I am a recent architectural graduate designing and developing a small apartment building with a robust dedicated bike storage room (in lieu of car parking). The goal is to foster sustainable, walkable, urban design.
My concern is the recent and growing occurrence of e-bike electrical fires often triggered by non-UL certified lithium batteries. As I understand it, electrical fires are a different animal than your traditional wood fuel fire, in so far as effective suppression, burn rate, etc. Does current code satisfy any electrical fire concerns? Does NFPA 13 or even 13R provide sufficient protection for tenants and occupants in this new e-bike era? Is this a topic of discussion among the ICC and code communities? Concerned and looking out for safety. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
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We are working on a 20-story apartment building where the corridors are open with parapet walls on either side. These serve as an exit access corridor. The project is under NFPA 101.
In Chapter 7 of NFPA 101, the exist access corridor is supposed to have a minimum fire resistance rating of 1-hour. However, I can't seem to find any provision in the code regarding open corridors. Will these corridors be required to have a fire resistance rating? What about the doors of the dwelling units? I'm assuming if the corridor is not fire rated, then we wouldn't need opening protection through these partitions/walls. Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Are there any code requirements, or restrictions, to using spray-applied cementitious fireproofing on a steel structure in the space above the ceiling of a building when it is being used as a return air plenum?
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 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 S-1 occupancy. It is a privately owned storage unit (no public access) used for the storage of exotic cars, maybe 3 vehicles in total. The space is about 1,400 square feet, and is fire sprinkler protected. There is a wood-framed mezzanine at the back of the unit as is about 300 square feet.
The question that has come up is if the underside of the open wood stairs to the mezzanine needs to be protected with fire-retardant gypsum board? There is no sprinkler coverage under the stairs. The mezzanine may be built out by the owner to have a few chairs, a couch, a television, etc. Digging into the code talks a lot about accessibility but not so much about the fire resistance requirements for the stairs. I have the found following in the 2015 IBC (code we are under): 1104.4 Multistory buildings and facilities. At least one accessible route shall connect each accessible story and mezzanine in multilevel buildings and facilities. Exceptions 1. An accessible route is NOT required to stories and mezzanines that have an aggregate area of not more than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) and are located above and below accessible levels. This exception shall not apply to: ...and... 4. Where a two-story building or facility has one story or mezzanine with an occupant load of five or fewer persons that does not contain public use space, that story or mezzanine shall not be required to be connected by an accessible route to the story above or below. So...the accessibility issue is covered but nothing about the rating of the stairs that I can find. Any help would be appreciated. Maybe I am not looking in the correct code section. Thank you! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I wanted to pose the question on hazardous material storage lockers. We wish to protect the locker in accordance with Chapter 14 of NFPA 30 and have rated it for 4-hours to eliminate the need for fire separation distance to the immediately-adjacent main building as allowed.
The locker will not be structurally attached and will only have flashing connecting the two to keep out the elements, garbage, and animals. The locker will only have people in as necessary to get the liquids out. The main building has a door on the "exterior wall" that opens and "reveals" the 3-hour rated hazardous material locker door, which you have to open to get inside the locker. NFPA 30 2015 handbook Section 14.4.3 denotes that lockers over 1500 sqft should be protected permanent building such as attached buildings or warehouses. Our locker is under the 1500 sqft requirements so therefore I would say we are not a building but a "locker". Therefore, the exterior wall openings allowances of IBC (2015) Table 705.8 would be to the lot line (over 10ft) and not the locker itself (0ft), allowing our client to access the locker from the inside of the main building and not having to go outside to access it from the exterior. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or if we should just call it part of the main building and protect it as such and lose the allowances of Chapter 14. Thanks in advance! Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a fire barrier, with a fire-resistance rating of 1-hour, that has conduit passing through.
The conduit is not continuous from device to device, only used as a sleeve for the penetration. How long (continuous) does the conduit need to be past the edge of the fire barrier to maintain a 1-hour rating? My concern (however minor) is that the inside of the conduit is not firestopped, only the outside penetration. Smoke could pass through the inside of the conduit and effectively circumvent the fire barrier. Thanks in advance, big fan of the forum. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe For Fire Pump rooms located in a basement, that is accessed through a common corridor, is it acceptable to have other rooms (like plantrooms, storage, etc) off the same corridor coming from the staircase to the Fire Pump Room door?
We would provide the required fire resistance rating for the stair, the corridor, and the fire pump room. I'm assuming no storage would be allowed within the corridor itself. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A firestop question from someone who doesn't venture much into that space - if we are using a firestop sealant around through-wall pipe and duct penetrations, and there is exposed structure in the room where everything is being painted black, can the sealant also be painted black?
The concern would be possibly compromising the sealant itself, or making future inspections more difficult. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a fire wall on a two-story building providing separation for purposes of having two control areas.
