# 2018 IBC 1009.2.1 - Elevators Required (Accessible Means of Egress)



## SH225 (Mar 31, 2021)

2018 IBC 1009.2.1 says, "In buildings where a required accessible floor is four or more stories above or below a level of exit discharge, not less than one required accessible means of egress shall be an elevator complying with Section 1009.4. Therefore, if we have a five-story building, this section requires an accessible elevator per 1009.4, which requires standby power. Although the code doesn't exactly say so here, it appears that requirement applies on all the upper levels. Now suppose we have two levels of parking in the basement, below the level of exit discharge. Does 1009.2.1 require the accessible elevator in the basement, too? 

For the upper floors we have an exception for floors provided with sprinklers and a horizontal exit, but the exception is limited to floors at or above the levels of exit discharge. Without that exception for a horizontal exit on floors below the exit discharge, and assuming we do not have an accessible exit ramp in the basement, are we required to provide an elevator with standby power in the two-level basement?


----------



## cda (Mar 31, 2021)

Welcome

Give it a few days for great answers


----------



## SH225 (Mar 31, 2021)

cda said:


> Welcome
> 
> Give it a few days for great answers


Thank you for the welcome.


----------



## RLGA (Mar 31, 2021)

Do not confuse accessible elevators with elevators used for an accessible means of egress. Accessible elevators are required for all levels that are required to be accessible whether they are used as an accessible means of egress or not. Those accessible elevators, however, are not required to be an accessible means of egress unless they are needed for an accessible floor on the fifth or higher story, or for a story that is four stories or more below the level of exit discharge.

If using Exception 1, then the elevator is not required to be an accessible means of egress.  However, this would not apply to levels below the level of exit discharge if the number of levels below is four or more--you would still need to make the elevator an accessible means of egress.

If there are no more than three levels below the level of exit discharge and the levels above the level of exit discharge comply with Exception 1, then the elevator is not required to be an accessible means of egress.


----------



## SH225 (Mar 31, 2021)

RLGA said:


> Do not confuse accessible elevators with elevators used for an accessible means of egress. Accessible elevators are required for all levels that are required to be accessible whether they are used as an accessible means of egress or not. Those accessible elevators, however, are not required to be an accessible means of egress unless they are needed for an accessible floor on the fifth or higher story, or for a story that is four stories or more below the level of exit discharge.
> 
> If using Exception 1, then the elevator is not required to be an accessible means of egress.  However, this would not apply to levels below the level of exit discharge if the number of levels below is four or more--you would still need to make the elevator an accessible means of egress.
> 
> If there are no more than three levels below the level of exit discharge and the levels above the level of exit discharge comply with Exception 1, then the elevator is not required to be an accessible means of egress.


Thank you for the reply. I read it several times and couldn't decide whether the code tells us to consider the levels below the level of exit discharge separately from the levels above the level of exit discharge. In the commentary, it shows a separate section diagram for a below-ground example and an above-ground example, but nothing clicked with me to confirm they're considered separately in this requirement.


----------

