Stepped aisle handrails

[bill1952]

25+ years ago codes began to require handrails in stepped aisles (aisle stairs in legacy codes and IBC till 2012, still aisle stairs in LSC). In stepped aisles serving seats on both sides, a mid aisle handrail is one way to meet the requirement, and this is permitted and required to be discontinuous with a gap every 1 to 5 rows.

I believe a handrail at one or both sides is permitted instead of a rail mid aisle. This would obviously have to be discontinuous to permit passage into the rows of chairs or the bench. And I have seen this a lot and have it on some of my projects.

My question is can anyone point to the code section which permits a handrail at the side of a stepped aisle to be discontinued, basically an exception to the general requirement handrails be continuous?

It is - or will be - in the next edition of ICC 300, but I'm asking for IBC. I've been searching chapter 10 and can't find it. It is permitted in LSC - could that.

Thanks.

 

[steveray]

This one?

1030.16.1 Discontinuous Mid-Aisle Handrails​

Diagram
Where there is seating on both sides of the aisle, the mid-aisle handrails shall be discontinuous. Where a stepped aisle is required to have two handrails, the mid-aisle handrails shall be discontinuous. Gaps or breaks shall be provided at intervals not exceeding five rows to facilitate access to seating and to permit crossing from one side of the aisle to the other. These gaps or breaks shall have a clear width of not less than 22 inches (559 mm) and not greater than 36 inches (914 mm), measured horizontally, and the mid-aisle handrail shall have rounded terminations or bends.

 

[mtlogcabin]

I've been searching chapter 10 and can't find it. It is permitted in LSC - could that.

Use the LSC as alternate means and methods to explain/clarify why handrails adjacent to seating areas do not have to be continuous provided they meet the opening requirements of 1029.16.1.

1014.4 Continuity.
Handrail gripping surfaces shall be continuous, without interruption by newel posts or other obstructions.

Exceptions:
5. Handrails serving stepped aisles or ramped aisles are permitted to be discontinuous in accordance with Section 1029.16.1.

1029.16.1 Discontinuous handrails.
Where there is seating on both sides of the aisle, the mid-aisle handrails shall be discontinuous with gaps or breaks at intervals not exceeding five rows to facilitate access to seating and to permit crossing from one side of the aisle to the other. These gaps or breaks shall have a clear width of not less than 22 inches (559 mm) and not greater than 36 inches (914 mm), measured horizontally, and the mid-aisle handrail shall have rounded terminations or bends.

 

[bill1952]

Very familiar with those code excerpts. But they do only permit discontinuity or gaps in mid aisle handrails, not in handrails at the sides of the aisle.

I think the somewhat common occurence - I'll guess between 30 and 40 percent - of handrails on the sides of stepped aisles is simply not expressly permitted by the code.

Unfortunately too late to propose a change to 2027 edition. Put it on my 2030 list.

 

[bill1952]

FWIW, at least one ICC staff architect agrees with me - IBC does not permit discontinuous handrails at the side of a stepped aisle.

Just always interesting when you find a common practice like this that is in fact not permitted by the IBC. 2030 edition.

 

[steveray]

FWIW, at least one ICC staff architect agrees with me - IBC does not permit discontinuous handrails at the side of a stepped aisle.

Just always interesting when you find a common practice like this that is in fact not permitted by the IBC. 2030 edition.

If I had a dollar for every code item not enforced correctly....I would retire off the IECC, become a millionaire off the IBC, and have Scrooge McDuck money on the IEBC...

 

[bill1952]

Understand. I see a lot of not to code items. (I only make a fuss about chains on panic bars in occupied buildings.) But most of those are somewhat random. This is an institutionalized design, used lots of places, that is non code. A little different.