Emergency egress

[Hoyt]

I am looking for emergency egress requirements for a courtyard in a facility. Required exit lights, egress em lighting?

This to me seems like an interesting question, I have not run accross this before. In order to exit the courtyard you need to exit thru the building.

 

[raider1]

The requirements for egress illumination come from the local building codes. I would recommend contacting your local building department.

Chris

 

[USMC1302]

Besides the local building officials, you may even want to check with the state. I have had the state overrule local officials on two such courtyard cases. You are right, they can be an expensive building design feature.

 

[masterinbama]

Did one nursing home with a courtyard and egress from that area was the biggest headache on the whole job. As has been said a courtesy visit from the fire marshal ahead of time might be the best course of action

 

[ptrip]

Did one nursing home with a courtyard and egress from that area was the biggest headache on the whole job. As has been said a courtesy visit from the fire marshal ahead of time might be the best course of action

Very true ... you might even need to add fire alarm notification devices in the courtyard! I have gotten to the point where I consider an enclosed courtyard as just another interior room ... without a roof.

 

[masterinbama]

Very true ... you might even need to add fire alarm notification devices in the courtyard! I have gotten to the point where I consider an enclosed courtyard as just another interior room ... without a roof.

We did along with WP exits and EM lights. The GC had to add 3 rated corridors from the courtyard to the outside of the building. They ended up looking like a square hallway with double doors into and back out of the building. With fire doors blocking the interior corridors. (one way locks) and pressurization fans like you install in high rise stairwells.Then the interior corridors had to have their own exits to the exterior within 25' on either side of this for lack of a better term airlock

 

[ptrip]

We did along with WP exits and EM lights. The GC had to add 3 rated corridors from the courtyard to the outside of the building. They ended up looking like a square hallway with double doors into and back out of the building. With fire doors blocking the interior corridors. (one way locks) and pressurization fans like you install in high rise stairwells.Then the interior corridors had to have their own exits to the exterior within 25' on either side of this for lack of a better term airlock

Maybe it's something specific with nursing homes ... 'cause that's where most of my issues were. I had the courtyard issue ... but also had to provide egress lighting from the "back" doors around the building to the "front" emergency gathering area. Getting out of the building wasn't good enough.
Oh ... and that particular project was the first time I was caught on the "emergency/egress lighting from two sources" rule. (where if one bulb burns out you're not left in total darkness).

Lots of hard lessons learned there (and I was only in charge of the CA ... didn't have a hand in the design!)

 

[samblv]

Check the Life Safety Code 101 for specific occupancy egress requirements. In your case, you need to provide 1 footcandle of illumination along the designated path of egress out to a "public way". Courtyards are not considered public ways.

 

[USMC1302]

This post brings up a good point(in my mind anyway). As we are all aware of how different areas treat the adoption of the NEC, other building codes are often treated similarly. Probably always best to find out what the regs are in your particular state and jurisdiction. Can't state how many times I've been quoted Life Safety 101, only to have to remind suppliers and subs that my state adopts what they want to. In the Op's case I'd be talking to the local fire officials AND if the state fire marshal inspects the facility, as is often the case in schools, nursing homes, etc, I'd be checking with that office also.