Has anyone been asked to or required to provide sprinkler protection for at grade parking with PV panels overtop?
I've been looking online for what has been done in other jurisdictions but I can't find much. There is a lot of discussion about whether PV panels constitute a roof or not for parking garages, but my question is more along the lines of has there been research done to determine if the sprinklers can be expected to activate properly based on pitch/spacing? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
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For NFPA 13D systems which are "multipurpose" or "flow-through" combination sprinkler and domestic systems, it has been troubling me as a fire code official not knowing the maximum length that a dead-end or arm-over section of pipe can be in order to be deemed safe from contaminating the potable water in a home.
NFPA doesn't seem to weigh in on this, that I know of. What is the maximum length for a dead-end or arm-over section of pipe in a combined sprinkler/domestic system? I've been searching for studies, contacting other AHJs, asking plumbers; but no one can give a definitive answer. From what I understand, there are no documented cases of illness from residential sprinkler systems, but I would rather not rely on this as a way to measure safety. I've seen a few sources say (and show) that water only circulates into the dead end at 1.5 x the diameter of the pipe going across. So if water isn't circulating, it seems like there's a risk for contamination. If contamination is not a risk for whatever reason, why have any maximum at all? I would love to get to the bottom of this and I look forward to hearing from others who have a deeper understanding. Thank you. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We are working on a new electric car factory. Under the 2018 IBC, it's classified as an F-2 occupancy. Earlier we had provided ESFR sprinklers in these buildings.
Since there is no specific requirement for smoke removal for an F-2 occupancy, we want to provide standard response or quick response sprinklers instead of ESFR, by classifying parts of the building as Ordinary Hazard Group 2 (OH2) in NFPA 13. Is this reasonable for all areas? Production areas? Would an OH2 classified space require smoke removal? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I purchased a commercial condo recently. It’s been vacant and unfinished since 2013. It’s a shell, picture is below. It has 5 residential condos on top and 5 commercial condos on first floor, in a 3 story building. All residential units were sold and have been occupied since. One commercial unit was also built and has been occupied as a salon with a U & O. There are no sprinklers, no fire room. They were going off of 2006 IBC code.
My architect prepared stamped plans with no sprinklers using the separated building scenario. It has a 2-hour horizontal separation, 3-5 hour vertical, no access to second floors. The plan was denied for sprinklers to be installed. Now, I certainly understand safety, but it’s almost impossible to install now after 12 years. Can you help me decipher mixed use B (1st floor) and R-3 (2nd and 3rd one unit)? Is this approach allowed by code, or is the code official correct? Is a self-contained fire area allowed to be its own building? Please help, thanks. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Does anyone have experience in designing suppression for a warehouse that will store boats on racks?
I will appreciate any information. Which standard would even be applicable? Do we treat them like high-piled combustible storage per Chapter 32 of the IFC? What will be target hazard considering the fuel in the boat? Is there any limitation that how much they can keep inside the boat? Thanks for the input on this; I'm having a hard time on where to get started. Editor's Note: A Fire Protection Research Foundation on Marina and Boatyard Indoor Rack Storage Sprinkler Protection has been submitted and can be viewed here: PDF LINK Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I am working on a permit for a 1,500 sqft (750 sqft/ floor) new construction live/work building R-2 in California (2022 California Building Code, which is based on IBC). It has a 1-bedroom apartment above with only "work" space below.
The building code allows for Live/Work R-2 to be protected with NFPA 13R. In the building code the only uses not allowed in the "work" area of Live/work are Group H & S. Where all of this gets hazy is that I interpret the code as 13R being allowed to protect this whole building regardless of use except for uses S or H. For instance would a small pizza joint be allowed in this "work" space as long as it did not have special hazards that would require an ANSL or NFPA 13 system? Or is Live/Work with 13R just purely limited to office, barber, professional space, etc.? From multiple angles I am trying to understand the true limits of Live/work when there are no local ordinances that limit the "work" space use except S & H. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a storage building that is non-sprinklered, it only has fire alarm. The ceiling height in some areas of the building with storage of tires is up to 10-ft in height, and others up to 15-ft in height.
How many tires can be stored? Is there a limit to the amount of storage? Does storing on tread or on side matter? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a project in the Miami area where there are some exterior glass panels that need to be 1-hour fire rated.
I specified the glass to be fire rated type, but it prices are coming back too high. The contractor is looking into an alternative of providing fire sprinkler protection on the inside face of the glass. Is this a feasible idea? The wall that the glass is part of requires the rating due to its being within 10' of some adjacent exterior glass. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have an indoor amusement park (skiing activities) which has a back of house space where in machines are being repaired and refueled. There is a diesel storage room which a 1,320 gallon tank (5 cubic meters).
