A commercial building has a total floor area of 45,000 sq ft with an occupant load of 300 people. If the building has 4 exit doors, what is the minimum width required for each door assuming equal distribution?
Correct Answer
C) 36 inches
Exit capacity is 0.2 inches per person for doors. 300 people × 0.2 = 60 inches total. 60 ÷ 4 doors = 15 inches per door minimum. However, each door must be at least 32 inches wide, and 36 inches is the practical minimum for commercial applications.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
For commercial egress calculations, the minimum door width is determined by occupant load capacity requirements. With 300 people and 0.2 inches per person capacity factor, total required width is 60 inches. Divided by 4 doors equals 15 inches per door minimum. However, building codes require commercial doors to be at least 32 inches wide, and 36 inches is the standard practical minimum for commercial applications to ensure adequate egress flow and ADA compliance.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 44 inches
44 inches exceeds the required minimum width. While this width would be acceptable, it's unnecessarily wide and not the minimum required. The calculation shows only 15 inches per door is needed for capacity, and 36 inches meets both the code minimum and practical requirements.
Option B: 32 inches
32 inches is the absolute minimum door width allowed by code, but 36 inches is the practical minimum for commercial applications. The 32-inch width, while technically compliant, doesn't provide adequate clearance for normal traffic flow and emergency egress in commercial buildings.
Option D: 48 inches
48 inches is significantly wider than required. While this width would certainly be acceptable for egress, it exceeds both the calculated minimum (15 inches per door) and the practical commercial minimum (36 inches), making it an unnecessarily expensive solution.
Memory Technique
Remember '36 Commercial' - 36 inches is the practical minimum for commercial doors, even when calculations show less capacity is needed.
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