×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

NFPA 13R hose allowance question

NFPA 13R hose allowance question

NFPA 13R hose allowance question

(OP)
Hello, I am using the 2010 edition of NFPA 13R to design a retirement home. Building is zoned as residential. There is a small kitchen that the staff uses to prepare meals for the tenants, which is attached to a dining room. I am NFPA 13R 7.2.2 to calc the kitchen area which is Ordinary Hazard Group 2. My question is do I need to add in 250 gpm hose allowance or can I neglect the hose allowance altogether because I am designing to NFPA 13R?

RE: NFPA 13R hose allowance question

I don't know what code predominates in your area, but you might want to check that you can use 13R.

I do not think zoning matters.

In the International Building Code, this would be an I type not an R type occupancy and I believe the IBC only allows 13R for R type occupancies.

That being said, you can use residential type sprinklers in certain areas.

RE: NFPA 13R hose allowance question

If it is not assisted living, you can get the R occupancy. There are a lot of "retirement" apartments in this area that are definitely not assisted living. They are nicer than most homes. However, there is often a building on the campus that is an assisted living building. So, it may be possible that 13R is applicable. But, that is for the architect to determine. I would say that I see architects misuse the reference to 13R more often than getting it correct. Just because it is residential and 4 stories or less does not mean you can use 13R.

With that being said, NFPA 13R does not require a hose allowance. You follow NFPA 13 for areas outside of the dwelling unit as directed per NFPA 13R. You refer to NFPA 13 for the spacing, positioning, density and obstructions. NFPA 13R does not refer you to 13 for the hose allowances. This is also why you don't have to put sprinklers in concealed spaces outside of the dwelling units. So, you would just include the domestic demand at the common point of the domestic/fire. If you have a dedicated fire line, then I just put it at the source. The domestic allowance can be estimated from the tables in the appendix of 13R.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
www.mfpdesign.com
"Follow" us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MFP-Design-LLC/9221...

RE: NFPA 13R hose allowance question

I was assuming that since the OP mentioned "staff" that this was not a retirement apartment/condo building which could be "R". It sounded a lot more like assisted living.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources