Assembly Egress After Renovation
An existing banquet hall has a posted occupant load of 300 for a dinner-dance configuration. The hall originally had two 36-inch exit doors at opposite ends of the room. A renovation removes the north exit to enlarge the stage and adds fixed seating for 280 plus 20 staff. The remaining south exit has a 36-inch clear leaf, but the corridor leading to it narrows to a 30-inch door at the exterior. The travel distance from the far corner to the south exit is 180 ft. The building has no sprinkler system, and the corridor contains a 22-inch-wide portable bar stored against one wall. The owner wants to open in two weeks and asks whether the arrangement is acceptable. You must evaluate egress capacity, exit access, and interim measures.
1. Calculate the required egress capacity and determine whether the remaining exit is adequate for 300 occupants.
Read the worked answer
Using the common egress capacity factor of 0.2 inch per occupant for level components, 300 occupants require 60 inches of clear width. The remaining 36-inch exit provides capacity for about 180 occupants, and the 30-inch door provides about 150 occupants. A single exit is therefore not adequate for 300, and the 30-inch door is the controlling bottleneck. Because the space is an assembly occupancy with 300 occupants, at least two means of egress are required. The calculation also assumes the doors are unobstructed and swing in the direction of egress; the stored portable bar reduces the corridor width and must be removed.
2. Identify the code and life-safety violations beyond width.
Read the worked answer
Beyond width, the loss of the north exit leaves a single exit access path, which is a fundamental violation. The 180-ft travel distance may exceed the unsprinklered limit for an assembly occupancy, and the absence of sprinklers removes the trade-off that might otherwise allow a longer distance. The corridor obstruction reduces required clear width. The exit door should have panic hardware, and the exterior 30-inch door is too narrow for the occupant load. Exit signs and emergency lighting must be verified. The fixed seating arrangement must maintain aisle access.
3. What interim measures and permanent corrections should you recommend before occupancy?
Read the worked answer
Before occupancy, restore a second remote exit or reduce the occupant load to what a single compliant exit can serve-but such a large assembly generally cannot rely on one exit. Widen the 30-inch door to at least 36 inches, remove the portable bar, and maintain the corridor clear. If a second exit cannot be restored quickly, do not open; a temporary occupancy reduction and fire watch are not a substitute for code-required exits. Add sprinklers only as part of a code-compliant design, not as a substitute for the missing exit. Schedule drills and post the corrected occupant load.