Standpipes within stairs - Protruding objects

[mjw_accessibility]

Do standpipes within stairs need to meet the requirements of ICC A117.1 for protruding objects? I believe they do, as stairs can still be used by vision impaired people. Standpipe hose outlets have to be higher than 27" per NFPA 14, so they would qualify as a leading edge greater than 27". Would they qualify as post-mounted objects (Section 307.3)? If so, I do not think they would require cane detection as long as they do not protrude more than 4".

 

[Paul Sweet]

307.2 limits protrusions to 4 inches maximum horizontally into the circulation path.

Virginia's Construction and Professional Services Manual for state projects clarifies this to read:
Standpipe hose connections in stairways are permitted to exceed the four (4) inch protrusion limit into the circulation path provided they do not encroach into the required egress width of the stairway landing ("Min. Stair Width"), which is shown as a dashed arc in Figure 4.2.3.1. Standpipe shall be located as close to the walls as standpipe hose connection operating clearance allows.



The Division of Engineering & Buildings has always taken the strictest interpretation of accessibility requirements, so I'm confident that they cleared this with the feds before publishing it.

 

[TheCommish]

^^^^^ something in the code the makes sense^^^^

 

[walker.t]

Do standpipes within stairs need to meet the requirements of ICC A117.1 for protruding objects? I believe they do, as stairs can still be used by vision impaired people. Standpipe hose outlets have to be higher than 27" per NFPA 14, so they would qualify as a leading edge greater than 27". Would they qualify as post-mounted objects (Section 307.3)? If so, I do not think they would require cane detection as long as they do not protrude more than 4".

There’s a chance that the NC Office of State Fire Marshall has made a similar statement to the statement issued by Virginia. I’ve seen the approved drawings for a government building which had a standpipe configuration very similar to the diagram from Virginia. The elevation on the sprinkler drawings doesn’t dimension the fire hose valve, but using the 6” standpipe as a reference the valve projects nearly 18”. It is shown projecting parallel to a wall, not pointing to the center of the landing.

But apart from such a state-level exception, I agree that a projection from a standpipe would be considered a protruding object if it exceeds 4”, even if it is tucked into the corner of a stair landing beyond the required width of the stairway.

The provisions of A117.1 307 (Protruding Objects) are concerned with protrusions into the circulation path (307.1), not just the required width of the stairway and landing. Landings are a part of stairways, stairways are part of the circulation path (a way of passage from one place to another for pedestrians.)

Would they qualify as post-mounted objects (Section 307.3)? If so, I do not think they would require cane detection as long as they do not protrude more than 4".

I don’t see why objects projecting from a standpipe wouldn’t be considered a post-mounted object. Yes, 4” is the maximum projection from a post-mounted object in A117.1.

 

[Yikes]

Around here , we either install a 4" high raised curb cast into the corner of the landing, or else a cane detection rail is installed.