Anvil Fire Blog

How do you know when seismic bracing is required for fire sprinkler piping?  Lets walk through the general procedure to determine if bracing is required.  ( Hint - You can just go to our Seismic Calculator App and have much of the look up work done for you. ) STEP ONE - APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND CODES Assuming that you are working in a jurisdiction that has adopted the International Building Code (IBC), you would start with section 1613.1 which states: 1613.1 Scope. Every structure, and portion thereof, including nonstructural components that are permanently attached to structures and their supports and attachments , shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of earthquake motions in accordance with ASCE 7, excluding Chapter 14 and Appendix l1A. T he seismic design category for a structure is permitted to be determined in accordance with Section 1613 or ASCE 7.  Furthermore the International Mechanical Code (IMC) section 301.15 states: 301.15 Seismic resist

Are you an owner looking to build a warehouse? Better plan for a fire sprinkler system if you are going to store combustible materials greater than 12-feet in height. Per Chapter 23 of the International Fire Code “High Piled Storage” is defined in IFC 2302 as: “Storage of combustible materials in closely packed piles or combustible materials on pallets, in racks or on shelves where the top of storage is greater than 12 feet (3658 mm) in height.” When required by the fire code official, high-piled combustible storage also includes certain high-hazard commodities, such as rubber tires, Group A plastics, flammable liquids, idle pallets and similar commodities, where the top of storage is greater than 6 feet (1829 mm) in height. Minimum Submittal Requirements At minimum the design professional's permit submittal must include the following per IFC 105.6: Floor plan of the building showing locations and dimensions of high-piled storage areas. Usable storage height for each sto

The NFPA committee made a decision and antifreeze for dwelling units is prohibited. SUMMARY ACTION: The Standards Council voted to issue TIAs 1000, 995 and 994 on NFPA 13, NFPA 13R and NFPA 13D, respectively, which, for new installations, prohibit the use of antifreeze solutions within all NFPA 13D applications and within the dwelling unit portions of NFPA 13 and NFPA 13R sprinkler systems. In addition, the Council directed that the responsible technical committees conduct further activities as set forth in the decision. More information on the NFPA web site at  http://www.nfpa.org/antifreeze View the Phase II report here  RFAntifreezeSprinklerSystemPh2.pdf