2.2.7 Exterior Vertical Circulation | Chicago Public Schools

Planning Rationale

Exterior vertical circulation includes, but is not limited to: Exterior Stairs, Exterior Ladders and Fire Escapes. All renovation and new construction shall refer to the related Accessibility and applicable Code requirements.

For all new and renovated Stairs refer to the ADA Detail Standard Sheets and for new and renovated Ladders, refer to New Construction Guidelines: Volume 3, Chapter 2.1.5 Roof and Parapet.

Exterior Stairs

Repair and renovation scope at exterior stairs shall be based on the condition of the existing stairs. The stairs shall be repaired in place whenever possible with new materials to match the existing construction.

Typical elements to consider when evaluating existing Exterior Stairs:

Exterior stairs at existing buildings are typically concrete or stone and occasionally steel. All stairs shall be reviewed for settling and damage.

Concrete: Concrete stairs shall be examined for spalling, cracking, settling, and breakage. When concrete stairs are being replaced, existing foundation shall be removed and replaced in its entirety.
Stone: Stone stairs shall be examined for spalling, cracking, settling, and breakage. Stone steps often have non-conforming nosing details but may be retained if other accessible entrances exist or can be provided. Often, original steps are solid slabs which serve as both treads and risers and frequently have masonry foundation walls. When original stone steps have settled, foundations may require replacement prior to resetting the existing steps.

Determine if stairs only require repairs or if they are in a condition which warrants full replacement. If stairs require full replacement, they shall be made fully accessible and Code compliant. When replacement is required, review existing tread and riser dimensions to confirm that the dimensions meet Code requirements and that the nosing profiles are compliant.

In older facilities, stone cheek walls often serve as low guards to cap edges of exterior stairs. These are often cracked or have settled. Determine the extent of damage and whether repair or replacement is required. Review original drawings to determine how walls are structurally supported. When stairs are being replaced in conjunction with a new ADA compliance accessible ramp, remove existing cheek walls and provide new concrete cheek walls.

Exterior Ladders

For roof replacement projects and interior renovation projects, evaluate locations and conditions of existing ladders and ships ladders. Evaluate the condition of the anchorage, rungs, extensions and, in some cases, security gate. Identify any locations where ladders may be added or removed. Determine if repairs are feasible if full replacement is required. Compliant roof access is required with roof replacement projects. Please note that safety cages are no longer acceptable for new ladder assemblies.

Fire Escapes

Existing fire escapes are exterior egress stairs mounted to building façades and are permitted to remain, however, a Code analysis shall be performed to determine if the building includes adequate exiting provisions or if it requires maintaining the existing fire escape to satisfy exiting requirements.

Typical elements to consider when evaluating existing Fire Escapes:

There are three frequently found existing conditions related to the access route from the interior to the exit door leading to the fire escape:

Directly from a corridor to the exit door of the fire escape
Exiting from a corridor that requires passing through an intervening room to reach the exit door of the fire escape
Directly from a classroom/room to the exit door of the fire escape that serves only that room

The most problematic existing condition is #2 listed above, because it requires that the room remain unlocked at all times posing a security concern in classrooms. In these situations, an alternate path of travel (POT) shall be provided that configures the exiting sequence to be direct to the exterior from the corridor.