Appeal 33408

2014 OSSC - 3007.7, 3007.7.3

403.6.1 Fire service access elevator. In buildings with an occupied floor more than 120 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, no fewer than two fire service access elevators, or all elevators, whichever is less, shall be provided in accordance with Section 3007. Each fire service access elevator shall have a capacity of not less than 3500 pounds.

3007.1 General. Where required by Section 403.6.1, every floor of the building shall be served by fire service access elevators complying with Sections 3007.1 through 3007.10. Except as modified in this section, fire service access elevators shall be installed in accordance with this chapter and ASME A17.1.

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

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.

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 ¾-hour fire door assembly complying with Section 716.5. The fire door assembly shall also comply with the smoke and draft control door requirements of Section 716.5.3.1 with the UL 1784 test conducted without the artificial bottom seal.

Removal of fire service access elevator lobby "designation" at Level 23 elevator lobby to allow for a non-rated lobby.

The proposed design includes removal of fire service access elevator lobby designation at Level 23 elevator lobby. This lobby serves the upper-most amenity level of the building, inclusive of interior and exterior occupied spaces. A degree of transparency is desired from the elevator lobby to these adjacent amenity spaces, both to provide a level of safety and security as well as improve wayfinding.

As such, the openings along the north (to the Sky Lounge) and south (to the exterior occupied roof deck) ends of the lobby are designed as non-rated aluminum storefront glazing with glazed door panels.

Per excerpt from commentary for IBC 3007, “The requirements of Section 3007 are intended to provide a reasonable degree of safety for fire fighters operating the fire service access elevator to a location for staging fire fighters and equipment. In a typical situation, the staging area will be set up one or two floors below the fire.”

Per coordination with Joe Thornton of Portland Fire, the design team has been advised that the elevator lobby at Level 23 would not be used for staging of firefighting efforts due to the lack of regularly occupied space at the level above. The level above, Level 24, contains an elevator equipment room and exterior mechanical well (open to sky). This level is also served by egress Stair H4.

As such, the design team proposes removal of the fire service access elevator designation from the Level 23 elevator lobby. We propose retaining the glazed walls & doorways for security reasons, and maintaining the requirement of keeping sprinkler water from entering the FSAE shafts (per 3007.4), but otherwise the lobby will be non-fire-separated from the Sky Lounge located to the north.

2014 OSSC: 406.4.1 Clear Height

The clear height of each floor level in vehicle and pedestrian traffic areas shall be not less than 7 feet.

The intent of this code appeal is to request allowance for two instances where a beam with a 6’-8” height precedes the entrance to the garage stairway on levels P2 and P3.

The proposed design includes a concrete beam on the west side of the Stair L1 enclosure on levels P2 and P3 with a 6’-8” clear height. The reduced clear height is limited to the beam, which is 1’-11” wide and runs from the column at gridlines L/3.5 to the north for 7’-5” to the steel guardrail at the adjacent slab opening. All other vehicular and pedestrian areas of the garage maintain the required 7’-0” clear height.

See attached drawing sheets A2.02 (Garage Level P3 Plan), A2.03 (Garage Level P2 Plan), A3.05 (Garage Sections), and A6.11 (Garage Stair L1) showing the location and extent of the beam.

Yellow and black low clearance warning indication will be added to the beam to notify pedestrians of the lower height.

This appeal is necessary because the existing concrete beam is at a 6’-8” height within the garage floor level.

The beam is located out of the main vehicular areas of the garage and will not impede vehicular traffic flow.

The beam is situated on Levels P2 and P3, adjacent to Stair L1, and will be used by pedestrians accessing the stairway. Per code section 1011.3, stairways require a headroom clearance of at least 80 inches. Although the beam is not within the stair enclosure, it is part of the pathway to the stair and meets the 80-inch clearance requirement. Additionally, per code section 1010.1.1, clear opening heights of doors shall not be less than 80 inches. Since this area is only used by those accessing the stairway through this opening, we believe it meets the equivalency of accessibility required by the code and request the board's approval of this appeal.

Thank you for considering our request.