National Building Code of the Philippines

(5) A stairway in a smokeproof enclosure shall not continue below the grade level exit unless an approved barrier is provided at a ground floor level to prevent persons from accidentally walking into the basement. (j) Exit Outlets, Courts, and Passageways Every exit shall discharge into a public way, exit court, or exit passageway. Every exit court shall discharge into a public way or an exit passageway. Passageways shall be without openings other than required exits and shall have walls, floors, and ceilings of the same period of fire- resistance as the walls, floors and ceilings of the building but shall not be less than one-hour fire-resistive construction. (1) Width Every exit court and exit passageway shall be at least as wide as the required total width of the tributary exits, such required width being based on the occupant load served. The required width of exit courts or exit passageway shall be unobstructed except as permitted in corridors. At any point where the width of an exit court is reduced from any cause, the reduction in width shall be affected gradually by a guardrail at least 900 millimeters in height. The guardrail shall make an angle of not more than 30 degrees with the axis of the exit court. (2) Slope The slope of exit courts shall not exceed 1 in 10. The slope of exit passageway shall not exceed 1 in 8. (3) Number of Exits Every exit court shall be provided with exits as required in this Code. (4) Openings All openings into an exit court less than 3.00 meters wide shall be protected by fire assemblies having not less than three-fourth hour fire- resistive rating. Except, that openings more than 3.00 meters above the floor of the exit court may be unprotected. (k) Exit Signs and Illuminations Exits shall be illuminated at any time the building is occupied with light having an intensity of not less than 10.7 lux at floor level: Except, that for Group A Occupancies, the exit illumination shall be provided with separate circuits or separated sources of power (but not necessarily separate from exit signs when these are required for exit signs illumination). (1) Aisles Every portion of every building in which are installed seats, tables, merchandise, equipment, or similar materials shall be provided with aisles leading to an exit. (1) Width Every aisle shall be not less than 800 millimeters wide if serving only one side, and not less than 1 meter wide if serving both sides. Such minimum width shall be measured at the point farthest from an exit, cross aisle, or foyer and shall be increased by 30 millimeters for every meters in length towards the exit, cross aisle or foyer. (2) Exit Distance In areas occupied by seats and in Groups H and I Occupancies without seats, the line travel to an exit door by an aisle shall be not more than 45.00 meters. With standard spacing, as specified in this Code, aisles shall be so located that there will be not more than seven seats between the wall and an aisle and not more than fourteen seats between aisles. The number of seats between aisles may be increased to 30 where exit doors are provided along each side aisle of the row of seats at the rate of one pair of exit doors for every five rows of seats, provided further that the distance between seats back to back is at least one meter. Such exit doors shall provide a minimum clear width of 1.70 meters. (3) Cross Aisles Aisles shall terminate in a cross aisle, foyer, or exit. The width of the cross aisle shall be not less than the sum of the required width of the widest aisle plus fifty percent of the total required width of the remaining aisle leading thereto. In Groups C, H and E Occupancies, aisles shall not be provided a dead end greater than 6.00 meters in length. (4) Vomitories Vomitories connecting the foyer or main exit with the cross aisles shall have a total width not less than the sum of the required width of the widest aisles leading thereto plus fifty percent of the total required width of the remaining aisles leading thereto. (5) Slope The slope portion of aisle shall not exceed a fall 1 in 8. (m) Seats (1) Seat Spacing With standard seating, the spacing of rows of seats from back-to-back shall not less than 840 millimeters. With continental seating, the spacing of rows of unoccupied seat shall provide a clear width measured horizontally, as follows: 450 millimeters clear for rows of 18 seats or less; 500 millimeters clear for rows of 35 seats or less; 525 millimeters clear for rows of 45 seats or less; and 550 millimeters clear for rows of 46 seats or more. (2) Width The width if any seat be not less than 450 millimeters. (n) Reviewing Stands, Grandstands, and Bleachers. (1) Height of Stands Stands made of combustible framing shall be limited to 11 rows or 2.70 meters in height. (2) Design Requirements The minimum unit live load for reviewing stands, grandstands, and bleachers shall be 500 kilograms per square meter of horizontal projection for the structure as a whole. Seat and footboards shall be 180 kilograms per linear meter. The sway force, applied to seats, shall be 35 kilograms per linear meter parallel to the seats and 15 kilograms per linear meter perpendicular to the seats. Sway forces need not to be applied simultaneously with other lateral forces. (3) Spacing Seats (3.1) Row spacing The minimum spacing of rows of seats measured from back-to-back shall be: 600 millimeters for seats without backrests in open air stands; 750 millimeters for seats with backrests, and 850 millimeters for chair seating. There shall be a space of not less than 300 millimeters between the back of each seat and the front of the seat immediately behind it. (3.2) Rise Between Rows The maximum rise from one row of seats to the next shall not exceed 400 millimeters. (3.3) Seating Capacity For determining the seating capacity of a stand the width of any seat shall not be less than 450 millimeters nor more than 480 millimeters. (3.4) Number of Seats Between Aisles The number of seats between any seat and an aisle shall not be greater than 15 for open air stands with seats without backrests in buildings. (4) Aisles (4.1) Aisles Required Aisles shall be provided in all stands: except, that aisles may be omitted when all the following conditions exists; Seats are without backrests; the rise from row to row does not exceed 300 millimeters per row; the number of rows does not exceed 11 in height; the top seating board is not over 3.00 meters above grade; and the first seating board is not more than 500 millimeters above grade. (4.2) Obstructions No obstruction shall be placed in the required width of any aisle or exitway. (4.3) Stairs Required When an aisle is elevated more than 200 millimeters above grade, the aisle shall be provided with a stairway or ramp whose width is not less than the width of the aisle. (4.4) Dead End No vertical aisle shall have a dead end more than 16 rows in depth regardless of the number of exits required. (4.5) Width Aisles shall have a minimum width of 1.10 meters. (5) Stairs and Ramps The requirements in this Code shall apply to all stairs and ramps except for portions that pass through the seating area.