# Egress through multipurpose room



## rkeyteck (Jan 24, 2015)

I'm working on the design for an addition to an existing church: use group is A-3 (religious), Construction type III (unsprinkled). The addition will consist of classrooms and a multipurpose room. I want the classrooms to egress through the multipurpose room (no corridor - see attached drawing). Looking in IBC2009, section 1014.2, paragraph 1 "Egress from a room or space shall not pass through adjoining or intervening rooms or areas, *except *where such adjoining rooms or areas and the area served are accessory to one or the other, are not a Group H occupancy an provide a discernible path of egress travel to an exit." My interpretation of this statement is that the classrooms can egress through the multipurpose room if they are accessory to the multipurpose room - which in this case I believe they are. Has anyone ever ran into this situation?

View attachment 2126


Doc1.pdf

Doc1.pdf


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

So the rooms dump directly into multipurpose room ??

And Sunday/ church only use??

No full time school or day care?


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

From 2009 commentary

1014.2 Egress through intervening spaces. Egress through intervening spaces shall comply with this section.

1. Egress from a room or space shall not pass through adjoining or intervening rooms or areas, except where such adjoining rooms or areas and the area served are accessory to one or the other, are not a Group H occupancy and provide a discernible path of egress travel to an exit.

Exception: Means of egress are not prohibited through adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces in a Group H, S or F occupancy when the adjoining or intervening rooms or spaces are the same or a lesser hazard occupancy group.

2. An exit access shall not pass through a room that can be locked to prevent egress.

3. Means of egress from dwelling units or sleeping areas shall not lead through other sleeping areas, toilet rooms or bathrooms.

4. Egress shall not pass through kitchens, storage rooms, closets or spaces used for similar purposes.

Exceptions:

1. Means of egress are not prohibited through a kitchen area serving adjoining rooms constituting part of the same dwelling unit or sleeping unit.

2. Means of egress are not prohibited through stockrooms in Group M occupancies when all of the following are met:

2.1. The stock is of the same hazard classification as that found in the main retail area;

2.2. Not more than 50 percent of the exit access is through the stockroom;

2.3. The stockroom is not subject to locking from the egress side; and

2.4. There is a demarcated, minimum 44-inch-wide (1118 mm) aisle defined by full- or partial-height fixed walls or similar construction that will maintain the required width and lead directly from the retail area to the exit without obstructions.

This section allows adjoining spaces to be considered a part of the room or space from which egress originates, provided that there are reasonable assurances that the continuous egress path will always be available. The code does not limit the number of intervening or adjoining rooms through which egress can be made, provided that all other code requirements (i.e., travel distance, number of doorways, etc.) are met. An exit access route, for example, may be laid out such that an occupant leaves a room or space, passes through an adjoining space, enters an exit access corridor, passes through another room and, finally, into an exit [see Figure 1014.2(2)] as long as all other code requirements are satisfied.

The intent of Item 1 is not that the accessory space be limited to the 10-percent area in Section 508.2.1, but that the spaces be interrelated so that doors between the spaces will not risk being blocked or locked. For example, a conference room and managers' offices could exit through the secretary's office to reach the exit access corridor; or several office spaces could exit through a common reception/lobby area. Requiring occupants to egress from an area and pass through an adjoining Group H that can be characterized by rapid fire buildup, or worse, places them in an unreasonable risk situation [see Figure 1014.2(1)]; therefore, this illustrated egress path would be prohibited. As an exception to Item 1, in facilities that may contain a Group H area, buildings of Group H, S or F can exit through adjoining rooms or spaces that have the same or less hazard. For example, a person exiting from a Group H storage room (see Section 415) could egress either through a similar Group H storage area or through the factory to get to an exit, but the person in the factory could not egress through the Group H storage rooms to get to the outside.

