# NFPA 13 R



## cda (Nov 14, 2018)

I saw a question on another site, and had not heard it before.

So say you have an apartment with four stories above grade.

NFPA 13R is allowed.

What if the same building had four stories residential below grade, also???

Can the 13R still be used through out?


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## RLGA (Nov 14, 2018)

The standard states “up to and including four stories above grade”—nothing about below grade. So, as long as the building is no more than four stories above grade, I guess it doesn’t matter how many stories are below grade.


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## cda (Nov 14, 2018)

Well just thinking, depending on the code used and year

Can you have apartment or hotel rooms in a basement???


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## RLGA (Nov 14, 2018)

cda said:


> Well just thinking, depending on the code used and year
> 
> Can you have apartment or hotel rooms in a basement???


I guess a basement could if the rooms are provided with EEROs, which would be very difficult in an underground building--especially a multi-level underground building.

In an email discussion I had with NFPA, an NFPA 13R system can be used throughout a building, even in the non-residential portions, as long as the building is primarily residential. Thus, a hotel with no more than four stories above grade could have gift shops, meeting rooms, dining areas, etc. located in basement levels with an NFPA 13R system. However, after I posted my previous post, I looked into the underground building requirements. If the basement level(s) has a floor greater than 30 feet below grade, then it is considered an underground building and the underground portion must be sprinklered per NFPA 13. 

Here's the issue with underground buildings: can an NFPA 13R system be installed in the same building that is required to have an NFPA 13 system in a portion of the building? Per NFPA the answer is maybe. If the building is utilizing a horizontal separation per IBC Section 510 that creates two separate buildings per code, then split NFPA 13/13R systems can be used--one system for the upper building (usually the NFPA 13R for dwelling or sleeping units) and an NFPA 13 system for the building below the horizontal separation.


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## cda (Nov 14, 2018)

Thanks 

Have to love codes and the unusual questions that come up


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## Builder Bob (Nov 14, 2018)

Underground building provisions in chapter 4 reference NFPA 13 only/ not NFPA 13 R  - however, I guess you could still up to 30 feet underground and use NFPA 13 R,


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