# Storage Room inside a Mechanical Room?



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

Building Code: IBC 2015
Building is a Type 2A
4 stories and a small basement.
Occupancy: A-3 Higher Education and B-Business
Majority of building is a business use.
Basement is 2900 sf (I am designating the lower level a B-Business)
Each floor plate is 10,000 sf
The basement requires 2 exits based on Table 1006.3.2(2) 75 foot common path of travel.
Setup... I have a large Mechanical Room(_with fuel fired equipment_) in the basement that is separated by 1-hour construction , next to the Mech Rm is an elevator and small elevator lobby and a Stair#1 is adjacent to the elevator lobby. I also have Stair #2 that is an exterior stair that goes up to grade. That Stair is accessed from the Mechanical Room.
I want to provide a small 100 sf Storage Room (_this storage room would house non-combustible equipment for one of the upper business occupancy floors_) in the corner of the large Mechanical Room. Question: *Can I do this? Can the Storage Room be considered accessory to the Mechanical Room even though the Storage Room is serving an upper floor business space?*
Concerns: Exiting from the Storage Room to a Mechanical Room might be construed as exiting into a more hazardous room.
Can I designate the Mechanical Room as S-Storage and use the exception listed in 1016.2 egress thru intervening spaces?


----------



## RLGA (Jan 16, 2018)

Is the entire basement level considered mechanical (other than the storage room)? If not, then are you saying that the other occupancies in the basement are required to go through the mechanical room to access the exterior stairway? If so, that is of greater concern than the storage room in the mechanical area.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

elevator, elevator lobby and stair are separated from the mechanical room. You can exit from the mechanical room either into the elevator lobby or the exterior stair on the opposite side.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

If I get off the elevator in the basement, I am in a small elevator lobby. Off the lobby is a stair that goes up a level and has an exit to the outside and there is a door to the Mechanical Room. From this small elevator lobby which I am designating B-Business I may have one exit if my max occupant load of that area is 49 or less, which it is AND a max common path of travel is 75 feet. Which that is as well.


----------



## Pcinspector1 (Jan 16, 2018)

A drawing would be most appreciative.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

would love to but I am not capable


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

I have an image but it wants a URL. Not sure what that is.


----------



## ADAguy (Jan 16, 2018)

Day in and day out, issues such as yours seem to be attracted to this site.
Access to Mechanical equipment rooms should be limited to building operations personel only.
Allowing others to pass through it could be a risk management issue.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 16, 2018)

ADAguy said:


> Day in and day out, issues such as yours seem to be attracted to this site.
> Access to Mechanical equipment rooms should be limited to building operations personel only.
> Allowing others to pass through it could be a risk management issue.


So if I place the Storage Room so it is accessed from the Elevator Lobby I will not meet the common path of travel for one exit and now will need to create a corridor through the Mechanical Room to the other stair. So is there a code other than risk management that would tell me that exiting from the Storage Room thru the Mechanical Room is not allowed?


----------



## cda (Jan 16, 2018)

Vlab20 said:


> So if I place the Storage Room so it is accessed from the Elevator Lobby I will not meet the common path of travel for one exit and now will need to create a corridor through the Mechanical Room to the other stair. So is there a code other than risk management that would tell me that exiting from the Storage Room thru the Mechanical Room is not allowed?




Yep
Will have to get a code section


----------



## cda (Jan 16, 2018)

Vlab20 said:


> So if I place the Storage Room so it is accessed from the Elevator Lobby I will not meet the common path of travel for one exit and now will need to create a corridor through the Mechanical Room to the other stair. So is there a code other than risk management that would tell me that exiting from the Storage Room thru the Mechanical Room is not allowed?



Maybe post a simple diagram of what you want

Might clear up a few things


----------



## cda (Jan 18, 2018)

Try 1016.2 # 5

I would use to tell you no, cannot exit through a mechanical room.


----------



## Paul Sweet (Jan 18, 2018)

Small storage rooms are no longer considered an incidental use, so they would be an accessory occupancy under IBC 508.2.  I don't see anything in 508.2 that says the accessory space can't be on a different floor than the room it serves. 

This storage room is accessory to the educational use of the entire building.  It might store student records for an upstairs office one year, then store instructional equipment for an upstairs classroom the next year.

My main concern would be an unoccupied mechanical or storage space opening directly into a stairway if the stairway connects with other levels (IBC 1023.4).


----------



## steveray (Jan 19, 2018)

I don't think that I would be concerned about what is essentially a walk in closet egressing through a mechanical room, but I would definitely need a closer look at it to really make that judgement call....If it were a janitor's closet, would that change anyone's opinion? What if they were "storing" filters for the HVAC?

Is there anything that keeps you from storing the stuff in the mechanical room? Why should it be any different if you put it in it's own closet?


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 19, 2018)

Paul Sweet said:


> Small storage rooms are no longer considered an incidental use, so they would be an accessory occupancy under IBC 508.2.  I don't see anything in 508.2 that says the accessory space can't be on a different floor than the room it serves.
> 
> This storage room is accessory to the educational use of the entire building.  It might store student records for an upstairs office one year, then store instructional equipment for an upstairs classroom the next year.
> 
> My main concern would be an unoccupied mechanical or storage space opening directly into a stairway if the stairway connects with other levels (IBC 1023.4).


The mechanical room would open up to the elevator lobby and then into the stairway. So the mechanical room would have two exits out. Which I need based on the common path of travel I need to maintain.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 19, 2018)

steveray said:


> I don't think that I would be concerned about what is essentially a walk in closet egressing through a mechanical room, but I would definitely need a closer look at it to really make that judgement call....If it were a janitor's closet, would that change anyone's opinion? What if they were "storing" filters for the HVAC?
> 
> Is there anything that keeps you from storing the stuff in the mechanical room? Why should it be any different if you put it in it's own closet?


I was hung up on the storage room being used by an upper floor and that the inspector could tell me that space can not be accessory to a space on another floor. As it turns out I am removing the storage room in the basement. My mechanical room will need two exits based on common path of travel requirements. The mech room will exit via an exterior stair and through the elevator lobby to the second stair. Thanks for your help.


----------



## Vlab20 (Jan 19, 2018)

Thank you all for your input!


----------



## ADAguy (Jan 21, 2018)

You are most welcome,
"We" are here to listen and assist where we can.


----------

