A room or space used for assembly purposes that contains seats, tables, displays, equipment or other material shall comply with this section.
Exception: Group A occupancies within Group I-3 facilities are exempt from egress requirements of Section 1029.
Group A occupancies or assembly occupancies accessory to Group E occupancies that have an occupant load of 100 or more and 300 or less, shall have not less than one of the required means of egress directly to an exit, or through a lobby, that is not used to access the other required exit, to an exit, or to a 1-hour rated corridor to an exit or continuous through a 1-hour rated lobby to an exit. Not less than one exit shall discharge on a street or an unoccupied space of not less than 20 feet (6096 mm) in capacity that adjoins a street or public way.
The required capacity in inches (mm) of the aisles for assembly seating without smoke protection shall be not less than the occupant load served by the egress element in accordance with all of the following, as applicable:
- Not less than 0.3 inch (7.6 mm) of aisle capacity for each occupant served shall be provided on stepped aisles having riser heights 7 inches (178 mm) or less and tread depths 11 inches (279 mm) or greater, measured horizontally between tread nosings.
- Not less than 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) of additional aisle capacity for each occupant shall be provided for each 0.10 inch (2.5mm) of riser height above 7 inches (178 mm).
- Where egress requires stepped aisle descent, not less than 0.075 inch (1.9 mm) of additional aisle capacity for each occupant shall be provided on those portions of aisle capacity having no handrail within a horizontal distance of 30 inches (762 mm).
- Ramped aisles, where slopes are steeper than one unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (8-percent slope), shall have not less than 0.22 inch (5.6 mm) of clear aisle capacity for each occupant served. Level or ramped aisles, where slopes are not steeper than one unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (8-percent slope), shall have not less than 0.20 inch (5.1 mm) of clear aisle capacity for each occupant served.
The required capacity in inches (mm) of the aisle for smoke-protected assembly seating shall be not less than the occupant load served by the egress element multiplied by the appropriate factor in Table 1029.6.2. The total number of seats specified shall be those within the space exposed to the same smoke-protected environment. Interpolation is permitted between the specific values shown. A life safety evaluation, complying with NFPA 101, shall be done for a facility utilizing the reduced width requirements of Table 1029.6.2 for smoke-protected assembly seating.
Exception: For outdoor smoke-protected assembly seating with an occupant load not greater than 18,000, the required capacity in inches (mm) shall be determined using the factors in Section 1029.6.3.
[BE] TABLE 1029.6.2
| TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE SMOKE-PROTECTED ASSEMBLY SEATING | INCHES OF CAPACITY PER SEAT SERVED | |||
| Stepped aisles with handrails within 30 inches | Stepped aisles without handrails within 30 inches | Level aisles or ramped aisles not steeper than 1 in 10 in slope | Ramped aisles steeper than 1 in 10 in slope | |
| Equal to or less than 5,000 | 0.200 | 0.250 | 0.150 | 0.165 |
| 10,000 | 0.130 | 0.163 | 0.100 | 0.110 |
| 15,000 | 0.096 | 0.120 | 0.070 | 0.077 |
| 20,000 | 0.076 | 0.095 | 0.056 | 0.062 |
| Equal to or greater than 25,000 | 0.060 | 0.075 | 0.044 | 0.048 |
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
A smoke-protected assembly seating area with a roof shall have the lowest portion of the roof deck not less than 15 feet (4572 mm) above the highest aisle or aisle accessway.
Exception: A roof canopy in an outdoor stadium shall be permitted to be less than 15 feet (4572 mm) above the highest aisle or aisle accessway provided that there are no objects less than 80 inches (2032 mm) above the highest aisle or aisle accessway.
Enclosed areas with walls and ceilings in buildings or structures containing smoke-protected assembly seating shall be protected with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.
Exceptions:
- The floor area used for contests, performances or entertainment provided the roof construction is more than 50 feet (15 240 mm) above the floor level and the use is restricted to low fire hazard uses.
- Press boxes and storage facilities less than 1,000 square feet (93 m2) in area.
- Outdoor seating facilities where seating and the means of egress in the seating area are essentially open to the outside.
The required capacity in inches (mm) of aisles shall be not less than the total occupant load served by the egress element multiplied by 0.08 (2.0 mm) where egress is by stepped aisle and multiplied by 0.06 (1.52 mm) where egress is by level aisles and ramped aisles.
Exception: The required capacity in inches (mm) of aisles shall be permitted to comply with Section 1029.6.2 for the number of seats in the outdoor smoke-protected assembly seating where Section 1029.6.2 permits less capacity.
See Section 907.2.1.3.
- Areas containing less than 5,000 square feet (465 m2) of usable floor space shall be provided with 6 feet (1829 mm) wide aisles arranged so as not to exceed the distance of travel requirements of this section.
- Areas containing 5,000 to 30,000 square feet (465 m2 to 2787 m2) of usable floor space shall be provided with 8 feet (2438 mm) wide aisles arranged so as to not exceed the distance of travel requirements of this section.
- Areas containing more than 30,000 square feet (2787 m2) of usable floor space shall be provided with 10 feet (3048 mm) wide aisles arranged so as to not exceed the distance of travel requirements of this section.
- Aisles that are provided for the convenience of persons in attendance and are not required for exit purposes may be reduced below the required aisle width by 2 feet (610 mm).
Exits and aisles shall be so located that the travel distance to an exit door shall be not greater than 200 feet (60 960 mm) measured along the line of travel in nonsprinklered buildings. Travel distance shall be not more than 250 feet (76 200 mm) in sprinklered buildings. Where aisles are provided for seating, the distance shall be measured along the aisles and aisle accessways without travel over or on the seats.
Exceptions:
- Smoke-protected assembly seating: The travel distance from each seat to the nearest entrance to a vomitory or concourse shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm). The travel distance from the entrance to the vomitory or concourse to a stairway, ramp or walk on the exterior of the building shall not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm).
- Open-air seating: The travel distance from each seat to the building exterior shall not exceed 400 feet (122 m). The travel distance shall not be limited in facilities of Type I or II construction.
The common path of egress travel shall not exceed 30 feet (9144 mm) from any seat to a point where an occupant has a choice of two paths of egress travel to two exits.
Exceptions:
- For areas serving less than 50 occupants, the common path of egress travel shall not exceed 75 feet (22 860 mm).
- For smoke-protected assembly seating, the common path of egress travel shall not exceed 50 feet (15 240 mm).
Where one of the two paths of travel is across the aisle through a row of seats to another aisle, there shall be not more than 24 seats between the two aisles, and the minimum clear width between rows for the row between the two aisles shall be 12 inches (305 mm) plus 0.6 inch (15.2 mm) for each additional seat above seven in the row between aisles.
Exception: For smoke-protected assembly seating there shall be not more than 40 seats between the two aisles and the minimum clear width shall be 12 inches (305 mm) plus 0.3 inch (7.6 mm) for each additional seat.