Chapter 11 of the International Building Code (IBC) addresses accessible design and construction of facilities for physically disabled persons.
In this month’s featured article, we will highlight some of the important changes related to accessibility in the new IBC 2009 Edition.
While IBC generally defines the scoping requirements for accessibility in buildings, ICC/ANSI A117.1 provides the technical criteria that must be met in order to accomplish the required level of accessibility.
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Photo: Michael Kurtz
Scoping for the accessibility of live/work units is established for the first time in IBC 2009. |
LIVE/WORK UNITS
Specific requirements for live/work units -including accessibility- are established for the first time in IBC 2009.
Under the new Section
419 in IBC 2009, a live/work unit is defined as a dwelling unit or sleeping unit in which a significant portion of the space includes a nonresidential use that is operated by the tenant.
Although live/work units are not considered mixed occupancies and are classified as Group R-2 occupancies, residential and nonresidential uses have different requirements when it comes to accessibility.
According to the new Section
1103.2.13, the portion of the live/work unit utilized for nonresidential use must be accessible, while the residential portion of the unit must be evaluated separately according to the accessibility requirements of Group R-2 occupancies.
VAN SPACES
Accessible van parking spaces are required to have a minimum vertical clearance of 98 inches according to ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
502.6. The intention behind this requirement is to provide additional vertical clearance for van spaces in places of public accommodation, a requirement also found in ADA Accessibility Guidelines, Section
502.5.
However, this provision created an additional cost in private parking garages in Group R-2 and R-3 occupancies. To address this concern, IBC 2009, Section
1106.5 added a new exception to the height requirement for accessible van spaces.
According to the new exception, accessible van spaces located within private garages in Group R-2 and R-3 occupancies are permitted to have vehicular routes, entrances, parking spaces and access aisles with a vertical clearance of 84 inches. Accessible van spaces serving other conditions are still required to provide the minimum 98 inches vertical clearance as required by ICC/ANSI A117.1.
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Photo: CitySkip
According to the new IBC 2009, accessible passenger loading zones are required in mechanical access parking garages. |
MECHANICAL PARKING
Mechanical access parking garages use motorized devices to stack multiple vehicles in order to increase the capacity of the garage.
Vehicle drop-off and pick-up functions in these garages are generally similar to valet parking arrangements which require accessible passenger loading zones. The new Section
1106.7.4 in IBC 2009 now requires passenger loading zones in mechanical access parking garages as well.
This change is consistent with the requirements of ADA Accessibility Guidelines Section
209.5. Additionally, technical requirements for accessible passenger loading zones are specified in ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
503.
DOORS IN I-2 SLEEPING UNITS
In order to be part of an accessible route, doors are required to have certain maneuvering clearances. These clearances, which vary depending on the direction of approach and door swing, are specified in ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
404.2.3.
While the previous 1998 edition of ICC/ANSI A117.1 provided an exception to this requirement in hospital bedroom doors in Section
404.2.4, the latest 2003 edition removed this exception. Only existing doors to hospital patient sleeping rooms were exempt according to ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
1002.5.
With the code development committee’s concern that this would increase hospital construction costs, the exception was brought back in IBC 2009. According to Section
1107.3, doors to sleeping units in Group I-2 facilities that are minimum 44 inches wide are exempt from the maneuvering clearance requirements at the room side.
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Photo: Nancy Catherine Walker
IBC 2009 includes new requirements for bathing fixtures in accessible dwelling and sleeping units which aims to provide more choices for physically disabled persons. |
BATHING FIXTURES
Table
1107.6.1.1 in the previous IBC 2006 only specified the minimum number of roll-in showers for bathing fixture requirements in accessible dwelling and sleeping units. No requirements were specified for tubs or transfer showers. This created the possibility for a facility to provide roll-in type showers in all accessible dwelling and sleeping units.
In order to offer persons with disabilities a range of options equivalent to those available to others, IBC 2009 revised Table
1107.6.1.1 to also specify the minimum required number of accessible units without roll-in showers. This change effectively prohibits all bathing fixtures to be roll-in showers, and requires more choices to be provided to physically disabled persons.
ASSEMBLY AREA SEATING
IBC 2009 added a new requirement for companion seats in assembly areas with fixed seating.
According to the new Section
1108.2.3, at least one companion seat must be provided for each wheelchair space required by Section
1108.2.2.1 (General Seating),
1108.2.2.2 (Luxury Boxes, Club Boxes and Suites) and
1108.2.2.3 (Other Boxes).
Although this requirement is also part of ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
802.7, it was added to IBC to clarify its scope.
LAVATORIES IN TOILET AND BATHING FACILITIES
IBC 2009 added a new scoping provision for lavatories with enhanced reach ranges in order to provide greater accessibility for people with dwarfism.
According to the new Section
1109.2.3, where lavatories are provided, at least 5 percent, but not less than one, must be accessible. Where the total lavatories provided in a toilet room or bathing facility is six or more, at least one lavatory with enhanced reach ranges in accordance with ICC/ANSI A117.1 must be provided.
ICC/ANSI A117.1, 2003, Section
606.5 provides the technical requirements for enhanced reach range lavatories.