The room does not have any fire resistance rated walls and is also used for storing paint thinners (Class 2 flammable liquid). Just outside this room is a welding space. Is there guidance, somewhere, on what needs to be considered here for fire and life safety? I tried using NFPA 1, NFPA 30, and NFPA 101, but since this diesel tank is inside the space, I've not been able to find a reasonable solution in terms of fire and life safety requirements. Thanks for the input. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I’m wondering if you can help me on this one. I have a project with the detail below referencing the use of the U419 listed assembly, but with the drywall only on one side of the assembly. I asked for verification that the U419 assembly would permit this and he provided me with the attachment referencing section 5A. I don’t believe that was the intent for section 5A of the listing, but I can’t figure out what the actual intent is.
Is drywall on only one side of the assembly here correct? Is it allowed anywhere? It is something that has come up since there is a V497 listed assembly that puts both layers of drywall on one side of the wall, but my understanding has always been that it was used only on the interior side of exterior walls required only to be rated from the inside (IBC Section 705.5). Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I appreciate your help. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a passenger elevator that is a traction, machine room-less (MRL).
Under NFPA 13, 2013 Edition, Section 8.15.5.2, a 'sprinkler shall not be required for enclosed, non-combustible elevator shafts that do not contain combustible hydraulic fluids.' NFPA 72, 2013 Edition, Section 21.3.6 states that 'smoke detectors shall not be installed in unsprinklered hoistways unless they are installed to activate the elevator hoistway smoke relief equipment.' I believe these would apply to this elevator. Does the elevator only require lobby smoke detectors, including first floor for recall and second floor for alternate recall? Is a smoke detector actually required within the shaft? This is my first MRL elevator and I want to make sure we cover everything that's required. I would appreciate you views on this, thank you! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Fighting with myself this morning on whether interior horn/strobes are required for a project going on in my jurisdiction.
It's a 14,000 sqft tenant space in a sprinklered strip mall. The landlord fire alarm panel only monitors sprinkler system and three duct detectors. Under the 2018 IBC / IFC, no manual fire alarm system is required. Section 907.2.7.1 adds confusion for me regarding occupant notification. It allows an exception for a constantly attended locations to provide instructions in the event of alarm activation from manual pull OR waterflow. Given no constantly attended location exists, would the sprinkler system in this case require interior horn/strobes within the tenant space? The exterior bell is on the rear of the building with a landlord maintenance space in-between. If there was a sprinkler flow in the adjacent tenant space, how would the space in question be notified to evacuate? The architect on the project feels nothing is required inside the space. Maybe I'm taking a common sense approach to this but want to be sure I have code to back me up in requiring interior occupant notification. This is for a discount retail tenant. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe NFPA 13 in talking about concealed spaces uses the language "Concealed spaces of exposed combustible construction shall be protected by sprinklers."
What does the term "exposed" construction mean? We have a wood deck structure with a steel frame and a un-heated attic; so trying to figure out how to solve this without a dry system (historic building so spray foam on the interior is economical). It would be nice to put an ignition barrier/thermal barrier on the wood deck and then not provide a sprinkler system. (concrete deck of the attic). Thanks in advance for your take. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Does the IFC or NFPA standard dictate if a old system has to brought up to code if a new permit has been issued for a tenant improvement?
For example adding 5 flex drops to an existing system? Seismic , hanger support are the issue. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a rehab of a two story with a walk out basement where they are going to expand the basement level and make it mercantile with the two upper floors being R-2.
This is Type V-B construction and they are proposing to 1-hour horizontal to separate the mercantile from the R use. They are wanting to use the standpipes as their sprinkler risers. My question is three-fold: 1. Can they sprinkler the entire building with 13R, or 2. Can they omit sprinklers completely in the mercantile if they separate from the R use by 1-hour (the mercantile by itself would not require sprinkler protection, 3. Can they sprinkler the mercantile with 13 and the R use 13R without a rated separation? I am an AHJ and only wanting to require what the Code requires. I am having trouble deciphering the requirements. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Hello everyone. Looking to get some feedback on a building under construction.
I have a 3-story condo building with 4 stairwells, protected by an NFPA 13 sprinkler system. The condo building is exterior access via corridor which connects the stairwells and is about 20 units total. There is a single fire sprinkler riser that enters one of the stairwells at the corner of the building and goes vertical to serve all levels. Overall, fairly typical. Currently, the building is nearing the end of construction and they’re installing drywall. However, a new Fire Inspector is asking for “more standpipes”, despite the fact that the building does not have standpipes, nor are standpipes required (3 stories, none below grade, and below height threshold to the top floor, etc.) The reason he is requiring them is because he is saying per NFPA 14, you cannot exceed ~200 feet in between standpipes. However, because the building does not require standpipes in the first place, this code section does not seem to make sense. Of course, I know the AHJ is allowed to require things above and beyond the code but my big issue is that the building is about 80% complete now, and he asked for this on a typical inspection. The design criteria, FP shop drawings, civil plan, etc. were all approved by other inspectors/ AHJ / Reviewers, and has been for a couple of years. I noticed he seems to be intermixing the word “Standpipe” and “Fire Riser” frequently which makes conversations more difficult. Just looking for some other opinions on this issue and I appreciate any input at all. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Asking as an employee of an architectural design firm - we have an outdoor performance center (A-5) with a 6,000 sf performance "platform". It is not being designated as a stage (just lighting and sound above).
