2021 International Code CounCil Group a ICC proposal paCket - Prepared by Andrew L. Bevis, CBO, MCP Codes and Standards Specialist
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2021 International Code Council
Group A ICC Proposal Packet
Prepared by Andrew L. Bevis, CBO, MCP
Codes and Standards Specialist
Table of Contents IFC Record Keeping Requirements for Owners .................................................................. 1 IBC Undivided Areas and Draft Curtains .............................................................................. 2 Draftstopping Term Correlation ............................................................................................ 3 Assembly Occupancies that serve alcohol1 ........................................................................ 6 Increasing floor level height for 13R systems in R Occupancies ..................................... 7 Sprinklers for certain B Occupancies ................................................................................. 10 NFPA 409 Correlation.......................................................................................................... 12 IFC/IBC Standpipe Signage Requirements ........................................................................13 Buildings with stages............................................................................................................ 15 Omitted sprinkler locations .................................................................................................. 16 Removing Zones from IBC................................................................................................... 17 Sprinkler Protection in Animal Housing .............................................................................18 Standpipe exit stairways fix ................................................................................................. 20 IFC Appendix I ....................................................................................................................... 22 Sprinkler Term Correlation – Part 1 ................................................................................... 25 Sprinkler Term Correlation – Part 2 ................................................................................... 39 Townhouse standpipe exception ........................................................................................ 41
IFC Record Keeping Requirements for Owners (6125)
IFC: 70 1.6, 70 1.6.1 (New), 90 1.6.3
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
70 1.6 Owner’s respo nsibilit y. The owner s hall maintain an inve ntory of all re quire d fire-resistance-rated cons truction,
cons truction ins talle d to re s is t the pas s age of s moke and the cons truction include d in Se ctions 703 through 707 and
Se ctions 602.4.1 and 602.4.2 of the International Building Code. Such cons truction s hall be vis ually ins pe cte d by the owner
annually and prope rly re paire d, re s tore d or re place d whe re damage d, alte re d, bre ache d or pe ne trate d. Re cords of
ins pe ctions and re pairs s hall be maintaine d. Whe re conce ale d, s uch e le me nts s hall not be re quire d to be vis ually
ins pe cte d by the owner unle s s the conce ale d s pace is acce s s ible by the re moval or move me nt of a pane l, acce s s door,
ce iling tile or s imilar movable e ntry to the s pace .
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
70 1.6.1 Reco rdkeeping Re cords of all re quire d s ys te m ins pe ctions , te s ting, re pairs , and mainte nance s hall be
maintaine d by Se ction 108.3 of this code .
Revise as f o llo ws:
90 1.6.3 Reco rds. Re cords of all s ys te m ins pe ctions , te s ts and mainte nance re quire d by the re fe re nce d s tandards s hall
be maintaine d by Se ction 108.3 of this code .
Reaso n: The inte nt of this propos al is to provide corre lation and cons is te ncy for re cord ke e ping re quire me nts throughout
the IFC. The pre vious re quire me nts provide d no guidance for owne rs to maintain the ir re cords to Se ction
108.3. Furthe rmore , the de le tion of “re quire d by re fe re nce d s tandards ” is alre ady cove re d by 108.3. Having
the re quire me nt for a re cord of ins pe ctions and re pairs burie d in the ce nte r of this s e ction hide s the re quire me nt for
uniform mainte nance . The pre vious re quire me nts provide d no guidance for owne rs to maintain the ir re cords to Chapte r
1.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
This is an e ditorial clarification and coordination with re cord ke e ping re quire me nts .
1IBC Undivided Areas and Draft Curtains (6135)
IBC: 910 .2.1
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation
(be vis @nfs a.org); Je ffre y Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
910 .2.1 Gro up F-1 o r S-1. Smoke and he at ve nts ins talle d in accordance with Se ction 910.3 or a me chanical s moke
re moval s ys te m ins talle d in accordance with Se ction 910.4 s hall be ins talle d in buildings and portions the re of us e d as a
Group F-1 or S-1 occupancy having more than 50,000 s quare fe e t (4645 m 2) of undivide d are a undivide d by draft
curtains 4 fe e t (1.8 m) or gre ate r in de pth or walls cons tructe d in accordance with Se ctions 706, 707, 708, 709, or 710. In
occupie d portions of a building e quippe d throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Se ction
903.3.1.1 whe re the uppe r s urface of the story is not a roof as s e mbly, a me chanical s moke re moval s ys te m in
accordance with Se ction 910.4 s hall be ins talle d.
Except io n: Group S-1 aircraft re pair hangars .
Reaso n: Pe r the comme ntary for 910.2.1, "The code is not cle ar on what is me ant by the te rm “undivide d are a.”
Howe ve r, the inte nt is to provide the ability to manage the s moke in large s pace s . Draft curtains or pote ntially any
phys ical s e paration (re gardle s s of rating) would provide s uch divis ion." The comme ntary goe s on to s pe cify what
cons titute s cons truction that bounds s moke and the pas s age of s moke and it s tate s that draft curtains are typically 6-fe e t
in de pth. NFPA 204, the Standard for Smoke and He at Ve nting re quire s draft curtains to be 20% of the total ce iling he ight.
For e xample , a 40 ft. ce iling would have an 8 ft. draft curtain, 30 ft. = 6 ft. draft curtain, 20 ft. = 4 ft. draft curtain. Having
cons truction re quire me nts in the comme ntary is a cle ar indication that the code te xt ne e ds s ome pre s criptive
re quire me nts . The propos al will provide additional language to s e ction 910.2.1 that clarifie s the re quire me nts of what
cons titute s a divide d are a by putting re quire me nts on draft curtain de pth and the othe r pas s ive s ys te ms found in Chapte r
7.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
N/A
2Draftstopping Term Correlation (6136)
IBC: 70 8.4.2, 713.11, 718.1, 718.3, 718.3.1, 718.4, 718.4.1; IFC: 70 7.1; IMC: SECT ION 20 2 (New), 50 4.2; IPC:
SECT ION 20 2 (New)
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation
(be vis @nfs a.org); Je ffre y Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
70 8.4.2 Fireblo cks and draf t st o ps in co mbust ible co nst ruct io n.
In combus tible cons truction whe re fire partitions do not e xte nd to the unde rs ide of the floor or roof s he athing, de ck or s lab
above , the s pace above and along the line of the fire partition s hall be provide d with one of the following:
1. Fireblocking up to the unde rs ide of the floor or roof s he athing, de ck or s lab above us ing mate rials complying with
Se ction 718.2.1.
2. Drafts topping Draftstops up to the unde rs ide of the floor or roof s he athing, de ck or s lab above us ing mate rials
complying with Se ction 718.3.1 for floors or Se ction 718.4.1 for attics.
Except io ns:
1. Buildings e quippe d with an automatic sprinkler system ins talle d throughout in accordance with Se ction 903.3.1.1,
or in accordance with Se ction 903.3.1.2 provide d that prote ction is provide d in the s pace be twe e n the top of the
fire partition and unde rs ide of the floor or roof s he athing, de ck or s lab above as re quire d for s ys te ms complying
with Se ction 903.3.1.1.
