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For years, I have been struggling with a common code interpretation related to electrified hardware, and I know that some of you have too. With the release of the 2021 IBC Commentary, this just got a lot easier.
I'm working on one more whiteboard animation video for this year, and I'd love some feedback! What are the basic egress requirements for door openings?
The New York City Department of Buildings has announced that New York City will be adopting a new construction code as of October 1st, 2014. Please forward this post to any of your colleagues who work on projects in NYC.
With the current focus on how to limit the spread of germs, many facility managers are considering the addition of automatic operators so doors can be operated "hands-free."
The possible solutions posted by iDH readers included electrified lever trim, electric latch retraction, delayed egress, a direct-hold electromagnetic lock, a networked wireless lock, or an electric strike. My preference would be...
I've received this question many times over the years...Can a break-glass switch be used to unlock a door in the means of egress?
In yesterday's post, I wrote about power-assist operators to clarify that these are not the same as low-energy automatic operators. This 2-part question arose from a misconception that "power-assist" is the same thing as "Push 'N Go."
I'm in San Antonio, Texas at a beautiful hotel and conference center for our annual sales meeting, and there are A LOT of doors with mag-locks. Check out the coordination of the bank of pairs below...concealed closers, overhead stops, and mag-locks all coexisting in the same space. Notice that the mag-locks have a split armature to save space vs. a double-magnet. Every pair has a motion sensor, a push button, and a key switch, presumably for locking and unlocking the mag-lock. I would not typically specify a separate key switch for each opening in a bank of doors, but nobody asked me.
I know that many of us notice funky hardware applications on TV and in movies...here's one that we can actually learn a few things from.
Animals + automatic doors...what could be better on a Wordless Wednesday? Ok - I can think of a few things that might be better, but check these out anyway...
If these criteria are met, the fence surrounding the building would not be required to have gates that allow free egress, as the building occupants can gather safely in the enclosed area and wait for emergency responders to arrive...
Remember this door from my trip to the science museum last week? I asked what was wrong with it and several of you had good ideas.
Today's Quick Question came from an AHJ: When I am evaluating a door that is equipped with a special locking arrangement, do the model code requirements for normal locking arrangements also apply?
The 2007 edition of ANSI/BHMA A156.19 - American National Standard for Power Assist and Low Energy Power Operated Doors requires low energy operators to be initiated by a "knowing act", which is described as "consciously initiating the powered opening of a low-energy door using acceptable methods, including: wall- or jamb-mounted contact switches such as push plates; fixed non-contact switches; the action of manual opening (pushing or pulling) a door; and controlled access devices such as keypads, card readers, and key switches."
Do you ever look at a door opening or a particular hardware installation and ask yourself, "Why'd they do that??" I know you have! I've decided to create a new category of posts, where we can puzzle these out together.
This post was printed in the January 2011 issue of Doors & Hardware
My daughter Norah and I went to New Haven yesterday for what will hopefully be our last trip to Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. Thank you to everyone who has inquired about her...she's doing great and is back to her old tricks.
