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A gravity tank used for a sprinkler system shall be supplied with water by a filling pump having a capacity such that the tank can be filled in less than eight hours.
The pressure tanks shall be supplied with water by a filling pump having a capacity such that the tank can be filled in not mom than four hours and with air by an air compressor having a capacity of not less than 20 cubic feet of free air per minute if of 7,500 gallon capacity or over and 16 cubic feet of free air per minim if under 7,500 gallon capacity. Where the sprinkler system is equipped with both gravity and pressure tanks, one filling pump may be provided for both. Any storage tank used for fire protection purposes when supplied from the city water system shall conform to the piping provisions governing fill lines and overflow pipes for storage tanks prescribed in Chapter 11-8 of this code.
(Prior code § 91-16; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
The filling pipe to the gravity tank of any system shall be not less than two inches in diameter.
The water filling pipe to the pressure tanks shall be not less than one and one-half inches in diameter; it shall be run separately from the source of supply with a bronze seat check valve and a renewable disc angle valve provided in the pipe near the tank, the angle valve being placed between the check valve and the tank. The air supply pipe shall be not less than one inch in diameter and shall have a bronze seat check valve and renewable disc angle check valve provided in the pipe near the tank with the angle valve between the tank and check valve. The air supply pipe shall be connected to the tanks above the water level in the tanks.
(Prior code § 91-17; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
Sprinklers shall be provided throughout the entire premises, except in rooms used solely as electrical equipment rooms containing generators, transformers, or switchboards (unless such equipment is located in a public utility structure). Sprinkles may be omitted from rooms or areas containing materials which react violently to the application of water.
Freezers, if under 200 square feet in floor area, need not have sprinklers installed.
They shall be installed inside of show windows, within stairwells, under stairs, under projections extending below the ceiling and under balconies, galleries, ducts and other constructions having a width of more than 48 inches. Sprinklers shall be installed in concealed spaces enclosed wholly or partly by combustible construction. In combustible spaces in floors or ceilings, where there is a variation in height, sprinklers shall be installed up to the point where the spaces between the upper and lower joists is less than six inches.
In residential occupancies sprinklers may be omitted from closets having an area less than 20 square feet.
In vertical shafts, having combustible walls, a sprinkler shall be provided inside the shaft for each 200 square feet of the combustible surface, or fraction thereof, in addition to sprinklers installed at the top of the shaft. Sprinklers inside the shaft shall be staggered at alternate floor levels.
Sprinklers shall be installed throughout telephone exchanges except in rooms housing switching, toll, main distribution frame, power, auxiliary power or switchboard equipment.
All sprinklers shall be installed in the appropriate horizontal or vertical position as specified by testing conducted by a product testing laboratory which regularly tests fire protection equipment for the specific manufacture and model sprinkler.
The maximum distance between branch lines or between sprinklers on a branch line shall not exceed 15 feet except that in extra hazard occupancies the spacing between branch lines and sprinklers shall not exceed 12 feet. The distance from sprinklers to walls shall not exceed one-half of the allowable distance between sprinklers except that in light hazard occupancies, rooms having a floor area of less than 800 square feet a sprinkler may be located nine feet from any single wall provided that the area limitations given below are not exceeded. Automatic sprinklers designed to be installed in the upright or pendant position shall be located not less than four inches from a wall.
Light Hazard | Ordinary Hazard | Extra Hazard | Storage in Excess of 12 Feet in Height | |
Unobstructed construction | 225 | 130 | 100 | 100 |
Non-combustible obstructed construction | 225 | 130 | 100 | 100 |
Combustible obstructed construction | 168 | 130 | 100 | 100 |
The maximum floor area on any one floor to be protected by sprinklers supplied by any one sprinkler system riser shall not exceed 52,000 square feet except that in extra hazard occupancies the maximum area shall be 25,000 square feet provided that the area may be increased to 40,000 square feet when the system is hydraulically calculated.
When sidewall sprinklers are installed in rooms exceeding ten feet in width, sprinklers shall be installed on both sides of the room except that in light hazard occupancies sprinklers shall be installed on both sides of the room when the width of the room exceeds 14 feet. Sidewall sprinklers may be installed in occupancies other than light hazard occupancies only when the sidewall sprinklers are listed for use in other than light hazard occupancies.
Horizontal sidewall sprinklers may be installed in light hazard occupancies with smooth ceiling construction to protect areas consistent with their listing.
Under unobstructed construction, the distance between the sprinkler deflector and the ceiling shall be a minimum of one inch and a maximum of eight inches provided that sprinklers designed to be installed recessed into or flush with the ceiling deflectors may be closer than one inch. Under obstructed construction the sprinkler deflector shall be located not more than six inches below the structural members and not more than 22 inches below the ceiling or roof.