2. Whe re corridor walls provide a sleeping unit or dwelling unit s e paration, drafts topping draftstops s hall only be
re quire d above one of the corridor walls .
3. In Group R-2 occupancie s with fe we r than four dwelling units, fireblocking and drafts topping draftstops s hall not be
re quire d.
4. In Group R-2 occupancie s up to and including four stories in he ight in buildings not e xce e ding 60 fe e t (18 288
mm) in he ight above grade plane, the attic s pace s hall be s ubdivide d by draftstops into are as not e xce e ding
3,000 s quare fe e t (279 m 2) or above e ve ry two dwelling units, whiche ve r is s malle r.
5. In Group R-3 occupancie s with fe we r than thre e dwelling units, fireblocking and drafts topping draftstops s hall not
be re quire d in floor as s e mblie s .
713.11 Enclo sure at t he bo t t o m.
Shafts that do not e xte nd to the bottom of the building or s tructure s hall comply with one of the following:
1. Be e nclos e d at the lowe s t le ve l with cons truction of the s ame fire-resistance rating as the lowest floor through which
the shaft pas s e s , but not le s s than the rating re quire d for the shaft enclosure.
2. Te rminate in a room having a us e re late d to the purpos e of the shaft. The room s hall be s e parate d from the
re mainde r of the building by fire barriers cons tructe d in accordance with Se ction 707 or horizontal assemblies
cons tructe d in accordance with Se ction 711, or both. The fire-resistance rating and ope ning prote ctive s s hall be not
le s s than the prote ction re quire d for the shaft enclosure.
3. Be prote cte d by approved fire dampers ins talle d in accordance with the ir lis ting at the lowest floor le ve l within the
shaft enclosure.
Except io ns:
1. The fire -re s is tance -rate d room s e paration is not re quire d, provide d that the only ope nings in or pe ne trations of
the shaft enclosure to the inte rior of the building occur at the bottom. The bottom of the shaft s hall be clos e d off
around the pe ne trating ite ms with mate rials pe rmitte d by Se ction 718.3.1 for drafts topping draftstops, or the
room s hall be provide d with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
2. A shaft enclosure containing a was te or line n chute s hall not be us e d for any othe r purpos e and s hall dis charge
in a room prote cte d in accordance with Se ction 713.13.4.
33. The fire -re s is tance -rate d room s e paration and the prote ction at the bottom of the shaft are not re quire d
provide d that the re are no combus tible s in the shaft and the re are no ope nings or othe r pe ne trations through
the shaft enclosure to the inte rior of the building.
718.1 General. Fireblocking and drafts topping draftstops s hall be ins talle d in combus tible conce ale d locations in
accordance with this s e ction. Fireblocking s hall comply with Se ction 718.2. Drafts topping draftstops in floor/ce iling s pace s
and attic s pace s s hall comply with Se ctions 718.3 and 718.4, re s pe ctive ly. The pe rmitte d us e of combus tible mate rials in
conce ale d s pace s of buildings of Type I or II cons truction s hall be limite d to the applications indicate d in Se ction 718.5.
718.3 Draf t st o pping Draf t st o ps in flo o rs.
Drafts topping draftstops s hall be ins talle d to s ubdivide floor/ce iling as s e mblie s whe re re quire d by Se ction 708.4.2. In
othe r than Group R occupancie s , drafts topping draftstops s hall be ins talle d to s ubdivide combus tible floor/ce iling
as s e mblie s s o that horiz ontal floor are as do not e xce e d 1,000 s quare fe e t (93 m 2).
Except io n: Buildings e quippe d throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Se ction 903.3.1.1.
718.3.1 Draf t st o pping Draftstop mat erials. Drafts topping Draftstop mate rials s hall be not le s s than 1/2-inch (12.7
mm)gypsum board, 3 /8 -inch (9.5 mm) wood structural panel, 3 /8 -inch (9.5 mm) particleboard, 1-inch (25-mm) nominal lumbe r,
ce me nt fiberboard, batts or blanke ts of mine ral wool or glas s fibe r, or othe r approved mate rials ade quate ly s upporte d.
The inte grity of draftstops s hall be maintaine d.
718.4 Draf t st o pping Draf t st o ps in at t ics.
Drafts topping Draftstops s hall be ins talle d to s ubdivide attic s pace s whe re re quire d by Se ction 708.4.2. In othe r than
Group R, drafts topping draftstops s hall be ins talle d to s ubdivide combus tible attic s pace s and combus tible conce ale d roof
s pace s s uch that any horiz ontal are a doe s not e xce e d 3,000 s quare fe e t (279 m 2). Ventilation of conce ale d roof s pace s
s hall be maintaine d in accordance with Se ction 1202.2.1.
Except io n: Buildings e quippe d throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Se ction 903.3.1.1.
718.4.1 Draf t st o pping Draf t st o p mat erials. Mate rials utiliz e d for drafts topping draftstops of attic s pace s s hall
comply with Se ction 718.3.1.
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
70 7.1 Fireblo cking and draf t st o pping draf t st o ps. Re quire d fireblocking and draftstopping drafts tops in
combus tible conce ale d s pace s s hall be maintaine d to provide continuity and inte grity of the cons truction.
2021 Int ernat ional Mechanical Code
Add new definit io n as f o llo ws:
DRAFT ST OP A mate rial, de vice or cons truction ins talle d to re s trict the move me nt of air within ope n s pace s of
conce ale d are as of building compone nts s uch as crawl s pace s , floor/ce iling as s e mblie s , roof/ce iling as s e mblie s and attics .
Revise as f o llo ws:
50 4.2 Exhaust penet rat io ns. Whe re a clothe s drye r e xhaus t duct pe ne trate s a wall or ce iling me mbrane , the annular
s pace s hall be s e ale d with noncombus tible mate rial, approved fire caulking or a noncombus tible drye r e xhaus t duct wall
re ce ptacle . Ducts that e xhaus t clothe s drye rs s hall not pe ne trate or be locate d within any fire blocking, drafts topping
draftstops or any wall, floor/ce iling or othe r as s e mbly re quire d by the International Building Code to be fire -re s is tance
rate d, unle s s s uch duct is cons tructe d of galvaniz e d s te e l or aluminum of the thickne s s s pe cifie d in Se ction 603.4 and the
fire -re s is tance rating is maintaine d in accordance with the International Building Code . Fire dampe rs , combination
fire /s moke dampe rs and any s imilar de vice s that will obs truct the e xhaus t flow s hall be prohibite d in clothe s drye r
e xhaus t ducts .
2021 Int ernat ional Plumbing Code
Add new definit io n as f o llo ws:
DRAFT ST OP A mate rial, de vice or cons truction ins talle d to re s trict the move me nt of air within ope n s pace s of
conce ale d are as of building compone nts s uch as crawl s pace s , floor/ce iling as s e mblie s , roof/ce iling as s e mblie s and attics .
