Fire Sprinker requirements

[ChrisH]

I am trying to get an occupancy permit for a storage building 16,000 square feet built in 1993. The city's comments are as follows:

• 
  Plan review based on change of occupancy type from A3 Use, Assembly use intended for recreation and amusement, to S1 Use, Storage use.
  
• Storage buildings with fire areas greater than 12,000 sq.ft shall be provided with an automatic sprinkler system throughout.

The stored materials are classified as Class IIIB liquids (motor oil and hydraulic fluid) in 55 gallon steel osha approved drums 2,200 gallons on any given day with other misc. hydraulic hoses/parts.

Questions are is there a way to do a cheaper fire suppression system in the building or 2 separate fire areas in order to avoid the extremely high cost of a sprinkler system for the building. The tenant has other warehouses around the country without having a fire sprinkler required. Thanks!!

 

[RLGA]

Divide the building in half with a 3-hour fire barrier to create two 8,000 sq. ft. fire areas. Thus, you won’t need a sprinkler system.

 

[steveray]

Agree...max out at 2 12000 ft fire areas before sprinklers become a must....Unless there is a firewall of course....

 

[cda]

So what type of business was it before??!

And before that??

 

[cda]

Make a 4001 Sq ft office as part of the business??

 

[mtlogcabin]

Unless you separate the uses with a 3 hour fire barrier it is still a 16,000 sq ft fire area by definition

[BF] FIRE AREA. The aggregate floor area enclosed and bounded by fire walls, fire barriers, exterior walls or horizontal assemblies of a building. Areas of the building not provided with surrounding walls shall be included in the fire area if such areas are included within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor next above.