403.5 Means of egress and evacuation.

The means of egress in high-rise buildings shall comply with Sections 403.5.1 through 403.5.6.

403.5.1 Remoteness of interior exit stairways.

Required interior exit stairways shall be separated by a distance not less than 30 feet (9144 mm) or not less than 1/4 of the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the building or area to be served, whichever is less. The distance shall be measured in a straight line between the nearest points of the enclosure surrounding the interior exit stairways. In buildings with three or more interior exit stairways, no fewer than two of the interior exit stairways shall comply with this section. Stairs sharing any common wall, floors, ceilings, scissor stair assemblies, or other enclosures shall be counted as one interior exit stairway.

   Exception: Group R-2 occupancies.

403.5.2 Additional exit stairway.

For buildings other than Group R-2 that are more than 420 feet (128 m) in building height, one additional exit stairway meeting the requirements of Sections 1011 and 1023 shall be provided in addition to the minimum number of exits required by Section 1006.3. The total width of any combination of remaining exit stairways with one exit stairway removed shall not be less than the total width required by Section 1005.1. Stairs sharing any common wall, floors, ceilings, scissor stair assemblies, or other enclosures shall not be considered the additional exit stairway required by this section.

   Exceptions: An additional exit stairway shall not be required to be installed in any of the following instances:

      1.   In buildings where all passenger elevators for general public use and all other elevators used for occupant self-evacuation comply with Sections 3008.1 through 3008.11;

      2.   In buildings where all of the following conditions are met:

         2.1.   The commissioner has approved a timed egress analysis establishing the egress time it would take for a full building evacuation, utilizing the stairs required by Section 1006 and the additional stair that would have been required pursuant to Section 403.5.2;

         2.2.   The commissioner has approved a timed egress analysis establishing the egress time it would take for a full building evacuation, utilizing the combination of the stairs required by Section 1006 and elevators used for occupant self-evacuation as follows:

            2.2.1.   Such analysis need only utilize a number of designated elevators designed for occupant self-evacuation necessary to demonstrate an evacuation time that is less than the time established in Exception 2.1; and

            2.2.2.   Every bank of passenger elevators for general public use shall be served by at least one such designated elevator;

         2.3.   All elevators in the building that either are passenger elevators for general public use or are used for occupant self-evacuation shall comply with Sections 3008.1 through 3008.11. However, the standby power generating equipment required by Section 3008.9 need only be sized to satisfy the loads required to simultaneously operate those elevators identified in the timed egress analysis described in Exception 2.2.

         The minimum number of exits required by Section 1006 are all at least 25 percent wider than the exit width required by Chapter 10. The increase in the stair width shall not be utilized in the timed egress analyses required by Exceptions 2.1 and 2.2.