Reaso n: This is an e ditorial change . The word drafts topping is us e d multiple time s throughout the IBC, IFC, IMC and IPC.
This te rm is us e d with no de finition. Howe ve r, the te rm drafts top is a de fine d te rm in the IBC and IFC. The s e are the
4s ame te rms . This de ve lopme nt re place s all occurre nce s of drafts topping with the de fine d te rm of drafts top. Additionally,
this de ve lopme nt ins e rts the de finition for drafts top into the IMC and IPC.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
N/A
5Assembly Occupancies that serve alcohol (6137)
IBC: 90 3.2.1.8 (New)
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
90 3.2.1.8 Assembly o ccupancies serving alco ho l. A fire area whe re alcoholic be ve rage s are be ing
cons ume d that e xce e ds 100 occupants s hall be e quippe d with an automatic s prinkle r s ys te m in accordance with Se ction
903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.
Reaso n: The nature of as s e mbly occupancie s has e volve d ove r time and the prote ction of thos e occupancie s s hould
e volve as we ll. Ne w type s of as s e mbly s pace s are be ing cre ate d and with the cre ation of thos e s pace s s o s hould the
prote ction e volve . Additionally, with the s e ne w type s of as s e mbly occupancie s , ne w type s of fire loads are appe aring.
Whe n the s e things are combine d with incre as e d occupancy loads of individuals unde r the influe nce of
alcohol; the opportunity for trage dy incre as e s e xpone ntially.
One of the s e ne w occupancie s is the us e of “we dding barns .” The s e are barns that are be ing built or re trofitte d to hold
we dding ce re monie s and re ce ptions . Naturally, the s e barns have unique fire loads that many occupancie s would not
normally have pre s e nt. (I.e ., hay bale s for s e ating and de coration, lante rns for lighting and dé cor, he ating e quipme nt for
winte r months , e tc.) The NFPA (National Fire Prote ction As s ociation) conducte d a s tudy on s tructure fire s in barns . The
s tudy s hows that during a four-ye ar pe riod the re we re 830 s tructure fire s in barns with one civilian de ath,
10 civilian injurie s and around $28 million in prope rty damage annually. The le ading caus e s for the s e fire s we re
he ating e quipme nt, e le ctrical dis tribution, and lighting. As with mos t we dding e ve nts , s ubs tantial amounts of
alcohol are involve d. All the s e factors combine d cre ate a haz ardous s pace fille d with occupants whos e re actions
and thought proce s s e s are s lowe d and impaire d. Additionally, in A-1 occupancie s s uch as movie the atre s and conce rt
halls are e volving to be come more of a luxury e ve nt. Many movie the atre s and conce rt ve nue s acros s the nation are now
s e lling alcohol to its patrons or are re nting the s pace to private partie s . Als o, many othe r type s of occupancie s within the
as s e mbly cate gory provide alcohol to atte nde e s . Prote cting the s e s pace s with s prinkle r s ys te ms is a ne e d that has be e n
pre s e nt for s ome time .
Fire s are occurring in the s e type s of s pace s whe re s prinkle r s ys te ms are pre s e nt, and live s are be ing s ave d. An
automatic s prinkle r s ys te m e xtinguis he d a fire that e rupte d during a we dding banque t at a hote l in San Antonio, Te xas . In
Rancho Santa Fe , California s prinkle rs make a diffe re nce in golf clubhous e fire during a we dding party. The Battalion Fire
Chie f Fre d Cox s tate d that, “… without fire s prinkle rs this could have be e n a major fire . The fire was we ll e s tablis he d
be fore s prinkle r activation, and without the m, it would have e as ily s pre ad unche cke d through a ve ry large and ope n attic
s pace be fore be ing de te cte d.” Two fire s we re e xtinguis he d by a s ingle s prinkle r in golf clubhous e in Grape vine , Te xas on
two s e parate occas ions . Four fire s prinkle rs he ld a fire in che ck unde r a table in the kitche n of the indoor go kart racing
facility until fire cre ws arrive d on s ce ne . Damage was containe d to the table involve d and s light charring on the wall
whe re the table was s ituate d. Addis on Fire Mars hal s tate d, “Without the fire s prinkle r activation, we would have had a total
los s of the kitche n.” This facility s e rve s alcohol and hos ts partie s on a re gular bas is .
Finally, mos t authoritie s having juris diction have a re s ource within the ir s tructure to he lp ide ntify the s e type s
of occurre nce s whe n occupancie s are be ing change d or the us e of the s pace has be e n modifie d.
Mos t juris dictions re quire a liquor lice ns e to s e rve alcohol. This aids in the e nforce me nt of this de ve lopme nt.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will incre as e the cos t of cons truction
N/A
6Increasing floor level height for 13R systems in R
Occupancies (6138)
IBC: [F] 90 3.3.1.2
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org); Paula Cino, re pre s e nting National Multifamily Hous ing Council (pcino@nmhc.org);
Dan Buuck, National As s ociation of Home Builde rs , re pre s e nting National As s ociation of Home Builde rs (dbuuck@nahb.org);
Margo Thomps on, Ne wport Ve nture s , re pre s e nting National Multifamily Hous ing Council
(mthomps on@ne wportve nture s .ne t)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 90 3.3.1.2 NFPA 13R sprinkler syst ems.
Automatic sprinkler systems in Group R occupancie s s hall be pe rmitte d to be ins talle d throughout in accordance with NFPA
13R whe re the Group R occupancy me e ts all of the following conditions :
1. Four s torie s or fe we r above grade plane.
2. The floor le ve l of the highe s t story is 30 35 fe e t (9144 10668 mm) or le s s above the lowe s t le ve l of fire
de partme nt ve hicle acce s s .
3. The floor le ve l of the lowe s t story is 30 35 fe e t (9144 10668 mm) or le s s be low the lowe s t le ve l of fire
de partme nt ve hicle acce s s .
The numbe r of s torie s of Group R occupancie s cons tructe d in accordance with Se ctions 510.2 and 510.4 s hall be
me as ure d from grade plane .
Reaso n: During the pre vious code de ve lopme nt cycle , an is s ue of s ignificant conce rn was re ctifie d with re s pe ct to NFPA
13R s prinkle rs in Group R occupancie s in podium-s tyle buildings and allowance for as many as four s torie s up to 60’ in
he ight above grade to be cons tructe d on top of the horiz ontal building s e paration. Howe ve r, while continuing to allow for
NFPA 13R s ys te ms in four s tory Group R occupancie s , the he ight limit from fire de partme nt ve hicle acce s s to the floor
le ve l of the highe s t s tory was change d to only 30’. In mos t cas e s , this he ight limit will not allow for NFPA 13R s prinkle rs in
a four-s tory apartme nt building.
According to fe e dback from contractors , de ve lope rs , and de s ign profe s s ionals , typical he ight of floor as s e mbly framing in
multifamily buildings is s lightly le s s than twe lve inche s . A four-s tory apartme nt building with 8’-6” ce iling he ights and the
ne ce s s ary 8” to 12” foundation e xpos ure above grade , would e xce e d this 30’ limit. Like wis e , a ve ry common mixe d us e
building type of thre e s torie s of re s ide ntial occupancy above ground le ve l re tail s pace would als o e xce e d the 30’ limit.
