Building Code Clarified

Category: Exiting

Suites Why 28-0

I have been asked many times why should someone try to create a suite. In 27-0 & 27-1 I talk a little about why, helping prevent DeadEnd Corridors or the understanding of what a sweet is.  This video covers why you would want a suite within a healthcare environment how much money could potentially be saved by our clients. Also not first cost, but long-term inspection cost is money to be saved. 

Suites 27-0

This video is covering suites in both IBC and N both before the year 2012 code. In the 2012 code, the requirements change. Sense CMS is still under NFPA 2000 and a lot of jurisdictions have not adopted the 2012 building code, this video covers everything before 2012. Because we are required to follow the stringent of the codes, and this video covers that. The next video will cover you are able to apply all the requirements from 2012 in both codes..

Panic or Fire Hardware 21-0

Panic or fire hardware, panic hardware at exit doors and/or out of other spaces is what this video covers. Panic hardware is used more times than it is required. It’s probably only required about half the time that I see it used. Only required in H occupancies or A or E spaces or occupancies, Where those occupancies are over 50 persons.

Door Closer 20-0

Automatic door closing device,Door closer, where there required. Any room or space that requires a rating or at one time required a rating and the sprinkler exemption was taken to not have to rate that room. Door closer is still required for that space. Healthcare, since that is my design background, places more door closers than are required by either code in order to help facilitate the facilities of actuation plan.

Door Encroachment 18-0

The distance a door is allowed to encroach into a hallway/corridor/exit way or path of travel out of the building. If a door opens on to a required exit width this video talks to how much it’s allowed to encroach. 7 inches is the max when the door is in its fully open position that it’s allowed to encroach. Otherwise if the door opens 180° the radius in which it opens that radius cannot encroach more than one half during that swing.

Door Locations 15-0

I will be updating this video soon, It was just pointed out to me that I say and show “1/2 divided by D” it should be “1/2 * D”  for your trying to get 1/2 the distance of D for a not sprinkled building. for a sprinkled it would be 1/3.  I will get this corrected soon.  This video is on where doors you be located in a room where the occupied requires more than one door. Most occupancies that threshold is 49 people. Once that threshold is met two doors are required and a shout be remotely located from each other. Storage occupancies the threshold is 29, institutional occupancies most are around 10, hazard three people require you to have more than one door but with hazard on doors shall swing in the direction of travel.

Fire Extinguishers Locations 14-0

Fire extinguishers and their locations. The matter how you look at this is going to cost someone money. Fire extinguishers are required to be inspected monthly, documented for both local and federal agencies depending on the type of building our occupancy you have. Healthcare for instance with all the regulations they need to follow, fire extinguishers on average cost $500-$800 per year just for inspections. So an architect or engineer placing too many fire extinguishers in the building can easily cost the owner quite a bit more money. At a facility I reviewed a few years ago we counted between 15 and 25 more fire extinguishers per floor them they needed. They had five floors that is about 125 more fire extinguishers than required assuming the minimum amount of dollars for inspection, $500, this equates to about $62,000 per year for inspections only a fire extinguisher is not required or needed. This is an ongoing cost, so in 10 years this is easily $620,000 that could have been spent better for our healthcare facilities. Take time to analyze every fire extinguisher removed those that are not needed or required. This all needs to be documented with your local AHJ. This can be done at any time you discover you have too many. But the whole floor or area should be analyzed as a whole.

Exit inches for doors & stairs 7-0

This video focus on calculating exit inches required for doors and stairs. How they differ and how/why they are important to calculate.

I have taught myself something by producing this video. Never could figure out/remember was it .2 or .3 door or .2 or .3 for a stair. While putting this together I realized you come to a door before you come to stair. You come to .2 before you come to .3. —– .2 is for doors .3 is for stairs. I now no longer have to look this up every single time.