what is the occupancy group for hotel amenities?
ppd exam has one question asking about cellar level with hotel amenities max load, some time amenities would include meeting rm or other assembly space.
in general, do we usually just use the building occupancy group or being specific to the rm?
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Hi @xurubi ,
Great question! I used to do a lot of hospitality design so hopefully I can clear this up!
Hotels are always mixed-use to a certain degree if there is a lobby. The lobby will be an Assembly Use group (A-2) and the guestrooms will be a Residential use group (R-1).
Depending on what amenities are present, the hotel might have other uses as well. For example, a pool or fitness center will be A-3 uses. There might be BOH (back of house) spaces too large to be considered incidental that will be categorized as B uses. Meeting rooms as you’ve mentioned are also A-2.
Typically, hotels are going to be fully suppressed non-separated mixed use.
Remember, the use group and the occupancy loads are similar, but not directly related. You’re looking at Chapter 3 of the IBC for discovering your occupancy classification and use. You’re looking at Chapter 10 table 1004.5 for occupancy load factors to figure out how many occupants are in a given area. I’m thinking the question you are referencing has more to do with table 1004.5 than it does the use groups in Chapter 3. This table describes the occupant load factor based on the function of the space.
Check out Chapter 10 section 1004 - Occupant Load and see if it helps codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2018P5/chapter-10-means-of-egress#IBC2018P5_Ch10_Sec1004
If not, please let me know and I’ll see if I can help clarify further!
-Darion
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I had similar confusion about this practice exam question. Based on the information given, I assumed the building would be classified as mixed use - with the cellar / amenities level being Group B and the hotel rooms on the floors above R-1. (I incorrectly answered that the max occupant load would come from Group B instead of R-2.)
Is there information in the question that should have lead me to assume that this building would be non-separated, and thus subject to the requirements of the most stringent occupancy type?
Should I have assumed that the hotel guests would have to exit through the cellar level (1004.4)?
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Hi @Smith.Marks ,
My appologies for the slow response, I was travelling for a site visit most of this week.
Do you have any idea what form you found this question in? I’m thinking I can give you better advice if I read the question.
Thanks,
Darion
No problem.
It was on Form 3 (question 67).
Hi @coachdarionziegler, thanks for putting this one on my radar! I agree that too many assumptions are required to answer this one accurately, it would make a better case study question where we can provide all of the required information to answer. We’ll replace this question with another.
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