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We are working on an ESFR system installed in a pre-engineered metal building.
Can the main frame rafters be considered walls when it comes to spacing of sprinklers? Can sprinklers be spaced 2-5 feet on either side of the rafters of a pre-enginered building? The depth of rafter is 30-inches, sprinkler deflector is installed at 14-inches. I believe I can use the rafters as walls or baffles, but had a contractor comment the opposite. We're using the 2013 edition of NFPA 13 for reference. Sent in anonymously for discussion. Click Title to View | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
5 Comments
Dan Wilder
10/26/2023 08:06:51 am
Walls, not specifically, but an obstruction for sure including use as a baffle based on the depth assuming it's solid. The ESFR minimum spacing rules were not clarified to allow sprinkler spacing closer than 8' or less than 64 FT² until the 2022 version.
Glenn Berger
10/26/2023 08:18:58 am
Rafters can be treated as vertical obstructions. The fact that the question is about pre-engineered building is basically irrelevant as it relates to sprinkler placement.
Jesse
10/26/2023 08:19:30 am
They're certainly an obstruction. And maybe you've already done so, but I'd get the manufacturer of the pre-engineered building to verify their structural members can support the weight of the ESFR system.
Anthony
10/26/2023 08:19:53 am
Yes you're interpretation is correct you can space those sprinklers closer then allowable due to the obstruction to discharge.
Pete H
10/26/2023 08:25:56 am
Agree with the consensus. It's not a wall, but it's totally an obstruction equivalent to a baffle. Your sprinklers theoretically will not cold solder each other due to the obstruction to both water and heat collection provided by the rafter. Leave a Reply. |
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