An introduction to the guardrail standards in IBC
The International Building Code (IBC) is a set of regulations and standards that serve as the foundation for building construction and safety requirements across the United States. First published in 2000 by the International Code Council (ICC), the IBC is one of several modern nation-wide model codes guided by the principles of safety, sustainability, affordability, and disaster resilience. The primary goal of the IBC is to provide minimum requirements to ensure health and safety for the public. While the code is not legally binding on its own, it is adopted and enforced by local jurisdictions throughout the country, generally in the form of local or state building codes, to govern the construction, alteration, and occupancy of buildings .
With its broad scope, the IBC covers a vast array of construction topics, from the quality of building materials to the design of structural systems. One critical focus of the code is the protection of public safety through effective safety railing in residential and commercial construction. Specifically, safety gate and guardrail requirements are spelled out for various conditions, including guardrails for stairs, stairs handrail requirements, and guardrail requirements for balconies. The precise standards and along with stair handrail, safety gate, and other railing requirements vary according to the building type and the intended use of the stair or balcony. These guardrail requirements are critical for preventing injuries due to falls from heights.
Common guardrail specifications in the IBC
The IBC provides for a number of different guardrail specifications, depending on the conditions surrounding the guardrail system. Though there are some differences, in general, the requirements for guardrails are outlined in Table 1607.1, where the IBC provides "Guardrail Loads and with respect to Horizontal Surface." In part, this table provides that: Guardrails shall have been tested and comply with the guardrail load specifications of one of the following: • AASHTO for bridges, railroads and driveways serving not more than 10 private residences. • The standards set forth in Section 1607.7 for guardrails on stairs, landings, ramps and ramps for vehicular ways. • The loads specified in Section 4.1 of the bulkhead strength section to qualify for use of Tables 4-C, 4-D and 4-E of the National Park Service Seashore Concessioner Handbook and Guidelines, Part III (200-78P) if used in conjunction with these tables. • AASHTO for bridges other than those defined above. • AASHTO for bridges (AASHTO LRFD) for designs using the Load Resistance Factor Design provisions of the AASHTO Bridge Design Specifications (LRFD) published in 1994, 1996 and 1998, including the 1998 and 1999 SADD Change Notice Supplement. • For all other uses not covered above, a uniformly distributed live load of 1,000 lb/ft2. Serrated or punched rails which are coped or bent shall be designed to resist an equivalent horizontal concentrated load of 300 lb and in addition the loads specified above. The dynamic combination of loads shall be considered in the design. The circular handrail support post must be at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter (or metal of structural equivalent) if the guardrail is to extend to within 12 inches of the floor.
How IBC guardrail standards are commonly applied
In residential construction, guardrails are mostly used in the form of deck perimeter railings and stair railings to prevent people from falling. However, "half walls," or knee walls, are also sometimes constructed at a 42-inch height without a horizontal rail. Both guardrails and knee walls can function as barriers to people falling through areas where changes in height. So long as the railing is horizontal and nominally 1.5 inches or more wide, the IBC allows a nominal 1.5-inch gap between verticals for a horizontal space between the verticals.
Commercial buildings that require guardrails include low-rise apartment buildings where protection is needed, such as at roof edges and at floor changes of 30 inches or more. In commercial or industrial settings, guardrails are often needed in material-handling areas, such as between loading docks and ground areas; between adjacent trucks at truck courts to protect against trailer creep; around truck-scale platforms to protect against vehicles striking the scale; at chutes that lead into freight containers; and around lift loaders.
Guardrails and knee walls in commercial buildings can also be used for recreation areas, such as around ice rinks, swimming pools, and fountains. Other applications in commercial settings include industrial mechanical spaces for maintaining safe access and servicing of mechanical equipment; and at commercial kitchen utensil shelves and racks, to help keep glassware, plates, and other items from falling off shelves. Other applications in commercial buildings include around air conditioning condensing units; around crawl spaces and in attic spaces, to protect large debris piles; and at railroad yard storage areas to protect against wandering trains and derailing freight cars.
