# is a serving area with opening but no door a dead end corridor



## hezner (Dec 27, 2017)

We have a dining facility (Assembly use) that is fully sprinklered.  NFPA 101 is applicable life safety code.  When exiting the kitchen through the pair of double swing doors there is an opening straight ahead to the dining area and serving areas at each side.  Each serving area has a framed door opening but no door and are about 28'-5" feet long by 10' 5" wide.  One long wall is counter height with the tray ledge on it.  This plan is based on the owner's prototype dining facility plan and has been built in the same area as the new facility.  
One life safety engineers on the project regards these serving areas as dead end corridors since they are more than 20'.  Adding a latching door and/or single swing door would be a problem from for the traffic (people carrying items and carts) in and out between the serving area and the kitchen.  A double swing door would not work because it would obstruct the main path from the kitchen to the dining area.   I have looked for the official definition of a dead end corridor but did not find it.  Would this be considered a dead end corridor?  If yes, would reducing length and/or increasing width so length is more than 2 1/2 times the width make it OK?  Or is a door needed?  Thanks


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

Without a floor plan, flying a little in the dark.


What occupant load are you assigning the kitchen.

Would have to look at 101


Normally if you have a true corridor 
And two exits are required, that is when dead end corrdor comes in play.

You cannot have a dog leg off the corridor more than the dead end is allowed.


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

This does not cover dead end, but may help

http://www.specsandcodes.com/articles/code_corner/The Code Corner No. 29 - Travel Distance.pdf



Good example::

https://medium.com/@goSkwerl/what-is-a-dead-end-corridor-fbe9967c48c2


I do not think you have a dead end situation


Is there another exit out of the kitchen?????


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## hezner (Dec 27, 2017)

I've linked a partial clip of the area here.   https://1drv.ms/b/s!As2wlRof3aBTvHICJmDQ7IGdf6bq   The yellow shaded areas are 4 of the 8 serving areas.  The other 4 are mirrored off the other side of the kitchen.   The red arrows show egress path.  The red dashed lines show what the fire protection engineer is concerned about.  
Yes there are other exits.  There are one set of double doors that go past this area on each long side of the kitchen, a double door exit to the loading dock on one short end of the kitchen area with ramp from the loading dock down to grade, and a single door exit on the other short end of the kitchen.


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## hezner (Dec 27, 2017)

Sorry, forgot to include before i clicked post above - the life safety engineer calculates the kitchen occupant code as 52 persons.


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

Yep the person is reaching.

1. Plenty of exits out of the kitchen.

2. It does not appear there is even a corridor situation.
So dead end would not apply.


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## hezner (Dec 27, 2017)

Thank you much for the quick responses.  I've shared the link to this post with the life safety engineer and will discuss it with him tomorrow.


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## mtlogcabin (Dec 27, 2017)

Not a corridor by definition under the I-Code 
CORRIDOR. An enclosed exit access component that defines and provides a path of egress travel.
If it does not have walls it is not enclosed
It is a space that would have to comply with the CPOT distance not a dead end corridor


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

Is this an existing condition??

Not a new Building or proposed remodel???


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## hezner (Dec 27, 2017)

This will be a new building.  The design is based on the owner standard plan.


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

hezner said:


> This will be a new building.  The design is based on the owner standard plan.



Ok

Yep

As stated above

Engineer needs to review what a corridor is

Review when a dead end corridor situation exists


Good luck


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## cda (Dec 27, 2017)

Let us know the outcome


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## my250r11 (Dec 28, 2017)

IMO,Would consider them spaces, work areas, or even rooms, not corridors.


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## classicT (Dec 28, 2017)

Door only on one end, not a corridor. Would be treated like any other room off a corridor. Be mindful of egress travel distances and common paths.


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## Sleepy (Dec 28, 2017)

I'm with every one else, they are not corridors.  I think you just need to make sure the common path of travel  and travel distance requirements are met.

One subtlety not applicable here but that is a problem sometimes is that NFPA 101 for some occupancies (healthcare, 18.2.5.6.1, 2015 edition) requires direct access from habitable rooms to a corridor, which can require there be a corridor where you would not otherwise want one. 

You could cite NFPA 101 para. 7.5.1.1.1 which allows open floor areas, passageways, aisles as well as corridors as access to exits, thus there is no requirement to have a corridor in most occupancies.  Also, you could cite para. 7.5.1.2 which requires corridors to provide exit access without passing through intervening rooms, so the serving areas can't be corridors anyway.


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