Means of Egress

• The function of an egress system is to conduct occupants of a building

to a safe place in case of fire or other emergency.

• A safe place is usually a public way or other large open space at

ground level.

• For the occupants of the upper floors of a tall building, or for people
who are incapacitated or physically restrained, the safe place may be a
fire-protected area of refuge within a building.
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 Means of Egress
Components of an Egress System
1. Exit Access – a corridor, an aisle, a path across a room, or a short
stair or ramp that conducts the occupants of a building to an exit.

2. Exit – a protected means of evacuation (door opening, an enclosed

and protected exit passageway leading to a door, or an enclosed exit
stair or ramp) from an exit access to a safe discharge point, must be
of 2 hour construction with self closing doors rated at 1 1/2 hrs.

3. Exit Discharge – a means (door, protected exit corridor, path across

a ground floor vestibule or lobby) of moving from an exit to a safe
discharge point (public way or other large open area.)
 Two Remote Exits
Most buildings require at least two separate exits. These must be as remote from
each other as possible and arranged to minimize the possibility that a single
fire or other emergency condition could simultaneously render both exits
unsafe or inaccessible. With only minor exceptions, the access path to an
exit may not pass through kitchens, restrooms, storerooms, workrooms,
bedrooms, hazardous areas, or rooms subject to being locked.
 Distance Between Exits
The minimum distance between
exits is one-half the diagonal
measurement of the building
or the space served by the
exits. On an open floor, this is
measured as a straight-line
distance between exits. Where
the exits are joined by an exit
access corridor that is
protected from fire as
specified by the building code,
this distance is measured
along the path through the
corridor.
 Dead-End Corridors
Dead-end pockets in
exit access
corridors are
undesirable, but
they are tolerated
for most building
occupancies within
the length
restrictions listed in
each model code.

General Rule is that a

dead-end corridor
must be 20’ or less
in length.
 Maximum Travel Distance
Maximum travel
distance to the
nearest exit is
specified by the
code. Travel
distance is always
measured along the
actual path
occupants must take
to reach an exit.
There are two way
to measure as shown
on the diagram. The
code will dictate
which way you must
measure it.
 Doors
1. Doors should always swing in the direction of egress travel in all
buildings except single family dwellings and in all rooms except
those with fewer than 50 occupants.

2. Obstructions of the required egress width are allowed as follows:

1. Half of required width when door is open 90 degrees
2. 7” into the required width of a corridor or aisle when door is fully
open
3. 3 ½” into the required width of a stair or stair landing

3. Even locked, doors along an exit path must be easily openable in the
direction of egress travel

4. Exit access corridors must be enclosed in fire-resistant walls and

accessed via fire-resistant doors. One-hour walls with 20-minute
doors are required in most buildings.
Doors
 Direct Exit
The simplest exit
is a door
opening
directly from
an interior
room to a
public way, as
it might from
an exhibition
hall, theater or
classroom
 Exit Stairway
The most common type of exit is an enclosed stairway. The enclosure
must be of 2-hour construction with 1 ½ hour self-closing doors that
swing in the direction of egress travel. (In other words, doors must
swing into the stairway enclosure except at the level of exit discharge,
where they must swing out.) Stairway and landing widths are
determined in accordance with the occupant load they serve and are
calculated according the guidelines in the prevailing codes.
Exit Stairway
 Exit Passageway

An exit passageway is a horizontal means of exit travel that is protected

from fire in the same manner as an enclosed interior exit stair (2-hour
walls, 1 1/2-hour self-closing doors). An exit passageway has several
uses: It may be used to preserve the continuity of enclosure for an exit
stair whose location shifts laterally as it descends through the
building. It may be used to eliminate excessive travel distance to an
exit. And it may be used as part of an exit discharge, to connect an
enclosed stair to an exterior door.
The widths of passages, doors, landings, and stairs used as exits must be
determined in accordance with values given by the various codes.
Exit Passageway
 Misc. Means of Egress Concepts
1. Smokeproof Enclosure – designed to limit the penetration of smoke
and heat from a fire into an exit stairway to such an extent that the
stairway is likely to remain usable throughout the course of a fire in
a building. It is a place of safe refuge for people unable to use
stairs.

2. Outside Stairways and Fire Escapes – exterior means of egress with

either solid treads (outside stairway) or open treads (fire escape),
they must meet all the requirements of inside fire stairs
 Misc. Means of Egress Concepts
3. Horizontal Exits – a way of passage through a fire-resistant wall to
an area of refuge on the same level in the same building, must have
tight fitting, self-closing 1 ½ hour doors

4. Stair Proportions – Maximum riser height is 7”, minimum tread

depth – 11”

5. Ramp Proportions – 1:8 for general exit ramps, 1:12 for

handicapped exit ramps (1:20 is better for handicapped exit ramps)
 Means of Egress Problems
Problem #1: Design an exit for a department store basement,
sprinklered, dimensions 105’-0” x 292’-6”.

Problem #2: Design the exits for a lecture hall, sprinklered,

dimensions 84’-0” x 80’-0”.

Problem #3: Design the exits for a night club, not

sprinklered, dimensions 162’-0” x 100’-0”.

Problem #4: Design the exits for a lecture hall, sprinklered,

dimensions 63’-0” x 80’-0”.