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<br />GENERAL ORDINANCES 289
<br />GENERAL ORDINANCES 291
<br />and in accordance with the requirements of the National Board
<br />fireproof passage leading to a street, and the other opening to a
<br />of Fire Underwriters.
<br />yard or other space deemed safe by the Building Inspector and
<br />(c) Occupants of buildings shall close all exterior and in-
<br />of sufficient area to accommodate all persons in the building.
<br />terior fire doors, fire shutters, and fire windows at the close of
<br />Two means of exit remote from each other shall be provided
<br />business each day.
<br />from each story of dwellings when over three stories in height.
<br />Sec. 494(21). Stairway and elevator shafts.
<br />Sec. 494(24). Floor lights.
<br />(a) In the buildings hereafter erected, except private dwell-
<br />Except in dwellings, all openings hereafter made in floors for
<br />ings, which are used above the first floor for business purposes
<br />the transmission of light to floors below, shall be covered with
<br />or for public assemblage, or for any purpose whatever if over
<br />glass set in metal frames and bars. The glass shall be not less
<br />two (2) stories high, the stair shafts shall be separately and
<br />than Y4 inch in thickness, and if any glass measures more than
<br />continuously enclosed by incombustible partitions. Elevator shafts
<br />sixteen (16) square inches there shall be a rigid wire mesh
<br />'
<br />in all buildings hereafter erected shall be enclosed in the same
<br />either in the glass or under it.
<br />manner. The partitions shall be constructed of brick or other
<br />fire -resistive material approved by the City Manager or other des-
<br />Sec. 494(25). Roof covering.
<br />ignated official, and all mortar used in the construction shall be
<br />(a) All buildings shall be covered with material equal to
<br />Portland Cement mortar. No hollow partition shall be less than
<br />class "C" as specified by the National Board of Fire Under -
<br />six (6) inches thick, no brick partition less than eight (8) inches
<br />writers.
<br />thick. The stairways and landings shall be constructed entirely
<br />(b) If a wood shingle roof is damaged by a fire more than
<br />of fireproof material.
<br />50 per cent. the entire room shall be removed and replaced with
<br />(b) All openings in elevator, stair, or other shaft enclosures
<br />material equal to class "C", as specified by the National Board
<br />shall be protected by self-closing fire doors, fire windows, fire
<br />of Fire Underwriters.
<br />shutters or other approved self closing fireproof equipment.
<br />The City Manager shall have power to condemn and have re -
<br />(c) Doors opening into stairway shafts shall swing in the di-
<br />moved any wood shingle roof that in his opinion is in such a
<br />rection of exit travel, shall be self-closing and shall be at least
<br />deteriorated condition as to be excessively inflammable.
<br />thirty-six (36) inches wide.
<br />ld) The enclosure walls for all elevator shafts shall extend
<br />Sec. 494(26). Roof openings.
<br />at least three (3) feet above the roof, and there shall be a suffi-
<br />All openings in roofs for the admission of light or air other
<br />cient opening in the shaft above the roof line to provide for the
<br />than those provided for in subsection 22 of this section, shall
<br />release of smoke or gases.
<br />have incombustible frames and sash glazed with wired glass; or
<br />ordinary glass may be used, if protected above and below by
<br />Sec. 484 (22) . Skylights over stairway and elevator
<br />galvanized steel wire screens with a mesh not exceeding one
<br />shafts.
<br />inch, and the wire not smaller than No. 12 gauge. The top
<br />Where a stairway, elevator or dumb waiter shaft extends
<br />screen shall be installed as specified in subsection 19 of this sec -
<br />through the roof, if covered by a skylight, the skylight shall be
<br />tion.
<br />constructed with incombustible frame and sash, glazed with or-
<br />dinary thin glass, and shall be protected by a galvanized steel
<br />Sec. 484(27). Exits required.
<br />wire screen with a mesh not exceeding one inch, and the wire
<br />(a) The term "floor area" as used in this subsection shall
<br />not smaller than No. 12 gauge. The screen shall have metal
<br />mean the entire floor space between exterior walls and fire walls.
<br />��j
<br />290 CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE
<br />supports and be placed not less than `6 inches above the skylight.