The curre nt 30’ limit is at the ve ry low e nd of fourth-s tory floor le ve l he ight and offe rs little fle xibility for floor-to-ce iling
he ights gre ate r than 8’-0”. With the curre nt 30’ limitation, NFPA 13R s prinkle r s ys te ms are e s s e ntially limite d to thre e -
s tory buildings : The NFPA 13R s tandard was s pe cifically cre ate d to pe rmit the s e s ys te ms in buildings up to four s torie s .
This propos al will allow the us e of NFPA 13R s prinkle r s ys te ms as e nvis ione d by the s tandard.
It is als o important to unde rs tand that the floor le ve l me as ure me nt is not take n from the grade adjace nt to the building
but from the lowe s t le ve l of fire de partme nt ve hicle acce s s , which can be up to 150 fe e t away. The diffe re nce in e le vation
ove r that dis tance can be s ignificant, furthe r limiting the numbe r of buildings which can me e t this s e ction. Be low is an
e xample of a 4-s tory multifamily building. The 4th floor is at a he ight of 32' above grade . Howe ve r, the dime ns ion us e d as
the thre s hold for a 13R s ys te m incre as e s whe re the lowe s t le ve l of fire de partme nt ve hicle acce s s is be low the le ve l of
grade at the building.
7The dime ns ion of 35’ was s e le cte d as the limit be caus e it allows more fle xibility for building de s ign and floor-to-ce iling
he ight while s till re maining we ll within the 75’ re ach of typical fire truck ladde rs . It is als o s ignificantly lowe r than the 60’
he ight limit which had be e n in place prior to the code change in 2021.
NFPA 13R s ys te ms have be e n e xtre me ly e ffe ctive in prote cting human live s as we ll as pre ve nting s ignificant prope rty
damage from fire in low-ris e re s ide ntial buildings s ince the NFPA 13R Standard was firs t publis he d in 1989. A 2016 is s ue
of the NFPA Journal publis he d the findings of a works hop atte nde d by s ubje ct matte r e xpe rts that focus e d on the ade quacy
of 13R s prinkle rs . Ove rarching conclus ions we re 1) that major fire s in 13R-prote cte d buildings we re the e xce ption – not
the rule and 2) that the re was not s ufficie nt e vide nce to indicate that 13R s prinkle rs have not be e n e ffe ctive in prote cting
human life and re ducing prope rty damage . To quote the June 2016 NFPA Re port de s cribing the outcome s of the works hop:
“NFPA 13R/13D are effective standards that reduces loss of life and building damage due to a fire event.”
“To consider or make any changes to NFPA 13R/13D, better (more refined) data needs to be identified as well as
collected on a consistent basis. A national database that describes fire events with information on building type/codes
would assist in making intelligent changes to any sprinkler standards.”
Es s e ntially limiting the us e of NFPA 13R s prinkle r s ys te ms to Group R buildings thre e -s torie s or le s s doe s not re cogniz e
othe r s ignificant change s in the code s in re ce nt cycle s that offe r incre as e d fire prote ction. Furthe rmore , the re may be
s ome uninte nde d cons e que nce s with re s pe ct to the curre nt language . Re ce nt cycle s have s e e n change s s uch as
s prinkle r re quire me nts for balconie s in buildings whe re 13R s prinkle rs are us e d, incre as e d attic prote ction if it is not
s prinkle re d s uch as cons truction of the attic us ing fire re tardant wood or non-combus tible mate rials , and the re ce nt 2021
re quire me nt for s pe cial ins pe ctions of s e aling fire pe ne trations and draft s topping. All of the s e ancillary provis ions have
incre as e d fire prote ction and s tringe ncy of the fire code . Furthe rmore , by re ducing the us e of NFPA 13R s ys te ms in R-2
occupancie s , re quire me nts for s prinkle r prote ction of balconie s in the s e buildings have als o be e n re duce d – his torically,
an is s ue of s ignificant conce rn. By e xte nding re quire me nts for NFPA 13 s prinkle rs in R-2 occupancie s , s prinkle r
re quire me nts for balconie s are fe we r or non-e xis te nt whe n compare d to the abs olute mandate of s prinkle rs on balconie s
for NFPA 13R s ys te ms through the IBC.
Ce ns us data re ports that of the 13,000 multifamily buildings comple te d in 2019, more than 10,000 (77%) of the s e
buildings we re four s torie s or le s s . By re ducing the pe rce ntage of multifamily buildings whe re NFPA 13R s prinkle rs are
pe rmitte d, the code language as it curre ntly s tands will s ignificantly impact hous ing affordability. The National Multifamily
Hous ing Council e s timate s that moving from NFPA 13R to NFPA 13 s prinkle r s ys te ms would carry an incre me ntal ins talle d
cos t incre as e of approximate ly $1.00/s q. ft. to $2.00/s q. ft. of ove rall building are a on ave rage acros s the US.
NFPA 13R s prinkle rs are a ve ry e ffe ctive me ans of as s uring life s afe ty and prope rty prote ction in Group R buildings four
8s torie s and le s s while maintaining hous ing affordability. An incre as e in he ight to 35’ above or be low the lowe s t le ve l of fire
de partme nt ve hicle acce s s is re as onable and mode s t and can e as ily be re ache d by the typical fire truck
ladde r.’ This propos al re cogniz e s the long-s tanding e ffe ctive ne s s of 13R life s afe ty s ys te ms , which have be e n allowe d
s ince the e arly ye ars of the I-code s as we ll as the le gacy code s .
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
Cos ts as s ociate d with re quire me nts for attic prote ction in NFPA 13 s ys te ms not only include s the additional s prinkle rs and
piping but als o cos ts as s ociate d with incre as e d hydraulic de mand and wate r s upply as we ll as ne ce s s ary fre e z e
prote ction in cold and e ve n mode rate climate s . Gre ate r de ns ity and s pacing of s prinkle rs , large r pipe diame te r, s prinkle rs
in conce ale d s pace s , and e s pe cially, re quire me nts for attic prote ction (with s ome e xce ptions ) all contribute to the adde d
cos t. This cos t incre as e doe s not include the final cos t with markup to the building owne r or the pote ntial ne e d to add a
fire pump in the NFPA 13 s ys te m. Moving from a 13R s ys te m to a 13 s ys te m for a $9,342,688, four-s tory, 48-unit apartme nt
building incre as e d cons truction cos ts by $102,255 or a little ove r $2,100/unit. (Home Innovation Re s e arch Labs , Cost
Analysis of Proposed Group A Code Changes (2018-2019 ICC Code Development Cycle) – Octobe r 2018). This would have a
s ubs tantial impact on both te nant re ntal rate s and owne r-occupie d units . The de taile d cos t analys is is s hown be low.
