What do you think of this exit from a large Assembly occupancy in England? Are the operable doors visible enough for egress purposes?
Photo posted with permission from Hot Goméz, via Flickr.
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Uh no!
This is the sacrifice of functionality over aethetics, a design tradition of Europe.
A close Maybe
Would say depends what goes on in that room
not at all
Acceptable because of the illuminated sign and paddles on the what look to be panic alarms. Do codes address visibility?
This is what the IBC says:
Section 1008.1: “Means of egress doors shall be readily distinguishable from the adjacent construction and finishes such that the doors are easily recognizable as doors.”
If you are wearing these special egress glasses, then you are fine! http://www.berezin.com/3d/thumbs/545C.jpg
I must remember to wear my egress glasses at all times!
My first reaction was “I don’t think so !!!!!” but when I saw Grant’s glasses, it changed my mind.
In a panic situation I would not think so, but they are very pretty 🙂
It looks to me that these may be all glass doors.
The colors kind of make me think that room uses black lights during occupancy. (Club of some kind I think) In that case I doubt it. Looks like something off the Yellow Submarine…………
The photographer told me that he took the photo in a winter garden – a giant glass building with trees, plants, walking paths, etc. They are often used for parties so the occupant load could be high.
If the occupants are loaded and high, they won’t see these as exits. Unless they’re wearing egress glasses…
also are those pull handles on the doors???
are these double acting doors???
They look like back-to-back pulls with some sort of deadlock. I don’t know if they are double-acting. Would that be an issue for you Charles?
Do not like double acting doors and for some reason the places they were not allowed was taken out of ibc
Lori,
i have to say that these are not acceptable for fire exits, i mean look at how they blend into the wall, I’m sure if there was a fire to break out where these are, people may think the glass wall was a door and try to push in panic thinking it was a door,
if these are to be used for panic, why not change the color contrast for the 2 doors so they are more noticeable to the untrained eye that it is an exit door (i do see signage, but still, people may not know exactly where door ends and wall begins in this situation and think its a bank of more then just 2 doors and start pushing into tha glass walls trying to get out)
good thing i look for thick top jambs and rectangular plates in the floor under the doors (the floor closers if they have them) indicating where the door is,
-Jess the door closer doctor
Would not meet NFPA 101
7.10.1.8 Visibility.
Every sign required in Section 7.10 shall be located and of such size, distinctive color, and design that it is readily visible and shall provide contrast with decorations, interior finish, or other signs. No decorations, furnishings, or equipment that impairs visibility of a sign shall be permitted. No brightly illuminated sign (for other than exit purposes), display, or object in or near the line of vision of the required exit sign that could detract attention from the exit sign shall be permitted.
It’s an old, all-glass assembly (greenhouse) which has had a graphic applied to it. I can see the structural glass vertical buttress to the right of the opening (i.e. blue blur area). The doors use paddle fixtures, so they probably are double-acting with the “fire exit” signs just decals applied to the glass. (An exit is the worst location for double-acting doors or a pull acting as a push.)
Flat LED strips w/ a resilient casing could be mounted at the perimeter (steel?) edging and tied to the fire/smoke alarm. You’d only really notice them during an alarm. You could argue the point that they aren’t distracting, but rather “identifying” the exit location (in response to the NFPA 101 restriction cited above). You can even get them blinking in different colors; which might work with this “disco greenhouse” theme.
http://www.environmentallights.com/Waterproof-Dimmable-Super-Flat-LED-Rope-Light-with-5050-LEDs-60-m-by-the-20-meter-reel-24-VDC-Color-Changing_P3814.aspx