A dead-end corridor is limited because of what condition?

• A. A corridor with limited exits; excessive travel distance can impede evacuation.
• B. A corridor with multiple exits; excessive travel distance can impede evacuation.
• C. A corridor that is always in service.
• D. A corridor that is wider than standard.

Answer: (A)

A dead-end corridor is limited because it creates a single path to safety. When there are only one or few exits at the far end, occupants in the middle must travel a longer distance to reach an exit. In an emergency, especially with smoke, heat, or crowding, that extra distance increases the time and difficulty of evacuating, raising the risk of harm. That’s why codes cap the length of dead-end corridors to keep travel distances within what people can reasonably navigate to reach safety. A corridor with multiple exits wouldn’t have the same limitation since alternate routes shorten evacuation travel. A corridor that’s always in service or wider than standard doesn’t address the core risk that a long, single-path route poses during an emergency.