BCAB #1257 - Corridors Used By The Public In Assembly Occupancies Subclauses 3.3.2.5.(1)(a)(ii) & 3.3.2.5.(1)(a)(iii)

July 22, 1991

BCAB #1257

Re: Corridors Used By The Public In Assembly Occupancies Subclauses 3.3.2.5.(1)(a)(ii) & 3.3.2.5.(1)(a)(iii)

Project Description

A new high school & college with a double loaded corridor serving classrooms and offices. The project is divided by two hour firewalls such that one building contains only classrooms, another contains classrooms and offices and still another contains the gymnasium. The building containing only classrooms has one room called a resource centre which is not separated from the corridor.

Reason for Appeal

Sentence 3.3.2.5.(1) requires corridors used by the public in assembly occupancies or serving classrooms as access to exit to be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation with a 1 hour fire resistance rating . Subclauses (i), (ii) and (iii) provide exceptions to this requirement. Subclause (ii) says no fire resistance rating is required for the fire separation if the floor area is sprinklered and Subclause (iii) says no fire separation is required for corridors serving classrooms where the travel distance to an exit from any point in the floor area does not exceed the values in Article 3.4.2.4.

Appellant's Position

The appellant considers the resource centre does not require a fire separation from the corridor because the floor area complies with Subclause (iii). He reads Subclauses (i), (ii) and (iii) as separate requirements which do not relate to one another.

Building Official's Position

The building official contends that Subclauses (ii) and (iii) are related and the floor area must be sprinklered as required by Subclause (ii) before Subclause (iii) can be applied and the fire separation removed entirely.

Appeal Board Decision #1257

It is the determination of the Board that Subclauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Sentence 3.3.2.5.(1) are not dependant on each other and are to be read separately. Subclause (iii) permits a corridor with no fire separation providing it serves only classrooms and the travel distance to an exit from any point in the floor area does not exceed the travel distance in Article 3.4.2.4. which in this case is 30 metres (unsprinklered floor area). The floor area need not be sprinklered as called for in Subclause (ii).

George R. Humphrey, Chair