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Seperation in Table 508.4

JPotter04210

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
17
The 2009 IBC notes in Table 508.4 that B and S2 areas need a one hour seperation while B and S1 areas require no seperation. what are we trying to protect, the low hazard stored materials from the higher hazard people?

Does this seem backwards to anyone else?
 
JPotter04210 said:
The 2009 IBC notes in Table 508.4 that B and S2 areas need a one hour seperation while B and S1 areas require no seperation. what are we trying to protect, the low hazard stored materials from the higher hazard people?Does this seem backwards to anyone else?
Yes it does seem backwards to some

You are protecting the low hazard S2 occupancy group from the higher hazard "B" occupancy group

People are a hazard no matter where they are in the building. They smoke in places the shouldn't, they throw the oily rags in a pile in the corner, they forget to turn appliances off. Basically they do a lot of dumb things that can be hazardous to the building
 
What you need to look at is the relative fire load. A Group B, which has plenty of paper, furnishings, etc., has a higher fire load than the mostly noncombustible materials in a Group S-2; whereas, the fire loads within a Group B and a Group S-1 are very similar.
 
JPotter04210 said:
"People are a hazard no matter where they are" - how true!
The IBC should ban people from buildings because it will save more lives than even single family residential sprinklers.
 
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