# Combined mechanical / electrical room



## Utakecare2019 (Jul 10, 2019)

We have a community college renovation project that has a utility basement which basically is just a big mechanical / electrical room. This room connects to the campus central plant by tunnels. In this mech/elec room, there are several transformers. One of them is substation type, the others are dry type. On mechanical side, there is chillers, compressors in this room. There is no sprinkler system in this building. 
My questions are:
1. Are they allowed to be in the same room? Won't electrical especially transformer need to be in its own room?
2. Should the room be fire rated?
3. ventilation wise, are there special requirements? 
Being an architect, I am not so familiar with the electrical or mechanical code. If you could point out any code section, it will be appreciated. This is in California.
Thanks
UTC


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

Welcome from a former S.D. person


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

So is all this existing ??

Or are they going to add all this?

What is the renovation


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## Utakecare2019 (Jul 10, 2019)

Thanks CDA. Why did you leave SD?
The building is existing and the room is existing. Equipments are all new. The renovation is pretty much leaving the shell and stairs. All the interior are demo-ed for new. I think they should bring everything up to code. I am just no so familiar with Electrical/Mechanical code but the space feels suspicious from fire life safety point of view.


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## jar546 (Jul 10, 2019)

I would normally respond to questions like this but since it is in California, I will refrain as I am not familiar with all of their codes.  California seems to be its own animal with codes.


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

Utakecare2019 said:


> Thanks CDA. Why did you leave SD?
> The building is existing and the room is existing. Equipments are all new. The renovation is pretty much leaving the shell and stairs. All the interior are demo-ed for new. I think they should bring everything up to code. I am just no so familiar with Electrical/Mechanical code but the space feels suspicious from fire life safety point of view.




A long job search journey. I still have family in S.D. area, but for me just to crowded.


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

It sounds like a room by itself already, so fire rating may not be a question

What are the walls made out of anyway??

Not my area, but unless the electrical room has to be rated, I do not think all the equipment in the same room is a problem


Some info::


https://idighardware.com/2017/12/de...ments-for-rooms-housing-electrical-equipment/


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

Some more reading 


https://up.codes/s/boiler-mechanical-and-electrical-rooms


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## cda (Jul 10, 2019)

Check 509 in CBC

https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/I...al-building-heights-and-areas#text-id-9670042


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## linnrg (Jul 10, 2019)

concrete floors, walls and ceiling would likely be a rated area just because of the construction.  look at section 509 for Incidental Uses and table 509.
Electrical code: if over 1000 volts see NFPA 70  Article 110 and specifically 110.31 #5 transformers which sends you to part III of article 450 and if you meet those conditions it is 3 hour construction.  If this is a combined mechanical and electrical room I would bet it is not a dedicated electrical vault for transformers.


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