Test Egress

Single-element egress gut-check — one question on occupant load, exit count, common path of travel, or travel distance — against IBC text the user supplies.

This command does not carry IBC values. Every limit cited in the output is a verbatim quote from text the user pasted, or text the command fetched from an explicitly-named official URL with the user's authorization. The output makes the source of every number explicit.

For a multi-element life-safety pass, use the code-review skill. For plain-English interpretation of a single § with no math, use /explain-code with code = IBC.

Inputs the command needs

1. Egress element — name the single question under test:

   • Occupant load (area + occupancy + function category → load)
   • Exit count (occupant load + story → 1 vs 2 vs 3+ exits)
   • Common path of travel (proposed ft vs limit by occupancy + sprinklered)
   • Travel distance (proposed ft vs limit by occupancy + sprinklered)
   • Dead-end corridor (proposed ft vs limit)
   • Stairway capacity / door clearance (geometry — see /test-stair)

2. Provided values — what the design has, with labels:

   • Area sf (gross / net) and function category
   • Occupant load (count)
   • Travel distance ft from remotest point to exit
   • Common path ft
   • Story (Level 1 at grade vs L2+)
   • Sprinklered (NFPA 13, NFPA 13R, NFPA 13D, or non-sprinklered)

3. Occupancy group — IBC Ch. 3 group letter (A-1 … A-5, B, E, F-1/F-2, H-1 … H-5, I-1 … I-4, M, R-1 … R-4, S-1/S-2, U). Mixed occupancy must be tested per function.

4. Jurisdiction — base IBC always applies. Verify the jurisdiction-adopted edition (NYC DOB still on IBC 2014 w/ NYC amendments as of 2026; California on 2022 CBC derived from IBC 2021; Toronto Building on OBC 2024 derived from NBC 2020). If a stricter overlay is in scope, name it:

   • NYC BC (Ch. 10 amendments to base IBC)
   • California Building Code Part 2 (CA edition of IBC)
   • DSA — K-12 schools
   • CA HCAI — hospitals
   • NYC SCA — public schools
   • Boston Building Code
   • Ontario Building Code Part 3 — Canadian projects (different framework, not IBC)

5. Source for the operative § text — one of:

   • Paste the verbatim § text. Include the citation header as it appears in the source (e.g. IBC 2024 §1006.3.2 — Egress from Stories or Occupied Roofs).
   • Fetch online — explicitly authorize the command to WebFetch from an official source. ICC editions are paywalled; AHJ amendment pages are typically free:
     • NYC BC: https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes/2022-construction-codes.page
     • California Building Code: https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes/california (often paywalled — paste preferred)
     • OBC 2024: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/240163
   • arch-rag — if the relevant code is indexed in the workspace's local RAG, route there. Run /arch-rag-list to check.

   The command refuses to compute against recalled values. If no source is in hand and a fetch is not authorized, it stops and asks.

Workflow

1. Echo parsed inputs in one line: egress element / provided values / occupancy / jurisdiction.
2. Identify the reference area — point at the chapter / division of the relevant code for the user's egress question (e.g., "IBC Ch. 10 — Means of Egress"). Do not claim a specific § number from recall.
3. Acquire source text:
   • If the user pasted text in the request, use that.
   • Otherwise ask: "Paste the operative § text, or say 'fetch from [NYC BC / OBC 2024 / etc.]'."
   • On 'fetch', WebFetch the named official URL, quote the operative paragraph(s) verbatim, and ask the user to confirm this is the correct § for the question before proceeding.
4. For overlay jurisdictions (NYC BC, CBC, OBC, DSA, CA HCAI) require the overlay text in addition to base IBC. A NYC project compared only against base IBC is incomplete — say so and stop until the overlay text is provided or the user explicitly opts out.
5. Math against verbatim source. For each provided value, quote the matching clause from the source text (blockquoted), state the comparison, label PASS / FAIL / MARGINAL, and report the margin.
6. Output the table + source attribution + caveats.

