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Presented by:
Arlin Keck
Gary Smith
Jerry Schultz
Warehouse Fire
Sprinkler Codes
and Impact on
Storage Racks
Sponsored by:
© 2015 MHI® Copyright claimed for audiovisual works and
sound recordings of seminar sessions. All rights reserved.
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Warehouse fire & statistics
Source: NFPA
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Warehouse fire & statistics
Source: NFPA
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Warehouse fire & statistics
Source: NFPA
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Recent significant warehouse fires
Record storage – NJ
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Recent significant warehouse fires
Plastics ASRS - SC
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Recent significant warehouse fires
Refrigerated processed meat – NJ
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Recent significant warehouse fires
Retail store with storage in rear - SC
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Solutions: Sprinklers – effective
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Pertinent design & building codes
• National Fire Protection Assn.
(NFPA) 13
• International Fire Code
• Edition varies by jurisdiction
• Authority Having Jurisdiction
(AHJ) role
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3 Basic Questions:
• What is stored?
• How is it stored?
• How high is it stored
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What is stored? • Class I: “..non-combustible on pallets, ..single-layered
carton..”
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What is stored? • Class II: “…non-combustible in wooden crates,
..multiple-layered carton..”
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What is stored? • Class III: “…product fashioned from wood, paper, natural
fibers ..or Group C plastics
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What is stored? • Class IV: “ Group B plastics or partial (5-25%) Group A
plastics..”
– Cellulosics
– Chlorophrene rubber
– Fluroplastics
– Natural rubber
– Nylon
– Silicone rubber
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What is stored? • Group A Plastics
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What is stored ? • Mixed commodities
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What is stored? • Pallet types
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What is stored? • Floor stacked
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How is it stored? • Solid shelving
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How is it stored? • Back to back rows
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How is it stored? • High density (pallet flow, push back, drive-in, ASRS)
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How high is it stored?
• < 12 feet
• < = 25 feet
• > 25 feet
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Special cases • Tires
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Special cases • Rolled paper
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Special cases • Record storage
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Special cases • Movable shelving
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Special cases • High volume, low velocity fans
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design
• Flue spaces
– Transverse
– Longitudinal
– IFC 2012 code
change – AHJ can
demand “devices
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design
• “Open” shelves
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design • Solid shelving
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design
• Clearances for water
spray
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Impact of sprinklers of rack design • Location to prevent head
damage from lift equipment
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design
• Weight of pipes with
water
• Solid baffles (horizontal
& vertical for aerosols,
plastics)
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Impact of sprinklers on rack design • Seismic bracing
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ESFR type sprinklers
• Definition
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Comparison to
conventional
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Trends in protection schemes
• Suppression vs.
containment
• Firefighter action (or
inaction)
• Recent NFPA Research
Foundation for
suppression ideas re:
ASRS structures
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Trends in protection schemes
• Expected changes to
codes in the works
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For More Information:
Speaker email: [email protected]
Website: www.steelking.com
Or visit PROMAT 2015 Booth 1531
Speaker # 2 email: [email protected]
Speaker # 3 email: [email protected]