Appeal 12114

OSSC 3007.7

3007.7 Fire service access elevator lobby. The fire service access elevator shall open into a fire service access elevator lobby in accordance with Sections 3007.7.1 through 3007.7.5.

Exception: Where a fire service access elevator has two entrances onto a floor, the second entrance shall be permitted to open into an elevator lobby in accordance with Section 708.14.1.

3007.7.1 Access. The fire service access elevator lobby shall have direct access to an enclosure for an interior exit stairway.

3007.7.2 Lobby enclosure. The fire service access elevator lobby shall be enclosed with a smoke barrier having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, except that lobby doorways shall comply with Section 3007.7.3.

Exception: Enclosed fire service access elevator lobbies are not required at the levels of exit discharge.

3007.7.3 Lobby doorways. Other than the door to the hoistway, each doorway to a fire service access elevator lobby shall be provided with a 3/4-hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716.5. The fire door assembly shall also comply with the smoke and draft control door assembly requirements of Section 716.5.3.1 with the UL 1784 test conducted without the artificial bottom seal.

3007.7.4 Lobby size. Each enclosed fire service access elevator lobby shall be a minimum of 150 square feet (14 m2) in an area with a minimum dimension of 8 feet (2440 mm).

3007.7.5 Fire service access elevator symbol. A pictorial symbol of a standardized design designating which elevators are fire service access elevators shall be installed on each side of the hoistway door frame on the portion of the frame at right angles to the fire service access elevator lobby. The fire service access elevator symbol shall be designed as shown in Figure 3007.7.5 and shall comply with the following:

1. The fire service access elevator symbol shall be not less than 3 inches (76 mm) in height.
2. The vertical center line of the fire service access elevator symbol shall be centered on the hoistway door frame. Each symbol shall not be less than 78 inches (1981 mm), and not more than 84 (2134 mm) inches above the finished floor at the threshold.

The proposed building design will meet all the requirements for a Fire Service Access Elevator lobby except that the lobby will be the entire corridor on each floor. Equivalent protection for the lobby will be provided by the following (see drawing):

1. Fire service access elevator lobby will have direct access to both pressurized stair enclosures, in excess of 3007.7.1.
2. Fire service access elevators will open into the main corridor on the residential floors. The corridor will be enclosed with 1-hour fire barrier walls with 45 minute opening protection as required by 3007.7.2.
3. All doors opening into the corridor, except the elevator doors, will meet the requirements of 716.5.3.1.
4. The corridor width in front of the elevators on all residential unit floors will be 8 feet minimum depth and 16 feet wide.

Additional protection in the corridors will be provided by:

A. Automatic smoke detectors will be provided along the entire length of the rated corridor. Elevator shafts shall be pressurized against smoke migration in accordance with §909.21.

The building is of Type IA construction with non-separated A-3, M, S-2 and R-2 occupancy groups. The corridor on all levels except the level of discharge will be separated from all other areas by 1 hour fire barriers with 45 minute rated doors per OSSC 716.5.3.1. The proposed design for the fire service access elevator opening into the corridor is based on the exception provided by the City of Seattle, except the corridor will be used for the fire service access elevator lobby on all levels including the basement and parking levels. Compartmentalization will be provided on all levels in this small footprint building, by required separation between dwelling units and one-hour separation between storage rooms in the basement level. Smoke detectors along the entire length of the corridor will provide additional time for occupants to respond to a fire event and begin to egress.

City of Seattle exempts fire service access elevator lobby from the IBC-based lobby requirements on High-Rise Buildings for residential floors. This exception has gone through an independent rational analysis and approval process. The rational analysis is based on the compartmentalization required for residential units, which reduces the impacts of a fire/smoke event on the corridor, and pressurization of stair and elevator shafts. The compartmentalization and pressurization limits smoke migration and impact on the corridor. Seattle has more high rise buildings than Portland and is the basis for this proposal. This proposal exceeds the requirements of the Seattle exceptions (included here).

Exceptions:

1. Enclosed fire service access elevator lobbies are not required at the levels of exit discharge.
2. Enclosed fire service access elevator lobbies are not required for elevators with pressurized hoistways.

