Ceiling-Only Design for 30-ft Cold Storage Area?

1/9/2025

I am hoping for some help here. I have a cold storage facility that has racks in it. Customer is adamant they do not want in-rack sprinklers. Building is 30-ft tall to the peak, storage is at 25-ft, racks are push back/drive in 29' deep with no longitudinal flue space. They are storing a Class I commodity.

Is there a ceiling-only design that's possible, for a dry system, for this?

Or a direction for me to look into?

It's not a conditioned space, just a big ice box. I would greatly appreciate any help or feed back, thanks.

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7 Comments

Glenn Berger

1/9/2025 08:23:40 am

Please provide the overall area of the facility.

Cold storage facilities with racks provides significant complications and you should consult with all authorities that can make decisions.

Jonathan link

1/9/2025 09:27:11 am

NFPA 13 (2019) 14.2.2 allows ESFR sprinklers only if they are Listed or Approved for Dry or Pre-action systems.

There is the availability of Dry-barrel pendent ESFR sprinklers that are approved for Dry & Pre-action systems. However, the piping supplying these sprinklers must be outside of the Storage area (protected to >40'f). So, you could have branch lines above the ceiling, dropping using Boots or seals through the ceiling and protect the area without In-Rack sprinklers.

Other wise, Uprights in the ceiling, and In-Rack sprinklers.

Good luck!

Pete H

1/9/2025 09:34:28 am

Can you have a conditioned space above the cold storage ceiling?

Then you could do a wet system with Dry ESFR Pendents.

Is this single, double, or multiple row racks?

Multiple row racks: This can't be accomplished unless you're only storing nonencapsulated Class I commodities and the rack depth is less than or equal to 16 feet.

Single/Double Row Racks:
This cannot be accomplished if you're storing Class IV or any encapsulated commodity.

You can work with class III nonencapsulated though. But the calc is going to be rough. Especially as a dry system cannot be gridded and loops will hurt trip time.

Jack G

1/9/2025 11:55:38 am

I would ask this same question to each sprinkler head manufacturer.
I know in the Sam’s clubs and Walmarts I ve used dry pendants in the roof panels ( were specified ) from the wet system above. Tyco made a sprinkler with an insulated boot, and we would use 1.25 inch diameter flex heads to them from the wet system piping .
Also-
There is a program from tyco called “ SprinkCode”
Comes with SprinkCad, that is an NFPA 13 tool, and is great for designing storage scenarios. You simply fill out/ in the boxes then hit calculate.
It produces one sheet with different sprinkler heads to use with densities or amount of heads calculated for each type head and their particulars. So you choose which sprinkler head and follow the code paragraphs it spits out for it.
(It produces a sheet with all the paragraphs and references in the code book so you can follow step by step as you check it in NFPA 13. )
It will tell you if your project with its specified storage arrangement is within the scope of NFPA/ NFPA 13.
Whatever is specified on the project I usually check it against the SprinkCode printout to see it their are discrepancies from the NFPA requirements.
Great tool. So if you do a lot of storage it saves loads of time and would be a great investment.
So a call to “ SprinkCad will give you details.

Jose Figueroa

1/9/2025 02:30:37 pm

I'll start over. The description matches three cold warehouses I inspected in Texas. This is a summary of requirements Automatic Sprinkler System Design Criteria (from my notes):

Automatic sprinkler protection is provided throughout the facility by pre-action systems, including four QUELL™ systems to protect the Freezers subject to very low temperatures -10 to -15°F.

The QUELL™ system is to be designed and installed by a company certified by Tyco (Johnson Controls).

The systems are hydraulically designed with all components <FM> approved. Each QUELL™ system has a POTTER Quick Release System control with a special company protected software to ensure optimal water flow discharge.

Example of design criteria: 0.92 gpm/sqft @ 2500 sqft. BoR demand average 2,860 gpm @ 140 psi. The sprinkler demands above do include hose stream allowances of 500 gpm.

The QUELL system is designed according to the latest TYCO and FM Global technology with Ultra K34 sprinkler heads. In-rack sprinklers CAN NOT be installed due to the high frequency of accidental discharge.

Fyi: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:18350d5b-d9d9-4345-888b-dda116a75946

Ref. FM DS 8-9

PS: While the QUELL™ design is not specifically addressed within the prescriptive requirements of NFPA 13, the equivalency paragraph in the standard (paragraph 1.5) does permit performance based designs that meet or exceed the requirements of the standard.

Brian Gerdwagen FPE

1/10/2025 02:46:06 am

I am suspicious of Class I. Non-combustible on wooden pallets? It better be ice and not frozen food. That is at least a Class III.

As noted above, there are a lot of options for cold storage ceiling only design, but it starts with accurately classifying the commodity. In my experience, people think that cold storage = non-combustible.

Frozen food used to be Class II until waxed paper cartons and foam trays became the norm.

José Figueroa

1/10/2025 11:58:29 am

We assumed the highest combustible classification for one of the warehouses. We found ice cream and food items stored in cardboard boxes on wooden and plastic pallets. Medicines, medical samples, and compounds or precursors were also kept in polystyrene insulation or containers placed in cardboard boxes on pallets. Some “secret” products belonged to client companies, which required absolute confidentiality. Most of the storage was on pallets, but plastic and metal bins were also present. It is the reason for the high demand for sprinkler systems. The pump was rated at 2000 GPM at 160 PSI. Public hydrant protection was sufficient, as we drew 1000 GPM at 60 PSI circa.

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Ceiling-Only Design for 30-ft Cold Storage Area?

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