There is a small roll-up door on the 2nd floor (in the main egress corridor of the building) in the firewall that can be opened to bring up items from the 1st floor to the 2nd through a lift from the 1st floor. Is it code compliant to only have smoke detectors in the immediate area of the roll-up door (on each side) trigger the fire pin that closes the door, or, does every single smoke detector (it's a large building) need to trigger the roll-up (fire) door to close? I am not finding a concrete code section (IBC or NFPA) that all detectors need to trigger the roll-up door to close. Again, it's a very large building with many detectors. Thanks in advance for any answers/feedback. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe NFPA 13, Section 8.15.8.1.1 exempts sprinkler coverage in bathrooms that do not exceed 55 square feet and have walls and ceilings of noncombustible or limited-combustible materials with a 15-minute thermal barrier rating, to include the walls and ceiling behind the tub/shower.
My question is - would a plastic shower assembly that has been tested in accordance with ASTM E162 and is classified as a Class II or Class B material be capable of providing the 15-minute thermal barrier alone? Or, would a separate material still be needed behind the tub/shower assembly? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe There always seems to be controversy about residential sprinklers in the garage.
I recently came across a section in the 2018 IRC under Section 309.5 and it states that private garages shall be protected by fire sprinklers (must be residential or quick response, designed to 0.05 gpm/sqft density) where the exterior wall has been designed based on Table 302.1(2) Note A. This table addresses minimum fire resistance ratings for exterior walls. Note (a) allows fire separation distance for non-rated exterior walls and projections to be reduced to 0-feet, unlimited openings and penetrations, with a setback, where residential subdivisions are all sprinklered. While looking at that table, I am not sure how to verify on the sprinkler plans if the garage meets that design method. I have started asking the contractor to add a note on the plans regarding the design method and if they use this table and note to design the wall then sprinklers are required in the garage. How would you interpret this section for compliance? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a military project (UFC 3-600-01 and NFPA 101 criteria) with 1/2-hour fire-resistance-rated fire barriers between each sleeping unit.
Each 1/2-hour wall consists of gypsum on each side of a metal-studded wall. The gypsum runs within about an inch of the floor in each room (not touching the floor, intentionally, to avoid soaking up moisture/water) where it has metal stud on the backside. Is firestop required along the base of the gypsum to maintain the 1/2-hour rating? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe NFPA 72, 2016 Edition uses the phrase "2-hour fire-rated construction" in a few places; what does this refer to?
It's confusing to me since a variety of elements within the building could be 2-hour rated. For example, NFPA 72-2016 Section 24.3.13.7 states: "Two-way in-building wired emergency communication systems shall have a pathway survivability of Level 2 or Level 3. Exception: Level 1 shall be permitted where the building is less than 2-hour fire-rated construction." Buildings are not designated with a fire-rating, elements are. How do you interpret this? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do large LED screens in auditorium/lecture hall setting need to achieve particular flame spread/smoke development performance?
Are these considered part of the wall interior finish? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We have a project with a comment from the AHJ stating that the dryer vent cannot terminate to the exterior condominium wall, which is the egress wall for the condominium exit exterior breezeway on that floor.
We're under NFPA 101 (regarding Section 30-3.6.3 for Unprotected Openings). Is a duct penetration considered an unprotected opening? Dry vents cannot have fire/smoke dampers, so can it just be a metal duct? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We are designing a clean agent system for electrical rooms located within a high-rise building. We are proposing having dedicated clean agent releasing control panels for the electrical rooms, and a separate building Fire Alarm Control Panel.
Is it mandatory to connect fire/smoke dampers (and other shutdown devices) in the electrical room with the clean agent releasing panel, or can these be connected to the building fire alarm system? Thanks in advance. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe We are working on a project where a feed main is running through an unsprinklered space to get to a sprinklered area. I've heard that sprinkler pipe needs to be protected by sprinklers so we are trying to figure out if this is an actual requirement or not.
We are talking about putting uprights on the feed main in the unsprinklered area to protect the pipe but I can't find anything in NFPA 13 that actually requires the pipe to be protected. Does anyone know if this is a requirement or not? Sent in anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Do liquid nitrogen storage rooms need to be fire-resistance rated?
According to NFPA 55 (2016 Edition) Section 6.4.4, gas storage rooms need to be 1-hour fire rated, but it just seems odd since nitrogen can be used as an extinguishing agent. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I was looking through the International Building Code and have not found a requirement for a fire sprinkler riser room to be enclosed by a fire-rated wall.
Are there any requirements other than clearances to service the equipment for this room? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a question about protection of sprinklers in windows specifically for a connection of a basement parking garage and a first level mall commercial space. NFPA 101 accepts that there is a connection between both occupancies, but there must be compartmentalization of 3-hours without automatic sprinklers and 2-hours with automatic sprinklers. In this case, we have an escalator from the basement up to level 1, as shown below: Can we consider this to be compartmentalized with glass and sprinklers on both sides of the glass? Do the access doors have to be 1-1/2 hour, our could they not have any fire resistance if I have sprinklers on both sides? This project is under NFPA 101 (specifically Table 6.1.14.4.1 for separation between occupancies), NFPA 5000, and NFPA 13 (9.3.5/19.4.3 for sprinkler protection of windows). Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I have a double fire wall (two masonry walls next to each other with small air gap in-between). I need to have a door in each wall.
The doors would have to swing opposite directions, I think, which means a double Firewall could not be used in an egress condition where doors both have to open in the direction of travel to the exit. It sounds like I need a tied or cantilevered Firewall instead of a double Firewall. Is this correct, or are there any other approaches to a door within a double Firewall? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe |
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