As expressed in Item 2, a common code enforcement problem is a locked door in the egress path. Twenty-five workers perished in September 1991 when they were trapped inside the Imperial Food Processing Plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, partially because of locked exit doors. As long as the egress door is readily openable in the direction of egress travel without the use of keys, special knowledge or effort (see Section 1008.1.9.5), the occupants can move unimpeded away from a fire emergency. Relying on an egress path through an adjacent dwelling unit to be available at all times is not a reasonable expectation. Egress through an adjacent business tenant space can be unreasonable given the security and privacy measures the adjacent tenant may take to secure such a space. However, egress through a reception area that serves a suite of offices of the same tenant is clearly accessible and is permitted.

Item 3 is to address concerns for the path of egress travel within individual units. The concern once again is possible locking devices. Egress for one bedroom should not be through another bedroom or bathroom.

The concern in Item 4 is that kitchens, storage rooms and similar spaces may be subject to locking or blockage of the exit access path. This is not a general provision for all Group S occupancies; therefore, it is not the intent of this provision to address the situation of egress for offices through an associated warehouse space. Item 4, Exception 1, does not apply this same prohibition to areas within dwelling or sleeping units. However, for other spaces, for example, a means of egress should not be through the working portions of a commercial kitchen behind a restaurant or the stock storage area of a storage room behind a mercantile occupancy. A definitive path must be available through the space. The four items listed in Item 4, Exception 2, are intended to provide measurable criteria to increase the likelihood that the exit access path of travel would always be available and identifiable. It is not acceptable to just mark the path on the floor. Whatever defines the route must permanently establish the egress path in a manner to maintain the minimum required unobstructed width.

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm.

Figure 1013.6 PROTECTION AT ROOF-HATCH OPENING

Figure 1014.2(1) EGRESS PROHIBITED THROUGH GROUP H AREAS

Figure 1014.2(2) EGRESS THROUGH ADJOINING ROOMS AND SPACES


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

Seems like the answer is yes,

I code has relaxed intervening room rules


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> So the rooms dump directly into multipurpose room ??And Sunday/ church only use??* Correct. The multipurpose room wont be used for worship...there is an existing sanctuary of this. One Sunday's the multipurpose room might be used for playing before and after Sunday school. It will probably be utilized mainly of special events (i.e. fund raising diners, weddings, etc.) on day other than Sunday. *
> 
> No full time school or day care? *Correct. The classrooms are strictly for Sunday school, during normal services.*


See comments in message.


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

That's how I see it.

But in all honestly I was a little surprised and it makes me a little uneasy design in this manner. The client asked for the classrooms to exit into the multipurpose room.  I originally thought this could only happen if the building was sprinklered but after looking into the codes I found the same thing you posts. Thanks for the input.


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

Does anyone know if NFPA101 has any restrictions on this?


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## TheCommish (Jan 25, 2015)

While the code may allow the exit to be thorough the multipurpose room, will this work during operations for the client?

Will an event in the MP room interfere with the classrooms operations through noise level or access?

Will the demands of the BB court and play expose players to hazards, door glass, handles, and doors being operated during simultaneous use


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## RLGA (Jan 25, 2015)

I see a couple of problems unrelated to the specific question:

1.  How can this addition be nonsprinklered?  Since there appears to be no fire barriers, then entire addition is a Group A-3 fire area with an occupant load of more than 300 (and I'm assuming the occupant load is well over 300 just in the multipurpose room alone, but the entire fire are definitely has more than 300).  Section 903.2.1.3 will require a sprinkler for the addition and the existing, regardless if whether or not the existing building is sprinklered, unless the addition is separated from the existing building by a fire wall.

2.  However, if for some miracle you are not required to be sprinklered, then you definitely have some corridors in the building that will need to have a 1-hour fire-resistance rating per IBC Table 1018.1; thus, the open corridor into he multipurpose room will need to have protected door openings that swing in the direction of egress travel (into the corridor in this situation).  Additionally, the corridors must lead to an exit per Section 1018.6; therefore, the corridor leading to the multipurpose room is a dead end and cannot exceed 20 feet.

