Ron, Note that your problem is similar to the one posted a couple of weeks ago about sprinklers and limited combustible construction in concealed spaces. The AHJ in that case did not follow the line of reason/interpretation to its conclusion. Instead the AHJ stopped with chapter X (I can't remember the number just now) where non-combustible construction is addressed but not limited combustible. He then said that because limited combustibility was not accounted for in the IBC text itself it was therefore not recognized regardless of what NFPA 13 said, even though 13 is referenced as a part of IBC in Chapter 9. In short he seems to have relegated 13 to the status of a lesser and separate document because the text is not included in the IBC directly. In this he may be falling into the pit that many here fall into by saying that IBC is a code but NFPA is merely a standard. In truth IBC is presented as a MODEL code that may be adopted as a code/law/statute and has all the requisite legal language needed to make that so merely by having a legislature/assembly/parliament/congress/ what have you pass a bill adopting it. NFPA 13 et.al., on the other hand, are presented as standards that may be referenced by a code and so become a part of it and not a poor and distant stepchild if so referenced. Once referenced by an adopted code a model standard is as much a part of that code as any bit of text in the body of the code itself. This may be the same sort of problem you're experiencing with your AHJ. I'm not going to look up your actual references but just assume you did your homework. If accurate then your line of reasoning is sound. As to the other Forumite, he argued a similar path, backed up by me, then backed by the collective wisdom of this august body and know followed by an AFSA informal interpretation. All this essentially saying that the tyranny of the majority calls the AHJ is a poo-poo head. Jury is still out on his response to the informal interpretation. In both cases the AHJs seem to be hanging their interpretation on only one part of a collection of parts. But if you think about it in terms of the controversy over gun laws each side seems to stress the clause in that suits their particular bent and that's in a law only one sentence long then this stuff is bound to happen in the complex multiple sentence/section/chapter/document paths we need to follow.
On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 5:47 AM, Fletcher, Ron <rfletc...@aerofire.com> wrote: > Now our local AHJ is requiring emergency vents on UL 142 diesel fuel > tanks be vented to outside. And because we will be adding pipe and > fittings between the tank and the vent they want calculations to prove > that the pipe size is adequate and the vent will operate as advertised. > (It seems like only yesterday that we went through the tank overfill > protection with float valves and remote level indicators, now this.) > > Their argument is that the tank is "storage" and must comply with IFC > 3404 and NFPA #30 even though the tank is connected through a closed > fuel piping system to an oil fired piece of equipment. > > My read is that IFC 3401.2(3) references Section 603, 603.1 references > Section 603 and the Int'l Mechanical Code. The Int'l Mechanical code > references NFPA #37. NFPA #37 requires the normal vent to be piped out > side but does not address emergency vents. > > Has anyone out there run into this before and do you or have you piped > emergency vents to outside? > > I don't believe this jurisdiction has ever had a fuel tank for a diesel > fire pump involved in a fire so the only history we have is no history. > > Thanks in advance for your thoughts. > > Ron Fletcher > Aero Automatic Sprinkler > Phoenix, AZ 85024 > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > For Technical Assistance, send an email to: techsupp...@firesprinkler.org > > To Unsubscribe, send an email to:sprinklerforum-requ...@firesprinkler.org > (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > -- Ron Greenman at home.... _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: techsupp...@firesprinkler.org To Unsubscribe, send an email to:sprinklerforum-requ...@firesprinkler.org (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
