Egress path compliance
Verify egress paths meet IBC requirements for travel distance, width, and dead ends. Helonic analyzes floor plans against code requirements to catch life safety egress issues before plan review submissions.
Why egress compliance matters
Egress non-compliance is the most common reason for plan review rejection.
From floor plans to egress report
Helonic measures every path from the most remote point to the exit discharge.
Parse floor plans
The AI reads architectural floor plans to identify corridors, doors, stairwells, exit discharge paths, and room occupancy designations.
Calculate occupant loads
Based on room areas and occupancy classifications, the system calculates occupant loads per IBC Table 1004.5 to determine required exit capacity.
Trace egress paths
Every possible egress path is traced from the most remote point to the exit discharge, measuring travel distance, common path of travel, and dead-end lengths.
Report violations
Any path that exceeds IBC limits for travel distance, dead-end length, or exit width is flagged with exact measurements and code references.
What we verify
IBC Chapter 10 checks across every floor and occupancy type.
Travel distance calculation
Measures the actual walking distance from the most remote occupiable point to the nearest exit, checking against IBC maximums based on sprinkler status and occupancy type.
Common path verification
Identifies sections where occupants have only one path available before reaching a point where two distinct paths diverge, ensuring compliance with IBC Section 1006.2.1.
Dead-end corridor detection
Flags corridors that exceed the 20-foot (or 50-foot with sprinklers) dead-end limit where occupants could become trapped during an emergency.
Exit width compliance
Calculates required exit width based on occupant load and verifies that doors, corridors, and stairways provide adequate capacity per IBC Section 1005.
Load vs exit capacity
Cross-references calculated occupant loads with the total exit capacity to ensure sufficient exits are provided, including the loss-of-one-exit scenario.
Exit separation verification
Checks that required exits are separated by at least one-half (or one-third) the maximum diagonal distance, ensuring exits are not clustered together.
Why this matters
Egress non-compliance is the single most common reason for plan review rejection by building departments. When a design fails egress review, it often requires significant architectural redesign such as moving walls, widening corridors, or adding stairwells, cascading changes across every discipline.
Catching these issues before submittal saves weeks of review cycles and avoids the expensive redesign work that follows a rejection. Helonic gives architects and code consultants an automated first pass that catches the issues plan reviewers will flag.
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