How to avoid sprinklers in apartments

[ArchMuse]

So I'm working on a single story 4-plex apartment building in Illinois using 2009 IBC, Type VB construction, R-2 Occupancy. The entire building is 4,800 SF (1,200 SF per apartment), so I'm well under the allowable 7,000 SF per Table 503. However, I get to chapter 9 and paragraph 903.2.7 states that all Group R shall have an automatic sprinkler system. Pretty straight forward, the building needs to be sprinklered right?

So here's the problem, the owner had a 4-plex previously constructed (about 2 years ago) without a sprinkler systems and now they want to know why I'm telling them they need a sprinkler systems future buildings. The architect on the previous 4-plex building did not design it with a sprinkler system, but did design a fire partition between each apartment. My question is how were they able to avoid a sprinkler system legally - are there some exemptions I'm not aware of?

 

[cda]

Different code then?

Appeal process ??

Ahj did a miss??

Called it something else??

Maybe look at those plans, design it similar with the rated walls,
Submit it
See if it flys

 

[steveray]

Townhouses?

 

[fatboy]

Townhouses?

That's what I was thinking. But that would also assume the sprinklers were amended out. We kept the townhouse sprinklers when we amended them out of SFD's and duplexes.

 

[JBI]

That the OP references Table 503 tells me they are based on an older version of the IBC (Table 503 was replaced in the 2015 IBC). Also not sure when Illinois was last updated or what local amendments may be in play (assuming Illinois as that is the OP's home state). If units are side by side then the possibility of 'townhouse' designation is there, as noted by steveray.
More info on specific year edition and local amendments would be helpful rkeyteck...

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Apparently a locality can also amend the code.

https://www.illinois.gov/cdb/business/codes/pages/buildingcodesregulations.aspx

 

[JCraver]

View attachment 2430

Apparently a locality can also amend the code.

https://www.illinois.gov/cdb/business/codes/pages/buildingcodesregulations.aspx

Except that the CDB has no enforcement arm of its own, and enforcement isn't built into the rule, so this is yet another example of some gov't agency in my wonderful State requiring something and then not following up. And the exception is as broad as you can get - IF your municipality had ever adopted any kind of building code before this July 1, '11 rule, then you're forever exempt from State regulation of which building code you enforce.

But then we also have the mandatory IL Energy Code, which is always the current ICC version (with IL-specific amendments, of course) and promulgated by our Department of Commerce and Ec. Opp., for some reason. And our State Fire Marshal says we can't enforce anything less than the 2000 NFPA 101. And our Public Health Dept. publishes their own plumbing code, which is based on a bunch of nonsense any plumber not living in IL would laugh at. Oh, and our very own special Accessibility Code, which is enforced by the State Attorney General's office.

It won't be long and we really will be as messed up as California........



For the OP - the '09 IBC won't give you any way out of sprinklers in an R. So the possibilities are that: the last buildings were built under an older code, the municipality exempted sprinklers out by ordinance, there was some sort of development agreement between the City and contractor that specified a different building code, or the last BO who signed the permits screwed up.

 

[BayPointArchitect]

Two-hour fire-rated-walls (structurally independent) between each townhome would then allow us to review each townhome as a separate single-family residence regardless of the fact that there is a common roof covering all four units.

Single-family dwellings are typically exempted from sprinkler requirements by local amendments.

 

[RLGA]

If they are townhouses, then the IRC would be applicable, which does not require sprinkler systems. If the four units were constructed as two detached two-family dwelling units, then the IRC would again be applicable and no sprinkler system required.