old code or new code

Date 11-05-2013 19:19

A refinery built in the 1930's catches on fire. several elevations of stairs and rails need to be replaced
contractor wants to simply copy existing stairs and rails and reinstall. The codes have changed over the
years regarding handrails in particular where stairs stop and begin at landings. the existing stairs do not comply
with current code as far as railing extending at the bottom of first step and end of last step at landing i think
they should have to comply with current code?

By js55

Date 11-05-2013 22:52

I would suspect they need to use the new codes.
However, the refinery would be the owner and they can do what they want, baring any prohibition from government regulation.

By G.S.Crisi (****)

Date 11-05-2013 23:20

Using horse sense, I'd say the following:
From a strength point of view, the 1930 stairs are plenty OK. Along 80 years they've suported millions of people going up and down, many of them carrying weights, without breaking down.
The problem are new safety regulations, the most important being the length of handrails: at the bottom of first step and the end of last step they should protrude farther than the original stairs.
If I were the onwer, I'd decide to copy the existing stairs, as proposed by the contractor, but making the handrails of the length required by the new safety regulations.

Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil

By yojimbo (***)

Date 11-06-2013 00:44

Most contracts I've been a party to prohibit a contractor from knowingly violating the law or relevant codes to their scope of work. Further the contractor has an affirmative obligation to bring such violations to the owner/owners representatives attention. It is a question sometimes asked whether a contractor should make design reccomendations or simply price the provided contract documents. I don't carry design insurance, my General Liability does not indemnify me for design decisions. When I take them I do so at my own risk. I agree horse sense is a generally reliable standard and I have even, on occasion, found design professionals that can be persuaded to that opinion.