Room Capacity Calculator Fire Code

Knowing how to determine the total occupant load of a building is an integral part in determining if the building meets that basic concept.

Room capacity calculator fire code.

To calculate a room s maximum occupancy determine factors such as the area of the room the available space in the room the number of useful exits and the height of the ceiling. Like the winecoff hotel fire the cocoanut grove nightclub fire brought about some major changes in safety standards and building codes. If you measured the room in sections add up the square feet of each section. Rounding down the safer bet since the fire marshal will always play it safe by allowing a smaller maximum occupancy that room should be able to hold 55 people.

That is the logical and true answer. Calculate a basic estimation of a room s maximum occupancy by dividing the available floor space in square feet by 36. Legally the club was only authorized to have a maximum of 460 people in it there was only one other such event fire at chicago s iroquois theater in 1903 that had a higher death toll 602 people. A fundamental concept of model building codes fire codes and life safety codes is that a means of egress is designed to accommodate all occupants of a building.

State fire marshal guidance for estimating occupant capacity during covid 19 the following guidance can be used to help estimate the occupant capacity for certain businesses and establishments as permitted by the governor s supplemental proclamation dated april 27 2020. Calculate the occupancy count for the specific occupancy use. The use to which the room is to be put 2. The occupant load factors used for each room come from table 7 3 1 2 in nfpa 101 life safety code.

The number size and location of the available exits. 75 ft 5 ft x 50 ft 5 ft 70 ft x 45 ft 70 ft x 45 ft 3 150 ft 2 3 150 ft 2 15 ft per person 210. Divide the square footage by 36. Anon947614 april 26 2014.

This square footage per person varies significantly depending on the type of building and can be found in section 1004 of the international fire code. The method involves two separate calculations. In the example above divide 2 000 by 36 to get 55 55. Call center 50 ft x 25 ft 1 250 ft 2 1 250 ft2 50 ft2 per person 25 people conference room subtract cabinets.

To estimate the occupancy of a space divide the square footage of the room by the square footage required per person. Most all of the answers to the comments are in the building and fire codes.