In Tuesday’s post about a code change, I mentioned that swimming pool doors and gates often require panic hardware. Several people asked me how to tell when panic hardware was required for doors serving a swimming pool enclosure, so I decided to create another “Apply It” post and let you decide. (Here are a couple of past posts which asked you to apply your code knowledge on a music classroom and a mosque.)
Let’s use the Chilliwack YMCA project, since there is a really nice web page dedicated to this renovation. Note: As I finished writing this post, I realized that Chilliwack is located in British Columbia. For the sake of this exercise using the International Building Code (IBC), let’s pretend that it is 20 miles south, in the state of Washington. But if you are in Canada and would like to use the BC Building Code, go for it!
Looking at just the pool area (upper right) let’s answer some questions.
Assumptions:
- The room where the pool is located measures 60 feet x 127 feet.
- The pool measures 48 feet x 95 feet.
- No egress routes from other spaces pass through the pool area.
- The building is equipped throughout with an automatic fire sprinkler system and an emergency voice alarm/communication system.
- The facility is classified as Use Group A – Assembly.
- The adopted code is the 2021 edition of the International Building Code (IBC).
In past articles I have explained how to calculate the occupant load and the required egress width, which doors are required to be outswinging (also refer to Tuesday’s post for this), and where panic hardware is required. These articles are linked in the questions below, in case you need a refresher. For Question A you will need the table on the right, which is from the 2021 edition of the IBC.
A) What is the calculated occupant load of the pool enclosure?
B) How many inches of egress width are required to serve this occupant load?
C) Are the doors serving this area required to be outswinging?
D) Do the egress doors serving the pool enclosure require panic hardware?
And since Tuesday’s post addressed the requirements for operable hardware on doors serving swimming pools, here’s one more question:
Leave your answers (or questions!) in the reply box, and I will hold them until next Tuesday when I will share the answers. Show your work! (The answers are here!)
Do you have an idea for an “Apply-It” post? Please leave it in the reply box!
Table: 2021 International Building Code
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also specify the 98/9952 or it will corrode.
A) total area 60’x127’=7620sf. Pool 48’x95’=4500sf. 7620 room – 4560 pool = 3060 deck. Occupancy: pool 4560sf@50sf/p=92people plus deck 3060sf@15sf/p=204p = total 296people.
B) exit width required 296p@0.15“/p=44.4″ round up to 45”.
C)yes
D) yes, occupant load over 50
E) 34″ to 48″
I have found I most cases err on the side of life safety… install panic exit devices on all exit doors. And you will never have a questionable install . Also specify, the best in stainless steel hardware as if in a sewage treatment facility as the corrosive exposure to chemicals can destroy hardware in less than a year
I always spec panic exit devices. In this case a good quality grade1 rated for water treatment or sewage facilities as I have seen many corroded devices in less than a year of use due to excessive chlorine levels
Ok my shot
pool 4560 sq ft
pool deck area 3060 sq ft
7620- 4560 = 3060
pool OL 4560/ 50 = 91 OL
Deck area 3060/ 15 = 204
Yes doors have to swing in direction of travel
Yes Panic hardware is required “A” occupancy over 50.
Got my Kindergartner working on the width calculation.
34- 48 mounting height??
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and information with others. It was really helpful. In Las Vegas we are all about pools and water during the summer so we’ve had a pool forever. Recently we wrote a post about if someone should buy a home with a pool in Nevada that I’ll share: https://homesforsale.vegas/buy-with-pool We’ve built and designed 4 safe pools. Design is the most important factor. Again, great post.
Kurt Grosse
https://homesforsale.vegas/
Thanks for sharing your post about pools. You had a lot of good stuff in it AND it was interesting. I always thought half of the homes for sale in Las Vegas have a pool. I was wrong. It’s only about 1/3. I attached our post about pools https://HomesForSale.Vegas/homes-with-pool with additional information about safe pool designs. Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping others.
Kurt Grosse
https://homesforsale.vegas/