S1 Occupancy, sprinklers or no...

[ceeefour]

Greeting everyone. Short version:
2015 IBC, Washington State Amendments (Not applicable in this case).

Structure is a 9,000 square foot building that has been cut in to 3 3,000 square foot areas, separated with 2 hour walls. This was done at initial construction to allow future TI's to come and go without having to redo separations, going with the likely most restrictive situations. VB construction.

TI at one unit of B/M/S1, done, no issues.

New proposals for the remaining 3,000 square foot units is to create a mezzanine for each and rent them out to contractors as storage for storing building materials, bringing in a vehicle to work on, keeping tools, and similar stuff for just about any kind of general contractor. Mezzanine would be the "office" (B) part, lower floor 3,000 square feet will be the S1 storage occupancy.

Building Official is telling us that per IBC 903.2.9, #5, we need to provide automatic fire suppression throughout the entire building because the S1 occupancy "could" be used for storage of upholstered furniture and mattresses. Owner has zero intention of this sort of occupancy. Owner is willing to condition the C of O on no mattress/upholstered furniture storage, subject to random audit by CBO or FM if desired.

Does this interpretation make any sense? My logic is that if you always have a 2,500 square foot S1 occupancy requirement for sprinklers because someone "could" store mattresses and/or upholstered furniture there, why does 903.2.9 even have subsection #1 and #4? With a 12,000 square foot requirement for sprinklers or the #4 5,000 sq. ft. requirement for S1 used for vehicle storage.

Comments appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[RLGA]

I agree with you. Subparagraph #5 is intended for storage areas used for the primary purpose of storing upholstered furniture and mattresses. If storing an occasional sofa and/or a mattress will trigger this, then just about every hotel should be classified as a Group S-1 as well as your home. The reviewer should be looking at the primary storage use and not what it "could" store.

 

[cda]

Could also be a bar, a dynamite factory, a haunted house, a school, a hospital, a water tower,

Just make sure you design to the entire alphabet.

Sounds like someone is fudging, in order to get a fire sprinkler system.

 

[ceeefour]

I agree with you. Subparagraph #5 is intended for storage areas used for the primary purpose of storing upholstered furniture and mattresses. If storing an occasional sofa and/or a mattress will trigger this, then just about every hotel should be classified as a Group S-1 as well as your home. The reviewer should be looking at the primary storage use and not what it "could" store.

That is my thought. They are presenting the client with options to section off the 3,000 sq. ft. area to a less than 2,500 sq. ft. area as a way to "avoid" sprinklers, but I don't feel it should be required in the first place. Client has tenants waiting and will likely take path of least resistance but I may appeal the decision anyway to get a determination. It's Chinatown Jake.

 

[ceeefour]

Could also be a bar, a dynamite factory, a haunted house, a school, a hospital, a water tower,

Just make sure you design to the entire alphabet.

Sounds like someone is fudging, in order to get a fire sprinkler system.

That is my thought. We don't know that they won't be storing hazardous materials in excess of "H" occupancy thresholds either. I don't see, if this was the correct interpretation, why there would even be a section 1 and 4 with additional thresholds that govern.

 

[cda]

That is my thought. We don't know that they won't be storing hazardous materials in excess of "H" occupancy thresholds either. I don't see, if this was the correct interpretation, why there would even be a section 1 and 4 with additional thresholds that govern.

I was being funny,,, anyway the Building offical cannot predict what will happen in the future

You give them a scope of work scope of use and plans, that is what the review should be based on.

No sprinklers are required

Is this bo doing this to other people on other projects???