Tutoring Occupancy Load Factor

[sunshelley]

The building is group b. The new tutoring center needs to request modify zoning from "only office use" to allow "tutoring service". New 2019 CA Building Code the occupancy load factor is 150 gross? With this new code, 3700 SF place only can have 24 occupancies include tutors? It is unbelievable. 2 rooms of 14 rooms never can be used? When calculating the occupancy load, it should take whole spaces square foot or just the rooms? Does this new code applies to all group b existing buildings or just new construction or new changes of usage buildings?

"New occupant load classification for “Concentrated Business Use Areas” with a factor of 50 gross square feet per occupant". Can this tutoring center belong to "Concentrated Business Use Areas" to use 50 gross? Education by nature is Concentrated?

 

[Jay Smith]

The occupant load is not the maximum allowed. It is the minimum for which you must design. It’s how you determine the minimum required number of exits, width of exits, plumbing fixtures.

 

[bill1952]

The occupant load is not the maximum allowed. It is the minimum for which you must design. It’s how you determine the minimum required number of exits, width of exits, plumbing fixtures.

Right on. I think assembly occupancies are the only places an occupancy limit might be imposed but even then if you can show sufficient egress capacity, you can increase the occupant load.

 

[Yikes]

The occupant load is not the maximum allowed. It is the minimum for which you must design. It’s how you determine the minimum required number of exits, width of exits, plumbing fixtures.

Jay Smith provided a great answer, because the preamble in CBC 1004.1 states its limited purpose which is: sizing and designing the MOE system. Its primary purpose is not for determining the maximum number of allowable occupants.

"1004.1 Design Occupant Load. In determining means of egress requirements, the number of occupants for whom means of egress facilities are provided shall be determined in accordance with this section."​

Sunshelly's next question should be, who determines the maximum occupant load?
Answer: If your anticipated occupant load is higher than per Table 1004.5, you calculate and design the size the means of egress to the number of occupants that you think you will really have; then you show it to the Authorities Having Jurisdiction during plan check - - typically, the Building Department and Fire Department to get their approval. The AHJs may determine a final number, based on the conditions (such as furniture) inside the tutoring room. You may want to get their informal opinion early on, before the owner has gone all the way through the permit/construction process.

"1004.5.1 Increased Occupant Load​

​

The occupant load permitted in any building, or portion thereof, is permitted to be increased from that number established for the occupancies in Table 1004.5, provided that all other requirements of the code are met based on such modified number and the occupant load does not exceed one occupant per 7 square feet (0.65 m2) of occupiable floor space. Where required by the building official, an approved aisle, seating or fixed equipment diagram substantiating any increase in occupant load shall be submitted. Where required by the building official, such diagram shall be posted."​

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I think the problem you'll find is if you ask the Building and Fire officials for a higher density (say, 20 SF for classrooms), it is likely that when the plans get routed back to the Planning Department for zoning enforcement, the higher-than-office occupant load might trigger zoning code issues related to parking, and/or perhaps traffic/circulation environmental analysis. If the tutoring center operates with a bunch of parents picking up and dropping off kids at the same time and creating a queue that spills into the street, the planning department will be getting calls from the neighbors. But that's a planning issue, not a building code issue.

 

[sunshelley]

Let me give details of the building. The 9000sf building only has one floor. The space is on the left side of the building and has three exits. One exit directly to outside of the building to a quite big grass area. Another two exits(one double doors, one single door) towards the hallway to the main entrance, which is open to the big parking lot. The big parking lot connects to the main street. We have education consult service in the current space and want to turn the space to a tutoring center. We applied for Heritage After School, and got feedback from the fire department, one of the condition seems like we never can meet. Which is saying our egress exit is 6 feet further then the requirements to the main street. Even we have a big grassy area right beside, still cannot be satisfied. We have been told the egress area has to be on the same building parcel and 50 feet away from the building. Then recommend us change to tutoring center license since the building already is group B. But now we are facing the max occupancy number question. Who can help me to determine what is the max occupancy number should be. The space is about $3700sf, and all class-room spaces is total is about 2400sf. Very appreciate.

 

[Jay Smith]

To find the maximum, I’d count the exits and assign them the maximum they can accommodate. I usually assume 165 occupants for a 36-inch door. Most of the time it is looking at the entire floor. A space with only 24 occupants doesn’t usually cause an additional exit beyond those into the corridors unless you’re trying to solve a problem with common path of egress travel or exit access travel distance or you have a space that requires a direct exit for another reason.

 

[bill1952]

The egress to big grassy area - is that your property? If not, could someone build on it, blocking that egress? The two doors - "exits" I you post - do they lead to same corridor that leads to a single exit discharge? If all that is so, I agree 50 occupant limit.

 

[Jay Smith]

Is the primary issue that the common path of egress travel from the most remote part of the tutoring suite is 6 feet too long? And the change to Group B allows a longer common path than in the original occupancy?

 

[sunshelley]

Thank you all for your replying. Very helpful. bill1952: The egress to the big grassy area - is not our building property. It is the county's open area property, never will build anything on it. As I mentioned, one exit goes to a grassy area directly. The other two(two doors and single door), goes to the corridor that leads to a building two glass main entrance discharge to a 200 parking spots lot, which three same type of single business buildings(90000sf/each) locate around. Now I would like to understand two questions.
1) For tutoring center with B occupancy, the build is already B occupancy, But what is the max occupancy number should I use? I need to know to give on the business plan and not over the limit when we run the center
2) For E-occupancy, any chance we can convince fire-depart on the egress area? Jay Smith: our building the closed the building to the main street. The tutoring center grassy exit is the closest exit to the main street.
Here is the feedback:

DEMONSTRATE HOW REQUIREMENTS OF CBC
452.1.1 WILL BE MET.
UPDATE 07.20.2022 - THIS DOES NOT MEET THE
REQUIREMENTS OF CBC 451.1.1 OR CFC1028.5.

 

[Jay Smith]

To calculate occupant load of the tutoring suite, I would probably assign the expected number of occupants to each tutoring room and calculate the occupant load of the remaining areas of the suite based on the business areas occupant load factor.

 

[sunshelley]

@Jay Smith Do you know tutoring center has weekly hour restrictions?

 

[Jay Smith]

@Jay Smith Do you know tutoring center has weekly hour restrictions?

No, that’s not something I know anything about.

 

[Tim Mailloux]

first off, occupanc / use group has nothing to do with occupant load, the occupant load of a room or space is determined by how that room / space is used (function of space), not the occupancy / use group.

In the most simple terms the classrooms will each is the 1 occupant per 20sf of area calculation, and the remainder of the space will use the 1 occupent per 150sf office area calculation.