Sue, Well said. Ordinary Hazard Group 2 with Quick Response Heads. Works for Light Hazard and Ordinary Hazard occupancies. No need to go back and modify the overall system. I've yet to see a tenant finish out which didn't benefit from this approach.
Mike Slaughter Risk Reduction Division Travis County Emergency Services District 2 Office: (512) 989-4531 [email protected] On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 7:10 AM Sue Stafford <[email protected]> wrote: > I have had to come behind firms that design basic shell buildings as light > hazard without consideration to future occupancy code compliance > downstream, and it is *not* pleasant. > > > > I have always had my designers standard shell type buildings at Ordinary > Hazard Group 2 with 120 sf spacing at minimum. Yes, there is a little more > time and cost for design & material up front but is essential for future > use consideration. > > > > As noted in previous comments, opens the door for you to educate your > client understand a shell building concept and it allows developers / > tenants more flexibility to quickly fill these spaces. > > > > Give those who pay our bills that and we see more work from them! > > > > My 2 cents…😊 > > > > *Sue Stafford *|Design Manager > > > > 3141 Eagles Nest St., Suite 250, Round Rock, TX 78665 > > *[email protected] <[email protected]>* | > > www.caruthps.com | O: 512-276-2774 | M: 281-910-7853 > > > > > > A Fire and Life Safety Company > > > > *From:* [email protected] <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, May 10, 2026 4:34 PM > *To:* 'Discussion list on issues relating to automatic fire sprinklers' < > [email protected]> > *Subject:* [Sprinklerforum] Re: Shell space? > > > > 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]> > 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]> > > Date: 5/9/26 3:05 PM (GMT-08:00) > > To: [email protected] > > Cc: [email protected], Sprinklerforum < > [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]> 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]> > 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] > > > _________________________________________________________ > 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] > > > _________________________________________________________ > SprinklerForum mailing list: > https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org > To unsubscribe send an email to > [email protected] > > > _________________________________________________________ > SprinklerForum mailing list: > https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org > To unsubscribe send an email to > [email protected] >
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