Output template

# Test Egress — [Element, plain title]

**Element:** [occupant load / exit count / common path / travel distance / dead-end]
**Provided:** [labeled values]
**Occupancy:** [B / R-2 / A-3 / etc.]
**Jurisdiction:** [base IBC 2024 / + NYC BC / + CBC / + OBC / etc.]

## Reference area
[Topic-level pointer to chapter / division of the relevant code. No specific § from recall.]

## Source text under test
> [Verbatim quote from user paste or fetched URL. Preserve the source's own citation header.]

(Source: pasted by user / fetched from <URL> on <YYYY-MM-DD>)

## Comparison
| Value | Provided | Required (per quoted source) | Verdict | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | "<verbatim limit>" | PASS / FAIL / MARGINAL | ... |

## Jurisdictional flags
- [If overlay in scope and overlay source provided: include overlay row in the table with overlay column.]
- [If overlay in scope but overlay source missing: list the overlay § the user must also paste / fetch. Do not math against base IBC alone.]

## Caveats
- Single-element gut-check; not a life-safety audit. Use `code-review` for full project egress scoping.
- All limit values come from the source the user pasted or the URL the command fetched on <date>. The command did not recall any IBC value from training.
- IBC editions and AHJ amendments change. Verify the source edition matches the jurisdiction-adopted edition (NYC DOB on `IBC 2014`, CA on `2022 CBC`, Toronto Building on `OBC 2024`).
- Binding interpretation is the AOR's stamped opinion plus AHJ review (`NYC DOB Code Determination`, `LADBS Information Bulletin`, `DSA Interpretation of Regulations`, etc.).

NA AEC conventions (enforce)

• English only — body, examples, output.
• Imperial-first units: ft, in, sf. Metric only if it appears verbatim in the source text.
• Codes / standards referenced: IBC, IRC, IFC, NFPA 101, NFPA 13, NFPA 13R, NFPA 13D, NYC BC, CBC, OBC, NBC. Reject KBC, KS, EN, BS, JIS, DIN — out of catalog scope.
• AHJs named specifically: NYC DOB, FDNY, LADBS, DSA, CA HCAI, NYC SCA, Boston ISD, Toronto Building, Chicago DOB, GSA, USACE. Never the AHJ or the city generically.
• Floors: Level 3 / L3 / 3rd floor. Never 3F.
• Roles: Architect of Record (AOR), Code Consultant, Expediter (NYC), Owner, Owner's Representative. Never use Director as a project role.

Constraints

• Never invent IBC values. If the user has not pasted source text and has not authorized a fetch, stop and ask.
• Never paraphrase from training. The source text in the output must be a verbatim quote from user paste or WebFetch result, blockquoted, with the source's own citation header preserved.
• Never claim a specific § number from recall. Topic-level pointers (chapter / division) are fine; the specific § (§1006.3.2, Table 1004.5, etc.) must come from the source.
• Distinguish base IBC from AHJ overlay. A NYC / CA / Toronto project that pasted only base IBC is incomplete — flag and stop until overlay text is provided or explicitly waived.
• Single question, single shot. Multi-element life-safety scoping is code-review skill territory.
• No docs/ artifact, no Word / PDF, no aec-doc-gen dependency. Markdown response only.
• Caveat block always present. Including for trivial PASS results.
• Fetch only after explicit user authorization. Always show the URL fetched and the date.

Anti-patterns (never do)

• Stating limit values inline ("75 ft common path for B sprinklered") — never. Numbers live only in the quoted source.
• Claiming "§1006.3.2 says one exit allowed up to 49 occupants" from training — never. The pasted / fetched source is the only authority.
• Treating "no overlay text" as "base IBC applies, fine" for jurisdictions where the overlay governs (NYC, CA, Toronto) — incomplete by definition.
• Auto-fetching without explicit user authorization — fetch only on an explicit "fetch online" cue.
• "Looks fine" / "should be OK" hedging — verdicts are binary against quoted source: PASS / FAIL / MARGINAL.
• Running code-review or /explain-code from inside this command — pointer-only; the user invokes downstream.
• Mixing occupancy functions in a single test (e.g., assembly + business in one math row) — split per function and sum per the source's own rules.