American Fire Sprinkler Association [http://www.firesprinkler.org/] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AFSA Technical Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A newsletter dealing with codes and other technical issues September 19, 2013 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Horizontal Concealed Combustible Space "Construction consists of a combustible concealed space above acoustic ceiling tiles. The roof slope is less than 2 in 12 and open web trusses support the roof. The open web truss depth varies from 20 in. to 36 in. and the peak is in the middle of the truss. Truss length is 37 ft.-8 in. and the roof deck is plywood sheathing. The ceiling is located approximately 48 in. below the peak. The AHJ's opinion is specifically listed sprinklers are required to protect this horizontal combustible concealed space. We submitted drawings with standard spray upright sprinkler. Which sprinkler is correct?" We have reviewed NFPA 13, 2013 edition as the applicable standard. Our informal interpretation is that this is an ambiguous issue but the specifically listed sprinkler should not be required. Per the information in your question, if the distance between the peak and the suspended ceiling is 48 in., the narrow portion of the truss (eave) would put the ceiling approximately 32 in. below the plywood sheathing. The technical committee's discussion addressed only horizontal areas with no pitch for Section 8.15.1.6. As such there is no guidance on what to do when there is a slope not exceeding 2 in 12 (which is considered horizontal per NFPA 13:3.3.5.2) and part of the area is greater than 36 in. This is further complicated by the fact that the listing of the special application sprinkler has a maximum height of the concealed space of 36 in. in most cases and 54 in. for specific configurations (such as steel pipe in wood joist construction). In looking at the Sprinkler Handbook it identifies that the concern is that for areas less than 36 in. the standard spray sprinkler does not develop a very good pattern. An additional statement in the Handbook that could cause some confusion is where it states that once the height of the space exceeds 36 in., standard sprinklers can be utilized. This is simply emphasizing that for those flat areas that are greater than 36 in., standard sprinklers are fine. Considering that we are likely talking about only a single branch line within the less than 36 in. portion and branch lines with standard spray sprinklers covering the remainder of the attic, the upper branch lines (which tend to be the first ones to activate) are the primary concern. These have been identified as being able to adequately develop a discharge pattern. As such, requiring the lowest branch line to be sprinklers listed for horizontal combustible concealed spaces isn't warranted. This arrangement is not that different than the typical, more steeply pitched attic where the first branch line is within an area that is less than 36 in. in height. Now, if there had been less pitch and the majority of the branch lines were within an area less than 36 in. in height, it would be wise to use the specially listed sprinklers throughout or at least the portion that is within their listing. As with all issues that are not well addressed by the standard, discussion with the AHJ is recommended. A Public Input was submitted for this issue where the proposed text reads, "8.15.1.6.2 Sprinklers specifically listed to provide protection of combustible concealed spaces described in 8.15.1.6 shall be permitted to be used in accordance with 8.3.1.2 throughout the area when a portion of the area exceeds a depth of 36 in." This has yet to be processed through the standards making process and should not be relied upon as an official statement from NFPA 13. Thus the committee is addressing the issue but it is not resolved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ firesprinkler.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001QG21Tth9-f7DLEx35_oMSx9h4wJBwoegpjM22YwuHGaWdPISNYGPOArghdJ1g7N3jkGdE7ThSNVT17a1M13I2jUVUl1w2QUfAYU3quYcjg9glL4JC85luiLre36okhGl] Hosted by the American Fire Sprinkler Association ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 PE registered in fire protection engineering. 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 2012, American Fire Sprinkler Association. 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