I'm with Dave A. on the issue of 13/13R 'hybrid' designs where a single building contains both systems .... where did we see that in the model building codes which dictate the 'when and where'? If using the IBC then 903.3.1.2 references an NFPA 13R system '... in buildings of Group R...'. Note specific limitation to a building versus the Group R fire area when selecting an NFPA 13R system.
That being said .... providing fire walls between the sleeping units and common corridors and other areas outside the dwelling / sleeping unit would create separate buildings according to the building code. I have to ask though - what is the advantage to this building design? Would we not spend a lot of money on constructing structural fire walls versus a fire barrier ? Then we have the protection of openings and penetrations in these firewalls between the corridors and sleeping rooms (doors, transfer openings, pipe, conduits etc) When penetrating firewalls the requirements for opening protective's and through penetration fire stopping is much more restrictive or prohibited / limited than with a typical corridor fire barrier to sleeping room design. Am I missing something here on this? Let the locally adopted model building code dictate the minimum level of system which can be provided and THEN if the designer or owner wants to trade-up or buy additional property protection they can consider a full 13 system - unless they are automatically forced to a 13 system by the model code. I have plenty of suppressed 4-story wood frame attached single family townhouses with legitimate structural firewalls between them establishing separate buildings under the building code .... with NFPA 13R systems in them complete remote station alarm & supervision because of the locally modified IBC. Sure, in many other jurisdictions these could and would be 13D systems but the referenced standards are only invoked by a prevailing building code. When you have a code pathway in your laws or ordinances follow it! Picking a referenced standard by title and scope alone is cart before the horse thinking and will get someone jammed up down the road. Anyway, what's for lunch? - I'm buying. Dave P. Victim of NJ Heat Wave - disregard free lunch offer _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list Sprinklerforum@firesprinkler.org http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: supp...@firesprinkler.org To Unsubscribe, send an email to:sprinklerforum-requ...@firesprinkler.org (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
