CDS - Life Safety

Question 1

OCCUPANT LOAD CALC’D FOR LIFE SAFETY REQ’S

Answer 1

the MINIMUM number of people you have to provide life safety features for; occupant load can alter Life Safety requirements (ex. capacity of means of egress, number of means of egress, emergency lighting, fire alarm, sprinkler system reqs.); NFPA

Question 2

COMMON PATH OF EXIT TRAVEL AND DEAD END

Answer 2

common path of exit travel is typ. 75’ max. from any one point in the building to the location where there are at least 2 choices for exiting the building; entire length of travel to this point (NOT to the door) must be less than 75’; if bldg. is fire sprinklered, can be 100’

Question 3

TRAVEL DISTANCE TO AN EXIT

Answer 3

200’; from any point within a room in a building, you must reach an exit within 200’; door to exit door shall be less than 150’ (2012 Life Safety Code, CMS)

Question 4

STAIR; STAIR DOOR CHANGING SIZES

Answer 4

can never get smaller in your path of travel; min. req. for width of stair (48”) calc.- occupant load of entire floor x .3 = # of inches in width required (if less than 48”, use 48”; min. req. for width of door (36”), calc. - occupant load of entire floor x .2 = # of inches in width required; when above grade stair meets below grade stair at grade level, add the two req’d calculated widths to size the doors at each location/exit

Question 5

STANDPIPE

Answer 5

it is a type of rigid water piping which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position, to which fire hoses can be connected, allowing manual application of water to the fire. Within buildings standpipes thus serve the same purpose as fire hydrants. They are required inbuildings that are 3+ stories and they should be operational during construction

Question 6

WET STANDPIPE

Answer 6

it is filled with water from a public supply and is pressurized at all times and they can be used by building occupants

Question 7

DRY STANDPIPE

Answer 7

is only used when needed for fire fighting; not file with water and not connected to a constant water supply; fire engines supply the water to the system

Question 8

COMBINATION STANDPIPE

Answer 8

a combination of wet and dry standpipe

Question 9

ANSI STANDARDS FOR ELEVATOR CARS

Answer 9

1. 36in wide door 2. 54in high control buttons 3. Tactile control indicators; no turnaround space required; any finish floor material can be used; if carpet is used, max. pile height is .5in

Question 10

NUMBER OF EXITS

Answer 10

1 exit: up to max. occ. load; 2 exits: more than max. occ. load; 2 exits: common path of egress travel more than the limit of travel in code; 3 exits: occ. load between 501-1000; 4 exits: occ. load is 1001+

Question 11

DISTANCE BETWEEN EXIT DOORS

Answer 11

Non-Sprinklered Bldg: 2 exits that are placed apart 1/2 diagonal distance of the room; Sprinklered Bldg: 2 exits that are placed apart 1/3 diagonal distance of the room; if 3+ exits are req., at least 2 must conform with diagonal distance

Question 12

WIDTH OF EXITS

Answer 12

stairways/exit corridor width: .03(occupant load) = # of inches, min. 44; egress openings/doors: .02(occupant load) = # of inches, min. 36

Question 13

DEAD END CORRIDORS

Answer 13

limited to 20’; exceptions: can be 50’ depending on occupancy group; can have corridor longer than 20’ if the length is less than 2.5 times its width at the narrowest point

Question 14

EGRESS DOORS

Answer 14

1. readily distinguishable 2. readily recognizable 3. cannot be covered with mirrors or reflective surface 4. cannot be concealed fabrics, decorations, etc.; 36in min. with 32in clear width and 80in high min.; max. width of swinging doors in 48in; pivoted or side hinged; must swing in the direction of travel if occ. of 50+; cannot swing into a required travel path (can be recessed to avoid this problem)

Question 15

EGRESS STAIRWAYS

Answer 15

must be completely enclosed 1-4 stories (1 hr rated walls and doors); 4+ stories (2 hr rated walls and 90min. rated doors)

Question 16

HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

Answer 16

1. auto sprinkler systems 2. smoke detectors and alarms 3. communication systems 4. central control stations for fire department use 5. smoke control for exit stair enclosures 6. standby power systems

Question 17

ADA

Answer 17

1992; civil rights legislation; NOT a national building code; does not depend on inspection for its enforcement; mounting of signage on the wall adjacent to the latch side of the door

Question 18

ACCESSIBLE ROUTE

Answer 18

continuous unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces in a building or facility; for all disabilities; accessible route includes corridors, floors, ramps, elevators, lifts, and clear floor space

Question 19

CLEAR FLOOR SPACE

Answer 19

req. to accommodate a single stationary wheelchair; 30”x48”