NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R in Same Building?

1/25/2019

Is it permissible to have an NFPA 13 and 13R system in the same building, or by code is it an all-or-nothing prescriptive standard? The most common scenario we would see this apply is with first-floor retail/mixed use construction with residential above.

Posted anonymously by a member for discussion. Discuss this | Subscribe

5 Comments

Robert Blakeman

1/25/2019 10:07:19 am

You cannot mix the two unless the two areas of the building are considered separate buildings under the building code.

Claude

1/25/2019 10:30:46 am

If a residential building has an enclosed underground car park, do you use NFPA 13 for the car park and use 13R for the building

Dave

1/25/2019 10:48:47 am

While 13R is unlike 13 in that 13R is life safety, there are such scenarios, like the popular pedestal/podium scenario discussed here by Matt Klaus:
https://youtu.be/xHt5gGXMAmM

sean

1/25/2019 12:53:52 pm

the example you give, a mixed use retail first floor and residential apartments above could be a special building in the IBC a podium building and technically two buildings.

Lets look at something that is one building a hotel. The first floor has conference rooms, restaurant, etc. and then 2-3 floors of dwelling rooms (hotel rooms). The height is not exceeded per nfpa 13R and as long as the building area does not require NFPA 13 we go ahead with 13R. The controlling standard would be NFPA 13R, and 13R specially says that areas outside of the dwelling unit not specifically addressed in that standard should refer to NFPA 13. The building is being design and installed per NFPA 13R. While portions need to meet NFPA 13 the entire building only has one "system" for the building codes purpose.

James

2/13/2019 11:31:46 am

Like other's have said, it isn't permitted unless the buildings are considered to be constructed as separate buildings under the local code. Go into the explanatory information for Section 1.1 of NFPA 13R:

"Where buildings of mixed use can be totally separated so that the residential portion is considered a separate building under the local code, NFPA 13R can be used in the residential portion while NFPA 13 is used in the rest of the building".

Free Signup

Subscribe and learn something new each day:

Community

Thank You to Our Top July 2019 Contributors!

1. Amr
2. Wayne A.
2. Mike
4. SR
5. Ben O.

6. Pari
7. Rusty S.
8. MDS
9. DM
10. PJD

Your Post

The Toolkit

Sprinkler Designer or Engineer?

Get all of our tools, including the Sprinkler Database, Friction Loss Calculator, Fire Pump Analyzer and more:

FREE 30-DAY TRIAL

GET THE TOOLKIT

Filters

Exam Prep

2019 PE Prep Guide
(Available Now!)

PE Prep Series
(Available Now!)

Current Leaderboard
(Click to enlarge)

PE Problems

Visit July-October for daily Fire Protection PE Exam sample questions.

Solutions are posted the day after posting.

Comment with your solutions, questions or clarifications.

Please note that questions posted are unofficial and in accordance with NCEES rules are intended to be similar to actual exam questions, not actual exam questions themselves.

RSS Feed

Home - About - Blog - Contact - Exam Prep - Store

Copyright © 2019 MeyerFire, LLC
The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author shown and do not represent the opinions of any other party, nor does the presented material assume responsibility for its use. Fire protection and life safety systems constitute a critical component for public health and safety and you should consult with a licensed professional for proper design and code adherence. Some (not all) outbound links on this website, such as Amazon links, are affiliate-based where we receive a commission for orders placed elsewhere.