Could your use as sheet metal shields attached to the deck where needed?

Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Droid
On Apr 8, 2017 11:07 AM, John Paulsen <[email protected]> wrote:
John:

Challenge accepted. I was in my office at 4AM this morning because this project 
was keeping me awake. Please look at the drawing in the attached link. Pay 
special note to the 4 bottom lines. I have “altered” the two lines at the 
bottom (originally 1 line with heads over the middle of the partition) to 
conform with the demand to have a head over each unit. I’m trying to figure out 
what to do with the 2 lines above to prevent doubling the number of heads in 
the remote area and prevent cold soldering the heads by being closer than 6’. 
The current arrangement allows the heads to spray on both sides of the 
partitions. I even kept a 30% safety factor on the calcs hoping it would help 
calm the reviewer.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5tugig975oxi97g/AADlLsJJk_5FjP91SSxYmpY3a?dl=0

Yes, to your point, there are some members of our industry out there that 
should have a keeper. But when are we going to address this situation, where a 
contractor is afraid to question a fire official because he fears retribution 
on future projects?

John P
Crown FSD

From: Sprinklerforum [mailto:[email protected]] On 
Behalf Of John Drucker - Home
Sent: Saturday, April 8, 2017 10:44 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Sprinklers over low partitions

Steve,

You are a reputable guy, not all are. I’ve seen plenty massage the code to make 
stuff work in the interest of their clients. Had one consultant go so far as to 
blame us for delaying people cancer treatment (until he found out I am a cancer 
survivor myself) with regards to a code provision they were clearly in 
violation. It was simple issue, the contractor didn’t follow the approved plans 
and the consultant was “hired” to clean up the mess. Problem was this 
consultant apparently promised folks (who leaked the conversation) that he 
would “work us over”. There are always three sides to these things.

As for storage, partitions, coverage blah blah blah….show me, that’s all I ask, 
show me (as in “demonstrate” as the regulations state.) we’re getting water on 
the fire at the proper density.


John Drucker, CET
Assistant Construction Official
Fire Protection Subcode Official
Electrical Subcode Official
Building Inspector
Borough of Red Bank
Red Bank, New Jersey
Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Cell/Text: 732-904-6823





From: Sprinklerforum [mailto:[email protected]] On 
Behalf Of Steve Leyton
Sent: Saturday, April 8, 2017 9:26 AM
To: 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Sprinklers over low partitions

Copy that. As a third-party designer, I understand what you're saying. On the 
other hand, I have a reputation throughout Southern California as being a real 
pain in the ass when it comes to bickering with fire officials about 
interpretations. Design-build contractors with turnkey responsibility are 
arguing from a position of vested interest. As a third-party designer, my 
interest in a particular issue is for the good of the order. The cost 
difference isn't coming out of my pocket, so that makes me a somewhat 
less-biased advocate in that regard.


Steve


-------- Original message --------
From: John Paulsen <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Date: 4/8/17 9:23 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Sprinklers over low partitions

Steve:

If I were the installing contractor I would definitely approach the problem the 
way you suggest. But as a sub-contracted designer, it is up to my client to 
choose the fight, not me. As much as I agree with you, my hands are tied.

John P
Crown FSD

From: Sprinklerforum [mailto:[email protected]] On 
Behalf Of Steve Leyton
Sent: Saturday, April 8, 2017 9:18 AM
To: 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Sprinklers over low partitions

 I would ask the owner of the project to help you acquire information about 
mini storage industry standard practices. The reason that the partitions are 
not full height is the same reason that hospital curtains have a drop with a 
between the track and the top of the panel - it's for fire sprinkler 
distribution! The design of this building and those partial height partitions 
is to allow the exact basis of design concept that you have undertaken for the 
fire sprinkler system.

The first mini storage units I worked on as a designer had full height walls. 
When you have 5 by 5, 5 by 10 and 10 by 10 cells that each have a sprinkler, 
you can literally end up with 40 sprinklers in the design area. After doing a 
couple projects with ESFR-like demands, we worked with a local storage company 
to drop the walls and use heavy duty mesh on top of the partitions for security 
between individual units. This is now the norm and I would not take no for an 
answer in this situation. Get the owner of the project to help you in any way 
that they can. If, as owners often do, they try to pawn this off as your 
problem, then I would hit them for the additive change order you're entitled to 
for extra sprinklers and larger pipe size. That will get their attention and 
likely lead to some support for your argument.



Steve


-------- Original message --------
From: John Paulsen <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Date: 4/8/17 5:14 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: 
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: Sprinklers over low partitions

We are in the final phases of designing a self-storage facility (Ord Haz, Grp 
II) that has upright, quick response sprinklers with the deflectors at least 
18” above the top of the individual storage unit partitions. In some cases 
where the units are 5’x5’ or 5’x10’ we have located the sprinklers directly 
over the top of the low partition. Our design concept is that the sprinkler 
will throw evenly to each side of the partition and cover the space on either 
side. This prevents us from have to “stagger” the sprinklers with arm-overs to 
prevent spacing closer than 6’ apart. We have also provided the manufacturer’s 
sprinkler spray pattern information to support our design concept.

Now the local plan reviewer is telling us that he will not accept this 
sprinkler arrangement and that each unit has to have sprinkler(s) over them. 
This is the second project that we have done in this jurisdiction and we ran 
into a similar issue with the first one that we solved with the sprinkler over 
the partition arrangement. Now he will not accept this solution, but he doesn’t 
site any code or handbook reference that we are violating. Is our design 
concept  contrary to the provisions of NFPA-13? A review of NFPA-13 only 
specifically deals with sprinkler spacing over low partitions in light hazard 
occupancies, not OH II, so I have no code guidance.

Comments would be greatly appreciated.

John Paulsen – SET
Crown Fire System Design
6282 Seeds Rd.
Grove City, OH 43123
P – 614-782-2438
F – 614-782-2374
C – 614-348-8206



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