When sprinklers are installed with the deflector above the bottom of a vertical obstruction, the minimum horizontal separation of a sprinkler from a vertical obstruction which shall be not less than 12 inches when the obstruction has a vertical dimension greater than one inch but less than four inches. The minimum separation from a vertical separation shall be 24 inches when the obstruction has a vertical dimension greater than four inches.
Stocks of all kinds shall be so arranged and maintained as to not obstruct any sprinkler and in no case extend above a level of 18 inches below the deflector of any sprinkler.
Concealed sprinklers shall be equipped with cover plates which operate at a temperature of not greater than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Such cover plates shall have a non-painted metallic, brass or chrome finish.
(Prior code § 91-19; Amend Coun. J. 11-2-94, p. 58476; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
Sprinklers may be omitted from structures erected and used as temporary display booths situated within any assembly occupancy having at least 500,000 square feet devoted exclusively for use as an exhibition hall. Temporary display booths shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) Height and Area:
a. Total height of a temporary display booth shall not exceed 30 feet above floor level and total stories shall not exceed two.
b. Temporary display booths of two stories shall be open and uncovered at the second story.
c. Temporary display booths shall not exceed 5,000 square feet in area.
(2) Construction:
a. All wood materials used in construction of a temporary display booth shall comply with NFPA 703 (1992 ed. or later), Chapter 2, Standard for Fire Retardant Impregnated Wood.
b. All non-wood materials used in the construction of a temporary display booth shall be non- combustible as defined under Section 15-12-040(e) of this code.
(3) Fire Prevention and Detection:
b. Temporary display booths shall comply with the smoke alarm and fire extinguisher requirements in Section 13-84-351.
c. Temporary display booth diagrams required to be filed with the fire commissioner under Section 15-4-690 shall identify each temporary display booth having greater than one story.
d. Temporary display booths shall, in addition to the number and location requirements for exhibition area fire guards in Section 15-4-640 of this code, be patrolled by one fire guard for each booth in excess of one story in height at all times during which the show or exhibition is closed for business.
(Added Coun. J. 9-15-93, p. 37767; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 122; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VI, § 36)
Only new sprinklers shall be installed in sprinkler systems. Listed corrosion-resistant sprinklers shall be installed in locations where chemical or corrosive vapors exist. Damaged sprinklers shall be replaced.
Sprinklers shall be designed to open at temperatures from 135 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in locations where the ceiling temperature does not exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Where the ceiling temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature ratings of sprinklers shall be in accordance with the following table:
Maximum Ceiling Temperature | Sprinkler Temperature Rating | Sprinkler Temperature Classification |
150 F | 175 to 225 F | Intermediate |
225 | 250 to 300 | High |
300 | 325 to 375 | Extra high |
375 | 400 to 475 | Very extra high |
475 | 500 to 575 | Ultra high |
Sprinklers installed under skylights shall be of the intermediate temperature classification.
Intermediate classification sprinklers may be used throughout industrial and storage occupancies.
(Prior code § 91-20; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
(a) The sprinkler piping system shall consist of mains from the sources of sprinkler supply, risers, branches and sprinkler lines. Where a fire pump is a source of supply, it shall include the connection from the city main or other source to the suction of the pump. If a fire pump takes suction from any source except a city main, provisions shall be made which will prevent the entrance of any foreign or injurious matter to the system. There shall be no connection from the sprinkler system by which the supply in any other system might be contaminated. In addition to the sources of supply inside of the building, there shall be one or more siamese connections at points outside the building, in accordance with Section 15-16-390, connected directly to the main for the use of the city fire department.
Sprinkler system components and hardware shall meet the requirements of NFPA 13-2013. All pipe fittings shall be designed to withstand the working pressure involved, but not less than 175 P.S.I. water pressure.
Connected to the system main there shall be one or more independent system risers to supply all the sprinklers in the building or in each section of a building which is divided into sections by fire walls. They shall be securely fastened in place and adequately protected against mechanical injury and freezing.
Each riser shall be of sufficient size to supply the greatest number of sprinkler heads served by it in any story. If an independent riser is provided to supply the sprinklers in a stair, or other tower, which is not provided with adequate fire stops between floors, such risers shall be of sufficient size to supply all heads in the tower.
