Sprinkler Protect Attached Garages in 13R?

4/17/2020

I would like to double check on the coverage of attached garages in an NFPA 13R system.

NFPA 13R 2010 6.6.6: Sprinklers shall not be required in... other concealed spaces that are not used or intended for living purposes or storage and do not contain fuel fired equipment.

NFPA 13R 2010 6.6.5: Sprinklers shall not be required in any ... carports, and stairs that are open and attached.

There is a separate reference other than 6.6.6 on the coverage of attached garages. The way I read it, they must be covered under this standard. Please advise.

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11 Comments

Thomas Jones III

4/17/2020 10:04:17 am

I agree that they need to be covered and I have always done so in my drawings.

Arthur Pursell

4/17/2020 10:07:19 am

Typically always covered; residential heads utilized; calc at .15 density

sean

4/17/2020 10:08:05 am

Sprinkler are required in garages. Carports are not garages.

Additionally if the garage is for one resident or a common garage it will affect the building/sprinkler design.

Jesse

4/17/2020 10:08:57 am

Using 13R, you'll need to protect the garage. The question being whether you protect the garage with 13D or with 13. Look at 13-D Chapter 7.2. Even though you're calculating 4 sprinklers if you meet the conditions, you're going to need to provide a ceiling level density of 0.15 / area for OH1

sean

4/17/2020 10:16:25 am

No.

13D would not apply to a building requiring 13R system. if it is not connected to the unit it is most likely a common garage and would be to 13 otherwise 13R address garages attached. See NFPA 13R 7.3 2016 edition

Jesse

4/17/2020 10:11:13 am

Full disclosure though, I don't design a lot of 13D projects though. I do oversee designers that do. We did run into this recently however on a project we took over from a competitor that ceased operations. So maybe someone that does more 13R work will have a different perspective.

Franck

4/17/2020 11:02:58 am

Protection of the garage makes sense, all the more since you will likely find miscellaneous storage in addition to a car.
Note also that NFPA is studying the requirements for car parkings. Recent huge losses (there was a spectacular one in the UK on Sylvester a few years ago with all storeys destroyed by the fire) demonstrate that the present requirements may not be sufficient

In the old time, cars were made of metal. Nowadays we have more and more plastic + electronic. Even the fuel tanks are now made of plastic in many cars. Thus a higher burning rate and fire spread.

Michael David Patti link

4/17/2020 11:21:21 am

Isn't the concept of 13-D and 13-R to be "life-safety" (evacuation) as opposed to "building fire protection"?
Although I am a proponent of sprinkling every square foot of everything, I am not aware of garages being included as a "route of egress".

sean

4/17/2020 11:46:59 am

garages are specifically discussed in NFPA 13R. You need to control fire in most parts of a building to permit egress.

Jesse Reynoso

9/2/2021 08:00:31 pm

2022 NFPA 13D chapter/section 8.3.4 states sprinklers are not required in garages. Am I missing something

Angie Kamm

9/28/2023 08:00:39 am

If you look at NFPA 13R (2016) it states a lot of directives to sprinkler garages, this building is per 13R, yes.

If you look at NFPA 13D (2016) it states that garages are not required to be sprinklered, but if you look in annex A, A.8.3.4 explains that some jurisdictions add this requirement.

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Sprinkler Protect Attached Garages in 13R?

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