Server Room Fire Rating

[kiwijbob]

Unless a service room contains electrical equipment required to be in a rated room as detailed in CSA C22.1, “Canadian Electrical Code, Part I,” then a server room by NBCC 2015 is not required to be in a rated room. Now it may be preferable to locate a server room in a rated enclosure but I'm only talking about the NBCC requirements. So unless there are life safety systems located in that room then no rating would be required.... a server room by NBCC 2015 requires no FR right?

 

[jar546]

Where are our Canadian electrical gurus?

 

[tmurray]

Correct, fundamentally, the room requires no rating. Only would be an issue if they have other stuff in the server room too. Only time I have seen a fire rating was a voluntary one for a server room for handling debit transactions for a Canadian bank.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Unless a service room contains electrical equipment required to be in a rated room as detailed in CSA C22.1, “Canadian Electrical Code, Part I,” then a server room by NBCC 2015 is not required to be in a rated room. Now it may be preferable to locate a server room in a rated enclosure but I'm only talking about the NBCC requirements. So unless there are life safety systems located in that room then no rating would be required.... a server room by NBCC 2015 requires no FR right?

The only trigger under C22.1, IIRC, is for transformers with phenolic oils, which .... you're not getting that in a server room. Not sure whether this is part 3 or part 9 building, but the language for the fire-sep requirements is the same in both sections:

3.6.2.1(8) Where a service room contains a limited quantity of service equipment, and the
service equipment neither constitutes a fire hazard nor is essential to the operation of
fire safety systems in the building, the requirements for a fire separation shall not apply.

9.10.10.3(2) Where a room contains a limited quantity of service equipment and the service
equipment does not constitute a fire hazard, the requirements in Sentence (1) [ed: 1 hr sep] shall
not apply.