What is the International Code Council (ICC)?

• 30" above floor or grade below on open-sided walking surfaces.
• On open sides of stairs with a total riser of more than 30" above the floor or grade below.

• 30" above floor or grade below on open-sided walking surfaces, mezzanines, industrial equipment platforms, stairways, ramps and landings.

IRC 2009
IBC 2009

• Measurement for the 30" drop is to be taken at any point within 36" from the edge of the open surface.

• 30" above floor or grade below on open-sided walking surfaces.
• On open sides of stairs with a total riser of more than 30" above the floor or grade below.

• 42" minimum except in Group R-3, and within individual dwelling units of Group R-2. In those applications, where the top rail also serves as a handrail, it shall have a height of not less than 34" and not more than 38" above stair nosing.

IBC 2001

• Amended to add the following:
• The height in assembly areas shall be in accordance with Section 1008.12.

• Amended to add the following:
• In assembly seating where guards in accordance with Section 1025.14 are permitted and provided

• All portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30 inches (762mm) of a handrail.

IBC 2003

• Intermediate handrails are required so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30 inches of a handrail.
• On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.

• 4" sphere [General].
• 4-3/8" sphere for openings on the sides of stair treads.
• 6" sphere at the triangle formed by the riser, tread, and bottom rail.

IBC 2003

• R312.2 Guard opening limitations. Required guards on open sides of stairways, raised floor areas, balconies and porches shall have intermediate rails or ornamental closures which do not allow passage of a sphere 4" or more in diameter.
• Exceptions:
  1. The triangular openings formed by the riser, tread, and bottom rail of a guard at the open side of a stairway are permitted to be of such a size that a sphere 6 inches (152 mm) cannot pass through.
  2. Openings for required guards on the sides of stair treads shall not allow a sphere 4 3/8" to pass through.

• 4" sphere to a height of 34" [General].
• 6" sphere at the triangle formed by riser, tread, and bottom rail.
• 8" sphere from a height of 34" to 42".
• Exceptions: 21" sphere for an elevated walk for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems and Group I-3, F, H, or S occupancies, balusters, horizontal intermediate rails, or other construction.

IBC 2003

• In areas that are not open to the public within occupancies in Group I-3, F, H or S, balusters, horizontal intermediate rails or other construction shall not permit a sphere with a diameter of 21" to pass through any opening.
• In assembly seating areas, guards at the end of aisles – where they terminate at a fascia of boxes, balconies and galleries – shall have balusters or ornamental patterns such that a 4" sphere cannot pass through any opening up to a height of 26". From a height of 26" to 42" above the adjacent walking surfaces, a sphere 8" in diameter shall not pass.

IBC 2006

• 4-3/8" sphere for openings on the sides of stair treads in Group R-3 and within individual dwelling units of Group R-2.

• Each handrail or guard section shall be supported by a minimum of three glass balusters or shall be supported to remain in place should one baluster panel fail. Glass balusters shall not be installed without an attached handrail or guard.
• The panels and their support system shall be designed to withstand the uniform or concentrated load requirements – applied at the top – by a design factor of 4 for safety.

• If the top rail is only supported by glass, the assembly shall be tested according to the impact requirements in ASTM E 1996. The impacted glass shall be able to support the top rail after impact.
• A top rail shall not be required where the glass balusters are laminated glass with two or more glass plies of equal thickness and the same glass type when approved by the building official. The panels shall be designed to withstand the structural load as required by code.
• Glass installed in exterior railing in-fill panels or balusters shall be laminated glass complying with Category II of CPSC 16 CFR 1201.

• Laminated, tempered glass is required in all glass railing applications.

IRC 2000

• Handrails are required on at least one side of ramps exceeding a slope of 1:12.
• Handrail required on at least one side of the stairway.

IRC 2003

• Handrail required on at least one side of the stairway with two or more risers.
• Handrails shall be provided on at least one side of each continuous run of treads or flight with four or more risers.

• Handrails are required on both sides of stairs and ramps.
• All portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are to be within 30" of a handrail.

IBC 2003

• Aisle stairs provided with a center handrail need not have additional handrails.
• Stairways within dwelling units, spiral stairways, and aisle stairs serving seating only on one side are permitted to have a handrail on one side only.
• Decks, patios, and walkways that have a single change in elevation where the landing depth on each side of the change of elevation is greater than what is required for a landing do not require handrails.
• In Group R-3 occupancies, a change in elevation consisting of a single riser at an entrance or egress door does not require handrails.
• Changes in room elevations of only one riser within dwelling units and sleeping units in Group R-2 and R-3 occupancies do not require handrails.
• Intermediate handrails are required so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30" of a handrail. On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.

• Handrails are required on both sides of stairs and ramps.
• Exception: Aisle stairs and aisle ramps are provided with a handrail either at the side or within the aisle width.
• Ramps – both sides, if rise exceeds 6" or a horizontal length more than 72". Not required next to seating in assembly areas.
• Stairs – both sides.

IBC 2000

• All portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30" of a handrail.

• Intermediate handrails are required so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30 inches (762 mm) of a handrail. On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.

IRC 2000

• Circular shapes: 1-1/4" minimum; 2-5/8" maximum.
• Non-Circular: Other shapes that provide an equivalent grasping surface are permissible.
• Edges shall have a 1/8" minimum radius.

