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Marine Fueling IFC 2210.3.1

TimNY

TimNY

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Jan 13, 2010
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Location
Charleston, SC
Have any of you dealt with marine motor fuel dispensing? 2210.3.1 states, "Wharves, piers or floats at marine motor fuel-dispensing facilities shall be used exclusively for the dispensing or transfer of petroleum products to or from marine craft, except that transfer of essential ship stores is allowed". If referring to NFPA 30A (don't have it in front of me right now), it says something to the effect of "sufficiently away from berthing".

I have a long fixed pier with finger piers. On the last finger pier, which is ~6 feet wide, they want to place the fuel dispensers on the outside edge of the finger pier. However, they want to use the other side of the finger pier for a slip. So a boat will be berthed about 6 feet from the pumps.

I would like to allow this arrangement, but the "piers... shall be used exclusively for the dispensing..." gives me pause. The area where boats tie up (that entire side of the finger pier) would be exclusively for fueling. But the entire finger pier would not be exclusive to that use, since there would be a boat tied to the opposite side.

Appreciate any comments you may have.

Tim
 
TImNY- I have absolutely no experience in the fire protection/code aspects of marine piers/wharfs. However, as a boat owner, i can tell you that most of the accidents i read about occurr at, or shortly after fueling at docks like this, and they often involve explosions, not just fires. It mostly has to do with boaters not running their bilge blowers to adequately vent the engine room after fueling, and poor mainteance by people who run their boat a few times per year, and are basically clueless.
 
= = =

From the 2012 Edition, NFPA-30A - Motor Fuel

Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages, Chapter

11: Marine Fueling, Section 11.4.4:

"Dispensing devices shall be located so that exposure

to all other operational marina or pleasure boat berthing

area facilities is minimized........Where tide and weather

conditions permit, liquid fueling handling shall be outside

the main berthing areas........Where located inside

marina or pleasure craft berthing areas, fueling facilities

shall be located so that, in case of fire aboard a marine

craft alongside, the danger to other craft near the facility

is minimized."

sdpaddler50,

Welcome to The Building Codes Forum! :cool:

%
 
2203.1 states you must be 10 feet from lot line. Plus, 10 feet from combustible exterior wall surface. Plus nozzle cannot reach with 5 feet of building openings. Plus 20 feet from fixed sources of ignition. I would not think anything less than that in a marina would be acceptable. A berth 6 feet away, in which the fueling operator has no control over would not be seem reasonable.
 
Thanks for the input, John.

I spoke with the State and they said no good. I began to ask where the tipping point was (8 feet, 10 feet, 20 feet), but didn't get anywhere.. and I wasn't pushing it since I had my answer.

I do like the 10 foot logic.

Tim
 
Recently permitted a marine fueling facility with a 360 foot long dock with 24 dispensers. I found several contradictions between NFPA 30A and the IFC. The first question is whether this is "marine fueling" or a "marina", check the definitions and the scope. Two different animals and the rules are different. Sounds like you have a marina. Marinas allow fueling in the vicinity of berthed vessels (can't remember how close) and marine fueling facilities do not allow vessels to be berthed for reasons other than taking on fuel or necessarry stores. Check out NFPA 303, Marinas and Boatyards. All that said, berthing six feet from fuel dispensing area would not be allowable as you need to be able to verify classified wiring within 20 feet of dispensing equipment, NEC 514 and 555.
 
I'm a building official in Alaska. Had some code questions I couldn't find the answer to and did an online search. Really like this site and I guess I should put some $$ towards it. Have used Mike Holt's site for electrical questions for some time so really appreciated feedback from people in the field.
 
realalaskan said:
Recently permitted a marine fueling facility with a 360 foot long dock with 24 dispensers. I found several contradictions between NFPA 30A and the IFC. The first question is whether this is "marine fueling" or a "marina", check the definitions and the scope. Two different animals and the rules are different. Sounds like you have a marina. Marinas allow fueling in the vicinity of berthed vessels (can't remember how close) and marine fueling facilities do not allow vessels to be berthed for reasons other than taking on fuel or necessarry stores. Check out NFPA 303, Marinas and Boatyards. All that said, berthing six feet from fuel dispensing area would not be allowable as you need to be able to verify classified wiring within 20 feet of dispensing equipment, NEC 514 and 555.
Click to expand...
Excellent! Thank you for the information, and welcome aboard!

Tim
 
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