Minimum number of floors for stairwell pressurization

[Adnan86]

International Building Code defines high rise building as one where the occupied floor height is more than 22.8m. Please let me know what is the minimum height or number of floors required for the stairwell to be pressurized. I have an office building with Ground plus 3 storey. Each storey is 5 meters high, so the Floor level of top storey is 15 meters high (Not high rise per IBC). Do I need to provide stairwell pressurization in this case?

 

[sprinkler1000]

The requirement for pressurized enclosure of the stairway is for highrise buildings (as you said with occupied floors over 22 m the lowest level of fire department access)and for underground buildings (with occupied floors below 9 m below the finished floor of the lowest level of exit discharge).
So in your case you do not need to provide stairwell pressurization

 

[genieconseil]

in canada a tall building is defined by the NBC 2005 as a building that is 18m in hight measured from the average ground landscape level to the floor level of the last floor and for a very tall building as being 36 m tall.
that being said the stairwell does not have to be mechanically pressurized if the the architect cans provide means to pressurize through the natural effect of stack effect which means that the bottom of the stair case has to give directly to an outside door on the ground level and by opening windows at the last level thus creating a stack effect towards the opening at the last level.

But I would verify the code requirements as each country has there own code requirements

good luck

Genieconseil

 

[cry22]

Genie conseil
the counseling is not so genious (in ref. to your name of course). relying on stack effect for stair presurization? stair pressurization is meant to keep smoke from entering the stair to allow people to exit the building safely. And you think stack effect will do the job?

 

[genieconseil]

Lol. Cry22. Thanks for the bashing very profesional and constructive on your part.
You dont know me! i have been designing residential tours since 1990 and i am a mechanical/electrical and civil engineer one of very few engineers that has gotten the right to practice in these feilds by he order of engineers of quebec.
I dont know you where you come from but in canada this is code if you dont like that is your problem. The cnb permits the stack effect as a means to smoke evac for staircases above ground level and mechanicaly below ground level. No wether it is efficient or not that is another topic. I agree though that it is not the most effient way but when a promoter wants to build with the least cost and respect code it is his call.
By the way i was not counseling but just stating how it done here.
Regards

Genieconseil

 

[Adnan86]

Thanks all. Sprinkler1000 can you provide any code reference.

 

[cry22]

Desole Genie, c'etait juste une pointe d'humour au 25eme degre que je ne pouvais resister. LOL
Cheers

Sorry guys for the private exchange in Quebequois.

 

[genieconseil]

LoL. Cry 22 Tu as bien piquer mon orgeuil. No harm done. Cheers

Adnan86 for which country is your inquirery for? The reason i ask is that you are refering to the international building code! Is there not a local national building code in the country where your project is like canada?



Genieconseil

 

[DRWeig]

Adnan86, it's in the mechanical code but I am not near my office right now...

Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[sprinkler1000]

Adnan 86:

I am referencing IBC 2009.
Ítem 403.5.4 for high rise, mandates exit stairway to comply with 909.2 and 1022.9, that provide guidance on ways to pressurize.
You should then go to Ashrae and NFPA 92A if I am not wrong.

 

[sprinkler1000]

By the way, as others said, check local code. I am outside US but I have been peeking in the IBC for reference.

 

[genieconseil]

Like i said local codes will overide international code such is he case in canada

Genieconseil

 

[317069]

In Ontario (and I guess in all other providences of Canada) , there are also very few engineers (about 60000) members who are able to design and stamp mechanical/ electrical/ civil/ and all other fields as long as they get the responsibility of their work.
hope you are not mixing between pressurization and ventilation.

 

[genieconseil]

Wow 317069
Nice handle by the way... I don't know about your origins but first of all canada is composed of provinces not providences. Secondly for my province which is Quebec, very very few engineers (you could count them on your hands) have the the competence and right given by the Order of engineers to practice in these 3 fields. As for your numbers I don't know where you got them but I think that if there are 60000 engineers in the rest of canada (do not include Quebec) practicing three fields of engineering that means that there are a lot of charlatans and are a danger to society that need to be visited by there professional order to be audited and be validated.
For my part I have the authorization from my professional order to practice in these 3 fields , witch very few can brag about...

As for the to differentiate between ventilation and pressurization that is for me to know and for you to find out, thank you for your concern!

By the way this forum is to help each other in our quest for answers to our question not a forum for wise cracks!!!

Genieconseil

 

[317069]

Canada, not canada,
Any P.Eng in Ontario has the right to stamp any engineering drawing as long as he take the responsibility on his shoulder.
I didn't know that quebec has only few engineers registered with what you have called order of engineers.
can you post their names as long as they are less than ten members, so in case we have a business in quebec we could use one of them instead of three ( 3 in one is very good deal)
this forum is to help each other not to say I am bla bla bla having 24 years or so, who cares about years do you have as long as you want to pressurize a space by stack effect,
when you want to approve your opinion you do it through formulas not by mention how many years do you have, do we have to agree with you just because you have some years of registration with engineers of quebec (as you say)
Cray tried to refer to some points, you started attacking him street boys manner. so you have to know your limit and don't think your origin is something important, it could be a good origin

 

[cry22]

Yo 317
It's Quebec, NOT quebec.
Smile!!!!

 

[ChasBean1]

Adnan86, back to the original question: no.

 

[sxtyhao]

Hi,Guys,
Even this is mfirst time reply, as An AHJ, please refer to Appendix B in Building Code, it is allowed to take advantage of natural stack effect to pressurize the exit staire well even there are disputes. In our City, it was used by Arthitects for many times.

Be nice.