My 2 cents:
I always encourage developers and municipalities to require minimum design criteria for speculative lease warehouse construction, based either on the potential storage height or at a minimum, the design criteria for 20 ft high pallet rack storage of Class IV commodities (.33/3000) or even .45/3000. Now, you might ask yourself…. Self, why is that a good idea? Well, because when new businesses start up, cash is always limited, and if that business has the choice between moving into a facility that is ready for their occupancy needs, without having to invest $$$ into modifying the fire sprinkler system in a building they do not own, they’d rather pay a higher lease rate per sqft for a space that is ready to move into. Where local policies require move-in-ready spaces, they attract more businesses and a larger tax base to support their community's needs. Additionally, while this may increase the size of the underground and backflow preventer, not having such a policy could result in having a 4” underground private fire service main and backflow, which would make any needed upgrades to the system for a tenant or new owner very much more expensive down the road. Again, just my opinion for protecting speculative lease buildings based on a minimum expectation…. They don’t build them 30 ft + tall so people can store 8 ft high. My opinion does not represent any organization or committee Bob Caputo From: Rick Matsuda <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2026 5:42 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [Sprinklerforum] Re: Shell space? Steve, great point. I was only an AHJ…not a smart contractor. Rick On May 9, 2026, at 5:23 PM, Steve Leyton <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: That's a big step forward for common sense, but what if the tenant is a sales office with full height partitions for privacy? Until you see a plan for the fit-out, you don't know if sprinkler spacing will average 85 or 185 sq. ft. My firm specifies and/or designs that sprinklers shall be spaced at 100 sq. ft. and modeled for .20/1500. Overkill? Perhaps, but we always have enough outlets for a clean T.I. and the contractor of that work doesn't fall into hydraulic black hole. Steve Leyton Sent from my "Smart" Phone, so apologies for any typos or voice-to-text corruptions. -------- Original message -------- From: Rick Matsuda <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: 5/9/26 3:05 PM (GMT-08:00) To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> , Sprinklerforum <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [Sprinklerforum] Re: Shell space? As a former AHJ, I would accept the following. Get a signed letter from the owner and the architect stating that the tenant improvement spaces will only be occupied by light hazard office spaces and not ordinary hazard spaces like retail, manufacturing, or storage. Inform all parties involved that any deviation from the letter will result in costly upgrades. It will be cheaper for them to plan for ordinary hazard now than to make changes in the future. They are also limiting the types of tenants who might want to lease the spaces. Good luck, Rick Matsuda On May 9, 2026, at 4:50 PM, daren welborn <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: When I’m designing shell space in office buildings; it’s always been to light hazard. Shell space in a future strip mall or industrial type areas, has always been to ordinary group I or II. Sincerely, Daren Welborn On May 9, 2026, at 5:20 PM, Parsley Consulting <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Friends, I'm in the process of a lengthy plan review of a -13 compliant sprinkler system. The layout has shown large areas of "shell" space, and the calculations show light hazard, for future TI. For a long time, perhaps to long to admit, I've had the impression such spaces should be either OH1 or OH2. Any clarity? sincerely, Ken Wagoner, SET Parsley Consulting 3002 Younger Drive Harrisonville, Missouri 64701-3909 Phone: (760) 745-6181 Visit the website <https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https:/linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.parsleyconsulting.com%2f&c=E,1,Y5zKJKPEh1mBEBqSR-VE9cUKl5y-eyP8BpvmE_5j9ZqW2eJbNphYzrCMBZ-2YuX6d-RRkHI4gQ1FV-cvOeCfRC58uZS9NiToZv2mx7909oCqLvCW_n5hDHeK&typo=1___.YXAzOnByb3RlY3Rpb25kZXNpZ25hbmRjb25zdWx0aW5nOmE6bzpiZjAzOTk0YWEzZWZlMzM2OTY5OTIxYmZjYmU3NmI3YTo3OjFmOWE6ZWMxN2ZlNzY3Mzk5NGVhNmJkNTFjYTMxZjEyMmI1M2I2YjMwMTQxYjlkYmJkMDJkZDIzNjJmNTQwNjM0MzQ2MjpoOlQ6Rg> _________________________________________________________ SprinklerForum mailing list: https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org___.YXAzOnByb3RlY3Rpb25kZXNpZ25hbmRjb25zdWx0aW5nOmE6bzpiZjAzOTk0YWEzZWZlMzM2OTY5OTIxYmZjYmU3NmI3YTo3OmJmNWQ6YjZhMTU5ZGJkNWRiMjkwZTY2NDAxNTdiOGUzZGFhYjUyMmQ3YzMzNTkxODY3ZDY3N2JlZWU5MTc2NTc1NDJjZjp0OlQ6Rg <https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https:/lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org___.YXAzOnByb3RlY3Rpb25kZXNpZ25hbmRjb25zdWx0aW5nOmE6bzpiZjAzOTk0YWEzZWZlMzM2OTY5OTIxYmZjYmU3NmI3YTo3OmJmNWQ6YjZhMTU5ZGJkNWRiMjkwZTY2NDAxNTdiOGUzZGFhYjUyMmQ3YzMzNTkxODY3ZDY3N2JlZWU5MTc2NTc1NDJjZjp0OlQ6Rg> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> _________________________________________________________ SprinklerForum mailing list: https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org___.YXAzOnByb3RlY3Rpb25kZXNpZ25hbmRjb25zdWx0aW5nOmE6bzpiZjAzOTk0YWEzZWZlMzM2OTY5OTIxYmZjYmU3NmI3YTo3OmJhNjY6OGI4Y2UzY2JmNzU5OTdlZWViN2U5OWM2ZGZhNThhZDQ0NDBkNzY3ZWYwZDgxM2JhYjA5ZTFkMmIyOWZkYzI2Yzp0OlQ6Rg <https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https:/lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org___.YXAzOnByb3RlY3Rpb25kZXNpZ25hbmRjb25zdWx0aW5nOmE6bzpiZjAzOTk0YWEzZWZlMzM2OTY5OTIxYmZjYmU3NmI3YTo3OmJhNjY6OGI4Y2UzY2JmNzU5OTdlZWViN2U5OWM2ZGZhNThhZDQ0NDBkNzY3ZWYwZDgxM2JhYjA5ZTFkMmIyOWZkYzI2Yzp0OlQ6Rg> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> _________________________________________________________ SprinklerForum mailing list: https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
_________________________________________________________ SprinklerForum mailing list: https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
