Chemical Fertilizer/pesticide/weed control Storage

[GregC]

I've been struggling navigating my way through the code. I am currently choosing the safest route that I can find, however, I wonder if I am being too strict.

2018 IBC/IFC -
20,000 sf metal building
Exceeds what is allowed in Storage
Combustibles limit IIIA is 330 gallons- we are seeing just shy of 23,000
Combustible limit IIIB is 13200- we have shy of 25k
Toxics limit is 550- we have 6,805
Corrosive limit is 500- we have 31,624

If placed in approved storage we can double the capacity
If we place into a control room we can add up to 4 control areas per building. This effectively allows us to 10x what can be stored in a building.

Even with the 10x using control areas we are still shy. So I'm thinking we need to go to an H category.

The majority of this chemical is stored in 2 gallon containers that come in on a pallet. This is essentially a distribution center for local farmers to come and pick up the product. I've run everything as if it was an S- however perhaps it could also be run as an M?

Any help on this or do I just need to push to the H classification?

 

[TheCommish]

If you are above the maximum allowed quantities you are an H use group

 

[GregC]

Okay so now I move to H.

The limits placed on corrosives and toxies and combustibles is still extremely low. If they fill up three of the farm totes (225-250 gallons) and put them on the floor next to each other to ship them out they have potentially exceeded whats allowed.

It seems that the intent of 307.1.1.8 is for situations like this building to help keep the cost on agriculture down (code commentary makes me think otherwise). Or perhaps I am misunderstanding how the control areas work.

To complicate matters I have one product that technically falls into a category that would make it an H-3 and H-4 which would have to be separated by a 1 hour wall. How do you separate a product from itself... I've been researching this off and on for months now and keep running into the same impossibilities and keep thinking that this is either a hole in the code, agricultural companies are somehow sidestepping it, or that I am misunderstanding some potential exception in the code.

 

[TheCommish]

My understanding is once you become an H use the MAQ don't count, yo protect the building in accordance with that H designation. we recently did a distillery, 90% alcohol, within a warehouse, ESFR sprinkler for in that area removed, NFPA 13 sprinkler design consistence with the hazard installed, room separated by rated walls, doors, explosion proof electrical, special detectors at low level, fans that ramped up on % of LEL high and low level ventilation.

When the proponent brought the proposal up to me (AHJ) I told them they needed to get specialist involved in the design.