# Atrium 404



## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

Has any one done an atrium recently?? Using the 2012 IBC?

If so, just wondering if a glass door was used, how it was protected by yhe fire sprinklers?

Exception: A fire barrier is not required where a glass wall forming a smoke partition is provided. The glass wall shall comply with all of the following:

1. Automatic sprinklers are provided along both sides of the separation wall and doors, or on the room side only if there is not a walkway on the atrium side. The sprinklers shall be located between 4 inches and 12 inches (102 mm and 305 mm) away from the glass and at intervals along the glass not greater than 6 feet (1829 mm). The sprinkler system shall be designed so that the entire surface of the glass is wet upon activation of the sprinkler system without obstruction;

1.1. The glass wall shall be installed in a gasketed frame in a manner that the framing system deflects without breaking (loading) the glass before the sprinkler system operates; and

"""""""""1.2. Where glass doors are provided in the glass wall, they shall be either self-closing or automatic-closing.""""""

ALSO, this provison is not in the 2009 IBC or earlier,

So were glass doors allowed prior to 2012 IBC????


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## Francis Vineyard (Jun 25, 2015)

"Exception: A fire barrier is not required where a glass wall forming a smoke partition is provided."

See Section 711 Smoke Partitions


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

The question is the glass door

Which showed up in the 2012 Ibc


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 25, 2015)

We do the fire sprinkler reviews in house so we make sure the spacing required in the building code is on the plans. If your office does not do the sprinkler review you need to provide the building code requirements to the office that does


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> The question is the glass door Which showed up in the 2012 Ibc


710.5.2 Doors.

Doors in smoke partitions shall comply with Sections 710.5.2.1 through 710.5.2.3.

710.5.2.1 Louvers.

Doors in smoke partitions shall not include louvers.

710.5.2.2 Smoke and draft control doors.

Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall meet the requirements for a smoke and draft control door assembly tested in accordance with UL 1784. The air leakage rate of the door assembly shall not exceed 3.0 cubic feet per minute per square foot (0.015424 m3/(s • m2)) of door opening at 0.10 inch (24.9 Pa) of water for both the ambient temperature test and the elevated temperature exposure test. Installation of smoke doors shall be in accordance with NFPA 105.

710.5.2.2 Smoke and draft control doors.

Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall meet the requirements for a smoke and draft control door assembly tested in accordance with UL 1784. The air leakage rate of the door assembly shall not exceed 3.0 cubic feet per minute per square foot (0.015424 m3/(s • m2)) of door opening at 0.10 inch (24.9 Pa) of water for both the ambient temperature test and the elevated temperature exposure test. Installation of smoke doors shall be in accordance with NFPA 105.

710.5.2.3 Self- or automatic-closing doors.

Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall be self- or automatic-closing by smoke detection in accordance with Section 716.5.9.3.


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## steveray (Jun 25, 2015)

Maybe there was no glass door that met UL 1784? Or it sounds like just a clarification....


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> We do the fire sprinkler reviews in house so we make sure the spacing required in the building code is on the plans. If your office does not do the sprinkler review you need to provide the building code requirements to the office that does


So how do you do glass protection on a door that opens?


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

steveray said:
			
		

> Maybe there was no glass door that met UL 1784? Or it sounds like just a clarification....


Were glass doors in an atrium allowed prior to 2012ibc?


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> So how do you do glass protection on a door that opens?


It is assumed the door will be in the closed position when the sprinklers discharge

710.5.2.3 Self- or automatic-closing doors.

Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall be self- or automatic-closing by smoke detection in accordance with Section 716.5.9.3.


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 25, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> Were glass doors in an atrium allowed prior to 2012ibc?


Not in the 2009 IBC


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

Wonder why in the 2012?

Or maybe be allowed in 2009 or prior by default ??


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

So does the door have to meet this:::????

The glass wall shall be installed in a gasketed frame in a manner that the framing system deflects without breaking (loading) the glass before the sprinkler system operates


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

Anyone have a 2012 commentary that could post waht it says about this section??


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## RLGA (Jun 25, 2015)

Francis and mtlogcabin have the right track.  Was it in the 2009 IBC? Yes, but not as explicit as the 2012 IBC.

2009 IBC Section 404.6, Exception, states that a glass wall forming a *smoke partition *using sprinklers as described similarly in the 2012 IBC is permitted.  Since it is now a smoke partition, the requirements of Section 711 for smoke partitions apply.  Section 711.5.2 establishes the criteria for smoke and draft control doors in a smoke partition.  Thus, the air leakage requirements as tested by UL 1784 would have applied.  Section 711.5.3 requires that the doors in smoke partitions be self- or automatic-closing, just like the 2012 IBC.

Therefore, it was permitted, but the doors were required to meet the leakage requirements, which the 2012 IBC does not require by the added sections in Section 404.


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## cda (Jun 25, 2015)

RLGA said:
			
		

> Francis and mtlogcabin have the right track.  Was it in the 2009 IBC? Yes, but not as explicit as the 2012 IBC.2009 IBC Section 404.6, Exception, states that a glass wall forming a *smoke partition *using sprinklers as described similarly in the 2012 IBC is permitted.  Since it is now a smoke partition, the requirements of Section 711 for smoke partitions apply.  Section 711.5.2 establishes the criteria for smoke and draft control doors in a smoke partition.  Thus, the air leakage requirements as tested by UL 1784 would have applied.  Section 711.5.3 requires that the doors in smoke partitions be self- or automatic-closing, just like the 2012 IBC.
> 
> Therefore, it was permitted, but the doors were required to meet the leakage requirements, which the 2012 IBC does not require by the added sections in Section 404.


Thank you

So is there another code change needed to add the air leakage requirement???

Or is it considered minimal ?


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