×
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 101

NFPA 101

NFPA 101

(OP)
If I have a sprinkled (B)Business building with a non-haz. storage room (paper supplies)over 100sf, does the room need to be 1 hr rated or any other rating. I think they removed the incidental storage room requirement but I cant seem to find anything in the 2015 NFPA 101

RE: NFPA 101

For New Business, the section in NPFA 101-15 is 38.3.2.1, which redirects to 8.7. Existing Business also redirects to 8.7.

8.7 allows a few options:
Enclose with a 1-hr fire barrier with no windows allowed; or
Protect with and automatic extinguishing system; or
Doing both of the above if the hazard is "severe"

Now for new construction, if you go with the extinguishing system option without fire barriers, you need to enclose the area with smoke partitions.

RE: NFPA 101

(OP)
8.7 states that the degree of hazard must be GREATER than that of the normal occupancy. ie you are storing paper in an office that has paper in it, an architects office, its not greater. 8.7.1.2 (1) says no smoke partitions are required if automatic sprinklers are used. Kind of cyclic. I am looking at the 2015 NFPA 101 life safety book. Do you still think they are required?

RE: NFPA 101

If the building is sprinklered, then fire-resistive rated construction is not required. That includes smoke partitions.

RE: NFPA 101

38.3.2.1 General. Hazardous areas including, but not limited to, areas used for general storage, boiler or furnace rooms, and maintenance shops that include woodworking and painting areas shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.7.

My opinion is that the "general storage" wording above says you need to protect it, and is what drives you to 8.7. But it depends on the AHJ. How much paper, a couple of boxes, or a couple of pallets? And is it a supply closet, or a storage room? Compact mobile shelving? All of these factor in. I'd ask your AHJs (fire dept, building inspection dept, and insurance carrier, et al).

Stookeyfpe, this is where I got the smoke partition requirement, based on a "new" occupancy:

8.7.1.2 In new construction, where protection is provided with automatic extinguishing systems without fire-resistive separation, the space protected shall be enclosed with smoke partitions in accordance with Section 8.4, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following conditions:
(1) Where mercantile occupancy general storage areas and stockrooms are protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 9.7
(2) Where hazardous areas in industrial occupancies are protected by automatic extinguishing systems in accordance with 40.3.2
(3) Where hazardous areas in detention and correctional occupancies are protected by automatic sprinklers in accordance with 22.3.2

RE: NFPA 101

(OP)
Under your yellow highlight it states UNLESS the stock room is protected by sprinklers which it is. And the first part of 8.7 says greater then occupancy. So you ae right, a few boxes of paper vs. a pallet

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