Mayor’s Office on Disability City and County of San Francisco Discussion of Common Design and Construction Errors

Subjects Covered Today Building Interior  Doors  Signage  Stairways  Toilets  Operating Mechanisms Exterior Accessibility  Walks  Gates  Projecting Objects  Ramps

Interior of Building  Doors  Signage  Stairways  Toilets  Operating Mechanisms

Effort to Operate Doors-Closers 1133B.2.5, Title 24  Interior and Exterior doors now must operate with 5 pounds of force.  Exception for required fire doors. They may require up to 15 pounds, but only if necessary to close and latch.

Door Closers- Problems  Door closers are frequently installed on doors for no apparent reason. Generally, only fire- rated doors require them.  Large glass and / or steel doors are too heavy to meet code mandated pressure.  Floor mounted closers may be difficult to adjust to required pressure.

Door Closers - Solution  Compensating devices or automatic door operators may be installed on most doors in lieu of the door pressure limits.

Door Swing Clearances 1133B.2.4.2, Title 24

Common Door Obstructions  Door is placed too close to columns or pilasters.  Door is placed in thick masonry or concrete walls and inset more than 8 inches from either face of wall.  Door is placed in alcove and offset in wall is less than 18 or 24 inches due to framing error.

Door Swing Obstructed by Column Column

Door Swing Obstructed by Pilaster

Doors in Thick Walls or Alcoves Swing Side

Doors in Thick Walls or Alcoves Push Side

Gates 1133B.1.1.4, Title 24  All gates, including ticket gates, shall meet all applicable requirements for doors.  Smooth 10 inch panel required at the bottom on the push side.  Lever hardware is required.  Level landings and swing clearances.

Accessible Gates- Problems  Chain link fence and tubular steel gates lack smooth 10 inch kick plate at the bottom on the push side. Sheet metal must be added.  Metal gates lack accessible hardware. Traditional lift –and- swivel gate hardware is not allowed. Lever hardware is available.  Level landings and swing clearances frequently lacking in exterior locations.

Required Tactile Signs  Permanent Room Identification Signs  Tactile Exit Signs  Tactile Stair Level Identification Signs

Location of Tactile Signs 1117B.5.7, Title 24  Next to doors, not on them  Tactile elements centered 60 inches above the floor  Tactile elements centered laterally 9 inches from the door jamb

Permanent Room Identification 1117B.5.1.2, Title 24 Permanent portion must be tactile.

Tactile EXIT Signs , CBC  At grade level exterior exit doors

Tactile EXIT ROUTE Signs , Title 24  At doors leading to a grade-level exterior exit by means of an exit enclosure or passageway.

Tactile EXIT ROUTE Signs , Title 24  At doors from an interior room or space to a corridor that is required to have visual exit signs.  Rooms having an occupant load of over 49 need this sign.

Tactile Stair Level ID Signs , Title 24  Inside all enclosed exit stairways at each floor level next to stairway doors.  All buildings two or more stories in height.

Tactile Stair Level ID Signs  When located at the exit floor, a raised five pointed star must be added to the left of the numeral.  The star must be the same height as the numeral. Suggest 2 inch height.

Stairway Handrail Extensions 1133B.4.1, Title 24  Extension at the top landing is equal to 12 inches.  Extension at the bottom landing is equal to one tread width plus 12 inches.  Bottom extension must continue 12 inches before leveling off.  There is no provision for bending stair handrail extensions.

Stairway Handrail Extensions

Handrail Extensions-Problems  Stair is not designed so that handrail extensions can extend the full length without bending 90 degrees.  Bottom extension of handrails do not travel 12 inches before leveling off.

Stairway Handrail Extensions X

Small Toilet Rooms – Problems 1115B.7.1, Title 24  The clear space between the side of the toilet bowl and the side of the lavatory is not 28 inches.  There is no level space inside the room for a wheelchair measuring 30 by 48 inches to park and which allows the door to close.  The door to the room swings over the clear floor space for a plumbing fixture.

Fixture Clearance Inside Small Toilet Rooms Room must be 81 inches wide to comply

In-Swinging Door at Toilet Stall or Room

Controls and Operating Mechanisms 1117B, Title 24  Controls must be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist.  Controls for heating, ventilating and air conditioning must be accessible if under the control of occupants.  Unless HVAC is centrally operated or the thermostats are in lock boxes, they must comply.

Exterior and Site Issues  Site Slopes and Cross Slopes  Gates (Already Covered)  Projecting and Overhanging Objects  Ramps

Exterior Site-Slopes 1133B.7, Title 24  Site slopes must be worked out so that exterior doors have level landings and connect to accessible paths.  Walkways connecting accessible entrances and other features cannot slope more than 5% in the direction of travel or have cross slopes exceeding 2%.

Exterior Site-Ramp Slope 1133B.5.3, Title 24  Architects and other designers commonly specify ramps with a slope of 1:12.  Problem: This sets the contractor up for failure. Given the tolerances inherent in concrete forming, portions of the ramp will exceed 1:12.

Projecting & Overhanging Objects 1133B.8.2 & 1133B.8.6, Title 24  Obstructions overhanging a pedestrian’s way must be at least 80 inches above the walking surface.  Objects projecting from walls more than 4 inches with leading edges between 27 and 80 inches high are prohibited without a barrier underneath.

Projecting & Overhanging Objects

Examples of Projecting Objects  Seismic braces  Stair or escalator runs overhead  Old style fire dept. connection standpipes on building façades.  Equipment panels or fire extinguisher cabinets in corridors  Equipment racks in parking garages  Dropped soffits

Credits  Signage graphics are from “Accessible Signs and Wayfinding”, prepared by Sharon Toji for the Division of the State Architect