2006 New York Code - Corridors.

 
    §  27-369  Corridors.  Corridors  shall be kept readily accessible and
  unobstructed at all times. Corridors shall be kept free  of  combustible
  contents  except that in buildings classified in occupancy groups G, H-1
  and H-2, combustible contents may be stored  in  noncombustible  lockers
  and  combustible  bulletin  boards meeting the requirements of table 5-4
  shall be permitted.
    (a) Capacity. The capacity and minimum width of corridors shall be  as
  listed  in  table  6-1. Width shall be measured in the clear between the
  narrowest points produced by any projections such as radiators, lockers,
  drinking fountains, or room or locker  door  swings,  except  that  such
  width  may  be  reduced by projections up to eighteen inches wide to the
  extent of two inches per unit of exit width if the total  area  of  such
  projections  does  not  exceed  five per cent of the area of the wall on
  which they occur.
    (b) Height. Corridors shall have a clear  height  of  seven  feet  six
  inches  for  at  least  seventy-five per cent of the floor area, with no
  point less than seven feet in height. No projection  below  the  ceiling
  shall be located so as to obstruct full view of exit signs.
    (c)  Length.  Corridors  shall  be  subdivided  by  smoke barriers, as
  defined in subchapter two, into the following lengths:
    Educational occupancy group G....................300 ft.
    Institutional occupancy groups H-1 and H-2.......150 ft.
    Residential occupancy groups J-1 and J-2.........150 ft.
    Where smoke barriers are penetrated by  doors,  such  doors  shall  be
  smoke  stop  doors in conformance with subdivision (c) of section 27-371
  of this article.
    (d) Dead ends. Dead ends in corridors  shall  not  exceed  the  length
  listed  in  table  6-1,  except  that  in  all  occupancy  groups except
  occupancy  group  H,  when  a  corridor  is   completely   enclosed   in
  construction having a two hour fire-resistance rating, with all corridor
  doors  being self-closing and having a fire protection rating of one and
  one-half hours, the permissible length of dead ends may be increased one
  hundred per cent above the length listed in table 6-1. Dead end distance
  shall be measured from the centerline of the door opening nearest to the
  closed end of the corridor to the center of an exit door opening, or the
  center of that point in the corridor where travel to two or  more  exits
  becomes available in two directions.
    (e)  Changes in level. Changes in level requiring less than two risers
  in a corridor shall be by a ramp complying with section 27-377  of  this
  article.  Risers  and  treads  shall  comply  with  the  requirements of
  subdivision (e) of section 27-375 of this article.
    (f) Exterior corridors. Exterior corridors shall be roofed, and  shall
  have  solid  floors  drained to prevent accumulations of standing water.
  Such floors may serve as fire canopies  when  so  constructed.  Exterior
  corridors  shall  be  protected  along  their  outer  side  by guards or
  parapets at least three feet six inches  high.  Openings  in  guards  or
  parapets shall be of such dimensions as to prevent the passage of a five
  inch  dia.  ball.  Where  the outer side of an exterior corridor is more
  than fifty per cent enclosed with solid material, it shall be treated as
  an interior corridor.
    (g) Balconies. Balconies may serve as a means of egress from  dwelling
  units in buildings classified in occupancy group J-2 under the following
  conditions:
    (1) They shall serve at least two dwelling units.
    (2)  They  shall  be  constructed  as required for exterior corridors,
  except that parapets or guards shall not be higher than four feet on the
  outer side of the balcony.


    (3) The dwelling units served by balconies  shall  be  separated  from
  each  other  by  construction having at least a two hour fire resistance
  rating.  Such separation shall extend at least  three  feet  beyond  the
  outside  face  of  the  exterior  wall  of  the  building, although such
  projection  may  be  reduced  to  two  feet six inches provided that any
  window opening on each such balcony served by the fire separation  shall
  be at least two inches from such fire separation for every one inch that
  such  separation  is  less than thirty-six inches.   An opening at least
  twenty inches wide shall be provided between the end of this  separation
  and  the  balcony  parapet or guard, and the opening shall be maintained
  free and unobstructed for the full height of the  balcony,  except  that
  privacy  screens  openable  from  either  side  may  be permitted in the
  opening.
    (4) Access from dwelling units to the balconies shall be through doors
  having glass panels at least two feet wide and four feet  high,  without
  muntins,  screens, or other obstructions to hinder entry by breaking the
  glass panels. The doors shall  be  lockable  only  from  the  inside  by
  devices  that can be easily released from the outside after breaking the
  glass. A combination lock or lock required to be  opened  by  a  key  or
  removable device or tool shall not be used.
    (h) Construction.
    (1)   Interior  corridors.  Interior  corridors  shall  be  completely
  enclosed within fire separations to provide  a  minimum  fire-resistance
  rating  of  one  hour  except  as  otherwise provided in subparagraphs a
  through c of this paragraph:
    a. For buildings or spaces classified in occupancy group J-1 or J-2 of
  combustible construction group  II  exceeding  two  stories  in  height,
  except  for buildings not exceeding three stories in height and occupied
  exclusively by not more than one family on each story without  boarders,
  roomers  or lodgers, corridors shall be enclosed within fire separations
  providing a minimum fire-resistance rating of two hours.
    b. Corridor partitions may be omitted or may be constructed of unrated
  noncombustible material in buildings  in  occupancy  group  H-2  in  the
  following  instances: nurses' stations not exceeding three hundred fifty
  square feet in area, waiting spaces, lounges and recreational spaces for
  patients and visitors which do not exceed five hundred  square  feet  in
  area,  spaces  used  solely  for public telephones, and all other spaces
  which are completely protected by  an  automatic  wet  sprinkler  system
  complying  with the construction requirements of subchapter seventeen of
  this code.
    c. Corridor partitions may be omitted in spaces of occupancy group H-1
  used for detention of persons under legal restraint.
    (2) Exterior corridors and balconies. Exterior corridors and balconies
  shall be constructed of noncombustible materials. (i)  Borrowed  lights.
  No  operable  transoms  shall  be  permitted  in  walls of corridors. In
  corridors required to have a  one  hour  fire-resistance  rating,  fixed
  one-quarter  inch  wire  glass  panels may be installed in not more than
  twenty percent of the common wall between the corridor and any  room  or
  space, provided that no panel exceeds seven hundred twenty square inches
  in  area;  however, openings permitted in paragraph three of subdivision
  (h) of section 27-370 of this article may be permitted provided  all  of
  the  limitations and requirements specified in that section are complied
  with, except that openings in corridor walls serving as  fire  divisions
  required  to  have  a  fire-resistance  rating shall be limited to those
  specified in section 27-342 of article five of subchapter five  of  this
  chapter.
    (j)  Ventilation. Corridors shall be ventilated in accordance with the
  requirements of subchapter twelve of this chapter. Corridors  shall  not


  be  used as open plenums or as ducts to exhaust air from rooms or spaces
  opening upon them, except as permitted in reference standard RS 13-1.
    (k)  Interior  finish.  The  interior  finish of corridors shall be in
  accordance with the requirements of table 5-4.