Mayors Office on Disability

City and County of San Francisco

Discussion of Common Design and

Construction Errors

Subjects Covered Today

Building Interior

Exterior Accessibility

Doors
Signage
Stairways
Toilets
Operating Mechanisms

Walks
Gates
Projecting Objects
Ramps

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

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 pedestrians 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 faades.
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