You say it is Type III construction, but is it Type IIIA or Type IIIB?


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

RLGA

good catch on the rated corridor issue

Maybe rated wall between old and new???

rkeyteck

How many sq ft is the new addition??


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

RLGA said:
			
		

> I see a couple of problems unrelated to the specific question:1.  How can this addition be nonsprinklered?  Since there appears to be no fire barriers, then entire addition is a Group A-3 fire area with an occupant load of more than 300 (and I'm assuming the occupant load is well over 300 just in the multipurpose room alone, but the entire fire are definitely has more than 300).  Section 903.2.1.3 will require a sprinkler for the addition and the existing, regardless if whether or not the existing building is sprinklered, unless the addition is separated from the existing building by a fire wall.
> 
> *Agreed, a firewall between new and existing is required when sprinklers aren't installed. *
> 
> ...


I think it's still in compliance.


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> RLGAgood catch on the rated corridor issue
> 
> Maybe rated wall between old and new???
> 
> ...


*approx. 13500 SF addition, code allows 14,000 w/o area modifiers on type IIIA*


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

TheCommish said:
			
		

> While the code may allow the exit to be thorough the multipurpose room, will this work during operations for the client? *The client is requesting this*Will an event in the MP room interfere with the classrooms operations through noise level or access? *I don't think they'll use the classrooms and multipurpose room simultaneously *
> 
> Will the demands of the BB court and play expose players to hazards, door glass, handles, and doors being operated during simultaneous usev*good point! Most gyms would have doors with glass, but probably not handles. This is a point I defiantly want to bring up with the client.*


These are good points. On the last point, I'm going to bring this up with the owner.


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## RLGA (Jan 25, 2015)

rkeytech:

How do you overcome the sprinkler requirements for the new addition?  What is the total occupant load of the new addition?

On another note, if the buildings are separated by a fire wall as you state, how do you satisfy the structural stability requirements of Section 706.2?  Is the exterior wall of the existing building where the addition is located supporting the roof load of the existing building?  If so, then it cannot be the sole element of the fire wall--a new wall (i.e. double fire wall condition) will need to be constructed.  This creates another problem: the door opening between the two buildings must be structurally independent of either wall to maintain full separation should either wall collapse.

I'm not trying to be nitpicky, but I'm speaking from experience.  If the plans examiner knows the code, you will be asked these questions if your documents do not provide the answers.

As for the egress through the multipurpose space, I don't see that as an issue, provided the exit width covers the occupant load of the multipurpose space plus all the spaces egressing through it.


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

RLGA said:
			
		

> rkeytech:How do you overcome the sprinkler requirements for the new addition?  What is the total occupant load of the new addition?
> 
> *Not sure what sprinkler requirement your referencing. If sprinklers are determined to be a requirement then they'll be added into the design. I haven't ran the occupant load yet, but the churches membership runs between 225-300. The existing building has an occupancy of 425. I don't believe the occupancy will increase with the addition, but for design purposes my best guess would be around a total occupancy of 800-900 between the two buildings.*
> 
> ...


Keep in mind, I'm in the beginning of schematic design I have a long way to go before I have Construction Documents that will be issued for code review, permits, and construction. The classroom exits into the MP have a big impact on the overall design, and I needed to know if I was on the right direction before moving forward.


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

I disagree

I would require the corridors to be rated


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## rkeyteck (Jan 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> I disagree


you disagree about what? I think I'm saying the same thing...the corridor need to be rated.

Classroom path of egress would be as follows: through multipurpose room to rated corridor to exterior


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## cda (Jan 25, 2015)

rkeyteck said:
			
		

> you disagree about what? I think I'm saying the same thing...the corridor need to be rated. Classroom path of egress would be as follows: through multipurpose room to rated corridor to exterior


Ok sounds good

If free standing fire wall put the door in one of the walls ??? Not connected in anyway to the other wall?


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