International Building Code Section 408

International Building Code 405.3.6

Exit enclosures. One of the required exit enclosures
in each building shall be permitted to have glazing
installed in doors and interior walls at each landing level
providing access to the enclosure, provided that the following
conditions are met:
1. The exit enclosure shall not serve more than four floor
levels.
2. Exit doors shall not be less than 3/4-hour fire door
assemblies complying with Section 715.4
3. The total area of glazing at each floor level shall not
exceed 5,000 square inches (3m2) and individual panels
of glazing shall not exceed 1,296 square inches
(0.84 m2).
4. The glazing shall be protected on both sides by an
automatic fire sprinkler system. The sprinkler system
shall be designed to wet completely the entire surface
of any glazing affected by fire when actuated.
5. The glazing shall be in a gasketed frame and installed
in such a manner that the framing system will deflect
without breaking (loading) the glass before the sprinkler
system operates.
6. Obstructions, such as curtain rods, drapery traverse
rods, curtains, drapes or similar materials shall not be
installed between the automatic sprinklers and the
glazing.

International Building Code 407.7.2

Occupancy Condition 5. Each sleeping area in
Occupancy Condition 5 shall be separated from adjacent
sleeping areas, corridors and common spaces by a smoketight
partition. Additionally, common spaces shall be separated
from the corridor by a smoke-tight partition.

International Building Code 407.7.3

Openings in room face. The aggregate area of
openings in a solid sleeping room face in Occupancy Conditions
2, 3, 4 and 5 shall not exceed 120 square inches (77 419
mm2). The aggregate area shall include all openings including
door undercuts, food passes and grilles. Openings shall
be not more than 36 inches (914 mm) above the floor. In
Occupancy Condition 5, the openings shall be closeable
from the room side.

International Building Code 407.7.4

Smoke-tight doors. Doors in openings in partitions
required to be smoke tight by Section 408.7 shall be substantial
doors, of construction that will resist the passage of
smoke. Latches and door closures are not required on cell
doors.

International Building Code 408

8Windowless buildings. For the purposes of this section,
a windowless building or portion of a building is one with
nonopenable windows, windows not readily breakable or without
windows.Windowless buildings shall be provided with an
engineered smoke control system to provide ventilation
(mechanical or natural) in accordance with Section 909 for
each windowless smoke compartment.

International Building Code 408.1

General. Occupancies in Group I-3 shall comply with
the provisions of this section and other applicable provisions of
this code (see Section 308.4).

International Building Code 408.2

Mixed occupancies. Portions of buildings with an occupancy
in Group I-3 that are classified as a different occupancy
shall meet the applicable requirements of this code for such
occupancies. Where security operations necessitate the locking
of required means of egress, provisions shall be made for
the release of occupants at all times.
Means of egress from detention and correctional occupancies
that traverse other use areas shall, as a minimum, conform
to requirements for detention and correctional occupancies.
Exception: It is permissible to exit through a horizontal exit
into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform to
detention and correctional occupancy egress provisions but
that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate
occupancy, as long as the occupancy is not a high-hazard use.

International Building Code 408.3

Means of egress. Except as modified or as provided for
in this section, the provisions of Chapter 10 shall apply.
408.3.1 Door width. Doors to resident sleeping units shall
have a clear width of not less than 28 inches (711 mm).

Door width. Doors to resident sleeping units shall
have a clear width of not less than 28 inches (711 mm).

Sliding doors. Where doors in a means of egress are
of the horizontal-sliding type, the force to slide the door to its
fully open position shall not exceed 50 pounds (220 N) with a
perpendicular force against the door of 50 pounds (220 N).

Spiral stairs. Spiral stairs that conform to the
requirements of Section 1009.8 are permitted for access to
and between staff locations.

Exit discharge. Exits are permitted to discharge
into a fenced or walled courtyard. Enclosed yards or courts
shall be of a size to accommodate all occupants, a minimum
of 50 feet (15 240 mm) from the building with a net area of
15 square feet (1.4 m2) per person.

Sallyports. A sallyport shall be permitted in a
means of egress where there are provisions for continuous
and unobstructed passage through the sallyport during an
emergency egress condition.

