Proper Way to Protect High-Piled Alcohol?

9/7/2023

What is the proper method for protection of high-piled storage of consumer packaged alcohol with an ABV greater than 20% when stored on racks?

Rack storage will be 30-ft maximum height.

I'm assuming plastic and glass containers within cartons.

There seems to be a scope gap between NFPA 13 and NFPA 30 here, just wondering what protection methods others might have used.

Thanks in advance.

Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe

4 Comments

Franck

9/7/2023 10:08:55 am

The good news with most distilled spirits: they are water miscible. This is why NFPA 13 consider a quite low commodity classification for rack storage (class II for up to 20% alcohol - class III for large plastic containers)
If more than 20%, you have to follow NFPA 30.

I strongly suggest you to refer to the standard DISCUS (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States) which is a reference in terms of fire protection practices for distilled spirits (distillation process, drum storage, bottle storage...).

You can also refer to FM data Sheet 7.29 (but FM data sheet is not making reference to design density, only K-factor and number of sprinklers, which is sometimes difficult to interprete).

Anthony

9/8/2023 07:20:08 am

I agree with Franck, DISCUS often comes up as the best reference in these cases.

Dwight H Havens link

9/7/2023 10:12:14 am

FM Global continues to perform testing for the protection of ethanol (and other water-miscible alcohols) in water. Recommendations for protection can be found in FM Data Sheet 7-29, Ignitable Liquid Storage in Portable Containers. FM Global has also been kind enough to propose that the results of that testing be included in NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. The proposed upgrades to the protection criteria can be found in Chapter 16 of the 2024 edition.

Jesse

9/7/2023 10:14:03 am

This is a polar-solvent which means its water miscible. The alcohol content is relatively low so sper 2016 NFPA 13 A.5.6.3.2 this is a Class II Commodity. A lot depends on how its being stored. Remember that commodity class may go higher depending packaging.

Leave a Reply.

Home
Our Cause

The Blog
The Forum

PE Exam Prep
The Toolkit
MeyerFire University

Pricing
Login
Support
Contact Us

MeyerFire.com is a startup community built to help fire protection professionals shine.
Our goal is to improve fire protection practices worldwide. We promote the industry by creating helpful tools and resources, and by bringing together industry professionals to share their expertise.

MeyerFire, LLC is a NICET Recognized Training Provider and International Code Council Preferred Education Provider.
All text, images, and media Copyright © 2016-2024 MeyerFire, LLC

We respect your privacy and personal data. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author 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.

Discussions are solely for the purpose of peer review and the exchange of ideas. All comments are reviewed. Comments which do not contribute, are not relevant, are spam, or are disrespectful in nature may be removed. Information presented and opinions expressed should not be relied upon as a replacement for consulting services. Some (not all) outbound links on this website, such as Amazon links, are affiliate-based where we receive a small commission for orders placed elsewhere.

Proper Way to Protect High-Piled Alcohol?

Leave a Reply.

ALL-ACCESS

SUBSCRIBE

COMMUNITY

YOUR POST

PE EXAM

FILTERS

ARCHIVES

PE PREP SERIES