Measure Egress Diagonally Across Open Room?

1/28/2020

I'm working on an exercise studio with one big open room and dealing with a plan examiner who insists travel distance is measured along walls leading to an exit, rather than diagonally across the space. To me this is absurd. Thoughts?

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16 Comments

Wayne Ammons

1/28/2020 08:34:52 am

Not a life safety expert but thought I would take a quick stab at this. Below is from NFPA 101, 2015 Edition:

7.6* Measurement of Travel Distance to Exits.
7.6.1* The travel distance to an exit shall be measured on the floor or other walking surface as follows:
(1) Along the centerline of the natural path of travel, starting from the most remote point subject to occupancy
(2) Curving around any corners or obstructions, with a 12 in. (305 mm) clearance therefrom
(3) Terminating at one of the following:
(a) Center of the doorway
(b) Other point at which the exit begins
(c) Smoke barrier in an existing detention and correctional occupancy as provided in Chapter 23

If the room is intended to be wide open with no obstructions from any given point to the nearest exit, I do not see why a diagonal route would not be acceptable since, IMHO, that would be my natural path of travel during an emergency situation. If there intends to be any exercise equipment or other obstructions in the room then you would have to take that in to consideration when determining egress routes.

Laura

1/28/2020 10:27:24 am

My concern with allowing diagonal measurement for the room is the change of use within the space can lead to issues down the road. As much as it makes sense in this case to allow a diagonal measurement, the future use of the space may change and the shorter distance will no longer be available. Since travel distance and layout of the building stay with the life of the building, avoiding issues in the future is very important to me as an AHJ.
Just my thoughts on why the travel distance should be most stringent.

Laura C.

1/28/2020 10:49:25 am

This would be my take as well.

Paul Pinigis

1/28/2020 11:03:29 am

I understand the desire to be flexible for the future, but the obligation is to provide egress for the use of the space. If the intent were to provide egress for every potential future use of a space, there would be no need to categorize any space and we would have just one travel limit. If I have a warehouse, I will review the egress with respect to that use of the space. If the use changes to a nightclub in the future, the egress will then have to be considered with respect to that use. But, since this change my never happen, there is no point in considering it now.

Dan Wilder

1/28/2020 11:59:02 am

As a contractor, I cannot anticipate the "what-if" scenarios. The building is designed based off of a stated use that falls into specific design requirements as dictated by that occupancy (and AHJ amendments and/or insurance requirements). Occupancy, construction method, egress paths, egress , exit signage, sprinkler design, fire alarm design, even the operation aspect of the building all follow that stated information, if it changes then other dependent items should also change at that future time. I also cannot justify the additional cost to an owner for a what-if when I don't have any building codes to back my position in this case.

Wayne Ammons

1/28/2020 01:55:36 pm

Agreed.

David Doudy

7/19/2021 11:29:45 am

As a firefighter I can tell you the reason that travel distance has to be figured by staying in contact with a wall... SMOKE, in a fire situation smoke will obscure your vision to the point you will be unable to see across a room. If you lose contact with a wall you will lose your sense of direction and, more than likely, never find the exit. I challenged our local building official to come to our fire tower and I would show him why you need a wall... We allowed him to see everything in the room, wide open before we "Smoked" the room. then we "smoked" the room with a smoke machine while he was standing in the middle, once the room was full of smoke we told him he could exit... He promptly walked to a wall (The wrong one) and proceeded to go the wrong way... only then, staying in contact with the wall, did he go the entire way around the room (40x40) and find the exit... he no longer has any issues with staying in contact with the wall when determining travel distance.

Paul Pinigis

1/28/2020 10:37:21 am

The distance is measured along the natural path of egress. If the natural path is across the diagonal of the room, then that's where you measure.

sean

1/28/2020 11:02:35 am

I think the reviewer is taking the worst case scenario, expecting obstructions/future obstructions. An exercise studio could be for stationary cycling which would have obstructions to work around.

WES

1/28/2020 12:49:51 pm

If it's designed too liberally then technically the fire marshal could show up and require the diagonal egress path be maintained at all times.

Inherently we don't want the furniture layout to be so strictly tied down that it limits how the owner can arrange the space in the future.

It's not just the AHJ that's keeping in mind the future use. An owner/future architect could be handcuffed in the future if they design the space too tight. Once again the AHJ would have to be the bad guy.

I'm not an AHJ myself, just thinking here there might be room for compromise. Maybe provide voluntary smoke detection in the space for early fire detection (thus allowing more time for egress)? Shorter waterflow retard time (allowing more time for egress)? Add an additional exit from the space (allow more paths to exit)?

sean

1/28/2020 03:13:55 pm

I work on the AHJ side and many inspectors don't get or don't want too much room to work with. It becomes an issue that by providing flexibility you are now not enforcing the law.

Tom

1/28/2020 11:12:30 am

No one can predict all possible future uses however I think the plan examiner is taking the extreme on this. I would measure from the furthest point in the room to the exit and deal with change of uses when, and if, they come.

1/28/2020 11:22:38 am

IBC 2018 has the requirement to measure travel distance horizontally and vertically, there is further discussion in the Commentary as well.

1017.3 Measurement. Exit access travel distance shall be
measured from the most remote point of each room, area or
space along the natural and unobstructed path of horizontal
and vertical egress travel to the entrance to an exit.
Exception: In open parking garages, exit access travel
distance is permitted to be measured to the closest riser of
an exit access stairway or the closest slope of an exit
access ramp.

WES

1/28/2020 12:45:04 pm

I'm not sure they mean plan "horizontal" and plan "vertical" here. To me this reads as literally traveling on a horizontal plane or vertically, as you would on a ramp or stair.

David Kalinec link

1/28/2020 12:52:08 pm

IBC §1016, outlines the methods for defining travel distance. Along walls, around obstructions, and to the center-line of a door is the standard calculation. A diagonal path assumes there will be no obstructions such as equipment, mats, barbells, boxes, etc.... which there inevitably will be. Therefore, the safest path is along walls and around obstructions, which is not a straight, diagonal path. The commentary also offers great details on this subject as do many AHJ publications.

Scott

1/28/2020 04:56:57 pm

it depends on what is being measured. For instance, if you are measuring for the placement of the second required exit(1/2 distance rule), then I would say you were correct. The examiner may also be correct if he is looking for exit/exit access travel distances. As an AHJ, I would probably accept what you are showing as long as the travel distances are shown. I hope that makes sense!

Measure Egress Diagonally Across Open Room?

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