×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

IBC Frontage

IBC Frontage

IBC Frontage

(OP)
Trying to understand frontage requirements using the 2015 IBC.

The building I'm looking into has clear space on three sides with a public street on the fourth side. The IBC handbooks discuss public way and yards and I get that mostly, but something the handbooks don't really discuss (or maybe I'm just missing it) is accessibility. Meaning, I have open yard between my building and everything around it on three sides but it isn't necessarily accessible for emergency response or additional structures.

As I read the handbook it appears that as long as I have clear yard (grade level to sky) around my building I can get credit for that part of the building perimeter as available frontage in my calculation provided it is 20-ft or wider. So the fact that I have a retaining wall on one side and a creek on another doesn't have a negative effect on my frontage calculation.

Am I missing something?

Thanks in advance.

RE: IBC Frontage

NME:

Access is an issue. The clear area needs to be accessible to the fire department, though this does not necessarily mean a fire lane. Take a look at the commentary to the Code. There are diagrams and examples there that show the limitations. Also, check the IFC (Fire Code). It may have an impact on this issue.

Regards,

DB

NB: I only have the 2012 IBC - I'm assuming 2015 is more or less the same.



RE: IBC Frontage

It appears your asking two questions. I'll try my best to answer both of them.

Quote (As I read the handbook it appears that as long as I have clear yard (grade level to sky) around my building I can get credit for that part of the building perimeter as available frontage in my calculation provided it is 20-ft or wider. So the fact that I have a retaining wall on one side and a creek on another doesn't have a negative effect on my frontage calculation.)


ANSWER: In the case of a retaining wall or a water body, those spatial distances provide separation from potential exposure buildings now or in the future.

Quote (The building I'm looking into has clear space on three sides with a public street on the fourth side. The IBC handbooks discuss public way and yards and I get that mostly, but something the handbooks don't really discuss (or maybe I'm just missing it) is accessibility. Meaning, I have open yard between my building and everything around it on three sides but it isn't necessarily accessible for emergency response or additional structures.)


ANSWER: Access for emergency response onto a property is not addressed in the IBC. It's addressed in Chapter 5 of the IBC. The IFC wants fire hose access on all sides of a building and travel distances are limited to 150 feet. These distances can be increased to 200 feet in building protected using an automatic sprinkler system. Exceptions exist for sides of a building that are not accessible, i.e., cliff, water body, etc. If the building is a warehouse, additional requirements exist in Chapter 32 for fire department access doors.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources