# Exit from Interior courtyards



## JENLO (Oct 17, 2014)

Exiting from an interior courtyard can enter the exit access  (corridor) and exit to the outside (at exit discharge). Is there anything in the code to back this up.  I am not even finding a definition of interior court

I have an official saying it an 'Interior courtyard' Has to have 2 direct exits to an exit discharge, and not enter back into the building.


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## JBI (Oct 17, 2014)

Try 'Egress Courts' in 1027 (2012 IBC). I don't think it says what you want it to, but it does cover the subject of your query.


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## mtlogcabin (Oct 17, 2014)

This might be what you are looking for. Interior courts are not specifically identified in the codes. They are outdoor areas, same as outdoor seating entering back through the dining area for exiting.

1004.5 Outdoor areas.

Yards, patios, courts and similar outdoor areas accessible to and usable by the building occupants shall be provided with means of egress as required by this chapter. The occupant load of such outdoor areas shall be assigned by the building official in accordance with the anticipated use. Where outdoor areas are to be used by persons in addition to the occupants of the building, and the path of egress travel from the outdoor areas passes through the building, means of egress requirements for the building shall be based on the sum of the occupant loads of the building plus the outdoor areas.

Exceptions:

1.	Outdoor areas used exclusively for service of the building need only have one means of egress.

2.	Both outdoor areas associated with Group R-3 and individual dwelling units of Group R-2.


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## Paul Sweet (Oct 17, 2014)

An Egress Court is "A court or yard which provides access to a public way for one or more exits."  It is an exit, not an exit access, so it has stricter requirements.


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## RLGA (Oct 18, 2014)

An egress court, as its definition states, must provide a direct path to the public way; thus, it cannot be an interior court that must egress through the building.

mtlogcabin has the right provision.  An interior court is allowed to egress through the building, but the occupant load of the interior court must be added to the occupant load of the means of egress system for the building.


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## Randy Westacott (Dec 1, 2016)

Have any of you been challenged with the requirement for access to all points of the exterior of the building from an approved Fire Access Lane 150' or less IFC 503.1.1, when the interior court is enclosed on all sides, surrounded by 4 story building, and measures 150' X 100'. If not would you require a standpipe connection in the court to service the exterior walls of the structure? Thanks for your input.


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## cda (Dec 1, 2016)

Randy Westacott said:


> Have any of you been challenged with the requirement for access to all points of the exterior of the building from an approved Fire Access Lane 150' or less IFC 503.1.1, when the interior court is enclosed on all sides, surrounded by 4 story building, and measures 150' X 100'. If not would you require a standpipe connection in the court to service the exterior walls of the structure? Thanks for your input.





Welcome Randy


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## ADAguy (Dec 6, 2016)

is there a definition for "service of the building", what service?
Can it be used for tenants to smell the plants and eat lunch?


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