Do All Tires and Tire Aisles Require Sprinklers?

9/17/2024

Tire Storage without Sprinklers Whenever the storage of tires is brought up, I often see people focusing on the area, volume, and storage height requirements that necessitate sprinklers.

Looking through IFC requirements to fully understand these triggering design factors, I found the Section “3206.10.1.2 Nonsprinklered Buildings: Aisles in nonsprinklered buildings shall be not less than 96 inches (2438 mm) wide.”

Am I correct in understanding that this would require all aisles in between tire racks, as well as a clear walkway around tire rack to be at least 8’ wide?

This is something I have never seen in an unsprinklered tire storage setting and would effectively require sprinklers for any efficient for of rack tire storage.

Am I understanding this section correctly or am I missing something?

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4 Comments

Pete H

9/17/2024 08:08:20 am

If you have tire storage in a nonsprinklered building, you are correct in reading the requirement.

Mind you, this only relates to High-Piled Combustible storage.

As Chapter 32 is related to High-Piled combustible storage.

So if it is low piled storage, the requirement would not apply.

Joe

9/17/2024 08:38:34 am

Rember that for tires, high pile is at 6ft.

HIGH-PILED COMBUSTIBLE STORAGE. Storage of combustible materials in closely packed piles or combustible materials on pallets, in racks or on shelves where the top of storage is greater than 12 feet (3658 mm) in height. Where required by the fire code official, high-piled combustible storage also includes certain high-hazard commodities, such as rubber tires, Group A plastics, flammable liquids, idle pallets and similar commodities, where the top of storage is greater than 6 feet (1829 mm) in height.

Dan Wilder

9/17/2024 08:42:34 am

It's not designed to be efficient; it's designed to allow Mechanic Joe & Suzy Public time to exit the area and keep Fire Marshall Bill's responding crews safer.

On face value of the IFC (this would/should be an Arch & FPE scope), if it's less than 2 stories and doesn't exceed 10,000 ft², or one story and doesn't exceed 12,000ft², no basement, and the repair area does not exceed 5,000ft² to exempt sprinklers, then one of the additional requirements are all aisleways are required to be 96" clear. There are provisions to reduce this distance in the same section with sprinkler protection.

There would also be several other requirements to the building construction, access & egress reduced distances, exit width increases, and interior layout & storage provisions that would all need to be addressed (IFC Chapter 32 for High-Piled Combustible Storage, Chapter 34 for Tire Storage and IBC 311, 406.8, 903, 1106, 3405 on a quick search)

Jesse

9/17/2024 11:18:07 am

Pretty much what Dan said. My personal opinion, nothing good comes from unprotected tire storage

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Do All Tires and Tire Aisles Require Sprinklers?

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