Can two electrical boxes be placed in the same stud cavity?
If so, are there restrictions by code? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
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We are designing a barge loading/unloading slip. The product will be used motor oil. The barge slip will be protected by fire monitors. These will be supplied by a fire water pump house.
Due to space limitations, the pump house will be within a 50-ft radius of the corner of a barge (potential fire source). The pump house will enclose two diesel pumps and day tanks and will be sprinkler protected. Only three walls of the pump house will fall within the 50-ft circle. Question 1) NFPA Table 4.13.1.1.2 would dictate a 2-hour fire-resistance rating needed, but the IBC would lead you to believe a 1-hour rating is required. Can someone clarify which is required? Question 2) Do all the walls and the roof need to meet the rating? The simple solution would be to make everything a 2-hour rating. However, the pump house will have a 10'x10' door, roof hatches, and ventilation louvers. Placing these on the wall opposite to the fire source and outside of the 50 ft. circle would greatly simplify the design. Thank you in advance! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a project with a unique strobe situation.
New installation into an existing building, Department of Defense so we're under UFC criteria. The new fire alarm and mass notification system uses Alert strobes (as is common), but in some portions of the building there are blue security strobes. These are used as a warning with non-classified personnel are in the area. These blue strobes flash at the same rate as the fire alarm/mass notification strobes, but they are not synchronized. The blue security strobes are manually activated at an attendant's desk. Is there a requirement to synchronize these different systems, from UFC criteria or elsewhere? Fundamentally, the strobe synchronization issue and potential epileptic exposure is the same concern whether or not it's a concert, fire alarm system, security or dancing club - I certainly understand that we don't want the hazard from the strobes. I do wonder if any of you have come across this, and/or what your opinion might be to handle the situation. We're on closeout for the project and there has been explicit requirement to override, synchronize or shutdown either the fire alarm or security strobes. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is there a minimum ceiling height that would be required for a Fire Pump Room?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I've wondered for a long time if Section 19.3.3.1.5.1 of NFPA 13 (2019 edition) in a way allows for unsprinklered combustible concealed spaces, like a large wood canopy, if the remote operating adjacent to the area is increased to 3000 sf and there's a fire barrier between the two areas?
Is this an acceptable approach? I'm assuming the barrier's rated must be equivalent to the required water supply duration, if so. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a parking structure that is sitting in the middle of an apartment complex. The bottom two floors are "podium" design and the architect is saying those floors are "enclosed" - thus requiring dry sprinklers throughout those floors.
Above the podium the garage floors are considered "open" and therefore I believe do not require sprinklers. Has anyone run into a similar situation? Perhaps with a parking structure that has underground portions and above ground portions? In those cases, what is the code logic for sprinklers in one area versus throughout? Thanks for any assistance! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I live in a province in Canada with its own building code version and recently had a project for a very small, single-story building - an industrial class with an incinerator.
We were originally told that the building needed to be sprinklered so we designed a system for it. Since the system will cost a lot of money, the owners have hired a code consultant that concluded that the building does not need to be sprinklered as there is no requirement to sprinkler a single-story very small industrial building by the building code. They make the argument that standards like NFPA 82 & NFPA 20 (for fire pumps) pertain to the equipment but not the building as those aspects are covered by the building code. They also mention this usage has been called into question and accepted in other Canadian provinces with similar code structures. Noting that this argument is not specific to the incinerator or NFPA 82 but any equipment or room covered by an NFPA standard, I'm wondering if anyone has heard a similar argument or has other experience in another jurisdiction. Does the usage here drive a requirement for fire sprinkler protection? Is this the correct approach here? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A question came to me about the survivability requirements for an elevator landing communication system required by 2018 IBC 1009.8/NFPA 101 7.2.12.1. 2016 is the applicable NFPA 72 edition.
