Flammable Solid Sprinkler Design???

[Insurance Engineer]

Does anyone have info on where to find automatic sprinkler design information for flammable solid storage? I have a warehouse with metal drums filled with "flammable solid" to about 10' high. It is a powder not a solid but by definition is considered a solid. It is a H3 occupancy and will be separated by a 1 hour fire separation as per 2009 IBC from an S1 occupancy (storage of class IIIB liquids). I can not find anything on the sprinkler design in NFPA or FM. My fall back is to call it Extra Hazard Group II .40/2500 occupancy as per NFPA 13 do you agree?

5.4 Extra Hazard Occupancies as per 2010 ED.

5.4.1* Extra Hazard (Group 1). Extra hazard (Group 1) occupancies shall be defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies where the quantity and combustibility of contents are very high and dust, lint, or other materials are present, introducing the probability of rapidly developing fires with high rates of heat release but with little or no combustible or flammable liquids.

5.4.2* Extra Hazard (Group 2). Extra hazard (Group 2) occupancies shall be defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies with moderate to substantial amounts of flammable or combustible liquids or occupancies where shielding of combustibles is extensive.

Thanks

Tom

 

[cda]

Do you mind saying what the solid is

Maybe get a fpe that has felt with this to be on the safer side

 

[cda]

And are you also calling this a high piled stock room??

 

[Insurance Engineer]

CD,

The powder is used in the pharmaceutical industry, the MSDS classified it a flammable solid. Not sure by "high piled stock room" from an NFPA 13 point of view this is not high piled since stock is less then 12'.

3.9.1.17 High-Piled Storage. Solid-piled, palletized, rack storage, bin box, and shelf storage in excess of 12 ft (3.7 m) in height.

Does the IBC have another definition?

 

[cda]

If they are under the IFC

2303.6 High-hazard commodities. High-hazard commodities are high-hazard products presenting special fire hazards beyond those of Class I, II, III or IV. Group A plastics not otherwise classified are included in this class. Examples of high-hazard commodities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Flammable solids (except solid combustible metals)

Some of the high hazard requirements kick in at six feet

HIGH-PILED COMBUSTIBLE STORAGE. Storage of combustible materials in closely packed piles or combustible materials on pallets, in racks or on shelves where the top of storage is greater than 12 feet (3658 mm) in height. When required by the fire code official, high-piled combustible storage also includes certain high-hazard commodities, such as rubber tires, Group A plastics, flammable liquids, idle pallets and similar commodities, where the top of storage is greater than 6 feet (1829 mm) in height.

 

[cda]

Also if under the IFC you might check for design criteria in the ifc

 

[cda]

Not near the books so little hard to look but

Does this fall under IFC 2701.8.2??

And we can't find out what the chemical is of at least the one that is driving it as a flammable solid and per centage of it in the compound

 

[FM William Burns]

Based on the "pharmaceutical industry powder" I would recommend looking at NFPA 654 Annex F.2 and also requiring the facility to use a registered FPE to possibly use a Performance Based alternative your company can accept.