The pressurization will follow the requirements of OSSC 909.21, which has higher performance requirements than those required by the City of Seattle. OSSC requires the specified pressure differential across all floors, rather than just 4 floors as permitted by Seattle.

Since all elevators and stairs are pressurized, smoke migration between floors has been addressed.

If the lobbies were fully enclosed, additional doors would reduce the available area and hinder rather than help firefighting efforts.

The cumulative effect of the increased area of protection, added smoke detection, and the shaft pressurization backed up by the analysis performed on the Seattle exception, we believe meets the code intent for protection of firefighting operations on each floor, and we therefore request approval of this proposed design.

OSSC 1008.1.9.9

1008.1.9.9 Electromagnetically locked egress doors. Doors in the means of egress in buildings with an occupancy in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, and doors to tenant spaces in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2, shall be permitted to be electromagnetically locked if equipped with listed hardware that incorporates a built-in switch and meet the requirements below:

1. The listed hardware that is affixed to the door leaf has an obvious method of operation that is readily operated under all lighting conditions.
2. The listed hardware is capable of being operated with one hand.
3. Operation of the listed hardware directly interrupts the power to the electromagnetic lock and unlocks the door immediately.
4. Loss of power to the listed hardware automatically unlocks the door.
5. Where panic or fire exit hardware is required by Section 1008.1.10, operation of the listed panic or fire exit hardware also releases the electromagnetic lock.

This proposed residential building design includes a parking garage where we propose to use an Electromagnetically Locked Egress Door, serving as one of the required exit access doors from the Level 1 parking area (S-2 occupancy) into the main building lobby (R-2 occupancy). Although an electronically locked egress door is permitted as an egress door in an R2 occupancy, the door is serving the S2 parking garage. The following mitigating measures are proposed:

1. At least one other door with direct access to public way from the parking garage side is provided.
2. Electromagnetic control is proposed only on the door used to access the main building elevator and stairs.
3. Use of the parking garage will be limited to residents who have a fob or other means to open the door during normal use.
4. The door will meet all other requirements of Section 1008.1.9.9.

The parking garage is restricted use and only the building residents have access to it. The main reason for the controlled access is to ensure that no one other that a resident can enter the main building lobby. This is essentially to maintain a secure environment for all the tenants.

The code allows for an Electronically Locked Egress Door in Group A, B, E, M, R-1 or R-2 uses. Although the parking garage is classified as S2 occupancy it is serving the R2 occupancy, which is the primary occupancy of this building. All occupants of the parking area will be intimate with the building and will use building provided fobs for accessing the lobby from the S-2 parking area. In case of a power failure the door will unlock and occupants will be able to exit the area without the need to use fobs.

Since the parking garage is restricted to the building tenants they will always have unrestricted access to the lobby and therefore have free passage through the door. Any person that is not a resident will be accompanied by a building tenant or will not be able to get to the garage in the first place. The IBC commentary clarifies that the code intent is to permit these types of locks in occupancies, where there is an overriding security concern, which is the case here. It further clarifies that these doors are permitted in low hazard occupancies. An S2 occupancy is the lowest hazard occupancy. Since this garage is not a public garage, users are familiar with the layout; the potential hazard level is further reduced. Therefore, the proposal to use an electronically locked door in this situation does not conflict with the code intent. Therefore we request that this appeal be approved.

OSSC 403.3.2

403.3.2 Water supply to required fire pumps. Required fire pumps shall be supplied by connections to no fewer than two water mains located in different streets. Separate supply piping shall be provided between each connection to the water main and the pumps. Each connection and the supply piping between the connection and the pumps shall be sized to supply the flow and pressure requirement for the pumps to operate.

Exception: Two connections to the same main shall be permitted provided the main is valved such that an interruption can be isolated so that the water supply will continue without interruption through no fewer than one of the connections.

This project is a 14-story (149 feet) residential high-rise.

The proposed design is an on-site fire water reservoir supplied by a single connection to the water main in NW Hoyt. A 6 inch fire service water line is to be installed by City of Portland water bureau under separate permit. The fire pump will be supplied from the fire water reservoir.

