Let me preface this by saying I am not a building or fire code guru. I apologize for any dumb questions I ask as I have only recently begun to dive into the intricacies of these things. In any event, I am an in-house attorney and was asked to review this situation:
Our company is interested in purchasing an existing building. The occupancy would not change post-sale--it would remain M. If the structure were built today, it would require an automatic sprinkler system because Group M fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet (per the 2015 IFC, which the state has adopted). However, it also appears that this structure should have had an automatic sprinkler system installed when the building was originally constructed. The code in place at the time required sprinklers unless there was 20 square feet of "opening" per each 50 lineal feet. Based on my rough approximations, the structure does not have sufficient openings to avoid the sprinkler requirement as it existed at the time of construction. In the event we were to purchase this structure, the plan would be to do an addition (adding a vestibule) and some alterations--but nothing terribly substantial (no structural work). My question is this:
Assuming the structure was not built to code at the time of construction (due to the lack of an automatic sprinkler system), what obligations would we have to install one if we were to purchase the structure and do an addition and alterations?
I've reviewed the 2015 IFC requirements for existing buildings (Chapter 11). It requires some bare-bones improvements for fire safety (e.g., number of exits). Aside from those, however, it seems the IFC simply provides that an existing building cannot be made less safe. But the IFC seems to assume the existing building was built to code at the time of construction. What if that's not the case?
Given the relatively low dollar amount involved, the added costs (e.g., retrofitting a sprinkler system) could determine whether we even consider this further.
I thought I could find an answer fairly quickly on my own but I've quickly become overwhelmed by all the cross-references and sheer volume of these codes. If someone could even point me to the relevant sections it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Our company is interested in purchasing an existing building. The occupancy would not change post-sale--it would remain M. If the structure were built today, it would require an automatic sprinkler system because Group M fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet (per the 2015 IFC, which the state has adopted). However, it also appears that this structure should have had an automatic sprinkler system installed when the building was originally constructed. The code in place at the time required sprinklers unless there was 20 square feet of "opening" per each 50 lineal feet. Based on my rough approximations, the structure does not have sufficient openings to avoid the sprinkler requirement as it existed at the time of construction. In the event we were to purchase this structure, the plan would be to do an addition (adding a vestibule) and some alterations--but nothing terribly substantial (no structural work). My question is this:
Assuming the structure was not built to code at the time of construction (due to the lack of an automatic sprinkler system), what obligations would we have to install one if we were to purchase the structure and do an addition and alterations?
I've reviewed the 2015 IFC requirements for existing buildings (Chapter 11). It requires some bare-bones improvements for fire safety (e.g., number of exits). Aside from those, however, it seems the IFC simply provides that an existing building cannot be made less safe. But the IFC seems to assume the existing building was built to code at the time of construction. What if that's not the case?
Given the relatively low dollar amount involved, the added costs (e.g., retrofitting a sprinkler system) could determine whether we even consider this further.
I thought I could find an answer fairly quickly on my own but I've quickly become overwhelmed by all the cross-references and sheer volume of these codes. If someone could even point me to the relevant sections it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