The size of connections from the water supplies to the system main shall be not less than the size of the largest system riser. The sizes of mains and distributing pipes shall be based on the following, except as provided in Section 15-16-600 of this code:
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
1 | 2 | 2 |
1 1/4 | 3 | 3 |
1 1/2 | 5 | 5 |
2 | 10 | 12 |
2 1/2 | 20 | 25 |
3 | 40 | 45 |
3 1/2 | 65 | 75 |
4 | 100 | 115 |
5 | 160 | 180 |
6 | 275 | 300 |
8 | 400 | 425 |
There shall be not more than eight sprinklers on a sprinkler line.
Buildings having slatted floors or large unprotected floor openings without adequate fire stops shall be considered as one room.
The sprinkler piping shall be so installed that there will not be any circulation in any portion of the system except that gridded or looped patterns of sprinkler piping may be used in hydraulically calculated sprinkler systems.
Connections for purposes other than fire protection shall not be taken from any part of the sprinkler piping.
When sprinklers installed above and below a ceiling are supplied from a common set of branch lines, such branch lines shall not exceed eight sprinklers above and eight sprinklers below the ceiling. The number of sprinklers fed by three-inch pipe and smaller shall be determined as per the following table:
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
1 | 2 | 2 |
1 1/4 | 3 | 3 |
1 1/2 | 7 | 7 |
2 | 15 | 18 |
2 1/2 | 30 | 40 |
3 | 60 | 65 |
Pipe larger than three inches shall be in accord with the previous table in this section, based on the larger count of sprinklers either above or below the ceiling.
In occupancies listed in Section 15-16-230, piping supplying sprinklers may be sized according to the following table:
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
Size of Pipe in Inches | Maximum Number of Sprinklers | |
Steel | Copper | |
1 | 2 | 2 |
1 1/4 | 3 | 3 |
1 1/2 | 5 | 5 |
2 | 10 | 12 |
2 1/2 | 30 | 40 |
3 | 60 | 65 |
3 1/2 | 100 | 115 |
4 | Unlimited but system shall not exceed 52,000 square feet | |
(b) Effective January 1, 2018, the hydraulic calculation method shall be required, except the pipe schedule method shall be permitted for the following:
(1) Addition or modifications to existing pipe schedule systems.
(2) New systems of 5,000 ft2 or less.
(Prior code § 91-21; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-11-05, p. 47844, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VII, § 24)
All sprinkler piping shall be substantially supported from the building structure which must support five times the weight of the water-filled sprinkler piping plus 250 pounds applied at the point of support. Sprinkler piping shall be supported independent of ceiling sheathing. Wood plugs shall not be used in concrete to support sprinkler piping. The minimum size rod acceptable to support sprinkler piping shall be three-eighths inch in diameter except that three-sixteenths inch may be used in U-hook hangers.
Sprinkler piping or hangers shall not be used to support nonsystem components.
(Prior code § 91-22; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
At least one siamese connection shall be provided for every sprinkler system having more than ten sprinklers. At least one siamese connection shall be provided on each street exposure where the building is located closer than 100 feet to the curb to a limit of two street exposures. One siamese connection will be permitted in the case of two adjacent street exposures whose combined length is not greater than 250 feet. If any street exposure is more than 200 feet long, there shall be two siamese connections at least 200 feet apart for such exposure. When a building is so situated that it has no street frontages the siamese connection shall be located at the main entrance.
Hose threads shall fit the couplings of the city fire department; they shall be protected with a cap securely attached to the connection.
Each siamese connection shall be connected directly to the system main through a four-inch pipe with straightway or silent check valve in the connection; there shall be no other valves in the pipe connection. Each connection shall be drained between the check valve and the outside hose coupling. For a sprinkler system having a single riser less than four inches in diameter the pipe between the exterior hose connection and the riser may be the same size as the riser. When the single sprinkler riser is three inches or less in diameter a single two and one-half inch hose connection may be provided.
Where the sprinkler system has a single riser, the siamese connection shall be connected on the system side of the gate valve in the riser for a wet system or between the dry valve and the gate valve for a dry system. Where a sprinkler system has two or more risers the siamese connections shall be connected on the supply side of the gate valve so that with any riser shut off the supply will be into the remaining risers. At each siamese connection, there shall be a flat rectangular metallic plate attached to the siamese connection or the building near the connection on which shall be the word “SPRINKLERS” and a description of the area or floors protected in letters not less than one inch in height and not less than one-fourth-inch face.
Siamese connections shall be located not less than 12 inches nor more than five feet above the grade at the building line. Siamese connections shall be located so that immediate access can be made by the fire department. Obstructions on, before, or around siamese connections shall not be permitted.
(Prior code § 91-23; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-96, p. 31216, § 1)
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