Photoluminescent marking for the luminous egress path. It charges under the building's normal lighting and stays visible when that lighting fails, which is why it needs no power and no wiring.
Where it is used
IBC and IFC Section 1025 call for luminous egress path markings in high-rise buildings, meaning an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, in Groups A, B, E, I-1, M and R-1. The marking goes in interior exit stairways, interior exit ramps and exit passageways. Whether your building is covered, and under which edition, is a question for the authority having jurisdiction.
This is the step-edge product. Section 1025.2.1 wants a solid continuous stripe on the leading edge of every step, running the full length of the step. It is tape applied at the step edge, not a fabricated nosing, and the mineral grit is there to keep that edge slip resistant underfoot.
Specifications
| Series | Safety Track 3450 |
|---|---|
| Color | Glow / photoluminescent |
| Surface | Mineral grit |
| Sold as | Case |
What the standards mean
Section 1025.4 accepts material listed to UL 1994 or tested to a modified ASTM E2072. A UL 1994 listing is one route rather than a requirement, though it is the advantaged one: the code waives its 1 inch minimum stripe width only for outlining stripes listed to UL 1994.
The performance the code asks for is measurable. Under the modified ASTM E2072 in Section 1025.4 the marking is charged by 1 footcandle of fluorescent light for 60 minutes, and must then read at least 30 millicandelas per square metre after 10 minutes in darkness and at least 5 after 90 minutes. Section 1025.5 requires that charging light to stay on continuously while the building is occupied.
Related requirements
- IBC Section 1025 is the requirement, and it applies to high-rise buildings only.
- UL 1994 is one of the two compliance paths Section 1025.4 accepts. The other, ASTM E2072, is a test method rather than a listing.
- Photoluminescent performance covers charge time and how long a marking stays visible.
- NFPA 101 carries its own luminous marking provisions, related but not identical in scope.