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Adding Fire Sprinklers to Existing R2 Building

jar546

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Under the IEBC under what conditions would a sprinkler system be required in a non-sprinklered R2?

Example:

Type III Condominium Building with R2 units, mid-rise 5 stories was once a hotel and now condos for the past 30 years. Not sprinklered. The only way to reach Level 3 renovation is if 50% of the units on one floor do a total renovation at the same time due to the definition of Building Area.

But, under Level 2, there is this that. So if you have a complete condo renovation of one of the dwelling units, you add fire sprinklers? Or if they renovate the hallways?

804.2.2Groups A, B, E, F-1, H, I, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S-1 and S-2.​

In buildings with occupancies in Groups A, B, E, F-1, H, I, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S-1 and S-2, work areas that have exits or corridors shared by more than one tenant or that have exits or corridors serving an occupant load greater than 30 shall be provided with automatic sprinkler protection where all of the following conditions occur:

1.1.The work area is required to be provided with automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with the Florida Building Code, Building as applicable to new construction; and
  1. 2.The work area exceeds 50 percent of the floor area
 
Under the prescriptive method you do not have to sprinkle the building. Remember it is designers choice as to which method to use

503.1 General.
Except as provided by Section 302.4, 302.5 or this section, alterations to any building or structure shall comply with the requirements of the International Building Code for new construction. Alterations shall be such that the existing building or structure is not less complying with the provisions of the International Building Code than the existing building or structure was prior to the alteration.
 
INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE CHAPTER 6 ALTERATIONS - LEVEL 2 SECTION 604.2.2 IEBC Interpretation No. 12-04 2003 Edition Issued: 04-07-05
604.2.2 Groups A, E, F-1, H, I, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S-1, and S-2.
In buildings with occupancies in Groups A, E, F-1, H, I, M, R-1, R-2, R-4, S-1, and S-2, work areas that include exits or corridors shared by more than one tenant or that serve an occupant load greater than 30 shall be provided with automatic sprinkler protection where all of the following conditions occur:

1. The work area is required to be provided with automatic sprinkler protection in accordance with the International Building Code as applicable to new construction;

2. The work area exceeds 50 percent of the floor area; and 3. The building has sufficient municipal water supply for design of a fire sprinkler system available to the floor without installation of a new fire pump. Exception: Work areas in Group R occupancies three stories or less in height. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

GIVEN: Assume Level 2 alterations to an existing building that is not classified as a high-rise building. The building is not a Group R occupancy. All the listed conditions, including Items 1 and 2, are applicable. The municipal water supply for the building is sufficient for design of a fire sprinkler system to the floor containing the work area, without requiring the installation of a new fire pump.

Q1: Is a fire sprinkler system required to be provided to the work area if a new water service pipe is required to be installed between the municipal water supply and the building?
A1: No. Section 604.2.2, condition 3 indicates that “the building has sufficient...”. Therefore it was not intended that new water service pipes be installed from the water main to the building.

Q2: Is a fire sprinkler system required to be provided to the work area if a new water distribution pipe (or riser) is required to be installed between the water service pipe and the work area?
A2: No. Sprinkler system will not be required if a new riser must be constructed to bring water from lower floors.

STAFF COMM ENTARY: For both of these answers, please note that the language in Section 604.2.2 is distinctly different from that found in Section 704.1.1 (Level 3 Alterations, high-rise buildings), where sprinklers will be required if the municipal water main at the site has sufficient municipal water supply. One of the main resource documents upon which the IEBC was based is the Nationally Applicable Recommended Rehabilitation Provisions (NARRP). The origin of many of the IEBC Sections can be traced to similar provisions in the NARRP. The NARRP does not require sprinkler systems in work areas for the level of construction called “Alterations” (this is approximately the same level as IEBC Level 2 Alterations and is found in NARRP Chapter 5). Section 606.1 of NARRP for the level called “Reconstruction” (approximately similar to Level 3 Alterations of IEBC), requires sprinkler system, but provides an exception if “...an automatic water supply for sprinkler protection is not available at that floor, the building official shall be perm itted to accept alternative protection”. A review of this history indicates the intent of the IEBC drafting committee to require sprinkler system in Level 2 Alterations only if sufficient municipal water supply is available at the floor under discussion. ________________________________________________________________________
 
Hence the reason I hate prescriptive....

401.2 Building materials and systems. Building materials
and systems shall comply with the requirements of this section.
401.2.1 Existing materials. Materials already in use in a
building in compliance with requirements or approvals in
effect at the time of their erection or installation shall be
permitted to remain in use unless determined by the building
official to be unsafe per Section 115.


401.3 Dangerous conditions. The building official shall
have the authority to require the elimination of conditions
deemed dangerous.


It's the copout for everything but Change of use/ occupancy....There it bites you....Maybe that got missed 30 years ago?

Anything on the fire side for "upgrading"?
 
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