Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
(OP)
I've got a client who doesn't want to put handrails on some exterior stairs with a 3 ft grade change to get to a fenced garden area. These stairs are not a "means of egress" for the building per the IBC. The question boils down to "if you build stairs that isn't governed under Chapter 10, does it need handrails?"





RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
Ron, we don't have a grade warrant, the steps travel into the slope. i didn't give enough info for that to be ruled out. you're absolutely correct.
motorcity
"by constructing stairs of a certain height, you have created a potential hazard"
how are you qualifying this as a hazard? I haven't found anything so far which discusses site stairs which are not a part of egress. There is plenty of language in the code once the stairs become part of the egress to/from the public way.
US Access Board (the ADA people) discuss it briefly "210 Stairways: 210.1 General. Interior and exterior stairs that are part of a means of egress shall comply with 504." and "Advisory 210.1 General. Although theses requirements do not mandate handrails on stairs that are not part of a means of egress, State or local building codes may require handrails or guards." This language seems to indicate that those experts thought there was some gray area here and the committee punted the football.
I understand the CYA bit... but i am interested in hearing if other people in the crowdsource have found definition on this. Usually, when i suppose that something IS NOT addressed by applicable codes and standards, i have almost always been WRONG. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm wrong here as well. Site stairs not tied to egress are not present on all properties but are fairly common things to NOT be addressed by that engineering catch-all "all applicable codes and standards"
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
you can put it on a separate sheet of the drawings. making it ez for him to omit it
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
i've already dealt with my individual situation (fyi, i advised for handrails), but i believe the value of these forum Q&A's are about 1% for the benefit of the OP and 99% for the benefit of the 100k+ of designers, most of which non-members, who end up here by a google search of keywords. although my issue is resolved, the issue appears to be open. . Future responses on the topic are absolutely welcome.
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question
RE: Handrail for Exterior Stairs - USA code question