Design Considerations for Automatic Doors
Choosing the right door type for a project may sound like a basic step in the design process. However, this selection requires the design team to consider several factors:
- Primary users and the quantity of users.
- Access to, or proximity of, a power source.
- Location and environmental factors, like heat and cold.
- Aesthetic and scale of the project.
- Local building codes.
Automatic doors are a door type with which BRR has a lot of experience for our clients’ commercial projects.
These automatic doors are a day-to-day feature that many people might take for granted. For example, shoppers may overlook this valuable function when they’re preoccupied with trying to push a shopping cart full of groceries from a store. However, for those with mobility issues, a building that allows doors to open with little to no effort on their behalf becomes a vital and necessary feature.
Back to Main Blog PageUnderstanding Code vs. Standard
Beginning with the 2021 International Building Code, depending on their size, public buildings are required to have automatic entrance doors that are either full or low-energy power-operated doors. This includes retail stores, office buildings, restaurants, hotels, motels and movie theaters.
Building codes allow for the use of automatic doors in many situations, provided the doors comply with provisions outlined in what is known as a standard. Where the building or fire code tells us where automatic doors are permitted, the standard tells us how the automatic door is to operate.
Automatic Door Signage
All automatic doors should have signage on them indicating that the door is automatic in nature. Usually, the sign will state, “Caution Automatic Door” and look something like this:
Some of these doors will have signage that says, “In Emergency Push To Open”.
Why are these signs significant? Remember, these are automatic doors which are operated, under normal conditions, with electricity. When a building loses power, how do these doors operate?
The power assisted and low-energy automatic doors should be able to open by pushing or pulling on the door. That said, it may require additional strength or force to open the door. The standard will specify the maximum force permitted to open the door in the event of a power loss.
Fully automatic doors have the ability to break away, thus being able to use the opening for exit or egress purposes.
Different types of automatic doors have different levels of energy efficiency. Therefore, choosing the right type of automatic door can result in energy savings. For example, low-energy doors reduce energy consumption during periods of little to no use. Different glass types can also make a difference in energy efficiency.
Considerations & Conclusion
Incorporating automatic doors on buildings promotes accessibility (if they’re maintained correctly) and provides for compliance with the International Building Code.
When designers explore the audience, consider the code and make decisions about energy usage in advance, it will increase the likelihood of the right type of door being chosen for the next project.
