Hazard Classification for Casino Gaming Floor?

7/15/2021

What would a proper hazard classification be for a casino gaming floor area?

The project is under NFPA 13, no known insurance requirements.

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4 Comments

Pete

7/15/2021 06:57:15 am

It's not in 13's code directly.

Nevada State ordinance has:

NAC 477.283 Changes to codes adopted by reference: International Fire Code; International Building Code; International Wildland-Urban Interface Code; Uniform Mechanical Code. (NRS 477.030)

(j) Section 903.2.1.2 is revised by adding a new paragraph to read as follows: “Occupancies containing a casino, regardless of occupancy classification, must be designed and built with a sprinkler system classified as an ordinary Hazard Group 2."

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FM Global has them at HC-2, or 0.2 over 2500 for ceilings up to 60ft (FM Data
sheet 3-26).

XL Gaps considers them OH2 in their ‘additional OH2 occupancies not currently
addressed in NFPA 13’ table (GAP 12.1.1.0).

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Now that's beyond NFPA 13 (which won't help you with this specific occupancy in the annex choices), and you can work with your AHJ and see what they'll accept (either light hazard claiming it's similar to hospitals/restaurant seating in population and materials or ordinary hazard claiming it's similar to mercantile). I've seen arcades designed at Ordinary Group 2 because the machines typically are made out of 5 to 6 feet of associated plastics, and would say they're pretty similar and would personally put it most similar to that.

Glenn Berger

7/15/2021 08:34:39 am

I agree with Pete's assessment above. I do note that your question did not say the casino was in Nevada. Given the various finishes, exposed surfaces, and the high density of machinery - OH2 per Factory Mutual and NFPA 13 would be applicable.

Dan Wilder

7/15/2021 08:36:44 am

From working in Clark County, they had some very specific language for the design requirements for Casinos. OH 2, 11.2K@30PSI minimum QR Sprinklers, Ceiling height vs Design Area requirements (ceiling height x 100 for remote area size), ceilings over 50' require design analysis....we had some very large pipe size systems.

The couple of Casinos I have been apart of elsewhere in the country all defaulted to OH2 .2/1500. I have yet to design one to Light Hazard. As Pete said, you'll need to get with the AHJ and confirm requirements as much of the actual equipment is plastics with a steel frame and packed as tightly as possible ($/FT²).

Franck

7/15/2021 10:46:34 am

Fully agree with the above comments.

OH Gr 2 might seem conservative, but on the other hand, you might found undesirable situations with furnitures, decorative elements (sometimes highly combustible when made of foam), some concentration of plastic in the machines...

An additional potential concern is the ceiling height...
The higher the ceiling, the larger your area of operation would be when the first sprinkler heads will operate. QR might be a good option (without revising the density/area of application).

And if you add the fact that some elderly people are usually present, with difficulty to evacuate promptly the building in a panic situation, sometimes some long distance before reaching an exit... you don't want to save some money on the srinkler design by under designing it...
I won't.

Remember the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston,on November 28, 1942.

Hazard Classification for Casino Gaming Floor?

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