Stairway width

[JMORRISON]

Fully sprinkled 5-story wood frame hotel with occupant load of 82 persons per floor split between (2) interior stairs.

Section 1009.3 Accessible egress stair minimum 48” between rails. Exception #2: Clear width of 48” not required in building sprinkled throughout.

Section 1011.2 Minimum width shall be not less than 44”. Exception #1: Stairways serving an occupant load less than 50 shall have a minimum width not less than 36”.


Would you allow the minimum 36” Stair width based on occupant load of 41 persons per stairway?


Designed at 48” finished width but have some projections from standpipe and fire sprinkler piping.

Thanks


Jeff Morrison

City of East Wenatchee

 

[cda]

Fully sprinkled 5-story wood frame hotel with occupant load of 82 persons per floor split between (2) interior stairs.

Section 1009.3 Accessible egress stair minimum 48” between rails. Exception #2: Clear width of 48” not required in building sprinkled throughout.

Section 1011.2 Minimum width shall be not less than 44”. Exception #1: Stairways serving an occupant load less than 50 shall have a minimum width not less than 36”.


Would you allow the minimum 36” Stair width based on occupant load of 41 persons per stairway?


Designed at 48” finished width but have some projections from standpipe and fire sprinkler piping.

Thanks


Jeff Morrison

City of East Wenatchee

How are you going to herd 41 people to one stair and 41 to the other?

 

[Builder Bob]

Motel with luggage tramping up and down with the stairs @ 36" --- usually stairs are used for smokers to go down for their fixes --- make them 42" so two smokers can past by each other and bum a cigarette or two.

 

[RLGA]

The exception states “stairways serving an occupant load of less than 50...” This means that when any number of stairways that serve an occupant load of less than 50 can be 36 inches wide.

In your case, the stairways are serving an occupant load of 82, thus they do not qualify for the exception and must be 44 inches wide.

 

[ADAguy]

Between the faces of handrails?

 

[Paul Sweet]

Handrails are allowed to protrude 4 1/2" on each side into the required width. (2012 IBC 1012.8 Projection)

 

[ADAguy]

Only if sprinklered?

 

[George McGerd]

Agree w/ RGLA... occupant load is not under 50, therefore 44" min. width required. You have to consider the total occupant load of the entire area being served, not the individual egress component.

 

[JMORRISON]

Agree w/ RGLA... occupant load is not under 50, therefore 44" min. width required. You have to consider the total occupant load of the entire area being served, not the individual egress component.

IBC Section 1005.5 Distribution of minimum width and capacity
Where more than one exit, or access to more than one exit, is required, the means of egress shall be configured such that the loss of any one exit, shall not reduce the available capacity or width to less than 50 percent of the required capacity or width.