Removal of an External staircase

[XMY556]

I have been asked if a steal external staircase can be removed due to its condition from a three story building. The external staircase provides an alternative MOE for offices that at present open out onto short unprotected corridors approximately 19m long on the 1st & 2nd Floor and a roof exit form a penthouse office. All of these offices have corridor approach to a internal protected staircase, that discharges into a corridor which offers escape in two directions to final exits.
The building consists mainly of offices & has recently been fitted out with AFD system to a standard of P2.
Detailed inspections by structural engineers have all recommended that the staircase is beyond economical repair and an estimated price to replace the staircase is between 25 to 30k.
If all the doors to the offices opening on to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd floor corridors that at present have the use of the external staircase has a secondary MOE where upgraded to FSD30 with self closing devices, thus providing a protected MOE into the internal protected staircase. Could the external staircase be removed?
Comments and advice would be greatly appreciated.

[kurnal]

It is possible for a three storey office building to have a single staircase. Normally the staircase would be protected from a fire in any room by two sets of fire doors and would discharge directly to a final exit. Variations on this theme are ok- eg if the staircase terminates in the centre of the building at ground floor as it sounds to, the two routes should be separated from each other by fire resisting construction.

Size of building and numbers of people are other considerations. No part of the building should be further than 18m from a protected route.

the fire alarm and detection system should be to a life safety standard- L3 may be a wise minimum standard in an older building especially where the stair does not discharge directly to a final exit, and it could be that L1 may be needed if the double door protection is not comprehensive

[XMY556]

I have been asked if a steal external staircase can be removed due to its condition from a three story building. The external staircase provides an alternative MOE for offices that at present open out onto short unprotected corridors approximately 19m long on the 1st & 2nd Floor and a roof exit form a penthouse office. All of these offices have corridor approach to a internal protected staircase, that discharges into a corridor which offers escape in two directions to final exits.
The building consists mainly of offices & has recently been fitted out with AFD system to a standard of P2.
Detailed inspections by structural engineers have all recommended that the staircase is beyond economical repair and an estimated price to replace the staircase is between 25 to 30k.
If all the doors to the offices opening on to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd floor corridors that at present have the use of the external staircase has a secondary MOE where upgraded to FSD30 with self closing devices, thus providing a protected MOE into the internal protected staircase. Could the external staircase be removed?
Comments and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Kurnal
The staircase is not in the centre it is within a maximmum travel distance of 19m from the furtherest point from any office to each wing, the building does have a further two protected staircases offering escape in two directions execpt to this wing if the external staircase is removed. The foot print of the building is 1598 m2 on the ground, 940 m2 first & second with a penthouse of 550 m2.
The occupancy of each wing affected by the removel of the external staircase on each floor would be approximately 60 persons. The building does offer access to persons with mobility disabilities to all parts and each landing level of the three protected staircases have a disabled refuge with communications.
The ground floor two escape routes to a final exit are seperated by resisting construction and final exits can be achived in 18m in one direction and 33m in the other.
If we did remove the external staircase would this need the approvel of the  local F&RS together with building control?

[kurnal]

Hi rod
It sounds too big to have a single storey exit from those floors though you say it has three wings. Sorry but I cannot visualise the layout from your description and to go into more specific detail I would need to see plans of the building at least.

Building Regs approval would be required for the work to alter the wing to adapt it to a single staircase (if this is possible). You could use the local authority or an approved inspector. The building inspector will consult the fire officer. As you will need to appoint an inspector why not seek informal advice by way of seeking a quote first before committing to the scheme?

[XMY556]

Hi rod
It sounds too big to have a single storey exit from those floors though you say it has three wings. Sorry but I cannot visualise the layout from your description and to go into more specific detail I would need to see plans of the building at least.

Building Regs approval would be required for the work to alter the wing to adapt it to a single staircase (if this is possible). You could use the local authority or an approved inspector. The building inspector will consult the fire officer. As you will need to appoint an inspector why not seek informal advice by way of seeking a quote first before committing to the scheme?

Kurnal
Thanks again for your advice I aggree it is hard to understand a building layout without the aid of floor plans is there any way i could forward you a copy of the floor plans in PDF. For further advice?

[kurnal]

Hi Rod
Happy to take a look the email address is on the website - click on the globe under my flying pig.