• Type 1: Circular shapes: 11/4" minimum; 25/8" maximum.
• Type 2: Handrails with a perimeter greater than 61/4" shall provide a graspable finger recess area on both sides of the profile. The finger recess shall begin within a distance of 3/4" vertically from the tallest portion of the profile and achieve a depth of at least 3/16" within 7/8" below the widest portion of the profile. This required depth shall continue for at least 3/8" to a level that is not less than 13/4" below the tallest portion of the profile. The minimum width of the handrail above the recess shall be 11/4" to a maximum of 23/4". Edges shall have a minimum radius of .01".

• Type I: Handrails with a circular cross-section shall have an outside diameter of at least 11/4" and not greater than 2 inches. If the handrail is not circular it shall have a perimeter dimension of at least 4" and not greater than 61/4" with a maximum cross-section dimension of 21/4".
• Type II: Handrails with a perimeter greater than 61/4" shall provide a graspable finger recess area on both sides of the profile. The finger recess shall begin within a distance of 3/4" measured vertically from the tallest portion of the profile and achieve a depth of at least 5/16" within 7/8" below the widest portion of the profile. This required depth shall continue for at least 3/8" to a level that is not less than 13/4" below the tallest portion of the profile. The minimum width of the handrail above the recess shall be 11/4" to a maximum of 23/4". Edges shall have a minimum radius of .01".

• Circular shapes: 11/4" minimum; 2" maximum.
• Non-Circular: Perimeter dimension of 4" minimum and 61/4" maximum with a 21/4" maximum cross-section – see detail below.
• Edges are noted as 1/8" minimum radius for IBC 2000; .01" minimum radius for IBC 2003 and later; and rounded for ADAAG and ADASAD.

• For Group R-3 and within individual dwelling units of Group R-2, Type II handrail is also permitted as defined in IRC 2003, 2006, and 2009 above.

• 1-1/2 inch minimum.

• 1-1/2 inch minimum.

IBC 2003

• Handrail brackets or balusters attached to the bottom surface of the handrail that do not project horizontally beyond the sides of the handrail within 1-1/2" of the bottom of the handrail shall not be considered to be obstructions and provided further that for each 1/2" of additional handrail perimeter dimension above 4", the vertical clearance dimension of 1-1/2" shall be permitted to be reduced by 1/8".

• 4-1/2" maximum.

• Measured vertically above stair nosings and ramp surfaces: 34" minimum; 38" maximum.

• Handrail height, measured vertically from the sloped plane adjoining the tread nosing, or finish surface of ramp slope, shall be not less than 34" and not more than 38"

• Guards not less than 42 inches with Exception: For Group R-3, and within individual dwelling units in R-2, whose top rail also serves as handrail shall have a height not less than 34 inches and not more than 38 inches.

• Handrails for stairways shall be continuous for the full length of the flight, from a point directly above the top riser of the flight to a point directly above the lowest riser of the flight. Handrail ends shall be returned or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals.
• Exceptions:
  1. Handrails shall be permitted to be interrupted by a newel post at the turn.
  2. The use of a volute, turnout, starting easing, or starting newel shall be allowed over the lowest tread.

• Handrail-gripping surfaces shall be continuous, without interruption by newel posts or other obstructions.
• Exceptions:
  1. Handrails within dwelling units are permitted to be interrupted by a newel post at a stair landing.
  2. Within a dwelling unit, the use of a volute, turnout, or starting easing is allowed on the lowest tread.
  3. Handrail brackets or balusters attached to the bottom surface of the handrail that do not project horizontally beyond the sides of the handrail within 1-1/2" of the bottom of the handrail shall not be considered to be obstructions and provided further that for each 1/2" of additional handrail perimeter dimension above 4", the vertical clearance dimension of 1-1/2" shall be permitted to be reduced by 1/8".

• 12" horizontally beyond top stair riser – measure to the inside face of the handrail return.

• Not required.

• 12" horizontally at both top and bottom of ramp runs – measure to the inside face of the handrail return.

• Ends shall return or shall terminate in newel posts or safety terminals.

• Return to wall, guard or the walking surface or continuous to the handrail of an adjacent stair flight.

• 200 lb. Uniform live load.
• 50 lbs/sqft horizontally applied normal load for guard in-fill components (all those except the handrail), balusters and panel fillers. This load need not be assumed to act concurrently with any other live load requirement.

• 50 lbs/ft in any direction (handrails and guards).

• Handrail assemblies and guards shall be designed to resist a load of 50 plf applied in any direction at the top and to transfer this load through the supports to the structure.
• Intermediate rails (all those except the handrail), balusters and panel fillers shall be designed to withstand a horizontally applied normal load of 50 pounds on an area equal to 1 square foot, including openings and space between rails. Reactions due to this loading are not required to be superimposed with those of Section 1607.7.1 or 1607.7.1.1.

• 200 lb.

• 200 lb Uniform Live Load. A single concentrated load is applied in any direction at any point along the top.

IBC 2000

• 200 lbs In any direction (handrails and guards).

• Handrail assemblies and guards shall be able to resist a single concentrated load of 200 pounds applied in any direction at any point along the top, and have attachment devices and supporting structures to transfer this loading to appropriate structural elements of the building.

• 250 lbs (grab bars for toilets, tubs, and showers).