A revolving door is an excellent option for a building entrance. It keeps cold winds from entering the interior and allows a smooth traffic flow.

However, several building and fire code requirements must be met before installing one. Additionally, the doors must be properly installed to meet security requirements.

Building Code Requirements

Revolving doors have become a popular security feature in many commercial buildings, museums, and other public facilities. They can be integrated with access control and other intrusion sensors to reduce manned guard staffing requirements and provide real-time analytics. However, they are subject to special code requirements different from those for swinging or sliding doors.

They must be capable of collapsing or “book folding” in an emergency to prevent occupants from becoming trapped. They must also have parallel egress paths and can’t be located within 10 feet of the foot or at the top of stairs or escalators. In addition, they are not permitted as a primary means of egress in Groups R-2 and R-3 (offices, warehouses, and other non-residential occupancies) or as a door serving a critical care patient room within a suite in a health care facility.

Security revolving doors are subject to a more specialized set of rules governing their operation, as they’re intended for use by authorized occupants only. These rules govern speed controls, panic hardware, operating force, lighting, and signs.

Emergency Egress

A revolving door code compliance is often found at airports or department stores to prevent people from bypassing security by entering from the wrong side. These doors are equipped with a brake that a sensor can activate should someone enter from the incorrect side and notify security of the incident.

Egress lighting requirements are addressed in both the IBC and NFPA 101, though there are some differences. Generally speaking, emergency power illumination must illuminate pathways that lead to exits, the doors themselves, and the exit discharge.

Other provisions address specialized spaces, such as electrical rooms, fire command centers, and generator rooms. These areas do not necessarily need to be lit to the egress level, but they should be illuminated enough to permit wayfinding should the average power fail. Most of the time, these spaces are also covered by other regulations, such as fire safety brought out by various state governments and development control regulations from local bodies across India.

Security

The International Building Code requires a revolving door with breakaway features and adjacent swinging doors to facilitate egress during emergencies. The code also places safety restrictions on the number of revolutions per minute for manual and automatic revolving doors and presence detection sensors to slow or stop the door when people or objects approach. Sometimes, the revolving door may be equipped for one-way passage to prevent bypassing security checks like those in airports. In these cases, a sensor will detect when someone enters from the wrong side, automatically brake the door, and notify security of the attempt. Revolving doors can also be integrated with access control to restrict entry to only one person at a time for accountability.