The designer is arguing that since NFPA 72 Section 24.3.13 doesn't call out "elevator landing communication systems" by name that it falls under Section 24.3.13.12 and requires a risk analysis. They did note that the 2019 edition "clears up some confusion" but don't mention that the 2019 edition modifies section 24.3.7.2 to reference "elevator landing communication systems" and refer their design to the area of refuge/rescue assistance section 24.10 along with stair communication systems. The 2016 edition of 24.3.7.2 just references "elevator emergency communication systems, section 24.11" which is pretty clearly about the in-car call systems, not the systems required at the landings by IBC/101. Now I've done my homework, its pretty clear that from 2016-2019 NFPA wants elevator landing communication systems to meet the same requirements as an area of refuge communication system, and from 2019-2022 its explicitly clear that the elevator landing communication systems need to be robust; further more the commentary language of the IBC, NFPA 101 and NFPA 72 for the elevator landing and area of refuge communication systems all pretty much say the same thing that non-self-evacuating occupants needs a reliable means of communication for the duration they remain in the building, so the two systems would need to function the same. My problem is that for the 2016 edition this is all implied and implicit language. I am very confident that elevator landing systems require the same survivability as area of refuge systems but can't find an explicit code reference to support it. Is there a section/commentary section/something I'm missing? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is there an applicable code reference for minimum distance between a fire hydrant and a transformer?
Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a climbing gym that's in construction. See the image below. The architect is calling this out as an assembly space, so we have light hazard upright protection up at the roof only. The fire marshal walked the building and has concerns that the climbing walls create obstructions. Are the climbing walls a construction concern? Any other input here?
Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We are designing a new/upgraded fire alarm system for a remodeled highrise (our local codes are 2012 IBC and 2018 NFPA 1) and there is a detached walk-in cooler for the restaurant, located relatively close to the main building (~3' away from the nearest exterior wall).
We received an RFI asking whether fire alarm devices are required in the coolers - good question(!). I'm not able to find anything specific for fire alarm devices in detached storage buildings. Do you see fire alarm required for the detached cooler? If anyone has any insight (or NFPA references that I've overlooked), it would be very much appreciated! Thanks for a great community! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Canopies and overhangs have been discussed extensively, including the Meyerfire article and Exterior Projection Cheatsheet.
I know when and how NFPA 13 requires protection, but I am finding architects often provide a "gap" between the face of the building and an exterior canopy. Sometimes this gap is very small. I have had an AHJ tell me a gap of any size results in no protection required, even if a roof overhang overlaps above. I'd like to ask the building code experts here if this is a function of if the area beneath is considered part of the Fire Area. Once again I have a project where it is a wide canopy of combustible construction, would require protection beneath, but it is free-standing, with just a couple inches gap between the canopy and the exterior wall of the building. Sprinklers required, or not? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a question that I have been pondering for a while. As an AHJ we have some strip malls (or similar construction where there are multiple businesses in different suites), and in a few instances I have come across a single suite that is sprinklered due to the occupancy type within that suite.
For example an older strip mall gets a casino to move into a single suite changing it to a Group A occupancy, which now requires sprinklers. They have been allowed to sprinkler just that suite as long as there is a 2-3 hour rated fire separation between the neighboring suites. Is this in alignment with the code? Are they considered “separate buildings” due to the fire separation provided between suites? If so, how do we avoid confusion when our crews respond for a fire? They see a PIV and FDC and connect, only to realize when they go inside that there aren’t even sprinklers in the suite on fire. It just doesn’t seem operationally sound to me. Do you have any thoughts on this? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe When is sprinkler protection required for a building column?
We have a New York City project with cast iron columns, and we're not sure of any code requirement that would address sprinkler requirements for protection of a cast iron column. Any help is much appreciated. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe According to the International Building Code Section 905.3 (2018 Edition), a standpipe is required in any building with four or more stories.
We have a small building (three family homes) but the first floor is all a parking garage, and then 3 more floors over the parking garage (one home per floor). According to the IBC, do we still need a standpipe even if it's such a small building? If we do need a standpipe, does the service have to be 4-inches or can we have it at 2-inches and increase the riser up to 4-inches to feed the manual wet standpipe? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a Type V-A Group R-2 apartment building whose code summary indicates as having four stories atop two levels of basement, all of the same construction and occupancy, and requiring a 13R system type.
