Tenant Separation Fire Rating

[Oscar]

I have a space with two tenants that will both serve as a cafe with a shared kitchen. Both tenants are under the same occupancy C under 1968 NYCBC, or 'M' under later codes. Do I need to separate the two spaces with a fire separation? Or can I just provide a smoke baffle?

The space will not have a hood and the space is fully sprinklered but it talks about dining spaces with kitchen as opposed to shared kitchens between two separate tenants.

This is also found under the chart 5-1
Subnote ‘d’: Nonresidential kitchens need not be separated by fire separations from adjoining dining spaces, provided:
(1) The cooking equipment is vented directly to the outdoors, and
(2) 2* draft curtain of noncombustible material, at least twenty-four inches down from the ceiling, is provided to separate the cooking facilities from dining spaces, and
(3) Sprinkler heads constructed in accordance with the provisions of subchapter seventeen of this chapter, are provided on the cooking facilities side of the curtain, or any opening between the kitchen and dining space, located within twenty-four inches of the curtain or opening, and spaced not more than forty-eight inches on centers if the opening is more than sixty inches wide. When fire separations are provided double-action doors may be permitted.

 

[Builder Bob]

Sounds alot like the food court concept in the covered mall provisions in chapter 4. I believe that as long as adequate fire sprinkler protection is provided, the cooking spaces (kitchens ) are separated by a dividing wall, provided with a minimum of a 24" smoke baffle in the front (food court face), and all exhaust for cooking operations are vented to the exterior............ I think you are OK from the bits supplied above.

However, without a full plan with MEP's provided, it would be hard to predict what the AHJ is going to say

 

[cda]

Need more info

Such as is this a strip mall or what

How are you going to seperate a shared kitchen, unless it is totally in one suite.



Why do you think seperation is required ???

 

[Builder Bob]

A separate wall may be required to ensure that the kitchen hoods operate correctly for smoke entrapment. A three sided hood works more efficiently that an zero sided hood.
Also Energy Code requirements may come into play, testing and balance of HVAC systems, etc.