Guardrails may also be required to be constructed inside of public buildings, such as in performance spaces, with respect to dressing rooms; in auditorium viewing areas; and in areas behind the stage. Guardrails may also be needed outside of the individual units of multifamily buildings to protect children. Door guards may be needed to protect doors from vehicles; at swimming pools; on decks and balconies; and at area walkways.
Safety and compliance advantages of IBC-compliant guardrails
The implementation of International Building Code (IBC) guidelines provides essential benefits for those who have guardrails on their commercial or residential properties. Not only do IBC standards help prevent guardrail-related injuries, but they also help prevent the property owner from incurring liability for an injury on their property.
There are several significant safety advantages to implementing IBC standards. Nearly all of these benefits arise from the cables that support the guardrail. These cables have impressive tensile strength, making them extremely difficult to break. A cable that is able to withstand large amounts of weight helps ensure that the guardrail is up to the task of withstanding the force of someone pushing against it. If a guardrail fails when a person pushes against it, they could become severely injured from either falling off the edge or from being thrown into a hard surface.
However, IBC standards do not only exist for the guardrail itself . They also require that the edge of the decking structure to have a railing in order to prevent people from falling into the building itself if they slip off of the edge. Again, the cables that support the railing allow people to more easily lean against the edge without risk of breaking the railing. This unlikely failure of cables is extremely important, as it could shatter the illusion that a person is safe up against the edge and cause them to lean more heavily on the railing. If a person believes themselves to be safe, they will likely not take the same precautions that they might otherwise take. That additional confidence places themselves at risk and possibly places the surrounding area at risk as well in the case of a guardrail failure.
Guardrails present a substantial liability risk to the property owner. If a persons falls from the edge of a property where a guardrail has not been installed, the person and the area around them may be injured and the accident may even be fatal. IBC standards exist to help property owners provide a safe edge to a deck or balcony.
Upcoming changes to IBC guardrail standards
The 2015 International Building Code (IBC) introduced several notable updates to the guardrail requirements that provisions over the use of barrier guards have. One change being the prescriptive railing requirements for exterior stairs were replaced with the prescriptive provision for interior stairs found in Section 1011.3 of this code. This update included the minimum height requirements for these guards to be in accordance with Figure 1007.1.1.
Another update to the IBC is the new prescriptive provision concerning rooftop guardrails added to Section 1013.2. These requirements concerning guardrail comprise of the following; a guardrail must be provided on any roof over a building at a warning, caution, or higher danger according to the 2017 Connecticut State Building Code. However, in instances where space is not available for the extension of the guardrail up to the building edge, a 3-foot by 3-foot triangle may be substituted as illustrated in figure 1013.2. Another important point to note is this diagram is the same as the one found in A117.1-09 – Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.
In addition to these updates to the IBC, another recent change that should be made mention of is the 2015 Update to the Special Design Categories of Section 1607. Hot Work and Dust Control were also revised in this update to the IBC. The names of these sections were changed to Construction Operations Management, and Cutting and Coring, to reflect their usage in the code over the last 15 years. There is also further clarification concerning the performance of guardrail systems along with bracing and anchoring of hoists.
Ensuring adherence to IBC guardrail standards
In conclusion, there are practical steps builders and architects can take to ensure their projects comply with the IBC guardrail standards. As you know, the 2018 International Building Code applies during both the design phase and the construction phase of a project. It is not good enough to simply have drawings prepared that conform to the code if the way the drawings were executed are not consistent with the code. Placing too much vertical spacing on the balusters in order to comply with less stringent handrail requirements is a prime example of potential liability. There is no shortcut to ensuring compliance with the building code and guardrail requirements. Every guardrail should resist both load and deflection and provide a 4 inch sphere test for infill with either a 220 lb horizontal or 2 , 000 lb concentrated vertical load. The current standard for the design of steel railings in the United States is the American National Standard for Safety Code for Industrial Fabrication Metal, General Industry 2000. If you will be executing guardrails on a future project, make sure that the final product: When in doubt, contact a qualified guardrail engineer who can help you get started on your project, and so that that you can be confident of meeting the IBC 2018 standards for your next project.
