2/ The proposed 2027 IBC will reiterate (Proposal E24-24) that dwelling units can open directly into single stairs, no corridor buffer. The code committee concluded that compartmentation + sprinklers + detection = protection.
If that's true for 4 stories, the incremental risk of 5-6 stories is marginal compared to the protection advantages.
Here's the fundamental question code officials need to answer:
Is it more effective to: → Prevent compartment breach (>96% success rate via sprinklers) → Provide early warning before paths fail (detection) → Clear buildings in 30 seconds before conditions deteriorate (geometry).
Or to: → Provide backup egress after primary paths fail → That may be 250+ feet away through smoke → While occupants queue for 60+ seconds in contaminated corridors.
Redundancy of egress routes seems more necessary when you have more potential for a fire to start and more people requiring more time to evacuate.
Prevention isn't compensation for single egress. Prevention eliminates the scenarios where redundancy would be necessary.
Faster egress also means that most people have evacuated an SES building when the fire department arrives, alleviating stair congestion that inhibits firefighter access.
That's not equivalent safety. That's superior safety.”