<br />Instead of a skylight, windows or doors with a total glass open-
<br />ing of the size and construction as required of skylights, may be
<br />placed in the side or sides of the shaft above the roof which is
<br />farthest removed from a property line. The window shall have
<br />incombustible frame and sash, and be glazed with thin glass.
<br />Sec. 494(23). Fire escapes from buildings of three
<br />stories and over.
<br />It shall be the duty of the owner of every factory, workshop,
<br />mill, saw -mill or place where the manufacture of goods of any
<br />kind is carried on, hotel, school building, college, hospital, orphan
<br />asylum, mercantile establishment and office building of over
<br />three stories in height, or where as many as fifteen persons are
<br />employed, lodged, entertained or instructed above the second
<br />story of such building, then of three stories in height, and the-
<br />aters and public places of amusement, regardless of height, to
<br />provide for the safe exit of the occupants thereof in case of
<br />fire by the erection, construction and maintenance in good condi-
<br />tion of fire escapes of the most improved modern design and
<br />of fireproof construction.
<br />The owner or owners of any building upon which a fire es-
<br />cape is erected shall keep the same in good repair and properly
<br />painted.
<br />(a) Location.—No fire escapes to buildings hereafter erected
<br />shall be constructed over any sidewalk or street.
<br />(b) Fire escapes in new or old buildings shall be easily acces-
<br />sible from the inside of the building in which they are placed
<br />by means of unobstructed corridors or passageways, and shall
<br />in every case have the location approved by the building in-
<br />spector. All doors leading to fire escapes shall be labeled "Fire
<br />Escapes" in letters three (3) inches high, plainly visible, and
<br />shall be provided with locks not requiring keys.
<br />All exterior fire escapes shall be constructed in accordance
<br />with the latest regulations of the National Board of Fire Under-
<br />writers.
<br />An exterior fire escape will not be required in fireproof build-
<br />ings where each story above the first has at least two means of
<br />exit remote from each other, one of these opening to a street or
<br />292 CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY CODE
<br />(b) In every building hereafter erected, except in private
<br />dwellings less than four stories, each floor area above the first
<br />shall be provided with at least two means of egress remote from
<br />each other, and if over two stories high, one egress from each
<br />floor, which shall be enclosed stairway as provided by subsection
<br />21, or a doorway in a fire wall leading to another floor area sep-
<br />arately provided with adequate stairs or other independent
<br />means of exit. Such doorway serving as an emergency exit in
<br />a fire wall shall be protected by an automatic and self-closing
<br />fire door as specified in subsection 20. No portion of any floor
<br />area shall be more than one hundred (100) feet from a place of
<br />egress. Where two means of egress are required in this sub-
<br />section, one may be omitted if fireproof construction is used as
<br />specified in subsection 21. Elevators shall not be considered as a
<br />means of egress as specified in this subsection.
<br />(c) Except in dwellings, no required stairway shall be less
<br />than 44 inches wide, and the total width of exit doorways lead-
<br />ing therefrom shall at least be equal to the total width of the
<br />stairways which they serve.
<br />(d) The total width of stairway, interior and exterior, pro-
<br />vided for the occupancy of each floor and those above, shall be
<br />not less than 44 inches for the first 50 persons, and 12 inches for
<br />each additional 50 persons to be accommodated thereby. The stair
<br />treads shall be not less than nine and one-half (9%) inches
<br />wide, and the risers not more than seven and three-quarters
<br />(7y4) inches high.
<br />(e) Each school, hospital and theater, over one story high shall
<br />have stairways constructed entirely of incombustible material,
<br />and continuous from grade lines to the topmost story, provided
<br />that this shall not apply for buildings used primarily for Sunday
<br />School purposes without the congested fire limits.
<br />(f) All exit doors in schools, hospitals, theaters, and other
<br />places of public assemblage, shall open outward and all existing
<br />structures of this class shall conform thereto.
<br />(g) All stairways, fire escapes, elevator shafts, and similar
<br />appurtenances which may hereafter be constructed which ;are
<br />used or designed to be used in whole or in part, by the tenants
<br />of any residential building or property within the A District as
<br />defined by the Building Zone Map, as a regular or supplementary
<br />
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