Corridor Circulation Brazil Calculator

Corridor width by occupancy type

How wide a corridor has to be depends on what the building is for. NBR 9077, the fire-exit standard, sets the floor: 0.80 m inside a dwelling, 1.20 m for shared corridors in multi-family buildings and small shops, 1.50 m once you reach schools and hospitals, and 2.20 m or more on the main egress routes of crowded buildings. On top of that, NBR 9050 covers accessibility, asking for 1.20 m where a wheelchair has to pass and 1.50 m to allow a 180° turn.

To size a corridor that has to clear everyone inside the building's safety time, the egress calculation multiplies the occupant load by 0.6 cm/person on the horizontal. Hospitals take twice that figure, since stretchers and equipment need the extra room.

Applications

Building codes (Plano Diretor + COE), fire department approval (Corpo de Bombeiros), school projects under FDE, hospitals subject to ANVISA RDC 50/2002, and accessibility under Lei 13.146/2015.

FAQ

Is 0.80 m really enough? Inside a home, yes. Anywhere shared, no — those corridors have to be 1.20 m or wider.

Why does the hospital need so much width? A stretcher with its crew runs about 0.90 m across, so for two of them to cross you need roughly 2.20 m.

Does the width count between handrails or walls? NBR 9077 measures the clear width, taken between the handrails, or between the finished walls when there is no handrail.