9Sprinklers for certain B Occupancies (6139)
IBC: [F] 90 3.2.2, 90 3.2.2.1 (New)
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 90 3.2.2 Ambulat o ry care f acilit ies. Gro up B. An automatic sprinkler system s hall be ins talle d throughout the
e ntire floor containing an ambulatory care facility whe re e ithe r of the following conditions e xis t at any time : An automatic
sprinkler system s hall be provide d throughout buildings containing a Group B occupancy whe re one of the following
conditions e xis ts :
1. Four or more care re cipie nts are incapable of self-preservation.
2. One or more care re cipie nts that are incapable of self-preservation are locate d at othe r than the level of exit
discharge s e rving s uch a facility.
1. Buildings having more than thre e s torie s above grade plane .
2. Bus ine s s occupancie s that have are as us e d in the cooking of food.
Except io n: Are as only us ing microwave s and s mall food pre paration appliance s
In buildings whe re ambulatory care is provide d on le ve ls othe r than the level of exit discharge, an automatic sprinkler
system s hall be ins talle d throughout the e ntire floor as we ll as all floors be low whe re s uch care is provide d, and all floors
be twe e n the le ve l of ambulatory care and the ne are s t level of exit discharge, the level of exit discharge, and all floors
be low the le ve l of exit discharge.
Except io n: Floors clas s ifie d as an open parking garage are not re quire d to be s prinkle re d.
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
90 3.2.2.1 Ambulat o ry Care Facilit ies An automatic sprinkler system s hall be ins talle d throughout the e ntire floor
containing an ambulatory care facility whe re e ithe r of the following conditions e xis t at any time :
1. Four or more care re cipie nts are incapable of self-preservation.
2. One or more care re cipie nts that are incapable of self-preservation are locate d at othe r than the level of exit
discharge s e rving s uch a facility.
In buildings whe re ambulatory care is provide d on le ve ls othe r than the level of exit discharge, an automatic sprinkler
system s hall be ins talle d throughout the e ntire floor as we ll as all floors be low whe re s uch care is provide d, and all floors
be twe e n the le ve l of ambulatory care and the ne are s t level of exit discharge, the level of exit discharge, and all floors
be low the level of exit discharge.
Except io n: Floors clas s ifie d as an open parking garage are not re quire d to be s prinkle re d.
Reaso n: It em #1: With the e ve r-de cre as ing land availability in me tropolitan are as , landowne rs and de s ign profe s s ionals
are having to cons truct ve rtically. Employe e are as are be coming more ope n and le s s boundarie s are be ing adde d. In
addition, acce s s ory us e as s e mbly are as , te am gathe ring are as and the like are be ing more and more incorporate d in the
today’s mode rn office . This is caus ing a large incre as e in occupancy loads on floors plate s . Due to the incre as ing
occupancy loads it is caus ing trave l time s , e vacuation time s , and the like are all be ing incre as e d. This will le ad to an
incre as e in fire re late d injurie s and de aths . By providing automatic s prinkle r s ys te ms in the s e bus ine s s occupancie s , it
will provide the time re quire d for occupants to e xit the s tructure s afe ly and re duce the ris k of fire re late d injury and
de ath. It will als o provide additional time and fle xibility for fire ope rations to occur e fficie ntly and s afe ly. It em #2: The us e
of ambulatory s urge ry ce nte rs (ASC) has s pike d in re ce nt ye ars , partly be caus e the y’re more conve nie nt for patie nts
than hos pitals . It’s als o che ape r as we ll. As of 2017, more than half of outpatie nt s urge rie s we re pe rforme d in an ASC
s e tting. That is an incre as e of 32% s ince 2005. The ASC marke t is proje cte d to incre as e to $40 billion by 2020. Drive rs
for re ve nue growth are lowe r outpatie nt s urge ry cos ts compare d to othe r s e ttings , improve d s afe ty drive n by
te chnological advance me nts , and the aging U.S. population. The re are more than 6,100 ASCs in the U.S. and as of 2016,
10more than 5,500 we re Me dicare -ce rtifie d. As me dical te chnology continue s to advance , s o will the incre as e of ability to
comple te more and more proce dure s in ASCs . This will incre as e the load of patie nts who are not capable of s e lf-
pre s e rvation. Couple this with a lack of knowle dge of the s urge ry facility layout, thos e patie nts and othe r occupants are at
gre ate r ris k of fire re late d de ath or injury. It em #3: The re has be e n an incre as e in cooking re late d fire s in bus ine s s
occupancie s . According to the late s t re port by the U.S. Fire Adminis tration, cooking fire s in bus ine s s occupancie s have
incre as e d by 43% s ince 2003. This is due to the incre as e d e xtravagance in workplace s . Employe e s are re quire d to work
longe r hours and incre as e production. Employe rs are fe e ling the ne e d to provide nice r facilitie s for the e mploye e s , s o
that to maintain moral and production. Among the s e facilitie s are e xtravagant bre ak are as that include full kitche ns with all
the ne ce s s ary appliance s . Combine this with the e ve r-de cre as ing land availability in me tropolitan are as , it has caus e d
owne rs and de s ign profe s s ionals to cons truct ve rtically. This has caus e d highe r ris k are as to be pus he d ve rtically and an
incre as e in building e vacuation time s due to he ight.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will incre as e the cos t of cons truction
N/A
11NFPA 409 Correlation (6143)
IBC: [F] 412.3.6
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 412.3.6 Fire suppressio n.
Aircraft hangars s hall be provide d with a fire s uppre s s ion s ys te m de s igne d in accordance with NFPA 409, bas e d on the
clas s ification for the hangar give n in Table 412.3.6.
Except io n: Whe re a fixed base operator has s e parate re pair facilitie s on s ite , Group II hangars ope rate d by a fixed
base operator us e d for s torage of transient aircraft only s hall have a an automatic fire s prinkle r s uppre s s ion s ys te m,
but the s ys te m and is e xe mpt from foam re quire me nts provide d the s ys te m is de s igne d in accordance with Se ction
903.3.1.1 with a minimum s prinkle r de s ign de ns ity of 0.2 gpm ove r 5,000 s q. ft.
Reaso n: Group II hangars in NFPA 409 are prote cte d with a combination of fire s prinkle r and foam s ys te ms . The curre nt
e xce ption in the IBC allows the foam s ys te m to be re move d without any dire ction from NFPA 409 prote ction to do s o. It is
e as ily mis inte rpre te d re ading NFPA 409, Se ction 7.2.5 to pe rmit a fire s prinkle r s ys te m de ns ity of 0.17 gpm ove r 5,000 s q
ft. howe ve r, this de ns ity is applie d with a foam s ys te m.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
N/A
12IFC/IBC Standpipe Signage Requirements (6144)
IBC: [F] 912.5, 912.5.1 (New), 912.5.2 (New), 912.5.3 (New), 912.5.4 (New); IFC: 912.5, 912.5.1 (New), 912.5.2
(New), 912.5.3 (New), 912.5.4 (New)
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation
(be vis @nfs a.org); Je ffre y Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 912.5 Signs. A me tal s ign with rais e d le tte rs not le s s than 1 inch (25 mm) in s iz e s hall be mounte d on all fire
de partme nt conne ctions s e rving automatic s prinkle rs , s tandpipe s or fire pump conne ctions . Such s igns s hall re ad:
"AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS," "STANDPIPES," or "TEST CONNECTION," or “STANDPIPE AND AUTOSPKR or AUTOSPK
AND STANDPIPE," or a combination the re of as applicable . Whe re the fire de partme nt conne ction doe s not s e rve the e ntire
building, a s ign s hall be provide d indicating the portions of the building s e rve d.