Exit enclosures. One of the required exit enclosures
in each building shall be permitted to have glazing
installed in doors and interior walls at each landing level
providing access to the enclosure, provided that the following
conditions are met:
1. The exit enclosure shall not serve more than four floor
levels.
2. Exit doors shall not be less than 3/4-hour fire door
assemblies complying with Section 715.4
3. The total area of glazing at each floor level shall not
exceed 5,000 square inches (3m2) and individual panels
of glazing shall not exceed 1,296 square inches
(0.84 m2).
4. The glazing shall be protected on both sides by an
automatic fire sprinkler system. The sprinkler system
shall be designed to wet completely the entire surface
of any glazing affected by fire when actuated.
5. The glazing shall be in a gasketed frame and installed
in such a manner that the framing system will deflect
without breaking (loading) the glass before the sprinkler
system operates.
6. Obstructions, such as curtain rods, drapery traverse
rods, curtains, drapes or similar materials shall not be
installed between the automatic sprinklers and the
glazing.

International Building Code 408.3.1

Door width. Doors to resident sleeping units shall
have a clear width of not less than 28 inches (711 mm).

International Building Code 408.3.2

Sliding doors. Where doors in a means of egress are
of the horizontal-sliding type, the force to slide the door to its
fully open position shall not exceed 50 pounds (220 N) with a
perpendicular force against the door of 50 pounds (220 N).

International Building Code 408.3.3

Spiral stairs. Spiral stairs that conform to the
requirements of Section 1009.8 are permitted for access to
and between staff locations.

International Building Code 408.4

Locks. Egress doors are permitted to be locked in accordance
with the applicable use condition. Doors from an area of
refuge to the exterior are permitted to be locked with a key in
lieu of locking methods described in Section 408.4.1. The keys
to unlock the exterior doors shall be available at all times and
the locks shall be operable from both sides of the door.

Remote release. Remote release of locks on doors
in a means of egress shall be provided with reliable means of
operation, remote from the resident living areas, to release
locks on all required doors. In Occupancy Conditions 3 or 4,
the arrangement, accessibility and security of the release
mechanism(s) required for egress shall be such that with the
minimum available staff at any time, the lock mechanisms
are capable of being released within 2 minutes.
Exception: Provisions for remote locking and unlocking
of occupied rooms in Occupancy Condition 4 are not
required provided that not more than 10 locks are necessary
to be unlocked in order to move occupants from one
smoke compartment to a refuge area within 3 minutes.
The opening of necessary locks shall be accomplished
with not more than two separate keys.

Power-operated doors and locks. Power-operated
sliding doors or power-operated locks for swinging doors
shall be operable by a manual release mechanism at the
door, and either emergency power or a remote mechanical
operating release shall be provided.
Exception: Emergency power is not required in facilities
with 10 locks or less complying with the exception to
Section 408.4.1.

Redundant operation. Remote release, mechanically
operated sliding doors or remote release, mechanically
operated locks shall be provided with a mechanically operated
release mechanism at each door, or shall be provided
with a redundant remote release control.

Relock capability. Doors remotely unlocked under
emergency conditions shall not automatically relock when
closed unless specific action is taken at the remote location
to enable doors to relock.

International Building Code 408.4.1

Remote release. Remote release of locks on doors
in a means of egress shall be provided with reliable means of
operation, remote from the resident living areas, to release
locks on all required doors. In Occupancy Conditions 3 or 4,
the arrangement, accessibility and security of the release
mechanism(s) required for egress shall be such that with the
minimum available staff at any time, the lock mechanisms
are capable of being released within 2 minutes.
Exception: Provisions for remote locking and unlocking
of occupied rooms in Occupancy Condition 4 are not
required provided that not more than 10 locks are necessary
to be unlocked in order to move occupants from one
smoke compartment to a refuge area within 3 minutes.
The opening of necessary locks shall be accomplished
with not more than two separate keys.

International Building Code 408.4.2

Power-operated doors and locks. Power-operated
sliding doors or power-operated locks for swinging doors
shall be operable by a manual release mechanism at the
door, and either emergency power or a remote mechanical
operating release shall be provided.
Exception: Emergency power is not required in facilities
with 10 locks or less complying with the exception to
Section 408.4.1.

International Building Code 408.4.3

Redundant operation. Remote release, mechanically
operated sliding doors or remote release, mechanically
operated locks shall be provided with a mechanically operated
release mechanism at each door, or shall be provided
with a redundant remote release control.

International Building Code 408.4.4

Relock capability. Doors remotely unlocked under
emergency conditions shall not automatically relock when
closed unless specific action is taken at the remote location
to enable doors to relock.

International Building Code 408.5

Vertical openings. Vertical openings shall be enclosed
in accordance with Section 707.
Exception:Afloor opening between floor levels of residential
housing areas is permitted without enclosure protection
between the levels, provided that both of the following conditions
are met:
1. The entire normally occupied areas so interconnected
are open and unobstructed so as to enable observation
of the areas by supervisory personnel.
2. Means of egress capacity is sufficient to provide
simultaneous egress for all occupants from all interconnected
levels and areas.
The height difference between the highest and lowest finished
floor levels shall not exceed 23 feet (7010 mm). Each
story, considered separately, has at least one-half of its individual
required means of egress capacity provided by exits leading
directly out of that story without traversing another story
within the interconnected area.

