After you have determined the size of fuel tank you need for a diesel fire pump, what are the general requirements for installation? Assuming that you are under under the International Building/Fire Codes, you would go through the following chain of code references: IFC (2021 edition) 5701.2 Nonapplicability. This chapter shall not apply to liquids as otherwise provided in other laws or regulations or chapters of this code, including: ... (4) Storage and use of fuel oil in tanks and containers connected to oil-burning equipment. Such storage and use shall be in accordance with Section 605. For abandonment of fuel oil tanks, this chapter applies.. IFC (2021 edition) 605.1 General. The design, construction, installation, operation, alteration, repair and maintenance of nonportable gas-fired appliances and systems shall comply with the provisions of this section and the International Fuel Gas Code. The design, construction, installation, operation, alter...
DesignMaps Application and 2008 Design Data
USGS has released an updated DesignMaps application which is a great application. However, before you start applying it to 2009 International Building Code please make sure to read their FAQ page which states:
USGS has released an updated DesignMaps application which is a great application. However, before you start applying it to 2009 International Building Code please make sure to read their FAQ page which states:
This application should currently only be used to investigate which design values will likely be mandated in the future.
This recommendation by USGS is based on the hierarchy of the codes and standards, which is as follows:
2003 IBC 2006 IBC 2009 IBC 2012 IBC ASCE7-02 ASCE7-05 ASCE7-05 ASCE7-10 USGS 2002 USGS 2002 USGS 2002 USGS 2008
The DesignMaps application utilizes information from the 2008 USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps information. For 2008 the hazard values in the Central and Eastern U.S. have been reduced by 10-25% in many cases, and most 1-second period ground motion values for the Western U.S. have also been reduced, in some cases by as much as 30%.
Example differences between 2002 and 2008 Design Data
Lets look at a comparison of several values based on the 2002 vs 2008 hazard values. (Examples based Site Class 'D' and Occupancy Category of 'II').
Atlanta, GA (Lat 33.7489954, Lng -84.3879824)
Data Source Ss S1 Sds Sd1 Sds Design Cat Sd1 Design Cat 2002 Design Data 0.226 0.085 0.241 0.137 B C 2008 Design Data 0.185 0.090 0.197 0.144 B C
Sacramento, CA (Lat 38.5815719, Lng -121.4943996)
Data Source Ss S1 Sds Sd1 Sds Design Cat Sd1 Design Cat 2002 Design Data 0.591 0.244 0.523 0.311 D D 2008 Design Data 0.675 0.294 0.567 0.355 D D
Casper, WY (Lat 42.866632, Lng -106.313081)
Data Source Ss S1 Sds Sd1 Sds Design Cat Sd1 Design Cat 2002 Design Data 0.370 0.077 0.371 0.123 C B 2008 Design Data 0.277 0.074 0.291 0.118 B B
Anvil Fire's Seismic Force Calculation App provides values based on the 2002 hazard values published by USGS and is basically identical to the Java Ground Motion Parameter Calculator provided by USGS. Consult with your AHJ, but at this time we recommend that you follow USGS's recommendation to only use the DesignMaps application to investigate the requirements of the future 2012 International Building Code.
For more detailed information on how to determine the seismic design forces for fire suppression systems, please read our blog post on Seismic Design For Fire Sprinkler Systems.