American Fire Sprinkler Association
12750 Merit Dr., Suite 350 Dallas TX 75251
Ph: (214) 349-5965 Fax: (214) 276-0908
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TECHNICAL UPDATE
January 16,2008
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"I have a non-combustible canopy over a loading dock. Is there no
limitation on the width of the canopy in regards
to sprinkler protection below?"
We have reviewed 2002 edition of NFPA 13 that you indicated as the
applicable standard. Our informal interpretation is that sprinklers
must be provided under noncombustible canopies regardless of width
where combustibles are stored and handled.
Section 8.14.7.4 indicates that when a noncombustible canopy is
located over combustibles that are stored or handled, sprinklers must
be provided. This section would be clearer if it ended with
"regardless of width." This would indicate that Section 8.14.7.1
would not apply when it references that sprinklers shall be installed
under exterior roofs or canopies exceeding 4 ft in width. The
commentary text from the Handbook under Section 8.14.7.1 indicates
that canopies less than 4 ft in width do not need to be sprinklered
regardless of construction type provided no combustibles are stored
beneath them. So when combustibles are stored and handled under the
noncombustible canopy, then sprinklers must be provided regardless of
the width or construction of the canopy. The section does not
indicate the amount of combustibles that must be present. Note that
the annex material A.8.14.7.4 addresses combustible storage or
handling that is not sufficient to justify sprinklers and it states,
"Short-term transient storage, such as that for delivered packages,
and the presence of planters, newspaper machines, and so forth, should
not be considered storage or handling of combustibles." There is no
change to the application of this situation in the 2007 edition except
for additional clarification on vehicles. When they are temporarily
beneath a canopy, such as a bank drive-in, or even temporarily parked,
such as hotel porte-cocheres, they are not considered storage. This
can be found in the 2002 edition of the Sprinkler Handbook and is now
in 13:A.8.15.7.2 in the 2007 edition.
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Technical Update is prepared by the Technical Services Dept. of the
AFSA: Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services Roland
Huggins, a PE registered in fire protection engineering; Phill Brown,
a NICET IV certified automatic sprinkler technician and NFPA Certified
Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and Tom Wellen, a degreed fire
protection engineering technologist. This is provided with the
understanding that the AFSA assumes no liability for this opinion or
actions taken on it and they are not to be considered the official
position of the NFPA or its technical committees.
Copyright (c) 2008, American Fire Sprinkler Association. All Rights
Reserved
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