• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

racking/bolting

It appeared that the rack on the left was slightly deformed to start. May be just the photo angle.
Another thing to keep in mind is the emergency lighting. You cannot CO a project like that one or any big box until it is stocked and ready for business. Kill the power and see id you can see the egress, proper lighting and strobes. Always looks ok on paper different in 3D.
 
I do not understand how you can stock the building without there being a CO.

Making the certificate of occupancy contingent upon how the items are stacked suggests that the CO would need to be revisited when ever the inventory changed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cda
Plus if it is not right than what???

Unload the entire building and start over?

Also, how would you know it is not right??

Third party?

Inspect each rack system, assure the bolts were torched to spec?
 
cda said:
Plus if it is not right than what???

Unload the entire building and start over?

Also, how would you know it is not right??

Third party?

Inspect each rack system, assure the bolts were torched to spec?
Click to expand...

Which was what I was asking JAR, and he cited code, but realistically.......how do you enforce?

I did a plan review on a big box many years ago......honestly, the racking/storage was not on my list for review.
 
I don't see a need for stock on the racks to tell if the exits will be obscured. Overhead lights can be an issue. I've encountered huge lamps that could start a fire that were right over the racks that held furniture. There was about a foot between the lamp and the couch. I rode a pallet to the top and felt the heat.

I remember a warehouse of 500k sq. ft. that was full of lamps. On high piled racks that is. Thousands upon thousands of lamps. Seemingly enough lamps for the entire country....they had other warehouses around the country just like it....regional warehouses so everybody can be close to their lamps. This was just one company of several. I wondered how could we need that many lamps. Then I realized that I have a great many lamps. I decided that I need more lamps. Now I have too many lamps. Oh! and bulbs don't get me started on bulbs.

Oddly enough that exactly how I did get started. My father was an electrical contractor. He supplied me with bulbs and i pulled a wagon around town selling light bulbs door to door. Made a killing. A nursing home put me through fourth grade.
 
Last edited:
fatboy said:
Which was what I was asking JAR, and he cited code, but realistically.......how do you enforce?

I did a plan review on a big box many years ago......honestly, the racking/storage was not on my list for review.
Click to expand...

For a new building or a fit out with racking I always ask for that information because it is in the code and 100% of the time it affects the sprinkler layout anyway. When you see forklift battery chargers on the electrical plans, there must be some sort of racking and by the time you get called for a CO the racking is up anyway. I don't see the issue.
 
Mark K said:
I do not understand how you can stock the building without there being a CO.

Making the certificate of occupancy contingent upon how the items are stacked suggests that the CO would need to be revisited when ever the inventory changed.
Click to expand...

Because "stocking" a building is not the same as occupying a building....For example, open floor plan M use, without fixtures and product in place, how do you know egress will work? We will usually give permission to fixture/ stock, and then the full C of O when we see that stuff in place...Obviously it depends on whether or not the stock is the hazard or the people in the building, and all other systems being in place, but we have not been bitten on this technique yet...

I've heard a horror story of an IT guy getting a $5000 fine from a NJ FM for setting up computers in a building that didn't have a C of O....Absurd and an overstep in my mind, but to each their own...
 
steveray said:
Because "stocking" a building is not the same as occupying a building....For example, open floor plan M use, without fixtures and product in place, how do you know egress will work? We will usually give permission to fixture/ stock, and then the full C of O when we see that stuff in place...Obviously it depends on whether or not the stock is the hazard or the people in the building, and all other systems being in place, but we have not been bitten on this technique yet...

I've heard a horror story of an IT guy getting a $5000 fine from a NJ FM for setting up computers in a building that didn't have a C of O....Absurd and an overstep in my mind, but to each their own...
Click to expand...

Every new store that I have dealt with has asked for permission to stock the shelves before there is a CofO. As long as the fire department has signed off and I don't have any major corrections, I am okay with that. New restaurants want to start training staff and the same procedure works for them.

There was a fancy restaurant that another inspector and I handled from start to finish. When it came time to train the staff we took on the roll of customer. The chef sent out glorious seafood. The calamari was the best I've ever had.

Warehouses tend to jump the gun. So what do you do when you show up for a high piled rack inspection and the racks are loaded? There's usually not a reason to make them unload the racks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top