I just submitted for a building permit and i'm having issues with my roof. They are requiring a 50ft travel distance from my roof to my exit enclosure and I have 75' I'm first wondering if that only applies if the roof is "occupied" and secondly wondering what exactly classifies a roof as being "occupied"?
My building is an R-2 with three units. The second and third units occupy the 2nd/3rd floors as bi-level units. The roof access is within each dwelling unit (so there are two) and is an open air (exterior) stair. I have HVAC equipment on the roof but am not providing any special decking (wood etc) for the roof.
At this point, I don't have the ability to have a rated enclosure go all the way up to the roof within each unit so my travel distance is shorter so I would assume my only solution would have to be to have the roof be 'unoccupied'. I have no idea how to specify that now though. I still need access up to the roof so how do they determine what is 'occupied' and what is 'unoccupied'
poop876
May 20, 14 4:18 pm
They should quote you the code section, so if they did can you post that? Are you actually occupying the roof is it it just for purposes to maintain the equipment?
gruen
May 20, 14 7:48 pm
Uh....unoccupied s
gruen
May 20, 14 8:29 pm
Oops.
I mean, it's unoccupied. Therefore, no occu
gruen
May 20, 14 8:29 pm
Stupid I phone
phitowninvest
May 20, 14 9:59 pm
haha. no worries.
They didn't necessarily say it wasn't correct. They just asked to show my calculations for my travel distance from my roof to the exit stair enclosure referencing chart 1021.2 of IBC
I may be compliant. I'm unsure where to take the measurement to. The chart says for the third floor (and i'm assuming roof also) that the travel distance is 50 ft. I'm not sure if that means 50 ft to the exit stair enclosure (door separating the common hall/stair and the dwelling unit ; 2 stories down) or 50 ft on that individual floor until I reach the roof entry to the unit.
The common entry/exit stair does not go all the way up to the roof. The only roof access is from within the individual dwelling units.
From the most remote point of my roof to the door leading up to the roof it is 35'
From that point down another flight of stairs within the dwelling unit and to the dwelling unit entry door is another 30' roughly.
The common entry/exit stair does not go all the way up to the roof. The only roof access is from within the individual dwelling units.
If the 50' is from the furthest point on the roof to the rated stair exit enclosure at the entry to the unit then I don't comply. That's when I was considering making the roof unoccupied. I just don't know what will make it unoccupied. I know I will have to have some sort of roof access for the mechanical so if I make that stair a ships ladder or something would that make it unoccupied?
sorry....i'm rambling...
gruen
May 21, 14 10:30 am
50' until you are inside a 1 hour enclosure (vertical or horizontal) that takes you all the way out of the building.
gruen
May 21, 14 1:29 pm
I'd explain it as a communicating stair to an unoccupied roof. If you put a roof deck, then they can make an argument that it's occupied, but if the stair is there only to service HVAC equipment, then the roof is unoccupied. (When workers are up there, they have to conform w/ OSHA, which may have other requirements for safe work.)
If you do put a roof deck, make sure it's entirely within the 50' range of the exit stairwell. Then, the rest of the roof is unoccupied.
gruen
May 21, 14 8:11 pm
This section has changed in the 2012 code. I don't think it really helps you, because although it allows 125 foot travel distance for levels B-3, it does NOT allow a single stair access to level 4 and above in any circumstance.
johneikevik
Mar 4, 20 3:38 pm
I understand it to be to the threshold of the stairwell door from most remote point.
I think there is a difference between habitual and occupied. Not sure which is which but one is "free access" or open to public or occupants NOT maintenance.
Hi all,
I just submitted for a building permit and i'm having issues with my roof. They are requiring a 50ft travel distance from my roof to my exit enclosure and I have 75' I'm first wondering if that only applies if the roof is "occupied" and secondly wondering what exactly classifies a roof as being "occupied"?
My building is an R-2 with three units. The second and third units occupy the 2nd/3rd floors as bi-level units. The roof access is within each dwelling unit (so there are two) and is an open air (exterior) stair. I have HVAC equipment on the roof but am not providing any special decking (wood etc) for the roof.
At this point, I don't have the ability to have a rated enclosure go all the way up to the roof within each unit so my travel distance is shorter so I would assume my only solution would have to be to have the roof be 'unoccupied'. I have no idea how to specify that now though. I still need access up to the roof so how do they determine what is 'occupied' and what is 'unoccupied'
They should quote you the code section, so if they did can you post that? Are you actually occupying the roof is it it just for purposes to maintain the equipment?
Uh....unoccupied s
Oops.
I mean, it's unoccupied. Therefore, no occu
Stupid I phone
haha. no worries.
They didn't necessarily say it wasn't correct. They just asked to show my calculations for my travel distance from my roof to the exit stair enclosure referencing chart 1021.2 of IBC
I may be compliant. I'm unsure where to take the measurement to. The chart says for the third floor (and i'm assuming roof also) that the travel distance is 50 ft. I'm not sure if that means 50 ft to the exit stair enclosure (door separating the common hall/stair and the dwelling unit ; 2 stories down) or 50 ft on that individual floor until I reach the roof entry to the unit.
The common entry/exit stair does not go all the way up to the roof. The only roof access is from within the individual dwelling units.
From the most remote point of my roof to the door leading up to the roof it is 35'
From that point down another flight of stairs within the dwelling unit and to the dwelling unit entry door is another 30' roughly.
The common entry/exit stair does not go all the way up to the roof. The only roof access is from within the individual dwelling units.
If the 50' is from the furthest point on the roof to the rated stair exit enclosure at the entry to the unit then I don't comply. That's when I was considering making the roof unoccupied. I just don't know what will make it unoccupied. I know I will have to have some sort of roof access for the mechanical so if I make that stair a ships ladder or something would that make it unoccupied?
sorry....i'm rambling...
50' until you are inside a 1 hour enclosure (vertical or horizontal) that takes you all the way out of the building.
I'd explain it as a communicating stair to an unoccupied roof. If you put a roof deck, then they can make an argument that it's occupied, but if the stair is there only to service HVAC equipment, then the roof is unoccupied. (When workers are up there, they have to conform w/ OSHA, which may have other requirements for safe work.)
If you do put a roof deck, make sure it's entirely within the 50' range of the exit stairwell. Then, the rest of the roof is unoccupied.
This section has changed in the 2012 code. I don't think it really helps you, because although it allows 125 foot travel distance for levels B-3, it does NOT allow a single stair access to level 4 and above in any circumstance.
I understand it to be to the threshold of the stairwell door from most remote point.
I think there is a difference between habitual and occupied. Not sure which is which but one is "free access" or open to public or occupants NOT maintenance.