Interior Exit Discharge

RA 9514 2019
DIVISION 5. MEANS OF EGRESS
SECTION 10.2.5.2 GENERAL PROVISIONS

M. Discharge from Exits

1. All exits shall terminate directly at a public way or at an exterior exit discharge. Yards, courts, open space, or other portions of the exit discharge
shall be of required width and size to provide all occupants with a safe access to a public way, and be in accordance with NFPA 101, Life Safety
Code with respect to changes in elevation, stairs, ramps, or keeping means of egress free from obstruction. Means of egress shall be permitted
to terminate in an exterior area for detention and correctional occupancies as otherwise provided in NFPA 101.

2. Where permitted for individual occupancies by Divisions 8 through 20 of this Chapter, a maximum of fifty percent (50%) of the exits may
discharge through areas on the floor of discharge provided all of the following requirements are met:

a. Exits shall discharge to a free and unobstructed way to the exterior of the building and is readily visible and identifiable from the point of
discharge from the exit.
b. The floor of discharge into which the exit discharges and any other portion of the level of discharge with access to the discharge areas are
protected with approved supervised sprinkler system or separated from it in accordance with the requirement for the enclosure of exits except if
the discharge area is a vestibule or foyer complying with all of the following, and where allowed in Divisions 8 through 20 of this Chapter:

1) The depth from the exterior of the building is not greater than three meters (3 m);
2) The length is not greater than six meters (6 m);
3) The foyer is separated from the remainder of the level of discharge by construction providing protection at least the equivalent of wired
glass in steel frames; and the foyer serves only as means of egress, including exits direct to the outside.

c. The entire area on the floor of discharge is separated from areas below by construction having a minimum of two-hour (2-hr) fire resistance
rating.
NFPA 101 2018
7.7.2 Exit Discharge Through Interior Building Areas.
Exits shall be permitted to discharge through interior building areas, provided that all of the following are met:

(1) Not more than 50 percent of the required number of exit stairs serving normally occupied areas of each floor, and
not more than 50 percent of the exit stair capacity required for normally occupied areas of each floor, shall
discharge through areas on any level of discharge, except as otherwise permitted by one of the following:

(a) One hundred percent of the exits shall be permitted to discharge through areas on any level of discharge
in detention and correctional occupancies as otherwise provided in Chapters 22 and 23.

(b) In existing buildings, the 50 percent limit on egress capacity shall not apply if the 50 percent limit on the
required number of exits is met.

(2) Each level of discharge shall discharge directly outside at the finished ground level or discharge directly outside
and provide access to the finished ground level by outside stairs or outside ramps.

(3) The interior exit discharge shall lead to a free and unobstructed way to the exterior of the building, and such way
shall be readily apparent or shall be identifiable by exit signage from the point of discharge from the exit.
7.7.2 Exit Discharge Through Interior Building Areas.
Exits shall be permitted to discharge through interior building areas, provided that all of the following are met:

(5) The entire area on the level of discharge shall be separated from areas below by construction having a fire
resistance rating not less than that required for the exit enclosure, unless otherwise provided in 7.7.2(6).

(6) Levels below the level of discharge in an atrium shall be permitted to be open to the level of discharge where
such level of discharge is protected in accordance with 8.6.7.
7.7.2 Exit Discharge Through Interior Building Areas.
Exits shall be permitted to discharge through interior building areas, provided that all of the following are met:

(4) The interior exit discharge shall be protected by one of the following methods:

(a) The level of discharge shall be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in
accordance with Section 9.7, or the portion of the level of discharge used for interior exit discharge shall be
protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7 and shall be separated
from the non-sprinklered portion of the floor by fire barriers with a fire resistance rating meeting the
requirements for the enclosure of exits. (See 7.1.3.2.1.)

(b) The interior exit discharge area shall be in a vestibule or foyer that meets all of the following criteria:

i. The depth from the exterior of the building shall be not more than 10 ft (3050 mm), and the length
shall be not more than 30 ft (9.1 m).
ii. The foyer shall be separated from the remainder of the level of discharge by fire barriers with a
minimum 1-hour fire resistance rating, and existing installations of wired glass in steel frames shall be
permitted to be continued in use.
iii. The foyer shall serve only as means of egress and shall include an exit directly to the outside.
Among the questions most often asked regarding the Code are those that concern the requirements of 7.7.2(4)(a)
related to providing sprinkler protection on the level of discharge (i.e., the story on which the interior exit discharge
occurs). The intent of 7.7.2(4)(a) is to require sprinkler protection in the portion of the level of discharge that is used
as interior exit discharge and to provide that portion of the level of discharge with fire-rated separation from all other
portions of the level of discharge that are not sprinklered. The requirement of 7.7.2(4)(a) can be met by either of the
following means:

1. Protecting the entire level of discharge by automatic sprinklers and separating the level of discharge from any floor
below by fire-rated construction with the minimum fire rating required for the exit that discharges occupants though
the level of discharge [see 7.1.3.2.1(1) and (3)]

2. Providing automatic sprinkler protection in only that portion of the level of discharge used for interior exit discharge
travel from the exit stair enclosure door opening to the door opening to the outside; separating the sprinklered
portion of the level of discharge from the rest of the level of discharge by construction as required for the exit that
discharges occupants though the level of discharge [again, see 7.1.3.2.1(1) and (3)]; and separating the level of
discharge from any floor below by fire-rated construction with the minimum fire rating required for the exit that
discharges occupants though the level of discharge

An exemption to the sprinkler requirement of 7.7.2(4)(a) is offered by 7.7.2(4)(b) and involves providing a maximum
10 ft × 30 ft (3050 mm × 9.1 m) wired-glass foyer that can be used only for egress and, thus, has no occupancy of its
own.
Exit A discharges directly outside.

Exit B is also considered to discharge directly outside, because

its attached exit passageway affords protected passage to the
door opening to the outside without leaving the protection
offered by an exit.

Exit C discharges into an area on the discharge level that is

sprinklered and separated from the remainder of the floor
and the basement, which are not sprinklered. The hourly fire
resistance rating of the floor slab and the separating fire
barrier are the same as required for the enclosure of Exit C

Exit D discharges into a wired-glass foyer in the non

sprinklered portion of the floor in accordance with 7.7.2(4)(b).