet to the fire on proving it, and we came to an agreement w/ the FM that they post the room (based on exiting), that way when it becomes a regular classroom in the next couple years.....nothing bad happens....Hopefully!

 

[Coug Dad]

50 would be typical.

 

[LGreene]

Here's a follow-up question...if you have 2 science labs with a prep room in between, and the IBC requires a separation between the lab and the remainder of the building because it is an incidental accessory occupancy, would the prep room walls need to be fire barriers, or could the fire barrier go around the outside of both labs and the prep room as a suite?

 

[Coug Dad]

what part of the code do you think requires the separation? Is the building sprinklered?

 

[mtlogcabin]

The fire barrier can go around the outside of both labs and the prep room as a suite?

 

[cda]

Should all be an "E"

Most high school science rooms do not keep much of anything anymore and if they do very minimal quantities

I stand corrected, have not done a school in awhile and all of ours are sprinkled

One hour seperation or sprinklers

 

[cda]

Come on peeps someone is a very big supporter of this forum and loves doors, so return the favor and visit once in awhile, someone likes the company anyway::;

School doors:::

I Dig Hardware / I Hate Hardware

 

[cda]

Here's a follow-up question...if you have 2 science labs with a prep room in between, and the IBC requires a separation between the lab and the remainder of the building because it is an incidental accessory occupancy, would the prep room walls need to be fire barriers, or could the fire barrier go around the outside of both labs and the prep room as a suite?

As someone stated wrap the entire room, and to me the preps would be part of the lab anyway

 

[mtlogcabin]

Agree it is an "E" and if it is not sprinkled then Table 508.2.5 requires a one hour separation

 

[peach]

50 ... and when was the last time we saw a new school that wasn't sprinklered?

 

[LGreene]

Thanks everyone. I agree - you don't see new non-sprinklered schools these days, but from a door standpoint there are special requirements for science lab hardware either way. If the school is sprinklered, the doors are still required to be self-closing, which is not required for regular classroom doors. Then the question is whether the prep room doors need to be self-closing too. Just one of those little details that makes hardware hard.

It sounds like you are all in agreement - the fire barrier or wall resisting the passage of smoke can go around the outside of the science lab suite (which would mean that the prep room doors do not have to be self-closing), and the occupant load factor you would typically use when there are fixed lab stations is 50 square feet net per person. That does make a big difference for the hardware, because using a 20SF occupant load a lot of science labs would need a second exit and panic hardware.

 

[LGreene]

I added some of the information from this discussion to my blog post, as well as a partial floor plan and a link to this discussion. It is so helpful to have all of you to consult with! These questions may seem overly-specific and nit-picky, but hardware consultants and suppliers need to figure out these applications and sometimes there are grey areas that we need your help with. Thank you!

I Dig Hardware / I Hate Hardware » Science Lab Doors

 

[midwestFCO]

Great topic. Our schools have sprinklers, but I need to check next time I am there if the doors are self-closing! I am 95% sure they are, but you got me thinking.