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Server Room Fire Rating

kiwijbob

Registered User
Joined
Aug 26, 2021
Messages
20
Location
Canada
Unless a service room contains electrical equipment required to be in a rated room as detailed in CSA C22.1, “Canadian Electrical Code, Part I,” then a server room by NBCC 2015 is not required to be in a rated room. Now it may be preferable to locate a server room in a rated enclosure but I'm only talking about the NBCC requirements. So unless there are life safety systems located in that room then no rating would be required.... a server room by NBCC 2015 requires no FR right?
 
Correct, fundamentally, the room requires no rating. Only would be an issue if they have other stuff in the server room too. Only time I have seen a fire rating was a voluntary one for a server room for handling debit transactions for a Canadian bank.
 
Unless a service room contains electrical equipment required to be in a rated room as detailed in CSA C22.1, “Canadian Electrical Code, Part I,” then a server room by NBCC 2015 is not required to be in a rated room. Now it may be preferable to locate a server room in a rated enclosure but I'm only talking about the NBCC requirements. So unless there are life safety systems located in that room then no rating would be required.... a server room by NBCC 2015 requires no FR right?
The only trigger under C22.1, IIRC, is for transformers with phenolic oils, which .... you're not getting that in a server room. Not sure whether this is part 3 or part 9 building, but the language for the fire-sep requirements is the same in both sections:

3.6.2.1(8) Where a service room contains a limited quantity of service equipment, and the
service equipment neither constitutes a fire hazard nor is essential to the operation of
fire safety systems in the building, the requirements for a fire separation shall not apply.

9.10.10.3(2) Where a room contains a limited quantity of service equipment and the service
equipment does not constitute a fire hazard, the requirements in Sentence (1) [ed: 1 hr sep] shall
not apply.
 
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