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use group B (university)

1

19firekiller75

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
8
Business (university) Classes, Offices, & Theater within building

300,000+ sq. ft - 6 floors

Partially sprinklered (a 1/4 of 4th floor is sprinklered and 1/4 of 5th floor)

Existing horns for notification/Existing Pulls

Minimum Smokes (only elevators recall and door holders)

I’ve looked this up and don’t believe what I’m finding or rather not finding. Maybe I’m reading code wrong or just reading the wrong stuff. After my research, it seems that smokes are only an option and not required for this huge freakin building with specs above, or am I missing something.

So my question is do I have to go full smoke detection because there’s no sprinklers and no existing smokes, and if so can I skip the areas on 4th & 5th floors with sprinklers.

Thanks for any help in advance.
 
If it was new construction, it would probably require automatic sprinkler protection throughout. As an existing building, it depends upon what your adopted codes require. NFPA 72 is a "how done" code and not a "when required" code. If your "when required" code (OBBC) does not require detection, then the "how done" code (NFPA 72) does not apply.
 
19firekiller75 said:
Business (university) Classes, Offices, & Theater within building300,000+ sq. ft - 6 floors

Partially sprinklered (a 1/4 of 4th floor is sprinklered and 1/4 of 5th floor)

Existing horns for notification/Existing Pulls

Minimum Smokes (only elevators recall and door holders)

I’ve looked this up and don’t believe what I’m finding or rather not finding. Maybe I’m reading code wrong or just reading the wrong stuff. After my research, it seems that smokes are only an option and not required for this huge freakin building with specs above, or am I missing something.

So my question is do I have to go full smoke detection because there’s no sprinklers and no existing smokes, and if so can I skip the areas on 4th & 5th floors with sprinklers.

Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Theater within building?

How big?

You may have mixed use building B/A
 
welcome also

So are you just looking at the building and questioning why?

Or is there some remodeling going on??
 
thanks coug dad.

m handler the theater is within the building and it is 9000 sq. ft.

cda, there is no remodeling, but the fire alarm system is getting upgraded from horns to speakers and mass notification is being added.
 
i've read the obbc before i posted, maybe i'm not understanding. My conclusion is smokes are not required. This is the only thing that i've found in the code under fire alarm systems for use group B.

907.2.2

A manual fire alarm system shall be installed in Group B occupancies having an occupant load of 500 or more persons or more than 100 persons above or below the lowest level of exit discharge.

Exception: Manual fire alarm boxes are not required where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system and the alarm notification appliances will activate upon sprinkler water flow.
 
19firekiller75 said:
thanks coug dad.m handler the theater is within the building and it is 9000 sq. ft.

cda, there is no remodeling, but the fire alarm system is getting upgraded from horns to speakers and mass notification is being added.
Click to expand...
9000 sq. ft. You have more than 50 people therefore the building is a mixed occupancy building.

Theater is an A not B.

How many seats are in the theater?

[F] 907.2.1 Group A. A manual fire alarm system that activates the occupant notification system in accordance with Section 907.5 shall be installed in Group A occupancies having an occupant load of 300 or more.
 
You can always ask for smoke detection through out, because the entire building does not have a fire sprinkler system, or get them to budget in a fire sprinkler system!!!! in the future

does not hurt to ask, because you never know they may say YES
 
I agree, the theater sounds like an Assembly occupancy.

Theater of 9,000 square feet - you could easily have an occupant load in excess of 1,000. if so,don't forget the voice evacuation requirements.
 
thanx for assistance everyone. No smokes unless owner wants it, maybe i'll ask the owner to talk to his insurance person about it. Also the theater is use group A-1, so I'll follow the A-1 code for that space. There are about 500 seats by the way mark handler.
 
Has Ohio adopted any of the IFC's existing building provisions? Several of them would apply to the structure you describe (not alarms, though). See Ch. 46 of the '09 IFC for more information.
 
since i'm new here just wanted to know how you become a sawhorse. i see that several of you have that under your username and i keep seeing this yellow box harassing me about it. but i did what they said and donated but i'm still just a member.
 
The Ohio Fire Code is modeled after the IFC, but their most recent edition does not include Chapter 46 of the IFC.
 
19firekiller75 said:
since i'm new here just wanted to know how you become a sawhorse. i see that several of you have that under your username and i keep seeing this yellow box harassing me about it. but i did what they said and donated but i'm still just a member.
Click to expand...
You may want to PM Jeff (jar546) to see if he's had a chance to update your member status. He may not have had a chance to do so yet.
 
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