Classification for Containers of Household Goods?

5/5/2023

NFPA 1 and 13 exclude large storage containers of household goods such as those stacked within buildings by well-known brands.

We know the range of consumer plastics that should be expected within the containers.

The containers themselves are made entirely of wood or of fiberglass with metal frame. They are stacked one atop another, as high as possible, inside buildings of storage occupancy.

How are these hazards/commodities to be classified?

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9 Comments

Jesse

5/5/2023 08:07:35 am

The post indicates you know the range of consumer plastic to be expected within the container. It would be helpful to know this range. 10%? 50%?

Are these containers like POD type storage units?

Casey Milhorn

5/5/2023 08:32:12 am

https://www.alamy.com/uhaul-ubox-storage-and-shipping-containers-furniture-and-household-packing-in-progress-image257496610.html?imageid=B6C064FE-24A7-49F3-B5E2-ABF45196C273&p=456410&pn=1&searchId=cd99f78167dd6db19ed6153961ec3c2d&searchtype=0

I think the OP is referring to these (see link above), full of household goods, assuming that many of them may well be plastic commodities. The issue is that many moving/rental facilities have built additions, or even planned for, these 20'+ tall buildings and they stack these boxes as high as possible, many times with no aisles whatsoever.

As far as how they are to be classified, I would think you would have no choice but to consider them group A plastics, solid piled storage or similar to rack storage, maybe even carttonned/encapsulated.

https://www.meyerfire.com/daily/classifying-shipping-pod-with-undefined-storage

This link above is a similar conversation, but with metal type containers from Meyer's site here.

https://www.sfpe.org/publications/fpemagazine/fpearchives/2006q1/2006q12

This link has a great section on exactly what I think you are asking about. SFPE suggests ESFR protection and treating this scenario similar to double or multi-row rack storage.

If you are a contractor/designer and you are trying to be the specifier, be very careful. You might want to suggest the owner employ a FPE. If they won't, and you still want to be the specifier, I would definitely go the ESFR route with pressure matching the equivalent for the height of expected storage.

Casey Milhorn

5/5/2023 08:34:51 am

Let me amend that.... lol. Guilty of reading too fast and not far enough. SFPE suggests NOT using ESFR possible and going the route of a larger remote area (more sprinklers) and also increasing the hose allowance for outside manual fire fighting efforts.

Franck

5/5/2023 12:01:22 pm

You will probably don't like my answer.
If NFPA 1 and 13 excludes these containers, you simply can't have them and try to protect them as there is no adequate protection for them inside your building.
No need to find an equivalent commodity classification, it is simply excluded.

It is the same for storage and roof with slopes greater than 17%. If this is the case, you can't protect it, it is out of the scope of NFPA.

Now, if you find an alternative recognized standard (FM Global ?) that explains you how top adequately protect this type of occupancy, and if your AHJ is fine with it...

Pete H

5/5/2023 01:08:53 pm

What household goods in large containers does NFPA 13 exclude?

Most food products, repair/building materials and products, and appliances are covered within the commodity classifications given within NFPA 13.

Need to know more about commodity before able to find any answer here.

Franck

5/6/2023 02:34:11 am

The issue is not the commodity inside, which will be covered by NFPA 13, but the fact they are stored inside large containers.

Barry L

5/5/2023 06:35:53 pm

We just did a warehouse with similar storage. We were really glad that it was for a nationwide company who employed a FPE to evaluate the commodity and prescribe design criteria. They did substantial testing. In addition to a pretty stiff CMSA design, we also provided a horizontal standpipe system per their engineering evaluation.

Marcel

5/8/2023 03:55:23 pm

Barry,

Are you able to share the report?

Thanks.

Anthony

5/8/2023 07:32:16 am

Per NFPA 13-16:

storage arrangement:

3.9.1.16 High-Piled Storage. Solid-piled, palletized, rack
storage, bin box, and shelf storage in excess of 12 ft (3.7 m)
in height.

Household goods:
group a unexpanded plastic or class 3 depending on exact products inside.

This would lead me to Figure 15.2.2.1 Decision Tree

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Classification for Containers of Household Goods?

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