International Building Code 408.6

Smoke barrier. Occupancies in Group I-3 shall have
smoke barriers complying with Section 709 to divide every
story occupied by residents for sleeping, or any other story having
an occupant load of 50 or more persons, into at least two
smoke compartments.
Exception: Spaces having a direct exit to one of the following,
provided that the locking arrangement of the doors
involved complies with the requirements for doors at the
smoke barrier for the use condition involved:
1. A public way.
2. A building separated from the resident housing area
by a 2-hour fire-resistance-rated assembly or 50 feet
(15 240 mm) of open space.
3. Asecured yard or court having a holding space 50 feet
(15 240 mm) from the housing area that provides 6
square feet (0.56 m2) or more of refuge area per occupant,
including residents, staff and visitors.

Smoke compartments. The maximum number of
residents in any smoke compartment shall be 200. The
travel distance to a door in a smoke barrier from any room
door required as exit access shall not exceed 150 feet (45
720 mm). The travel distance to a door in a smoke barrier
from any point in a room shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960
mm).

Refuge area. At least 6 net square feet (0.56m2) per
occupant shall be provided on each side of each smoke barrier
for the total number of occupants in adjoining smoke
compartments. This space shall be readily available wherever
the occupants are moved across the smoke barrier in a
fire emergency.

Independent egress. A means of egress shall be
provided from each smoke compartment created by smoke
barriers without having to return through the smoke compartment
from which means of egress originates.

International Building Code 408.6.1

Smoke compartments. The maximum number of
residents in any smoke compartment shall be 200. The
travel distance to a door in a smoke barrier from any room
door required as exit access shall not exceed 150 feet (45
720 mm). The travel distance to a door in a smoke barrier
from any point in a room shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960
mm).

International Building Code 408.6.2

Refuge area. At least 6 net square feet (0.56m2) per
occupant shall be provided on each side of each smoke barrier
for the total number of occupants in adjoining smoke
compartments. This space shall be readily available wherever
the occupants are moved across the smoke barrier in a
fire emergency.

International Building Code 408.6.3

Independent egress. A means of egress shall be
provided from each smoke compartment created by smoke
barriers without having to return through the smoke compartment
from which means of egress originates.

International Building Code 408.7

Subdivision of resident housing areas. Sleeping areas
and any contiguous day room, group activity space or other
common spaces where residents are housed shall be separated
from other spaces in accordance with Sections 408.7.1 through
408.7.4.

Occupancy Conditions 3 and 4. Each sleeping
area in Occupancy Conditions 3 and 4 shall be separated
from the adjacent common spaces by a smoke-tight partition
where the travel distance from the sleeping area
through the common space to the corridor exceeds 50 feet
(15 240 mm).

Occupancy Condition 5. Each sleeping area in
Occupancy Condition 5 shall be separated from adjacent
sleeping areas, corridors and common spaces by a smoketight
partition. Additionally, common spaces shall be separated
from the corridor by a smoke-tight partition.

Openings in room face. The aggregate area of
openings in a solid sleeping room face in Occupancy Conditions
2, 3, 4 and 5 shall not exceed 120 square inches (77 419
mm2). The aggregate area shall include all openings including
door undercuts, food passes and grilles. Openings shall
be not more than 36 inches (914 mm) above the floor. In
Occupancy Condition 5, the openings shall be closeable
from the room side.

Smoke-tight doors. Doors in openings in partitions
required to be smoke tight by Section 408.7 shall be substantial
doors, of construction that will resist the passage of
smoke. Latches and door closures are not required on cell
doors.

International Building Code 408.7.1

Occupancy Conditions 3 and 4. Each sleeping
area in Occupancy Conditions 3 and 4 shall be separated
from the adjacent common spaces by a smoke-tight partition
where the travel distance from the sleeping area
through the common space to the corridor exceeds 50 feet
(15 240 mm).

International Building Code sectin 408.3.4

Exit discharge. Exits are permitted to discharge
into a fenced or walled courtyard. Enclosed yards or courts
shall be of a size to accommodate all occupants, a minimum
of 50 feet (15 240 mm) from the building with a net area of
15 square feet (1.4 m2) per person.

International Building Code sectin 408.3.5

Sallyports. A sallyport shall be permitted in a
means of egress where there are provisions for continuous
and unobstructed passage through the sallyport during an
emergency egress condition.