Service or Full-Service Stair Access

Service or full-service stair access is appropriate for installations where even more frequent use may be expected. They permit easier movement of maintenance personnel, tools, and equipment from a full-size stairway.

Equipment Access

As we have seen, a larger opening provides an easily accessible means for equipment to be installed or removed from a building. Equipment access roof hatches can be custom fabricated to meet any size requirement as shown in the large hatch discussed earlier in the course. Special single-leaf sizes are generally available, depending on the manufacturer, and are recommended for widths up to 5 feet (1524 mm). For larger openings, architects should specify double-leaf construction. For best operation, specify aluminum construction for single-leaf hatches over 3 feet (914 mm) wide and double-leaf hatches over 7 feet (2134 mm) wide.

Thermally Broken Roof Hatch: Capitol Hill Buchanan Park Condos

Thermally broken roof hatches added functionality to Capitol Hill Buchanan Park Condos. While the historic buildings, monuments, and scenery around Washington D.C., draw tourists from all over the world, tenants of 32 new townhomes in the city's swanky Capitol Hill will have a unique and private vantage point to the area with individual roof hatches.

Buchanan Park is a residential development built by Ditto Residential to include 41 condominiums in a redeveloped historic three-story school building dating back to 1895 and named after James Buchanan, the nation's 15th president. Buchanan Park includes a central green, multiple outdoor gathering areas, and pedestrian walkways.

The 32 three- and four-bedroom townhomes will line 13th and D Streets in Washington, D.C., surrounding the Buchanan School. Inspired by the Federal-style homes in the neighborhood, the townhomes will include brick exteriors and spacious living areas.

Photo courtesy of Jenn Bakker/Breathtakingmomentsphotography.com and The BILCO Company

A roof hatch with ship stair access.

Photo courtesy of Studio Trejo

Tennants of 32 new townhomes have roof access thanks to roof hatches.

Photo courtesy of The BILCO Company

A thermally broken roof hatch.

The architect for the townhomes, Maurice Walters, designed them to provide residents with individual access to rooftop deck areas. DJB Contracting installed 32 thermally broken roof hatches, manufactured by an established company, to meet the architect's request.

"We have used (this company’s) roof hatches all the time," said Eric Ward, project manager for DJB, whose business has been providing roofing and related services to the Washington area for more than two decades. "We had never used the thermally broken roof hatches before this project. I think it's a good fit for the situation. It's an access point to the roof, and I like that they are pre-fabricated and pre-coated. It makes the job a lot easier."

The thermally broken roof hatches offer a new standard in energy efficiency, making them ideal for the project at Buchanan Park. The hatch minimizes heat transfer and the effects of condensation. The unit includes a thermally broken cover and curb featuring R-20+ insulation. The unit also offers corrosion-resistant aluminum construction.

"The increased R-value makes this hatch superior to its competitors in the industry," Ward said. "Typically, roof hatches don't have much insulation in the cover. It's made of aluminum, too, while others are made of steel around the base. It's much lighter. I like this model because it's lighter and maintenance-free."

Ward believes the residents of the townhomes will appreciate the roof hatches. Besides increasing energy efficiency, they will allow residents rare private access to their roofs. Most city housing projects offering rooftop access accommodate multiple tenants, not individual access.

"I think the hatch will work great," Ward said. "I've never seen this application before, but I think it's a great idea, and tenants will find that they really like this product."

BUILDING CODES, STANDARDS, AND FIRE PROTECTION

Codes play a critical part in all building projects, especially regarding fire protection. The International Building Code (IBC) does not explicitly address a fire protection rating for roof hatches. Fire protection experts primarily refer to Section 712.1.15 concerning Skylights. This section states that "unprotected skylights and other penetrations through a fire-resistance-rated roof deck or slab are permitted provided that the structural integrity of the fire-resistance-rated roof assembly is maintained."

This means that, in most cases, roof hatches are not required to be fire-rated, even in fire-rated roofs, as they are not a structural component of the roof assembly. However, a rarer scenario arises when Section 705.8.6 of the IBC, addressing Vertical Exposure, comes into play. It stipulates that if a building is within 15 feet of another building or has a stepped roof, non-rated roof hatches (or skylights) are not permitted, as they would affect the fire separation requirements. In these cases, fire-rated access doors are required as defined in Section 712.1.13.2.

Photo courtesy of The BILCO Company and Gill Couto Photography

Roof hatches for equipment access.

A Deeper Dive

The IBC Commentary of Section 712.1.15 elaborates on this issue, emphasizing that:

"Fire-resistance-rated roof construction is not intended to create a barrier to contain the fire within the building, except for Exception 1 of Section 705.8.6 and the exception to Section 706.6.1. Nonfire-resistance rated penetrations are, therefore, permitted to be installed in fire-resistance-rated roof assemblies, provided that the structural integrity of the roof assembly is not reduced and provisions of Section 705.8.6 for protection of vertical exposure do not apply."

A Perspective

Section 711 of the IBC addresses Floor and Roof Assemblies. While this section does not directly mention roof hatches, it requires horizontal assemblies to be continuous with vertical openings, as regulated by Section 712.

It further states that penetrations or openings in the assembly are permitted according to Section 712, provided that the fire-resistance rating is maintained. This provision could lead some code enforcement officials to question whether non-rated roof hatch installations in fire-resistant horizontal assemblies are permitted. However, as noted above, Section 712.1.15 allows non-fire-rated hatches in rated assemblies.

Manufacturers of roof hatches assert that their products are not integral parts of roof assemblies and, therefore, do not impact a roof's fire-resistance rating or the structural integrity of the roof. IBC Section 1501 states that a Roof Assembly is "A system designed to provide weather protection and resistance to design loads. The system consists of a roof covering and roof deck or a single component serving as both the roof covering and the roof deck. A roof assembly includes the roof deck, vapor retarder, substrate or thermal barrier, insulation, vapor retarder and roof covering."

The inclusion of roof hatches within the definition of a roof assembly is not stipulated. Therefore, it is appropriate to adhere to Section 712.1.15, which permits skylights and other penetrations through a fire-resistance-rated roof deck or slab to be unprotected. This allowance is applicable assuming that Section 705.8.6, which concerns vertical exposure for buildings on the same lot, does not apply.

Outreach Efforts

While outreach efforts have revealed a consensus among fire protection officials that fire protection ratings for roof hatches are typically not mandatory, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential for variations in interpretation by code officials, particularly in jurisdictions that may have local code amendments or ordinances in place. Such variations can arise with any code provision. Therefore, it remains best practice for architects and construction managers to proactively engage in collaborative discussions with code officials to ensure adherence to the building codes before commencing construction. This proactive approach will help preempt discrepancies and ensure alignment with the local code interpretations and requirements.

European Products

There is often confusion surrounding European products entering the U.S. market, particularly concerning roof hatches marketed as fire-rated. These products undergo testing according to European standards, specifically EN1634-4 and UL-EU, which are not referenced in the IBC or applicable to U.S. fire protection standards.

Despite these European roof hatches incorporating non-combustible mineral wool insulation and achieving fire ratings to European standards, the IBC generally does not recognize these products or mandate fire ratings for roof hatches, even within fire-rated assemblies. This situation raises questions about the applicability and relevance of such products for the U.S. construction market.