I have an opinion on this question that I will share tomorrow, but I’d love to know how you are seeing the model codes applied in the field. A question arose recently regarding which doors require panic hardware, and the answer required “proof” from the IBC.
For example, if there is an assembly space with a calculated occupant load of 100 people, and there are 2 egress doors leading directly out of the room, panic hardware is required for those 2 doors if they are equipped with a lock or latch. But is panic hardware required for all of the doors between the assembly area and the public way, including corridor doors, stair doors, and finally – the exterior doors?
WWYD? And where did you find the answer?
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Logically, yes. However, we are required to calculate the exit load through corridor doors and so forth, so its not a guess, we know when the exit occupancy exceeds 50 people and triggers the need for panic hardware. I believe the Code refers to this as Cumulative Loads (1004.2). Am I misunderstanding the question? Perhaps there is some nuance to this I am overlooking.
Yes – the other doors are required to have exit devices (per your article in the May 2020 issue of Door Security & Safety
Means of egress doors shall meet the requirements of this section…Doors provided for egress purposes in numbers greater than required by this code shall meet the requirements of this section.
The IBC and IFC Commentary editions help to clarify this further:
A door that is intended to be used for egress purposes, even though that door may not be required by the code, is also required to meet the requirements of this section. An example may be an assembly occupancy where four doors would be required to meet the required capacity of the occupant load. But assume the designer elects to provide six doors for aesthetic reasons or occupant convenience. All six doors must comply with the requirements of this section.
Correct me if my understanding is wrong: Unless the opening is Rated then a panic device is not required. The 50 occupant load code applies to doors that latch/lock. What these occupancies need are a one motion egress, so a push pull will work. And I will stress that this applies to doors that are non rated.
Exit Access doors need to meet the requirements of the occupancy they serve, so if it’s an “A” occupancy it needs to accommodate a big slug of people with exit devices as prescribed by code.
I say yes.. The requirement for exit hardware is to provide egress form the assembly space to the public way, so any latching doors have to be equipped with exit hardware, all the way to the exit discharge.
1. Because I said???
2. 1016.1 General
The exit access shall comply with the applicable provisions of Sections 1003 through 1015. Exit access arrangement shall comply with Sections 1016 through 1021.
BE] EXIT ACCESS. That portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of a building or structure to an exit.