The tank is sized in accordance with the Portland Fire Design Manual and 11.2.3.1.1 of NFPA 13 and the connection will be designed to refill the tank at a rate of at least equal to the most demanding sprinkler or standpipe design requirements, including hose allowances, per the Portland Fire Design Manual.

Tank size:
Maximum sprinkler design density is Extra Hazard 1 (parking stacker per Portland Design Guidelines): 0.30 gallons per minute per square foot over 2,000 square feet = 600 gallons per minute plus 100 gallons per minute inside hose per Portland Fire Design Manual = 700 gallons per minute.

Duration is 60 minutes per Portland Design Guidelines = 42,000 gallons.

Standpipe design is 500 gallons per minute at most remote standpipe plus 250 gallons per minute at all additional required standpipes = 750 gallons per minute.

Duration is 30 minutes per NFPA 13 and Portland Fire Design Manual = 22,500 gallons.

Tank to be sized to accommodate a minimum 42,000 gallons.

Tank refill rate to be a minimum of 750 gallons per minute. 1,300 gallons per minute is available at NW Hoyt per flow simulation ID 2177.

The fire pump takes its supply from the fire water tank. The tank is sized to accommodate the largest of the sprinkler system or standpipe demand for the duration specified in NFPA 13 and/or Portland Fire Design Manual. The tank is automatically refilled at the maximum of the sprinkler system or standpipe requirements.

This arrangement provides redundant water supplies via the city main (primary supply) and the fire water tank (secondary supply).

Portland Fire has allowed a single-connection from the public water source, sized per the Portland Fire Design Manual, to provide sufficient redundancy to provide reasonable protection for buildings less than 420 feet in height. This proposal meets a similar intent as granted in past appeals.

OSSC 713.13.1 and 713.13.3

713.13.1 Refuse, recycling and laundry chute enclosures. A shaft enclosure containing a refuse, recycling, or laundry chute shall not be used for any other purpose and shall be enclosed in accordance with Section 713.4. Openings into the shaft, including those from access rooms and termination rooms, shall be protected in accordance with this section and Section 716. Openings into chutes shall not be located in corridors. Doors shall be self- or automatic-closing upon the actuation of a smoke detector in accordance with Section 716.5.9.3, except that heat-activated closing devices shall be permitted between the shaft and the termination room.

713.13.3 Refuse, recycling and laundry chute access rooms. Access openings for refuse, recycling and laundry chutes shall be located in rooms or compartments enclosed by not less than 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. Openings into the access rooms shall be protected by opening protectives having a fire protection rating of not less than ¾ hour. Doors shall be self- or automatic-closing upon the detection of smoke in accordance with Section 716.5.9.3.

The proposed design meets the requirements of Section 713.13.3, except the space in front of the chute is not a room.

The proposed design will provide:
Two-hour fire-resistance-rated trash chute.
Two-hour fire-resistance-rated compartment in front of the fire-rated chute, including a 90-minute fire-rated door.
Automatic closer for the fire-rated compartment door, on a 15-second minimum and 30-second maximum delay.
Automatic sprinkler within the fire-rated compartment; sprinkler head to be placed in the compartment between the corridor door and the chute.

See Trash Chute Plan for more information.

The proposed design is requested due to space constraints within a building sited on a 1/4 block. Beyond the requirements within Section 713.13, the proposed design offers additional protection by providing a 2-hour fire-resistance-rated compartment in front of the chute, separating the chute from the fire-rated corridor at Levels 2 through 14.

The intent of the code is satisfied by providing a rated enclosure in addition to the rated shaft. 8 inches of space within the compartment is provided to fit a sprinkler head. The delay on the automatic closer allows the door to stay open while the chute is being accessed without the user having to hold it open. This allows a disabled person time to deposit trash without having to at the same time hold the door open. This configuration is compliant with the 2009 A117.1, as room for a forward approach is provided.

The proposed design provides equivalent protection by ensuring that separation is maintained between the corridor and the chute even if the trash chute door is stuck open and by providing the space necessary for a forward approach. By providing 2-hour fire-resistance-rated construction as described, the proposed design exceeds the code requirements and we request that the proposed design be approved.