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
912.5.1 Let t ering. Each fire de partme nt conne ction (FDC) s hall be de s ignate d by a s ign with rais e d le tte rs at le as t 1
inch (25.4mm) in he ight. For manual s tandpipe s ys te ms , the s ign s hall als o indicate that the s ys te m is manual and that it
is e ithe r we t or dry.
912.5.2 Serving Mult iple Buildings. Whe re a fire de partme nt conne ction (FDC) s e rvice s multiple buildings , s tructure s
or location, a s ign s hall be provide d indicating the building, s tructure s or locations s e rve d. Whe re the fire de partme nt
conne ction doe s not s e rve the e ntire building, a s ign s hall be provide d indicating the portions of the building s e rve d.
912.5.3 Mult iple o r co mbined syst ems. Whe re combination or multiple s ys te ms type s are s upplie d by the fire
de partme nt conne ction, the s ign or combination of s igns s hall indicate both de s ignate d s e rvice s .
912.5.4 Indicat io n o f pressure. The s ign als o s hall indicate the pre s s ure re quire d at the outle ts to de live r the
s tandpipe s ys te m de mand.
Except io n: The re quire me nts of s e ction 912.5.4 s hall not be re quire d whe n the pre s s ure re quire d is 150 ps i (10.3
bar) or le s s .
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
912.5 Signs. A me tal s ign with rais e d le tte rs not le s s than 1 inch (25 mm) in s iz e s hall be mounte d on all fire de partme nt
conne ctions s e rving automatic s prinkle rs , s tandpipe s or fire pump conne ctions . Such s igns s hall re ad: “AUTOMATIC
SPRINKLERS” or “STANDPIPES” or “TEST CONNECTION,” or “STANDPIPE AND AUTOSPKR or AUTOSPKR AND STANDPIPE,” or
a combination the re of as applicable . Whe re the fire de partme nt conne ction doe s not s e rve the e ntire building, a s ign s hall
be provide d indicating the portions of the building s e rve d.
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
912.5.1 Let t ering. Each fire de partme nt conne ction (FDC) s hall be de s ignate d by a s ign with le tte rs at le as t 1in
(25.4mm) in he ight. For manual s tandpipe s ys te ms , the s ign s hall als o indicate that the s ys te m is manual and that it is
e ithe r we t or dry.
912.5.2 Serving mult iple buildings. Whe re a fire de partme nt conne ction (FDC) s e rvice s multiple buildings , s tructure s
or location, a s ign s hall be provide d indicating the building, s tructure s or locations s e rve d. Whe re the fire de partme nt
conne ction doe s not s e rve the e ntire building, a s ign s hall be provide d indicating the portions of the building s e rve d.
912.5.3 Mult iple o r co mbined syst ems. Whe re combination or multiple s ys te ms type s are s upplie d by the fire
de partme nt conne ction, the s ign or combination of s igns s hall indicate both de s ignate d s e rvice s .
912.5.4 Indicat io n o f pressure. The s ign als o s hall indicate the pre s s ure re quire d at the outle ts to de live r the
s tandpipe s ys te m de mand.
Except io n: The re quire me nts of s e ction 912.5.4 s hall not be re quire d whe n pre s s ure re quire d is 150 ps i (10.3 bar)
or le s s .
13Reaso n: Curre ntly both the IBC s e ction 905.2 and IFC s e ction 905.2 re quire the s ignage for fire de partme nt conne ction to
me e t the re quire me nts found in NFPA 14 Standard for the Ins tallation of Standpipe s and Hos e Sys te ms . This ame ndme nt
s imply pulls thos e re quire me nts into the IFC and IBC for quick ide ntification.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
This is alre ady a re quire me nt and is an e ditorial clarification.
14Buildings with stages (6146)
IBC: [F] 410 .6
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 410 .6 Aut o mat ic sprinkler syst em.
Buildings and s tructure s that contain s tages shall be e quippe d throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance
with Se ction 903.3.1.1. Sprinkle rs s hall be ins talle d unde r the roof and gridiron and unde r all catwalks and galle rie s ove r
the stage. Sprinkle rs s hall be ins talle d in dre s s ing rooms , pe rforme r lounge s , s hops and s tore rooms acce s s ory to s uch
stages.
Except io ns:
1. Sprinkle rs are not re quire d unde r stage are as le s s than 4 fe e t (1219 mm) in cle ar he ight that are utiliz e d
e xclus ive ly for s torage of table s and chairs , provide d that the conce ale d s pace is s e parate d from the adjace nt
s pace s by Type X gypsum board not le s s than 5 /8 -inch (15.9 mm) in thickne s s .
2. Sprinkle rs are not re quire d for stages 1,000 s quare fe e t (93 m 2) or le s s in are a and 50 fe e t (15 240 mm) or
le s s in he ight whe re curtains , s ce ne ry or othe r combus tible hangings are not re tractable ve rtically. Combus tible
hangings s hall be limite d to a s ingle main curtain, borde rs , le gs and a s ingle backdrop.
3. Sprinkle rs are not re quire d within portable orche s tra e nclos ure s on stages.
Reaso n: This change clarifie s Se ction 410.1 re quire me nt for application, "...to all parts of the buildings and
s tructure s ..." Se ction 410.6 le ave s the us e r with the pos s ibility to inte rpre t that only re quire s s tage s to be prote cte d and
the re s t of the building unprote cte d. The comme ntary s upports this by allowing a limite d are a s ys te m for the s tage . The
"trade offs " or e xce ptions in Se ction 410.6 could not or s hould not apply, unle s s the whole building is s prinkle re d
throughout. Se ctions 410.2.1 and 410.5.3.2 re quire the e ntire building to be s prinkle re d.
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will incre as e the cos t of cons truction
Additionally, mos t as s e mbly or e ducational occupancie s whe re s tage s would be locate d, would normally be prote cte d
anyhow.
15Omitted sprinkler locations (6148)
IBC: [F] 90 3.3.1.1.1
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 90 3.3.1.1.1 Exempt lo cat io ns.
Automatic s prinkle rs s hall not be re quire d in the following rooms or are as whe re s uch rooms or are as are prote cte d with
an approved automatic fire de te ction s ys te m in accordance with Se ction 907.2 that will re s pond to vis ible or invis ible
particle s of combus tion. Sprinkle rs s hall not be omitte d from a room me re ly be caus e it is damp, of fire -re s is tance -rate d
cons truction or contains e le ctrical e quipme nt.