I’m no expert in the building code, but it's my understanding that in order to have a building taller than four stories and still use 13R, a 3-hour horizontal assembly would be required having Type I construction below such assembly and up to four stories above; this building looks to be Type V throughout six levels with no horizontal assembly. The large building is vertically separated into four individual buildings by 2-hour fire walls but I see no horizontal separation. Is there a way this proposed 13R sprinkler system can be code compliant (IBC 2015)? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe In the base IBC/NFPA 101 are there any requirements for "interview rooms" in buildings that aren't I occupancies or detention centers?
I'm reviewing a building design that has a small police suite with 3 "interview" rooms; the designer said the intent is that each room is capable of holding one detainee who will be chained to the table at and in the company of at least one officer at all times. This doesn't qualify as a Group I occupancy per IBC and NPFA 101 Ch 22 doesn't apply to non-sleeping areas. I feel like there is something I'm overlooking but I'm having trouble finding information. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do solar panels on a roof level of a parking garage require sprinkler protection?
The parking garage is six-level open air garage, and the roof level (the sixth level) is used for parking. Solar panels would cover 30% of the roof level and may potentially in future cover the entire roof. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe If NFPA 75 isn't an explicitly adopted code by the AHJ or not referenced by any of the other applicable codes is smoke detection required in a raised floor area?
NFPA 72 provides location guidance but other than that I can't find in NFPA 101/IBC where smoke detection would be required in the raise floor space. Not every jurisdiction/client adopts NFPA 75, I'm unsure what other code or standard would require below floor smoke detection. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Can anyone point me in the right direction for codes pertaining to the construction of a draft curtain?
My client will be installing them as part of an attic design, where draft curtains are required per the sprinkler listing. The sprinkler data sheet covers the depth requirement of the draft curtain. From browsing some websites I can gather they can be constructed of fire-resistant fiberglass woven textiles, glass (smoke baffles), or even panels of sheet metal. Does NFPA or the IBC define how they are to be constructed? My client will most likely use sheet metal. I'm curious if there is a gauge requirement for the metal. I may be overthinking it, but I like to see the code defining the curtain requirement, to avoid the contractor putting the wrong materials in place. I appreciate any help that anyone can provide. Thank you. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe What are you all seeing or specifying for firestop identification labels?
Masterspec calls for metal or plastic labels. I found an FCIA (Firestop Contractors International Association) article that speaks to stamped metal tags or ceramic fiber tags (Google is failing on what that actually would look like). It seems the firestop manufacturers all have stickers. I have always specified the metal or plastic labels using the Masterspec language. If I get anything at all installed, it is the manufacturer stickers. I have concerns about the longevity of the stickers. I’m curious what others are calling for, what your AHJs or clients ask for, and what is actually getting installed. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe How is it determined whether a steel structure will have spray-applied fire resistant materials?
I'm creating performance specification for a bid-set on a project, so I don't yet have input from a structural engineer. The project is a warehouse with large fire loads and exposed steel. Recently, a project out for bid is a low-rise office building, 100% sprinklered with a wet-pipe system that is concealed by a suspended ceiling. On that project, all of the structural steel has spray-applied fire resistant materials. What drives the issue of spray-applied fire resistive materials? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have an existing business that is approximately 4,000 sqft. It's a single-story building being renovated into an infusion center with (14) IV patient rooms.
I would consider this type of occupancy to be an Ambulatory Care occupancy because of (4) or more care recipients to be incapable of self preservation at any time. Under Ambulatory Care, this building would need to be sprinkler protected under the International Fire Code. Are these type of centers considered to fall under Ambulatory Care, or just a doctor's out patient Business occupancy? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe When would a parking garage require an occupant notification system?
NFPA 101 has some fairly clear guidelines but isn't applicable in my project, the 2015 ICC codes are. I can't find anything in Section 907 for S occupancies and Section 406 doesn't really give much direction either. Open, enclosed, above or below grade, and above or below other occupancies; It doesn't seem super straight-forward. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a project where we are discussing what code year of NFPA 13 will be applicable for the project.
Is the edition of NFPA 13 determined by the AHJ, the I-code year of adoption, or the state? Some of our cities spell it out, but others do not specify NFPA years of adoption, on the I-Code series. Curious to your thoughts, since this could impact exterior projection interpretation for the project. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe |
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