# S-2 Occupancy-Sprinklers Required?



## CFD937 (Jun 14, 2013)

We have a business owner who is planning to build a new 15,000 sq ft building. He is in the Electrical Supply business. Approx. 1800 sq ft will be office/retail sales area and the remaining 13,200 sq ft will be warehouse/storage. The 13,200 sq ft is my concern. As of today, no plans or drawings have been submitted so I don't know exact details, however, I was told by the designer that there will be openings on all four sides either walk doors or bay doors. there will be a firewall between the Office/Retail space and the warehouse/storage space. If I read IBC 2006 Section 903.2.9 and 903.2.10 correctly, if the area has openings on all four sides a automatic sprinkler system will not be required.

I am still researching this, but would appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

Thanks in advance for your time!

Billy


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## globe trekker (Jun 14, 2013)

CFD937,

My copy of the IBC, Section 903.2.9 deals with an S-2 & Parking Garages.  Section 903.2.10 deals

with stories and basements without openings.  Please clarify!

.


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## cda (Jun 14, 2013)

Depends on a lot of variables

Is it a true S-2 or do they want it to be

Is it a S-2 with high piled stock

Have owner answer this

IFC 2009

2301.3 Construction documents. At the time of building permit application for new structures designed to accommodate high-piled storage or for requesting a change of occupancy/use, and at the time of application for a storage permit, plans and specifications shall be submitted for review and approval. In addition to the information required by the International Building Code, the storage permit submittal shall include the information specified in this section. Following approval of the plans, a copy of the approved plans shall be maintained on the premises in an approved location. The plans shall include the following:

1. Floor plan of the building showing locations and dimensions of high-piled storage areas.

2. Usable storage height for each storage area.

3. Number of tiers within each rack, if applicable.

4. Commodity clearance between top of storage and the sprinkler deflector for each storage arrangement.

5. Aisle dimensions between each storage array.

6. Maximum pile volume for each storage array.

7. Location and classification of commodities in accordance with Section 2303.

8. Location of commodities which are banded or encapsulated.

9. Location of required fire department access doors.

10. Type of fire suppression and fire detection systems.

11. Location of valves controlling the water supply of ceiling and in-rack sprinklers.

12. Type, location and specifications of smoke removal and curtain board systems.

13. Dimension and location of transverse and longitudinal flue spaces.

14. Additional information regarding required design features, commodities, storage arrangement and fire protection features within the high-piled storage area shall be provided at the time of permit, when required by the fire code official.

903.2.9 Group S-1. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout all buildings containing a Group S-1 occupancy where one of the following conditions exists:

1. A Group S-1 fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet (1115 m2).

2. A Group S-1 fire area is located more than three stories above grade plane.

3. The combined area of all Group S-1 fire areas on all floors, including any mezzanines, exceeds 24,000 square feet (2230 m2).

4. A Group S-1 fire area used for the storage of commercial trucks or buses where the fire area exceeds 5,000 square feet (464 m2).


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## hlfireinspector (Jun 14, 2013)

Electrical Supply business usually has a lot of wire and other plastics. Do not know if they can meet the 10% requirements and be S-2. Is all contents metal? What is the construction type?


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## Frank (Jun 14, 2013)

PVC conduit and boxes?

Boxed NM and UF cable?

Paddle fans wit wood or plastic blades?

Other plastics?

Typically to be considered S-2 the contents have to be such that is a fire were started (say using the normal 5 gallons of n Heptane as in the high piled storage tests) it would burn out on its own and not spread through the stock.


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## fatboy (Jun 14, 2013)

Yeah, I'm having trouble with an electrical supply  house being an S-2............


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2013)

I say S2 is good

Read the description of items in the code

Including the coils of wire


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## FM William Burns (Jun 14, 2013)

> 903.2.9 Group S-2. [F]An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout buildings classified as enclosed parking garages in accordance with :Next('./icod_ibc_2006f2_4_par128.htm')'>Section 406.4 or where located beneath other groups.