1. A room whe re the application of wate r, or flame and wate r, cons titute s a s e rious life or fire haz ard.
2. 1. A room or s pace whe re s prinkle rs are cons ide re d unde s irable be caus e of the nature of the conte nts and
cons titute s a s e rious life of fire haz ard, whe re approved by the fire code official.
3. 2. Ge ne rator and trans forme r rooms s e parate d from the re mainde r of the building by walls and floor/ce iling or
roof/ce iling as s e mblie s having a fire-resistance rating of not le s s than 2 hours .
4. 3. Rooms or are as that are of noncombus tible cons truction with wholly noncombus tible conte nts .
5. 4. Fire s e rvice acce s s e le vator machine rooms and machine ry s pace s .
6. 5. Machine rooms , machine ry s pace s , control rooms and control s pace s as s ociate d with occupant e vacuation
e le vators de s igne d in accordance with Se ction 3008.
Reaso n: This is an e ditorial change to the omitte d s prinkle r locations . The firs t two locations we re e s s e ntially the s ame
locations and caus e d confus ion among authoritie s having juris diction. This s implifie s the s e ction and clarifie s the
allowable omittable locations .
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
This is alre ady a re quire me ntand is ane ditorial clarification.
16Removing Zones from IBC (6149)
IFC: 914.3.1.1, 914.3.1.1.1; IBC: [F] 40 3.3.1, [F] 40 3.3.1.1
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation; Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
914.3.1.1 Number o f sprinkler risers and syst em Fire pro t ect io n zo ne design. Each automatic sprinkler system
locate d in fire protection system z one s in of buildings that are more than 420 fe e t (128 m) in he ight s hall be s upplie d by
not fe we r than two s tandpipe s or e xpre s s mains in accordance with Se ction 905.1 and Se ction 913.1 ris e rs . Each
s tandpipe or e xpre s s main ris e r s hall s upply s prinkle rs on alte rnate floors . If more than two ris e rs are provide d for a
z one , s prinkle rs on adjace nt floors s hall not be s upplie d from the s ame ris e r.
914.3.1.1.1 Riser lo cat io n. Sprinkle r ris e rs Standpipe s and e xpre s s mains s upplying automatic sprinkler systems s hall
be place d in interior exit stairways and ramps that are re mote ly locate d in accordance with Se ction 1007.
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 40 3.3.1 Number o f sprinkler risers and syst em Fire pro t ect io n zo ne design. Each automatic sprinkler system
locate d in fire protection system z one s in of buildings that are more than 420 fe e t (128 m) in building height s hall be
s upplie d by not fe we r than two s tandpipe s or e xpre s s mains in accordance with Se ction 403.4.3 and Se ction 913.1 ris e rs .
Each ris e r s tandpipe or e xpre s s main s hall s upply the automatic s prinkle rs s ys te ms on alte rnate floors . If more than two
ris e rs are provide d for a z one , s prinkle rs on adjace nt floors s hall not be s upplie d from the s ame ris e r.
[F] 40 3.3.1.1 Riser lo cat io n. Sprinkle r ris e rs Standpipe s or e xpre s s mains s upplying automatic sprinkler systems s hall
be place d in interior exit stairways and ramps that are re mote ly locate d in accordance with Se ction 1007.1.
Reaso n: This code change is to re move the word z one from the Inte rnational Building Code as it pe rtains to automatic
s prinkle r s ys te ms . The word z one is us e d and de fine d by NFPA 14 (s tandpipe s ), NFPA 20 (fire pumps ) and NFPA 72 (fire
alarms ), howe ve r it is not us e d or de fine d by NFPA 13 or the IBC/IFC. It is confus ing to apply z one to a s prinkle r s ys te m
whe n othe r ins tallation s tandards us e the te rm in a way that accounts for multiple floors or s ys te ms . Sprinkle r s ys te ms
are individual to e ach floor, me aning, e ach s prinkle r s ys te m is re quire d to have a floor control as s e mbly which, by NFPA
13 and NFPA 25 de finition, s e rve s as a s e parate s ys te m. For e xample , a 50-s tory building, has at le as t 50 s prinkle r
s ys te ms , or one pe r floor. The te rm “fire prote ction s ys te m” is de fine d by the IBC/IFC and whe n us e d with the te rm z one ,
is be tte r corre late d with the othe r fire prote ction ins tallation s tandards . A (ve rtical) fire prote ction z one is more commonly
us e d by the ins tallation s tandards (NFPA 14 and 20) for high ris e s of this he ight and be tte r aligns with the original inte nt of
G46-07/08.
This change als o re move s the word ris e r. Ris e r is me ant to be the wate r s upply through the s tandpipe s ys te m or dire ctly
in the e xpre s s main(s ) through the fire pump s ys te m. Us ing ris e r is not incorre ct, but it confus e s the te rms us e d by NFPA
13. A ris e r is a ve rtical s upply pipe in NFPA 13, but in high ris e s are us ually combine d with the s tandpipe s ys te m. To s tate
“ris e r” in the IBC/IFC implie s a s e parate fe e d to jus t the s prinkle r s ys te m whe re the common practice (and inte nt of this
s e ction) is to us e the s tandpipe s ys te m to be the wate r s upply to e ach s prinkle r s ys te m pe r floor.
Since the change s to this s e ction by propos al G46-07/08 for the 2009 IBC/IFC, the curre nt e ditions of NFPA 20 and NFPA 14
have had s imilar change s in re gard to the NIST WTC re port. NFPA 20 adde d Se ction 5.6 for ve ry tall buildings which
re quire s re dundancy of fire pumps and wate r s torage tanks for buildings be yond the pumping capacity of the fire pump.
NFPA 14, e xpande d the te chnical e xplanation and application of z one s in buildings .
This change ke e ps the re dundancy of the original G46-07/08 inte nt but be tte r works with the othe r s tandards that
de s igne rs , e ngine e rs , and code officials us e .
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will not incre as e or de cre as e the cos t of cons truction
This is an e ditorial change and will not affe ct the cos t of cons truction.
17Sprinkler Protection in Animal Housing (6488)
IBC: SECT ION 20 2 (New), 90 3.2.11.6 (New), 90 3.2.11.6.1 (New); IFC: SECT ION 20 2 (New), 322 (New), 322.1
(New), 322.2 (New), 90 3.2.11.6 (New),
90 3.2.11.6.1
(New)
Pro po nent s: Andre w Be vis , re pre s e nting National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation (be vis .andre w1988@gmail.com); Je ffre y
Hugo, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org); Joe Scibe tta, re pre s e nting BuildingRe ports (js cibe tta@buildingre ports .com)
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Add new definit io n as f o llo ws:
ANIMAL HOUSING FACILITY
Are a of a building or s tructure , including inte rior and adjace nt e xte rior s pace s , whe re animals are fe d, re s te d, worke d,
e xe rcis e d, tre ate d, e xhibite d, or us e d for production. Such facilitie s include but are not limite d to barns and s table s ;
ke nne ls ; animal s he lte rs ; animal hos pitals and ve te rinary facilitie s ; z oos ; laboratorie s ; agricultural facilitie s hous ing
animals ; and me rcantile or bus ine s s occupancie s with animals .
