Mayor’s Office on Disability

City and County of San Francisco

Discussion of Common Design and

Construction Errors
Subjects Covered Today
Building Interior Exterior Accessibility
 Doors  Walks
 Signage  Gates
 Stairways  Projecting Objects
 Toilets  Ramps
 Operating Mechanisms
Interior of Building
 Doors
 Signage
 Stairways
 Toilets
 Operating Mechanisms
Effort to Operate Doors-Closers
1133B.2.5, Title 24

 Interior and Exterior doors now must operate

with 5 pounds of force.

 Exception for required fire doors. They may

require up to 15 pounds, but only if
necessary to close and latch.
Door Closers- Problems
 Door closers are frequently installed on
doors for no apparent reason. Generally, only
fire- rated doors require them.
 Large glass and / or steel doors are too
heavy to meet code mandated pressure.
 Floor mounted closers may be difficult to
adjust to required pressure.
Door Closers - Solution
 Compensating devices or automatic door
operators may be installed on most doors in
lieu of the door pressure limits.
Door Swing Clearances
1133B.2.4.2, Title 24
Common Door Obstructions
 Door is placed too close to columns or
pilasters.
 Door is placed in thick masonry or concrete
walls and inset more than 8 inches from
either face of wall.
 Door is placed in alcove and offset in wall is
less than 18 or 24 inches due to framing
error.
Door Swing Obstructed by
Column
Column
Door Swing Obstructed by
Pilaster
Doors in Thick Walls or Alcoves
Swing Side
Doors in Thick Walls or Alcoves
Push Side
Gates
1133B.1.1.4, Title 24

 All gates, including ticket gates, shall meet

all applicable requirements for doors.
 Smooth 10 inch panel required at the bottom
on the push side.
 Lever hardware is required.
 Level landings and swing clearances.
Accessible Gates- Problems
 Chain link fence and tubular steel gates lack
smooth 10 inch kick plate at the bottom on
the push side. Sheet metal must be added.
 Metal gates lack accessible hardware.
Traditional lift –and- swivel gate hardware is
not allowed. Lever hardware is available.
 Level landings and swing clearances
frequently lacking in exterior locations.
Required Tactile Signs

 Permanent Room Identification Signs

 Tactile Exit Signs

 Tactile Stair Level Identification Signs

Location of Tactile Signs
1117B.5.7, Title 24

 Next to doors, not on

them
 Tactile elements
centered 60 inches
above the floor
 Tactile elements
centered laterally 9
inches from the door
jamb
Permanent Room Identification
1117B.5.1.2, Title 24

Permanent portion must be tactile.

Tactile EXIT Signs
1003.2.8.6.1.1, CBC

 At grade level exterior

exit doors
Tactile EXIT ROUTE Signs
1003.2.8.6.1.3, Title 24

 At doors leading to a
grade-level exterior exit
by means of an exit
enclosure or
passageway.
Tactile EXIT ROUTE Signs
1003.2.8.6.1.4, Title 24

 At doors from an
interior room or space
to a corridor that is
required to have visual
exit signs.
 Rooms having an
occupant load of over
49 need this sign.
Tactile Stair Level ID Signs
1003.3.3.13.1, Title 24

 Inside all enclosed exit

stairways at each floor
level next to stairway
doors.
 All buildings two or
more stories in height.
Tactile Stair Level ID Signs
 When located at the
exit floor, a raised five
pointed star must be
added to the left of the
numeral.
 The star must be the
same height as the
numeral. Suggest 2
inch height.
Stairway Handrail Extensions
1133B.4.1, Title 24

 Extension at the top landing is equal to 12

inches.
 Extension at the bottom landing is equal to
one tread width plus 12 inches.
 Bottom extension must continue 12 inches
before leveling off.
 There is no provision for bending stair
handrail extensions.
Stairway Handrail Extensions
Handrail Extensions-Problems
 Stair is not designed so that handrail
extensions can extend the full length without
bending 90 degrees.
 Bottom extension of handrails do not travel
12 inches before leveling off.
Stairway Handrail Extensions

X
Small Toilet Rooms – Problems
1115B.7.1, Title 24

 The clear space between the side of the toilet

bowl and the side of the lavatory is not 28
inches.
 There is no level space inside the room for a
wheelchair measuring 30 by 48 inches to
park and which allows the door to close.
 The door to the room swings over the clear
floor space for a plumbing fixture.
Fixture Clearance Inside Small
Toilet Rooms

Room must be 81
inches wide to comply
In-Swinging Door at Toilet Stall
or Room
Controls and Operating Mechanisms
1117B, Title 24

 Controls must be operable with one hand and

not require tight grasping, pinching or
twisting of the wrist.
 Controls for heating, ventilating and air
conditioning must be accessible if under the
control of occupants.
 Unless HVAC is centrally operated or the
thermostats are in lock boxes, they must
comply.
Exterior and Site Issues
 Site Slopes and Cross Slopes
 Gates (Already Covered)
 Projecting and Overhanging Objects
 Ramps
Exterior Site-Slopes
1133B.7, Title 24

 Site slopes must be worked out so that

exterior doors have level landings and
connect to accessible paths.
 Walkways connecting accessible entrances
and other features cannot slope more than
5% in the direction of travel or have cross
slopes exceeding 2%.
Exterior Site-Ramp Slope
1133B.5.3, Title 24

 Architects and other designers commonly

specify ramps with a slope of 1:12.
 Problem: This sets the contractor up for
failure. Given the tolerances inherent in
concrete forming, portions of the ramp will
exceed 1:12.
Projecting & Overhanging
Objects
1133B.8.2 & 1133B.8.6, Title 24

 Obstructions overhanging a pedestrian’s way must

be at least 80 inches above the walking surface.

 Objects projecting from walls more than 4 inches

with leading edges between 27 and 80 inches high
are prohibited without a barrier underneath.
Projecting & Overhanging
Objects
Examples of Projecting Objects
 Seismic braces
 Stair or escalator runs overhead
 Old style fire dept. connection standpipes on
building façades.
 Equipment panels or fire extinguisher cabinets in
corridors
 Equipment racks in parking garages
 Dropped soffits
Credits
 Signage graphics are from “Accessible Signs
and Wayfinding”, prepared by Sharon Toji for the
Division of the State Architect