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Fire sprinkler requirements for elevated home to confom to FEMA

L

liarchitect

Bronze Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
61
Location
Long Island, ny
Doing work for a lot of clients damaged by super storm sandy here on long island

The question has home up, if we build a new home elevated above FEMA bfe creating an entire house on stilts 2 stories above the open space at the level of the stilts, is this considered 3 stories and will require sprinklers

The open level will be about 8 ft clear for parking of cars, and a small enclosed area with flood vents for building access

Thanks in advance
 
Are r-3's required to be sprinkled?

What code reference are you using for your question
 
Single family dwelling

Only required when 3 stories above grade

R313.5 Automatic sprinkler systems. Buildings having a height of three stories above grade shall be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13D.
 
STORY. That portion of a building included between the upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above.

STORY ABOVE GRADE. Any story having its finished floor surface entirely above grade, except that a basement shall be considered as a story above grade where the finished surface of the floor above the basement is:

1. More than 6 feet (1829 mm) above grade plane.

2. More than 6 feet (1829 mm) above the finished ground level for more than 50 percent of the total building perimeter.

3. More than 12 feet (3658 mm) above the finished ground level at any point.

R313.5 Automatic sprinkler systems. Buildings having a height of three stories above grade shall be equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA 13D.

R313.5.1 Existing dwellings. Alterations to an existing attic which create a building height of three stories above grade shall be permitted in conformance with Section AJ604.3 of Appendix J.
 
Kind of looks like it

Do you see any other new construction going up in same ahj ? Is it sprinkled or not??

Sounds like a New York thing and question
 
Can you argue by definition it is only two story??

STORY. That portion of a building included between the upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above.
 
I would argue that the open area at grade level does not constitute a story, thus the building is only two story.
 
liarchitect said:
By fema definition the area below flood elevation can only be used for parking of vehicles, building access, and/ or incidental storage
Click to expand...
Sounds like maybe that is the answer

Maybe call the ahj and see what they say
 
I'm sure that the reasoning for 3 stories was accessibility for firefighting. Based on that matter what the use of the lowest level is it would seem like a two-story house that is raised on stilts would still be considered 3 stories as far as the need for sprinkler systems goes. Considering there is no real magic in the 3 stories it would seem better if the code specified a certain height for the structure but they saw fit to word it as 3 stories so that's what needs to be enforced.
 
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