Privacy Pods (Framery O, Q, Q2) Need Sprinklers?

4/23/2020

Are office privacy pods such as Framery O, Q, and Q2 required to have sprinkler protection in the United States?

Their literature says there is no need for installing sprinklers within them in Europe? Here is a link to an example: frameryacoustics.com

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7 Comments

Thomas Jones III

4/23/2020 09:40:48 am

For the Q2, yes, any obstruction over 4'-0 requires a fire sprinkler. For your other options I would say yes as well, especially if they cannot move and do not count as furniture.

Donna Kimler

4/23/2020 10:35:21 am

Yes, to all. The small one would be treated like a closet. You could possibly state a case that they are furniture to the AHJ. As always, the AHJ would have the final say.

That is not something I have seen previously.

Mike L

4/23/2020 10:51:46 am

We deal with these a lot in the modern open-office concept in NYC. We apply the requirement of IBC Section 903.3.3. Obstructed Locations "....automatic sprinklers shall be installed in or under covered kiosks, displays, booths, concession stands or equipment that exceeds 4 feet in width."

Jonathan Joseph

4/23/2020 11:07:16 am

I would have to say that is an occupied compartment and obstruction, so yes. I would treat this as a light hazard Tenant Improvement if there is an existing system.

.

Jesse

4/24/2020 08:53:25 am

In the US, each AHJ is autonomous. So each would have its own final say. That being said, this is clearly an obstruction to ceiling level sprinklers, and would require protection.

Bruce Verhei

4/27/2020 11:15:36 am

Good morning.

I do not believe European or British sprinkler design practice has adopted reduced design area for quick response heads in smooth, level, lower height ceilings, the common use of extended coverage heads, and hydraulically calculated systems in office, light hazard systems.* So at this point European office sprinkler standards are more conservative in at least three ways, meaning they deliver a higher real world actual delivered density over a larger area.

Step back from NFPA 13 and let’s look at the higher level building and fire code level. American codes are widely viewed as being more dependent on active vs passive fire protection systems.

NFPA 13 may limit its design light hazard design to fire control. For example there is no smoke production control design criteria in 13. Yet American building codes make large allowances for exactly this factor, even in non-performance designed buildings. See especially exiting in sprinklered vs unsprinklered buildings.

Again sprinkler designers are not required to consider their system as alarm detection, except as codes specify breakdown of flow switches and piping configuration to match. Designers and reviewers applying the building and fire codes do explicitly view and consider the sprinklers heads, in combination with flow switches, as heat detectors.

By the time you get to high-rise activation of a sprinkler head initiates more than ten systems just at the building.

So back to the original question. A review and approval to European design standards is not transferable to American situation. American sprinkler design is less conservative. American building codes are more active system dependent. Those active systems are all dependent on timely fusing of one sprinkler head.

We also count on fire, and by implication, production of smoke, control, by the applied water. Go Parmalee & Grinnell.

Based on information supplied, I’d say sprinkler protection does need to be extended to interior of unit.

Best.

* Please correct me where I am wrong. I have never applied BS or European standards. bv.

4/27/2020 02:18:40 pm

This will depend on what the AHJ chooses to enforce. This issue has been coming up as new and existing office buildings continue to add these. For me, it is an easy call if it is over 4 feet, and we have looked at everything else on a case by case basis.

Here is a similar question and answer from NFSA.

#8 - Phone Booths

A bank of phone booths is installed in a facility adjacent to a wall. Each booth is approximately 36 in. by 36 in. Are sprinklers required in these features in accordance with the 2016 edition of NFPA 13?

Answer: There are no specific exceptions for phone booths to omit sprinkler protection in NFPA 13. The closest section would be NFPA 13 -2016, section 8.1.1 (7) which states that furniture and similar features are not required to be provided with sprinklers; however, this section limits this omission to features that are not intended for occupancy. A phone booth will be subject to occupancy of at least one person. NFPA 13 does not have a definition of "intended for occupancy" so it is not clear if the transient nature of occupancy in a phone booth was intended to disqualify these features from this exception.

The 2018 IBC does address this issue in section 903.3.3:

[F] 903.3.3 Obstructed locations. Automatic sprinklers shall be installed with regard to obstructions that will delay activation or obstruct the water distribution pattern and shall be in accordance with the applicable automatic sprinkler system standard that is being used. Automatic sprinklers shall be installed in or under covered kiosks, displays, booths, concession stands, or equipment that exceeds 4 feet (1219 mm) in width. Not less than a 3-foot (914 mm) clearance shall be maintained between automatic sprinklers and the top of piles of combustible fibers.

This section seems to exempt the phone booths if they do not exceed 4 ft in width; however, the commentary for this section did not provide any additional helpful information. In light of the vagueness of the requirement of installing sprinklers in these booths, it would be prudent for the responsible design professional to take into consideration the combustibility of the booth, the potential sources of ignition and the transient nature of the occupancy of the phone booths and come to a determination with the input of the AHJ(s). If it is decided to omit sprinkler from these booths, the ceiling sprinkler coverage needs to cover to the wall as it the booths were not present

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