This outdoor platform does have a lid/ceiling up about 50-ft with walls on three sides and open to the outdoor seating area. Would this outdoor space be exempt from sprinkler protection under building code for A-5 guidelines, or should it be treated like any overhang where products underneath might be flammable? I believe it needs protection, but have not worked on an outdoor A-5 Assembly occupancy before. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a 3-family building with parking garage and three floors over parking for a total of four floors.
According to the IBC, a standpipe is required; my question is - is the standpipe required in all stairs? We have two stars which are less than 30-feet between the stairs. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Architect here with a fire code question. We have a fully sprinklered building (ESFR), of Type II-B, tilt concrete construction.
The fire pump room is located on an exterior wall, and the only door into the pump room is from the exterior. We have 1-hr rated construction separating the fire pump room from the rest of the building. The fire marshal is telling us that the exterior wall and door also have to be rated. I responded by pointing out the fire pump is required to be protected from the surrounding building, and that it does not need to be protected from the exterior, so exterior wall and door should not have to be rated. Fire marshal disagrees and pointed to NFPA 20 4.14.1.1.2. That section does not specifically state that separation is required from the rest of the building, although Section 4.14.1.1.1 right before it does make that distinction, just like IBC/IFC do. We have solid concrete walls that are inherently fire rated construction, so typically I would just say ok and label them rated. The issue is we are required to have ventilation in the pump room per NFPA 20, so we have a makeup air louver in the exterior wall. If we rate the wall, then my understanding is we will have to put a fire/smoke damper on that louver, which is added cost and unnecessary in my opinion. Is your understanding that all walls have to be rated as the fire marshal is saying, or just the walls between pump room and rest of building? I've done many buildings of this type in multiple states and this is the first time I've been told this. I'd appreciate your insight, thanks. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I am in the process of bidding an existing building. Here is the rundown: the ground level has parking. Above that is a 3-hour horizontal separation between the parking and the first floor. Then there are three stories of apartments above the separation. I’m looking at this as two separate buildings and am proposing NFPA 13 for the parking and NFPA 13R for the apartments above. It will also have two dry standpipes on the exterior stairwells. My question comes to sprinkler protection on the outside exit corridors and the egress travel distance. NFPA 13R Section 6.6.5 clearly states that the exit corridors are not required to be protected. Life Safety code allows a means of egress travel distance of 250' for a sprinklered building. If the building is sprinklered per NFPA 13R with the above ommision, can the 250' egress travel distance be used? Thought/Comments appreciated! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a project with an air supported dome structure. It's serving around 430,000+ sqft of indoor sports.
However, I am a bit confused with the type of construction this would be clasified as. As per NFPA 5000 and IBC, an air-supported structure can be Type II-B (000), but wouldn't we be limited on allowable floor area restrictions for the site of the building? Are there any exceptions to sprinkler protection for a building like this? I would really appreciate your point of view, thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a multistory hotel building with the rooms opening to an exterior corridor. There is Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) along the walls of the exterior corridor.
NFPA 13 (2022), Section 9.2.3.3 allows omission of sprinklers from exterior exit corridors where the exterior wall of the corridor is at least 50% open and where the corridor is entirely of noncombustible construction. It seems from research that EIFS is considered combustible and would require sprinkler protection along the exterior corridor. Has anyone done more research on this or has this come up before for other projects with EIFS in the exterior corridors and ultimately required sprinkler protection? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe If a stair structure is supporting the fire barriers that enclose the exit enclosure, does the stair structure have to be fire rated as well?
Looking specifically at IBC 2018 Section 707.5.1 and NFPA 101 (2018) Section 7.1.3.2. If there is a fire inside a stair, the means of egress is no longer usable and at that point are you protecting the interior of the building from the fire inside the exit enclosure? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Water curtain using automatic sprinklers to avoid providing opening protectives - there's a lot of confusion on this.
Exception stated under Section 705.8.2 of 2021 International Building Code (OBC) states that Opening protectives are not required where the building is equipped through an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.1.1 and the exterior openings are protected by a water curtain using automatic sprinkler systems approved for that use. Can we use this exception and provide a water curtain using automatic sprinklers to avoid fire rated doors in the loading dock of a building? Is there anything else that I need to be concerned about while designing these sprinklers for the water curtain? Need more clarity here before recommending an approach. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A lot of office buildings and public transit depot buildings are being designed with "quiet" or "wellness" rooms for tired employees to take a break and "rest," leading a lot of AHJs to ask if these rooms are R occupancies.
The designed use is not a sleeping room and many clients "prohibit" sleeping but everyone agrees that it could be used as a sleeping room. Typically they're size for 1-5 people and have lounge chairs (no beds) so they fall under the accessory use category to the rest of the building. For example, assume a multi-story office building where each floor has one of these rooms, less than 500 square feet, no beds just chairs, room is entirely open inside. How would you treat these rooms and how would you address the requirements for corridors in the building assuming its a sprinklered building? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe |
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