My 2 cents is S-2 unless there are loads of plastics and one can always request an inventory of materials stored for review if they are on the fence about appreaciable amounts of plastics


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## Insurance Engineer (Jun 14, 2013)

Go to Home Depot and walk down the electrical aisle. Take note of all the plastic products that are now very common that were once all metal. S2 I do not think so.

Keep in mind NFPA 13 definition of mixed commodities. More than 10 pallet loads of a higher commodity in a 40 k sq ft warehouse result in the entire warehouse being designed at the higher commodity. In your case it is more like 3 pallets given the all size of the warehouse.


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2013)

Insurance Engineer said:
			
		

> Go to Home Depot and walk down the electrical aisle. Take note of all the plastic products that are now very common that were once all metal. S2 I do not think so.


Take a look at how much plastics are in cars, S2


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## CFD937 (Jun 14, 2013)

Can you give me the section for the 10% requirement?

Thanks!


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## CFD937 (Jun 14, 2013)

I somehow lost what all I had typed answering questions above. Timed out I think!

I see your point about the plastics. I was thinking more about wire, metal meterbases, disconnects, staples, clamps, etc....

Insurance Engineer: Yep...I need to get into the NFPA code and check that also.

Thanks guys!!!

Billy


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## Insurance Engineer (Jun 14, 2013)

From NFPA 13, 2013 Ed but is the same as in the 2010

5.6.1.2 Mixed Commodities.

5.6.1.2.1 Protection requirements shall not be based on the

overall commodity mix in a fire area.

5.6.1.2.2 Unless the requirements of 5.6.1.2.3 or 5.6.1.2.4 are met, mixed commodity storage shall be protected by the re- quirements for the highest classified commodity and storage arrangement.

5.6.1.2.3 The protection requirements for the lower com- modity class shall be permitted to be utilized where all of the following are met:

(1) Up to 10 pallet loads of a higher hazard commodity, as described in 5.6.3 and 5.6.4, shall be permitted to be present in an area not exceeding 40,000 ft2 (3716 m2).

(2) The higher hazard commodity shall be randomly dis- persed with no adjacent loads in any direction (including diagonally).

(3) WheretheceilingprotectionisbasedonClassIorClassII commodities, the allowable number of pallet loads for Class IV or Group A plastics shall be reduced to five.

5.6.1.2.4 Mixed Commodity Segregation. The protection re- quirements for the lower commodity class shall be permitted to be utilized in the area of lower commodity class, where the higher hazard material is confined to a designated area and the area is protected to the higher hazard in accordance with the requirements of this standard.


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## cda (Jun 14, 2013)

CFD937 said:
			
		

> Can you give me the section for the 10% requirement?Thanks!


That may come from IFC

Do you know how they are storing this stuff

His high they are storing ??

311.3 Low-hazard storage, Group S-2. Includes, among others, buildings used for the storage of noncombustible materials such as products on wood pallets or in paper cartons with or without single thickness divisions; or in paper wrappings. Such products are permitted to have a negligible amount of plastic trim, such as knobs, handles or film wrapping. Group S-2 storage uses shall include, but not be limited to, storage of the following:

Plus look at the examples ,,, mainly stuff that will not burn


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## globe trekker (Jun 14, 2013)

CFD937,

FWIW, I vote an "S-2" occupancy group!

We recently had a discussion about a larger project (around 20k sq. ft.) that is an

automotive warehouse (in my AHJ), and that warehouse will have much more plastic products

stored in it.   High piled storage to boot! See this link:

*http://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/commercial-building-codes/11330-automotive-accessories-warehouse.html*

*.*


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## Insurance Engineer (Jun 14, 2013)

mark handler said:
			
		

> Take a look at how much plastics are in cars, S2


So if they are on racks to 30' high still S2???

How many warehouses  have you been to where they only store to 5'?


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## cda (Jun 14, 2013)

Insurance Engineer said:
			
		

> So if they are on racks to 30' high still S2???How many warehouses  have you been to where they only store to 5'?


You can have a S -2 high piled warehouse


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2013)

So, with all this concern of plastics, are you headed down an F1 even though the trucks they drive in the building are the real hazard?

How do you classify a big box home store with more hazards. ?...


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## Insurance Engineer (Jun 14, 2013)

From an NFPA 13 point of view the products in a S1 are considered a class I or II commodity, low combustible loading. A S2 is more like class III , class IV and plastics  commodities . I may be wrong and coming this from a different point of view but in my mind you have to take into consideration the  fire loading. IF they have a lot of plastics, more being what NFPA 13 mixed commodities, then an S1 if they have more steel in boxes,  OK,  S2.

Have a great weekend and a happy Father's Day.


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## mark handler (Jun 14, 2013)

Electrical Supply business. Approx. 1800 sq ft will be office/retail sales area and the remaining 13,200 sq ft will be warehouse/storage.*

Sounds more and more like an M Mercantile


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 14, 2013)

Over 12,000 sq ft fire area requires sprinklers. I believe that is what they are trying to avoid by calling it an S-2. I agree an "M" is probably the best call for a supply house open to the public/contractors for sales and pickup of materials


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## cda (Jun 14, 2013)

Insurance Engineer said:
			
		

> From an NFPA 13 point of view the products in a S1 are considered a class I or II commodity, low combustible loading. A S2 is more like class III , class IV and plastics  commodities . I may be wrong and coming this from a different point of view but in my mind you have to take into consideration the  fire loading. IF they have a lot of plastics, more being what NFPA 13 mixed commodities, then an S1 if they have more steel in boxes,  OK,  S2. Have a great weekend and a happy Father's Day.


Do you have the commodity class and s-1 and S-2 backwards??

S-2 does not burn as much

Yes you have a good idea, just have to convince someone to change the code


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## Insurance Engineer (Jun 15, 2013)

Guess I will stick to property insurance .:surr


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## Frank (Jun 15, 2013)

mark handler said:
			
		

> Take a look at how much plastics are in cars, S2


GM burned a bumper warehouse down that way--built in the 1940s as S-2 by the 1980s was S-1


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## hlfireinspector (Jun 15, 2013)

CFD937 said:
			
		

> Can you give me the section for the 10% requirement?Thanks!


*2303.7.4 Limited quantities of Group A  plastics in mixedcommodities. *Figure 2303.7.4 shall be used to determinethe quantity of Group A plastics allowed to be stored in apackage or carton or on a pallet without increasing the commodity
​classification.


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## cda (Jun 15, 2013)

hlfireinspector said:
			
		

> *2303.7.4 Limited quantities of Group A  plastics in mixedcommodities. *Figure 2303.7.4 shall be used to determinethe quantity of Group A plastics allowed to be stored in apackage or carton or on a pallet without increasing the commodity
> ​classification.


Good section but kind of only applies to high piled


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## Oldfieldguy (Jun 16, 2013)

This is way too funny. This building is one truck load from being a Group S-1 occupancy. Why would you trust a developer or a building filled with plastic electrical parts to dictate to you when sprinkler protection is required?


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## FM William Burns (Jun 17, 2013)

Ooops......missed the retail/supply (Thanks MT) hence my reply for:



> one can always request an inventory of materials stored for review


The mixed commodity requirements in NFPA 13 are only for where required, so now I'm off the fence and would agree with esteemed members who would classify it as S-1/M and have them prove why it should be the S-2 thus ommiting the fire sprinkler requirement. I got bit back in the day whith a similar project hence the "appreaciable amounts" and glad NFPA 13 cleared it up in later additions


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## cda (Jun 17, 2013)

""1800 sq ft will be office/retail sales area and the remaining 13,200 sq ft will be warehouse/storage"""

Majority of the building will be warehouse, maybe not open to public?

Maybe high piled ??


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## Oldfieldguy (Jun 28, 2013)

You are a S-1. I haven't read any justification for a S-2. Given that is contains HPCS over 500 square feet of stuff-o-la that is most likely high hazard, this blows the HPCS area and height limit in Table 2306.2 for a public accessible Group M.

The only difference between a S-2 and S-1 in my neighborhood is one truck load away. My responsibility to my community does not permit me to allow this.

The End, OFG.


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