Per Wikipedia, 14.4% of the population has shy bladder syndrome (Paruresis) and find it difficult or impossible to use gang restrooms.
A 1954 Study by Williams and Degenhart (Wikipedia) found 14.4% of the population having paruresis equaling 46 million Americans based upon 2015 USA population of 320,090,857. 1998 Harvard University Study found 6.6% of the population having paruresis equaling 21 million Americans as of 2015.
Employment, commerce, productivity, safety and well being are being compromised in a major way. Many cannot work in buildings that have gang restrooms and avoid businesses that have them.
The Future Is Now
The 2018 International Plumbing Code 'allows' all restrooms (and bathing rooms) to be designed single-occupancy and unisex. Family/assist toilet fixture counts are now included for all occupancies instead of for just assembly and mercantile.
The attached drawing shows the cheapest way to build single-occupancy toilet rooms, with the smallest rooms, and by using an egress instead of a dedicated corridor.
The attached gang style, unisex full-height stalls with shared lavatories are not recommended due to safety, additional square footage/energy usage and problems that they create for those with shy bladder syndrome.
2018 International Plumbing Code, Section 403.1.2 (mirrors to the International Building Code IBC 2902.1.2)
Single-occupancy toilet facility and bathing room fixtures.
The plumbing fixtures located in single-occupancy toilet facilities and bathing rooms, including family or assisted-use toilet and bathing rooms that are required by Section 1109.2.1 of the International Building Code, shall contribute towards the total number of required plumbing fixtures for a building or tenant space. Single-occupancy toilet facilities and bathing rooms, and family or assisted-use toilet and bathing rooms shall be identified for use by either sex.
Variances, modifications or state code committees can allow this 2018 code in advance.
So Many Advantages
1. Helps millions with paruresis;
2. Helps opposite-sex parents and caregivers waiting outside of gang restrooms or bathing rooms creating safer environments;
3. Solves transgender restroom and bathing room issues;
4. Often reduces building square footage and energy usage (see attached drawings and cost differentials);
5. Reduces waiting lines for everyone known as gender or potty parity;
6. Solves Bathroom Laws by birth certificate.
Sanitation In 2010, The National Organization For Women (NOW) provided testimony to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform - In Support of H.R. 4869, The Bipartisan Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Building Act. For sanitation issues, NOW simply requests toilet seat covers and soap be maintained in the dispensers of single-occupancy toilet rooms.
Spring lifting toilet seats could be considered instead in the non-accessible rooms yet not in accessible per 2010 ADA 604.4.
Conclusion Multiple occupancy facilities have been designed since ancient Rome yet can now become obsolete. Yet then, they should have never been designed in the first place.
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Bruce Pitts
A&E HVAC Mechanical Engineering
self
Aiken SC
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