How to Seal a Drain Through a SCIF Wall?

1/24/2024

We have a project that includes a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF).

How do you properly seal an open drain that travels through a SCIF wall to the outside?

Thanks in advance.

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6 Comments

Pete H

1/24/2024 07:10:30 am

https://www.meyerfire.com/daily/sprinkler-pipe-penetration-of-security-wall

a previous thread about penetrating scif walls.

Dielectric flanges might work.

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/space/documents/engineering/DesignStan-ver-3-1-2023.pdf

This is some lockheed martin generic engineering standards which reads:

"Recessed Items in Sound Rated Construction The installation of recessed items such as fire hose cabinets on sound rated walls shall be avoided. When unavoidable, the recessed portion of the wall shall be designed to fully meet the STC rating of the wall. Existing recessed items shall be removed as necessary to achieve required sound attenuation. Note that all pipes and conduits that serve such recessed items must be surface mounted. If there are recessed utility boxes supporting adjacent areas that cannot be removed, a fire or acoustic putty or both shall be applied over the utility boxes to ensure the acoustical integrity of the wall. An acceptable fire putty is HILTI Firestop putty CFS-P-PA, part P80898-770. "

As always, take with a grain of salt, I only looked at this a few minutes.

Dan Wilder

1/24/2024 07:31:52 am

Since 4-010-05 isn't the most helpful other than to say provide grounding within 6" of the penetration on each side and use of a non-conductive union (di-electric can work sometimes) on the inside there isn't much else to follow in the written code side. There also may be sound transmission issues depending on the room adjacent to the penetration.

Depending on the reviewer, site, and general time of the day (sometimes it seems), my suggestion would be to start with the basics and create a detail, including the penetration location and height, to submit as an RFI. Get that approved and follow it. We've had a couple different variations of penetrations get approved on one site and denied on another (di-electric unions vs steel to CPVC or having to transition between the two on each side of the SCIF wall).

Worst case, the penetration occurs within the building proper, then discharges to the exterior outside the SCIF boundaries.

Chad

1/24/2024 08:08:29 am

As Dan said this I would work around it, not pass through. Reroute it. If the SCIF is the whole building, you will certainly need approval, they may want a dielectric union where it enters internally the exterior room and where it exits.

Brent H

1/24/2024 08:10:33 am

Dan's comment is spot on. ICD/ICS 705 also contains guidance on SCIF penetrations. But ultimately you need to submit the proposed detail for approval by the AO and AHJ, and then follow the detail.

Glenn Berger

1/24/2024 08:16:24 am

Agree with Dan's response. A different approach to consider is utilizing a remote, freestanding FDC assembly. Floor penetrations may be easier to deal with than wall penetrations.

Kate

1/24/2024 01:41:29 pm

A project I recently worked on for a defense contractor was constructing a SCIF. All MEP trades followed icd/ics 705 guidelines (link at the bottom) for penetrations through exterior walls/floors/ceilings. Basically just showed a typical detail for enclosure penetrations with a dielectric fitting for submittal.

We ran into trouble early on, because it was an FM Global job, and there weren't FM Global approved dielectric fittings at the time. The client said they used dielectric fittings on site before and had contacted FM Global for their input on this project... heard nothing ever since, so I just assumed it was eventually accepted.

Anyone have an actual update on the FM Global vs dielectric fittings story?

https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/Regulations/IC_Technical_Specifications_for_Construction_and_Management_of_Sensitive_Compartmented_Information_Facilities_v151_PDF.pdf

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How to Seal a Drain Through a SCIF Wall?

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