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Are you required by NFPA 24 to enter a building underneath the foundation, or can you enter a building with the the fire service main from the side of the building?
Many are under the impression that due to the fact all illustrations in NFPA 24 show the fire main entering under the building, footing/foundation, that this suggests that it is a requirement. Please can someone shed some light on this? Regards. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
11 Comments
Pete H
7/12/2023 06:49:13 am
From NFPA 24 (2019 ed.)
Anthony
7/12/2023 08:09:09 am
I agree with Pete here that it's a bad idea. However, I have seen this where "aboveground underground service" will hop from one building to another especially in an industrial setting. Usually its heat traced and wrapped.
Jesse
7/12/2023 08:29:07 am
Yep you can. And in areas not prone to freezing, its pretty common. A lot of Southern CA has riser outside the building. The issue being freeze protection and fittings. Once the underground isn't under-ground anymore, the fittings need to comply with 13, not 24.
JH
7/12/2023 08:31:24 am
I second both Pete and Anthony--
Dan Wilder
7/12/2023 09:10:40 am
Happens a lot in the Southwest. Sometimes by design, sometimes because the GC was in such a hurry to get concrete down for a work surface, they didn't think about the fire line stub up (which is often a scope gap between the underground and overhead contractors anyway).
Josh
7/12/2023 09:44:08 am
I don't allow it or do it under the footing because what if the pipe were to burst and water was to the point it made the footer unstable with it being completely below it. I ask my structural guys to drop the footers 2 ft and I go through them.
Fred Walker
7/12/2023 10:10:04 am
By code above ground, through foundation, or under foundation is permitted. Each method has specific requirements, advantages, and disadvantages.
Janak Patel
7/12/2023 10:44:49 am
Code, NFPA 24 nor NFPA 13 prohibit an above ground entry of a fire water feed to a building. As mentioned by many of the commentators, a 'freeze protection' system is required in a areas where the ambient temperature could go below 32 deg. F.
Glenn Berger
7/12/2023 11:40:14 am
In your case there is one one answer fits all cases. If you are in a non-freeze environment, it is common to have the sprinkler riser and backflow preventor outside the building. When you need to be underground to enter the building, coordinate with the structural engineer.
Chris Hall
7/13/2023 01:51:00 pm
Down in Texas buildings have the UG rise up above the slab and then turn to go in to the building through the exterior wall all the time; especially in retrofit situations. And they work really well. If you are worried about freezing we have seen the GC build little "dog houses" around that exterior pipe with insulated walls and then make the opening where the pipe in penetrating the exterior wall of the building really oversize or the size of the "dog house". In Florida there are tons of complete risers outside that turn and go in to the building after the flow switch and all that stuff. When I was desiging in South Florida, it was common to stub in through an exterior wall above grade. In some cases, the entire sprinkler riser was actually outside of the building with full exposure to the elements. We have even stubbed in from the outside of an existing building and installed heat trace and monitoring where saw cutting and routing under the building is not cost effective. Leave a Reply. |
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