Alcohol Storage Occupancy Classification

[Architect1281]

The fire area for the A2 or any use is the limits of the area encloased within the RATED construction if you are going to use seperated fire areas to comply rater than fire supression they could all be A2 A2 A2 or whatever S A M you chose but the fire are per use area or MIXED non Sepertaed use areas is what applies. if you don't understand that find another line of consulting or trade

 

[cda]

Trying to learn

There has been a lot of discussion about fire areas

So for the OP question would he need two hour to separate the basement from the 1st floor to negate sprinklers?

In reading the article makes a little since, just a few variables sometimes and how they factor in

http://www.specsandcodes.com/Articles/The%20Code%20Corner%20No.%2027%20-%20Fire%20Areas.pdf

 

[FM William Burns]

Now, Now, Now...........please remain civil everyone!

 

[Builder Bob]

The entire building would be considered a single control area for Haz Mat if fire rated separation is not provided. Also, Basements are a little tricky because they have a reduced allowable quantity... thus even more issues.

Don't mix the apples and oranges..... a fire area and a control area are two different animals...... one is fire sprinklers and the other is dealing with haz mat. although both can be used together to resolve different issues.... the rating requirements for separation may be entirely different - one hour vs. two hour or two hours v one hour. Further research into the code would be required for proper determination for the satisifaction for two different issues that are using separations to create minimum code compliance.

 

[zigmark]

Amounts of hazardous materials can be increased more ways than separating with fire rated construction. The use of listed hazardous material cabinets give significant increases to amounts of hazardous materials and would be much cheaper than fire sprinklers. The occupancy designation dictates the number of control areas a space can have and limits the types and quantities of hazardous material per area within that occupancy, before it is kicked into an H occupancy.

It sounded like in the OP the interest was in limiting the amount of fire area to avoid sprinklers?? Separate buildings, fire walls, fire barriers and horizontal assemblies are the only ways to create separate fire areas. Non-separated mixed use buildings are all one building regardless if multiple levels and in your cases sounds like would need to be sprinkled. A separated mixed use building could be separate fire areas, but remember to go back and read the constraints of mixed use separated vs. non-separated.

BB has been pointing you in the right direction here.

ZIG

 

[cda]

finally read enough and see that applies:::

707.3.9 Fire areas. The fire barriers or horizontal assemblies, or both, separating a single occupancy into different fire areas shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that indicated in Table 707.3.9. The fire barriers or horizontal assemblies, or both, separating fire areas of mixed occupancies shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than the highest value indicated in Table 707.3.9 for the occupancies under consideration.

 

[tod13511]

If the storage is an S-1, there is no issue. The allowable heights and areas in Table 503 for S-1 are much less restrictive than those for A-2. Any building that complies as an A-2 will also qualify as an S-1. See IBC 508.3, Non-separated mixed use. If the building meets the allowable limits of the more restrictive use (A-2 in this case), no separation is required. As another poster pointed out, accessory 508.2 probably works too.

The real problem comes if alcohol is actually a hazardous liquid. I mean a flammable liquid (maybe Class 1B?). If you’ve ever done flaming shots, you know some is. I think table 307.1 allows you a minimum of 120 gallons (600 fifths?), but there are footnotes (sprinklers?) and methods like 1 hour control areas (414.2) to increase that up to 360 - 480 gallons in each of 3 control areas. Maybe 400+ cases! Another lost weekend. If they stay under these exempt amounts, then it’s just another S-1. Beer is definitely not a hazardous (I mean combustible) liquid, so have as much as you want:cheers.