NPS-arch
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I've recently inherited project management (as Owner's Rep) of a campground project (scheduled to be completed in a couple months) from a retired colleague, and visiting it with the park staff, they noted that the pressure tanks in the well house are too big to be removed from either of the two single man doors in the structure (about 18'x20'). They asked me if this is a design error. The structure is a premanufactured building that was set over the top of the tanks after they were installed, by crane. It does seem kind of absurd that future tank replacement will required demounting the entire structure with another crane.
Is it bad design? Yes. But "error" probably entails some sort of Code violation. I'm familiar with the IRC's requirement that all "appliances" must be removable without removing structure, but in practice (I'm an architect) would normally rely on mechanical and plumbing engineers for questions like this on commercial projects. Since I'm back-checking them on this, I can't exactly just go to them and say, "Did you make a mistake here?"
I think I'm following that the IPC covers valves and such but that the pressure tanks themselves fall under the IMC, Section 1003 Pressure Vessels. I'm puzzled there, though. 1004.3 requires clearances around equipment and appliances such as will permit inspection, servicing, repair, replacement, and visibility of all gauges -- but 1004 is specific to boilers. If they're pressure vessels for unheated water, that section doesn't seem to apply -- just the requirement that the vessels meet the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. At that point, I'm substantially over my head.
Is there another requirement in the IMC or the BPVC that clearly states that repair or replacement of a pressure vessel should not require demolition of a structural component of a building?
Is it bad design? Yes. But "error" probably entails some sort of Code violation. I'm familiar with the IRC's requirement that all "appliances" must be removable without removing structure, but in practice (I'm an architect) would normally rely on mechanical and plumbing engineers for questions like this on commercial projects. Since I'm back-checking them on this, I can't exactly just go to them and say, "Did you make a mistake here?"
I think I'm following that the IPC covers valves and such but that the pressure tanks themselves fall under the IMC, Section 1003 Pressure Vessels. I'm puzzled there, though. 1004.3 requires clearances around equipment and appliances such as will permit inspection, servicing, repair, replacement, and visibility of all gauges -- but 1004 is specific to boilers. If they're pressure vessels for unheated water, that section doesn't seem to apply -- just the requirement that the vessels meet the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. At that point, I'm substantially over my head.
Is there another requirement in the IMC or the BPVC that clearly states that repair or replacement of a pressure vessel should not require demolition of a structural component of a building?
