Ventilation for auto work in large warehouse

[earshavewalls]

We have a business in our jurisdiction that sells wheels for cars, not tires, just the wheels (rims). They normally only sell them and the only installation they did was to mount a tire on the rim and give it to the customer, never having automobiles inside the facility.

Now they want to start bringing cars in (they say in an area only about 1600 sqft in size) to remove the wheels from the cars and take the rubber off and re-install it on the new wheels and then back on the autos. This would not be much of a problem, but they are not wanting to enclose the area to separate the auto work area from the rest of the 27,000 sqft warehouse.

Is this "do-able"? I mean without making them provide a ton of exhaust air....and the makeup air that will be needed......

I have never run across this issue. Should we have them provide some sort of engineered intake and exhaust system to serve this local area or do they need to provide the ventilation now for the entire warehouse. And then the subject of electrical classified locations (lower 18") comes into play.

I would like to talk these folks into providing an enclosed garage area within the space for this work, but I cannot find the codes to support this.

Any thoughts on what should be required here? Am I worrying too much about something that won't be such a problem or am I on the right track as far as thinking that they need some sort of ventilation once they start pulling in cars (not like a showroom, more like a garage). They will drive them in and drive them out under their own power.

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[Builder Bob]

Not really a repair garage.... Maybe place a few CO detectors around and have signage indocating if alarm go off, open overhead doors. Don't think the ventilation requirement for a parking/ repair garage applies in this case. JMHO.

 

[north star]

& & & &



Wayne,

What is in the rest of the 27,000 sq. ft.?.....Are they storing wheels, tires, tire stuff?

[ Section 311.2 - S-1, ...bulk storage of tires? ]

Right now, it sounds like an Accessory Occupancy [ Section 508.3.1, ...`06 IBC ]......If

they exceed the 10 per cent of the area, while "pulling in the cars for change outs",

then you may could require them to have separated occupancies.

How will anyone know if they exceed the 10 per cent floor area? :?:

& & & &

 

[earshavewalls]

They don't sell tires at this location, only wheels (rims). The only tires in the space are those having the rims switched, so tire storage doesn't come into play. The area they intend to use for this is less than 10% of the entire space. The majority of the space is a warehouse for the wheels (rims) and hubcaps and the other end of the building houses about 5,000 sqft of office space.

I like the idea of CO detectors with an alarm. If it doesn't save them it will at least annoy them until they open a door or something..........it's not likely they will have many vehicles inside at a time, anyway.

I'll look a little more for any similar occupancies to see how it was addressed there, but overall I think it's not as big a deal as thought.

Thanks,

Wayne

 

[Big Mac]

You do I'm sure realize that the IFC defines a repair garage as any structure used for servicing or repairing motor vehicles, regardless of the extent of the work done. Therefore regardless of the extent of work done i.e. quick lubes, tune ups, muffler sops, tire shops, painting body work, detail shops, etc. are classified as 'Use Group S-1' occupancies and as such are required to comply with Section 406.6 of the IBC.

 

[mtlogcabin]

It does not sound like this meets the intent of the definition of service or repair. It is no different than an audio shop installing stereos in a vehicle.