When does NFPA 101 take precedence over NFPA 13 in regards to omitting sprinklers in closets less than 12 sqft in area in individual dwelling units of new apartment buildings?
We have a 44-story high rise with 10 sq ft closets that are 2'x5' and we are trying to eliminate the sprinklers. NFPA 13 would require them since it is not a hotel or motel but NFPA 101 allows for the omission. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
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Could Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer materials be considered non-combustible? For this project it's intended to be used as an interior building material.
NFPA 130 & NFPA 101 definition of non-combustible material: 4.7 Non-combustible material A material that complies with any of the following shall be considered a noncombustible material [101:4.6.13.1].
Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials can meet the following minimum standards for flammability:
Can this material be considered an equivalent to non-combustible material? While Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials have an excellent fire resistance rating under ASTM and UL tests, it is not specifically classified as non-combustible under ASTM E136. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a dormitory project where, on the first floor, and entry lobby at the front entrance connects directly into a main corridor that runs the length of the dormitory. On either end of the corridor are exterior exits. There are also exit enclosures from the two upper levels that discharge to the exterior on both ends of the building. This project is under NFPA 101-2018 and is fully-sprinklered.
NFPA 101-2018 7.1.3.1 and 28.3.6 state the following: 7.1.3 Separation of Means of Egress. 7.1.3.1 Exit Access Corridors. Corridors used as exit access and serving an area having an occupant load exceeding 30 shall be separated from other parts of the building by walls having not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating in accordance with Section 8.3, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following: (1) This requirement shall not apply to existing buildings, provided that the occupancy classification does not change. (2) This requirement shall not apply where otherwise provided in Chapters 11 through 43. Because this is a new dormitory, Chapter 28 also applies: 28.3.6 Corridors. 28.3.6.1 Walls. 28.3.6.1.1 Exit access corridor walls shall comply with 28.3.6.1.2 or 28.3.6.1.3. 28.3.6.1.2 In buildings not complying with 28.3.6.1.3, exit access corridor walls shall consist of fire barriers in accordance with Section 8.3 that have not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating. 28.3.6.1.3 In buildings protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 28.3.5, corridor walls shall have a minimum 1∕2-hour fire resistance rating. Our question is - is the lobby, by code, considered part of the corridor (and therefore need to be rated)? Two ways of looking at this - one is that the code is strictly only discussing requirements for the corridor and not a lobby. The other way of looking at it is that the lobby is acting as the corridor when it serves as part of the exit access for the building. Normally a 1/2-hour rating wouldn't make all that much of a difference, but there's storefront in the lobby space between an adjacent office and the lobby which would have a cost impact to the project. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Are exits in industrial occupancies required to have panic hardware if the overall number of employees is 50 or more?
This is under NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2018 edition. Thanks. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I'm working on an exercise studio with one big open room and dealing with a plan examiner who insists travel distance is measured along walls leading to an exit, rather than diagonally across the space. To me this is absurd. Thoughts?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Are there any scenario where the means of egress can be routed from a corridor, through a room, to the exterior? Must all egress corridors discharge to the exterior?
I would assume panic hardware would have to be provided and the room couldn't have a means of being locked, but if a room is relatively low-hazard (like a classroom) could it be used for egress between a corridor and the exterior? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A small core area of a two-story office building has two stairs. One is a traditional enclosed exit stair fire-rated at 1-hour. The other stair is intended to be an "open access stair". The project is under NFPA 101 for means of egress and is sprinkler protected under NFPA 13.
NFPA 101 Chapter 38 New Business Occupancies NFPA 101 38.3 Protection NFPA 101 38.3.1 Protection of Vertical Openings NFPA 101 38.3.1.1 Vertical openings shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 8.6, unless otherwise permitted by any of the following: (4) Exit access stairs in accordance with 38.2.4.6 shall permitted to be unenclosed. NFPA 101 38.2.4.6 A single means of egress shall be permitted for a maximum two-story, single-tenant space or building provided that both of the following criteria are met: (1) The building is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 9.7.1.1(1). (2) The total travel to the outside does not exceed 100 ft. The only way to have an unenclosed stair for this building is if the "total travel to the outside" can include travel through the unenclosed "exit access stair". Is it permissible to have one open stair and one enclosed stair with "total travel to the outside" going through the open access stair? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a 2-hour fire rated barrier and need to choose code-compliant firestop. The firestop has different ratings (F, T, and L) - which is applicable?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Being told I need two fire dampers to serve a single fire wall. The fire wall is made of a "double wall", essentially two masonry walls next to each other with a very small (less than 2-inch) air gap in-between. The engineer on the project is stating that this "double wall" requires a fire damper in each.
