 Let's see what is on thinking man's mind today. What is an exit device? How many do I need? And what separation is required? Oh, wow. You're really pushing your luck thinking man. That's three questions in one. Let's see what I can do to help clear up your confusion. There are many misunderstandings of what an exit is. Here are a couple of them. I thought that just exterior doors were exits. While exterior doors are considered exits, there are far more elements of a building that constitute an exit. And this one. I thought that all doors that require an exit device were an exit. This is not really close. As many doors that require an exit device are exit access doors. We'll talk about exit access doors. In a future session of code corner for now, let's focus on the exit. I will be basing my answer using references from IBC 2015. Other additions are similar. Always consult your stay and local code as well. In chapter two, the definition of means of egress is a continuous and unobstructed path of both vertical and horizontal egress travels. From any occupied portion of a building or structure to a public way. A means of egress consists of three separate and distinct parts. The exit access, which is that portion of a means of egress that leads from an occupied space to an exit. The exit. Is from the exit access. To the exit discharge. And. It includes exit components like exterior exit doors at the level of exit discharge. Interior exit stairways and ramps. Exit passageways. Exterior exit stairways and ramps. And horizontal exits. And the exit discharge, which is from the termination of an exit to a public way or safety. A horizontal exit is an exit component. Consisting of fire resistance rated walls floors and ceilings. And fire rated door openings. It is intended to compartmentalize portions of a large building. Into. Smaller compartments of no more than 22,500 square feet. Thereby creating refuge areas that afford safety from the fire and smoke from the area of fire origin. We have a horizontal exit on the screen. It's that double egress door in that fire barrier. And it separates compartment A from compartment B. If there's a fire in compartment A. Thinking man has to get to the nearest exit, which is the horizontal exit. And once he crosses through. He's doing backflips because he knows he's safe. And now he can continue. His path over to exit door three, which is a vertical exit, the stair and make his way out of the building. The minimum number of exits or exit access per story or space with an occupant load of one to 500 people. Is two minimum. 501 to 1000. You need three. And more than 1000. You're required to have a minimum of four exits. But remember the IBC is an exceptional code. And there are many, many exceptions that do allow for one exit or exit access. That will depend on the occupancy type. Common path of travel and whether the building has a full sprinkler system among other things. For calculating occupant loads, egress widths and determining what code compliant hardware is required. You can use the free also obloy egress calculator tool. I will post a link in the comments below this video. When a room or a space is required to have two exits or exit access. They must be separated by half of the diagonal of the room to any point on the door. Here are a few examples. Being an exceptional code like the IBC. It allows the separation to be recognized. It allows the separation to be reduced to one third of the diagonal when the building is fully sprinkler. Whenever you see a pair of doors or a group of doors close to each other like this. Remember to consider that this is one exit. Not four. Sometimes doors are in pairs to move large equipment through. But sometimes they are required to be pairs or multiple leaves because of the total occupant load of the area that it's been served. Remember that really cool egress calculator link that I put in the comments below. That can help you with this. For more information and continuing education opportunities, please visit also obloy academy by clicking on the link in the comments below. Please click like and subscribe to this channel. And you can follow me on Twitter at our consultant and or connect with me on LinkedIn for updates. You can email me code questions if you would like to see one featured in a future edition of code corner, or just email me code questions in general at Catherine dot flower at Ossovloy.com. Thanks for joining me in the code corner today. My name is Katie flower and my goal is to help you achieve safe purity in the built environment.