I Was Wondering What The Building Codes Say With Respect To Stall Spacing......

[global1]

it seems to me that there have to be 'building codes for public bathrooms'. My first thought is how much distance is needed between stalls? Usually the commode is centered in the stall. It seems to me that one really has to stretch ones leg and foot in order to touch the foot of someone in the next stall.

I thought that 'building codes for public bathrooms' would yield the stall spacing requirements. With those - we would know just how wide a stance Craig has.

Any architects here on DU?

[TahitiNut]

1. I don't think it's special for PUBLIC lavatories.

There are minimum distances cited for a toilet in any home ... distance on left, right, and in front. Almost anyone living in a home with the 'typical' 5'x8' bathroom can just measure for themselves, since that bathroom is one of those "beauties" of careful design in that it achieves the codes in the minimum of space.

One of the minimums I seem to remember is 15" from the centerline of the toilet to either side wall. That makes the minimum stall width 30". I believe the minimum distance from the front edge of the toilet to a wall or other fixture is 18".

I think the installation schematics accompanying toilets also provide those minimum dimensions, since they're national code minimums.

[TankLV]

2. There are standard stalls and accessible stalls...

30" minimum for standard stalls, with 36" minimum for the extra accessible stalls...

60" by 60" no smaller, no larger, for standard accessible stalls in a row, 60" by 96" for accessible stalls at the end of a room (includes the 36" minimum space in front of the stalls as part of the stall). Anything bigger is a DISSERVICE to the handicapped, because theoretically, if bigger, someone can accidentally push the wheelchair too far away to be able to get back on if the stall is too big.

18" is the required distance from the wall for an accessible stall - the toilet is not centered in the stall - there has to be a space in accessible stalls for the wheelchair to be along side the toilet so a side transfer can be accomplished...if a stall was centered in an accessible stall, a person would have to be a gymnast to be able to hold the grab bars and maneuver to and from the toilet...

bathrooms - with a sink and toilet in the same space - have different requirements - but the 18" distance from the toilet to the wall is a requirement, along with the wheelchair turning diameter of 60" clear space within the room, not including the space taken by the swing of the door into the room...

As many mistakes as you can imagine have been made in creating stalls...

There are about 3 or 4 main building codes in the USA, not including separate unique ones for cities such as LA, etc. - International Building Code (IBC) - used to be called the Uniform Building Code (UBC), Standard Building Code(SBC), etc. - usu sally categorized by region of the USA.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) governs accessibility, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) takes the same information and is the actual regulation in many cities.

The Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) which is part of the IBC governs plumbing requirements...

[LiberalFighter]

3. Would a man have their feet close together with their knees spread to hold their pants up

or reverse?

Or would a man have their lower legs mostly upright? If mostly upright how far can they spread their legs to keep their pants up as he claims? How wide of a man is he?

Senator Craig should demonstrate what he is claiming in court. Make sure they video tape his testimony.

[global1]

4. This Conjures Up A Memory From The OJ Trial - If It Doesn't Fit You Can't Convict - For Craig.....

it would be - "If he can't *hit you can convict" - because I read in another post - a wide stance closes up the cheeks and makes it impossible to poop.

[LiberalFighter]

10. The Senator should demonstrate in court the position he used

[TahitiNut]

6. That's just NOT the way anyone (that I know) would hold up their pants.

While it may work SOMEWHAT with Levi's, there's not a snowball's chance in hell it'd work with unzipped dress pants (especially pleated) - and if they ain't unzipped, it's not necessary anyway. The majority of men over 60, especially those of us that've acquired that "pear shape," wouldn't even try.

When dropping trou in a public stall, it's a matter of holding them and then gathering the front to keep them from dragging on a floor that's probably dirty or puddled with urine. (It's no fun to dip trou in urine.)

[pop goes the weasel]

5. It wouldn't be hard for a man to stretch that far, I think

Average women can manage to do the toilet paper relay, so I suppose an average guy could put his foot on the other side. The thing is, even if he could do it easily, it wouldn't be a natural posture, I don't think. Unless, of course, he's giving birth. And in that case, he wouldn't be an average guy at all.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. OMG! lol. Love all this bathroom analysis

[BigBearJohn]

8. With all the coverage this is getting, I'm surprised MSM hasn't showed us the stall he was in.

I could just see Tweedy sitting on the throne
with Tucker in the next stall taking measurements.

[LiberalFighter]

11. Their audience should demand Tweety and Tucker to re-enact the incident

[Bluebear]

9. He pled guilty. No architectural insight required. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

12. Here's what I've been wondering. How many of you gents out

there have accidentally touched or been touched by another foot under that stall partition? Is this a common occurrence? I don't recall ever having been in a public restroom when the occupant in the next stall had any body parts inadvertently stray into the stall I was occupying.

[BigBearJohn]

13. I'm a very big man. The closest my shoe has EVER been to the next stall is 1-1/2 feet