I've never come across this as a requirement before. Do I need two fire dampers? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Are calculated stair widths based on occupant loads based only on a single level that the stair is serving, or a cumulative (total) occupant load for all floors the stair serves?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Our project has a proposed layout includes convenience stairs next to a corridor that serves restrooms, utility spaces, and doors to large open office areas. It's a B-occupancy subject to NFPA 101 requirements.
As a side note, the International Building Code (2018) makes it clear that two-story openings are permitted in occupancies other than I-2 and I-3 when they meet certain limitations, per section 712.1.9. One of the limitations it that is it not open to a corridor, but that's in Group I or R occupancies only. Group I and R occupancies require special treatment for corridors. NFPA 101 has similar provisions for Convenience Openings (Section 8.6.9). One of the requirements is that "such openings shall be separated from corridors", per section 8.6.9.1(3). If corridors in a building are not required to be separated (such as for an open-office B occupancy), does this requirement still apply, or is this section saying that we have to have rated corridors whenever we have convenience stair openings? 8.6.9 Convenience Openings. 8.6.9.1 Where permitted by Chapters 11 through 43, unenclosed vertical openings not concealed within the building construction shall be permitted as follows: (1) Such openings shall connect not more than two adjacent stories (one floor pierced only). (2) Such openings shall be separated from unprotected vertical openings serving other floors by a barrier complying with 8.6.5. (3)* Such openings shall be separated from corridors. (4)* In other than approved, existing convenience openings, such openings shall be separated from other fire or smoke compartments on the same floor. (5) In new construction, the convenience opening shall be separated from the corridor referenced in 8.6.9.1(3) by a smoke partition, unless Chapters 11 through 43 require the corridor to have a fire resistance rating. (6)* Such openings shall not serve as a required means of egress. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe The International Building Code requires identification of fire partitions, barriers, or fire walls with 3" letters identifying the wall itself.
I've seen (especially in hospitals) labels for each through-penetration with a UL Listing sticker right below each penetration. Is this a requirement by code, or just a hospital standard? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A new community college building contains 26,000 sqft of small instructional classrooms, an entry lobby, restrooms, offices, and a 15,000 sqft auditorium is considered what type of occupancy? a. Group A, Assembly b. Group B, Business c. Group E, Education d. Mixed Use Solution | Posted 06/26/19
Up through the 2015 Edition of NFPA 101, membrane penetrations in 1-hour or more rated walls/partitions allows any "steel electrical box not exceeding 0.1 sqft" to be addressed by several options.
The IBC has a similar provision, although it talks about 16-square-inch boxes instead of 0.1 sqft. NFPA 101 2012 8.3.5.6.3 Where walls or partitions are required to have a minimum 1-hour fire resistance rating, recessed fixtures shall be installed in the wall or partition in such a manner that the required fire resistance is not reduced, unless one of the following is met: (1) Any steel electrical box not exceeding 0.1 ft2 (0.01 m2) shall be permitted where the aggregate area of the openings provided for the boxes does not exceed 0.7 ft2 (0.06 m2) in any 100 ft2 (9.3 m2) of wall area, and, where outlet boxes are installed on opposite sides of the wall, the boxes shall be separated by one of the following: (a) Horizontal distance of not less than 24 in. (610 mm) (b) Horizontal distance of not less than the depth of the wall cavity, where the wall cavity is filled with cellulose loose-fill, rock wool, or slag wool insulation (c)*Solid fireblocking (d) Other listed materials and methods The 0.1 sqft threshold seems overly vague - a 4-inch x 4-inch electrical backbox, for instance, is 16 square inches while 0.1 sqft = 14.4 square inches. Has anyone come across this part of NFPA 101 before and addressed this issue with anything other than a listed box or puddy pad? My understanding is that the only way to address these 4x4 boxes, since they don't qualify as being 0.1 sqft or less, is to have a listed electrical outlet box or to use a listed assembly around the box (like a puddy pad). After looking into this question a little more, it looks like the 2018 Edition of NFPA 101 even clarified this section to change 0.1 sqft to 16 square inches, but we're not under the 2018 Edition for this project. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Does anyone have experience with a mamava (mobile lactation room/pod) being placed in a commercial business occupancy?
The square footage is approximately 50 sqft. It is composed of only Class A rated materials (flame spread index). From a practical perspective it does not make sense to me to drop a sprinkler in. However, I'm hard-pressed finding an exemption from code (NFPA 13 or 101) to not sprinkler the space since it's inhabitable and not a bathroom or closet (which I know they are exceptions for sprinklering based on size). Posted anonymously by a member for discussion. Discuss this | Submit a Question | Subscribe |
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