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Exterior Wall ratings and Fire Sprinklers

M

mwskopf

SAWHORSE
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
60
Location
Kansas
Morning all,
Working on a mixed non-separated sprinkled gun shop/shooting range.
Question: Can fire sprinklers change/Lessen exterior wall rating requirements? I would think not but wanted to ask you all.
IBC 2018
Thanks for your time
Mark
 
Only if you are building a construction Type I Building

Table 602 footnote a
a. Load-bearing exterior walls shall also comply with the fire-resistance rating requirements of Table 601

Table 601 footnote a
a. Roof supports: Fire-resistance ratings of primary structural frame and bearing walls are permitted to be reduced by 1 hour where supporting a roof only.
 
Steveray, it would need rated because of proximity to an adjacent building on a neighboring lot. (Fire Separation distances) per table 602.
 
705.5 Fire-resistance ratings.
Exterior walls shall be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Tables 601 and 602 and this section. The required fire-resistance rating of exterior walls with a fire separation distance of greater than 10 feet (3048 mm) shall be rated for exposure to fire from the inside. The required fire-resistance rating of exterior walls with a fire separation distance of less than or equal to 10 feet (3048 mm) shall be rated for exposure to fire from both sides.
 
Can you provide some more information, particularly building's construction type and area?
 
(back from eye doc...) Both buildings are IIB (pre-engineered metal buildings). The neighbor is only 5' from property line and should have a 1hr wall himself per current code, but I don't believe it was built that way years ago, so i either need to rate our own wall or be the appropriate distance away to not rate.
Additional info:
The proposed area of the new building is around 12,000. Neighbor building is around 40k
Thanks
 
Last edited:
Call it IIIB with a primary frame of 0 hours and a non-combustible exterior wall which is non-bearing so also requires no rating and see how that chases through the table....
 
mwskopf said:
(back from eye doc...) Both buildings are IIB (pre-engineered metal buildings). The neighbor is only 5' from property line and should have a 1hr wall himself per current code, but I don't believe it was built that way years ago, so i either need to rate our own wall or be the appropriate distance away to not rate.
Additional info:
The proposed area of the new building is around 12,000. Neighbor building is around 40k
Thanks
Click to expand...
Are these separated by a real property line? What is your distance from the line?
 
ClassicT, yes real property line -two different properties/owners. Proposed distance of new building to property line is TBD.
 
mwskopf said:
ClassicT, yes real property line -two different properties/owners. Proposed distance of new building to property line is TBD.
Click to expand...
Well, I suggest that you put it at least 10-ft off the property line in order to avoid a fire-resistance rated exterior wall. Table 705.5 should sum it up pretty straight forward.
 
Its table 602 in the 2018 IBC. Both IIB an VB have 0hr rating (at 10' or more) for the occupancies I am working with (no H) But I'm leaning toward 15' because the existing neighbor building is only 5' from the property line and has unknown exterior wall construction next to the property line. That way I would have 20' between buildings. The plan now is to work the plan around the 15' offset.
Going back to the original question though - can fire sprinks ever be used to reduce ext. wall ratings? Mtlog indicated no, but if anyone else wants to chime in that would be welcomed also.
 
mwskopf said:
Its table 602 in the 2018 IBC. Both IIB an VB have 0hr rating for the occupancies I am working with (no H) But I'm leaning toward 15' because the existing neighbor building is only 5' from the property line and has unknown exterior wall construction next to the property line. That way I would have 20' between buildings. The plan now is to work the plan around the 15' offset.
Going back to the original question though - can fire sprinks ever be used to reduce ext. wall ratings? Mtlog indicated no, but if anyone else wants to chime in that would be welcomed also.
Click to expand...
The other building is irrelavent.....all based on the property line...Unless you are drawing the property line now....And no..as far as 705 is concerned, no sprinkler gimmies...There is for balconies and openings and some others but not really for the walls...
 
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