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Stair tower with no handles on stair tower side

M

Morphdesigns

Sawhorse
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Messages
44
Location
Waupun
Have a client that is renovating an existing 5-story building. Current building has 2 stair towers on the building corners. Building will also have a public elevator and a freight elevator ( w/ no public use). The public elevator will have special key-card access to go up to the upper 3 levels. The building will be sprinklered and the top 3 floors will be used as high-end valuable storage, with no public access, so this building will have specific employees that will access these upper 3 floors to bring and obtain the high-end storage on these levels. The bottom 2 floors are used a offices and assembly areas.

In the stairways, we will be using panic hardware from the 2nd level for egress (Assembly, more than 50 ppl exiting) and we will have handle locksets on the door side facing the stairwell. However, the upper 3 floors, the owner wants to use a lever lockset for exiting from the storage areas, but a blank plate on the stairwell side, so if anybody goes up the stairwells, they cannot access these upper 3 levels.

So can this be done?

I would say no because if there is a fire on the upper 3 floors, with no lever lockset, the fireman will not be able to access those floors because there is no handle to open the door.

Building is in Wisconsin, using IBC 2009
 
Here in California, the issue would be covered not by the building code (which is about exiting), but by the Fire code, which is about access for firefighters. Our fire code says that if a door is required by the building code (e.g. an exit door), then it must also be usable by firefighters for emergency access, not just exit:

CFC SECTION 504

ACCESS TO BUILDING OPENINGS AND ROOFS

504.1 Required access. Exterior doors and openings required by this code or the California Building Code shall be maintained readily accessible for emergency access by the fire department. An approved access walkway leading from fire apparatus access roads to exterior openings shall be provided when required by the fire code official.
 
Oops, you were talking about a door INSIDE the stair tower, not the exterior door.

In that case, here's our version in California - -maybe you have an equivalent in your state:

CFC 1008.1.9.11 Stairway doors. Interior stairway means of egress doors shall be openable from both sides without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

Exceptions:

1. Stairway discharge doors shall be openable

from the egress side and shall only be locked

from the opposite side.

2. This section sha]] not apply to doors arranged

in accordance with Section 403.5.3 of

the California

Building Code.

3. In stairways serving not more than four stories,

doors are permitted to be locked from the

side opposite the egress side, provided they

are openable from the egress side and capable

of being unlocked simultaneously without

unlatching upon a signal from the fire command

center, if present, or a signal by emergency

personnel from a single location inside

the main entrance to the building.

4. Stairway exit doors shall be openable from the

egress side and shall only be locked from the

opposite side in Group B, F, M and S occupancies

where the only interior access to the

tenant space is from a single exit stair where

permitted in Section 1021.2.

5. Stairway exit doors shall be openable from the

egress side and shan only be locked from the

opposite side in Group R-2 occupancies where

the only interior access to the dwelling unit 1s

from a single exit stair where permitted in

Section 1021.2.

***

Note that in all cases the door must be openable. The exceptions only cover the adding of a locking system, in addition to the hardware that makes it openable. In other words, if the firefighter has the right key, the door should be openable (have a handle, etc.).
 
Have a client that is renovating an existing 5-story building. Current building has 2 stair towers on the building corners. Building will also have a public elevator and a freight elevator ( w/ no public use). The public elevator will have special key-card access to go up to the upper 3 levels. The building will be sprinklered and the top 3 floors will be used as high-end valuable storage, with no public access, so this building will have specific employees that will access these upper 3 floors to bring and obtain the high-end storage on these levels. The bottom 2 floors are used a offices and assembly areas.In the stairways, we will be using panic hardware from the 2nd level for egress (Assembly, more than 50 ppl exiting) and we will have handle locksets on the door side facing the stairwell. However, the upper 3 floors, the owner wants to use a lever lockset for exiting from the storage areas, but a blank plate on the stairwell side, so if anybody goes up the stairwells, they cannot access these upper 3 levels.

So can this be done?

I would say no because if there is a fire on the upper 3 floors, with no lever lockset, the fireman will not be able to access those floors because there is no handle to open the door.

Building is in Wisconsin, using IBC 2009
Click to expand...
Blank plate or locked door, no difference to firefighters they will need to gain access by breaking the doors.
 
Sounds like best option is set down with building and fire to see what they will accept.

I take it rated doors ?

Fire panic hardware on 2nd floor

How about some type of cypher lock on stairwell side 3-5???

I assume they will have cameras and security everywhere.

Ask about reentry requirements
 
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