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
90 3.2.11.6 ANIMAL HOUSING FACILIT IES
90 3.2.11.6.1 Aut o mat ic Sprinkler Pro t ect io n. An automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Se ction 903.3 s hall
be provide d throughout animal housing facilities that contain Group R occupancie s or whe re occupants are e xpe cte d to
de lay the ir e me rge ncy e gre s s to care for animals .
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Add new definit io n as f o llo ws:
ANIMAL HOUSING FACILITY
Are a of a building or s tructure , including inte rior and adjace nt e xte rior s pace s , whe re animals are fe d, re s te d, worke d,
e xe rcis e d, tre ate d, e xhibite d, or us e d for production. Such facilitie s include but are not limite d to barns and s table s ;
ke nne ls ; animal s he lte rs ; animal hos pitals and ve te rinary facilitie s ; z oos ; laboratorie s ; agricultural facilitie s hous ing
animals ; and me rcantile or bus ine s s occupancie s with animals .
Add new t ext as f o llo ws:
322 ANIMAL HOUSING FACILIT IES
322.1 So urces o f Ignit io n. Smoking or the us e of he ating or othe r de vice s e mploying an ope n flame , or the us e of
s park-producing e quipme nt is prohibite d in all are as of an animal hous ing facility, including agricultural buildings hous ing
live s tock or poultry.
322.2 Wast e Ho usekeeping. Pe rmane nt s torage of was te s hall be prohibite d in ais le s , hallways , or othe r type s of
e gre s s compone nts .
90 3.2.11.6 ANIMAL HOUSING FACILIT IES
90 3.2.11.6.1
ANIMAL HOUSING FACILIT IES An automatic s prinkle r s ys te m in accordance with Se ction 903.3 s hall be provide d
throughout animal hous ing facilitie s that contain Group R occupancie s or whe re occupants are e xpe cte d to de lay the ir
e me rge ncy e gre s s to care for animals .
Reaso n: This propos al doe s two things : it addre s s e s a s pe cial type of occupancy that is not cove re d by IBC or IFC by
providing a de finition of animal hous ing and it addre s s e s whe n re s ide ntial occupancie s are mixe d with animal hous ing
facilitie s . It is important for the IBC to re cogniz e the s pe cial ope rations that take place in the s e unique facilitie s , whe re a
s e condary population is wholly re liant on a primary population for the ne ce s s ary, prompt atte ntion re quire d during a fire
e me rge ncy. Additionally, this propos al addre s s e s the conce rns of the code committe e from the pre vious cycle . Furthe r
clarification is provide d within the de finition of what type of facilitie s are cons ide re d animal hous ing facilitie s . This
propos al's main goal is to make the prote ction of human occupant’s paramount, i.e ., whe re re s ide ntial dwe lling or s le e ping
units are part of the animal hous ing facility. It als o addre s s e s the conce rn from the committe e that the prote ction of
18occupant’s live s was s e condary. The mode l code s curre ntly do not ade quate ly addre s s facilitie s in which pe ople may
de lay e vacuation for the care of animals .
Many s tate s e xe mpt agricultural buildings and is ofte n and traditionally lumpe d in with “animal hous ing”. A lot of
juris dictions and re s ide nts uncons cious ly do not ge t pe rmits or inquire about cons truction code s be caus e of be ing
clas s ifie d as an agricultural community. The addition of a dwe lling unit to a barn, s table , or ve te rinary office trigge rs
pe rmits and automatic fire s prinkle r s ys te ms .
Fire data indicate s that 98% of civilian injurie s in live s tock or poultry s torage prope rtie s we re due to s tructure fire s . While
64% of thos e fire s we re caus e d by he ating e quipme nt and e le ctrical dis tribution and lighting e quipme nt. Fire s within
live s tock production prope rtie s , 84% of civilian injurie s we re due to s tructure fire s . While 53% of thos e fire s we re caus e d
by he ating e quipme nt and e le ctrical dis tribution and lighting e quipme nt.
Fire s prinkle rs are ins talle d in s ome animal hous ing facilitie s and have a s ignificant impact s aving live s and prope rty.
The McKinne y, TX Fire De partme nt re s ponde d to an incide nt at The Collin County Animal She lte r. Firs t re s ponde rs upon
arrival note d the fire alarm was s ounding and s trobe s activate d. The inve s tigation re ve ale d the fire s prinkle r s ys te m had
activate d and e xtinguis he d the fire within the s he lte r. A s ingle s prinkle r is cre dite d for the minimal fire damage and
re inforce d the value of fire s prinkle r s ys te ms . She lte r s taff re porte d no injurie s to the 124 s he lte re d animals . “This
s ucce s s ful s prinkle r s ave continue s to de mons trate the e ffe ctive ne s s of automatic fire s prinkle r s ys te ms in a
comme rcial e nvironme nt. Had a fire s prinkle r s ys te m not be e n pre s e nt, the outcome may have be e n ve ry diffe re nt,” s aid
De puty Fire Mars hal Andre w Barr.
Anothe r fire occurre d in the Se a Life Ce nte r’s avian curatorial on the s e cond floor of the facility. Fire fighte rs s aw s moke
coming from the building upon arrival and dis cove re d that the fire s prinkle r s ys te m had alre ady e xtinguis he d what was
be lie ve d to have be e n a s mall e le ctrical fire . No s taff or othe r animals we re injure d in the fire .
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will incre as e the cos t of cons truction
The change may incre as e the cos t of cons truction due to the incre as e d le ve l of life s afe ty for the occupants .
19Standpipe exit stairways fix (6489)
IFC: 90 5.4; IBC: [F] 90 5.4
Pro po nent s: JEFFREY HUGO, National Fire Sprinkle r As s ociation, re pre s e nting NFSA (hugo@nfs a.org)
2021 Int ernat ional Fire Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
90 5.4 Lo cat io n o f Class I st andpipe ho se co nnect io ns.
Clas s I s tandpipe hos e conne ctions s hall be provide d in all of the following locations :
1. In e ve ry re quire d interior exit stairway and exterior exit stairway, a hos e conne ction s hall be provide d for e ach
s tory above and be low grade plane. Hos e conne ctions s hall be locate d at the main floor landing unle s s othe rwis e
approved by the fire code official.
Except io n: A s ingle hos e conne ction s hall be pe rmitte d to be ins talle d in the ope n corridor or ope n bre e z e way
be twe e n ope n stairs that are not gre ate r than 75 fe e t (22 860 mm) apart.
2. On e ach s ide of the wall adjace nt to the exit ope ning of a horiz ontal exit.
Except io n: Whe re floor are as adjace nt to a horiz ontal exit are re achable from an interior exit stairway
or exterior exit stairway hos e conne ction by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hos e s tre am from a noz z le attache d to 100
fe e t (30 480 mm) of hos e , a hos e conne ction s hall not be re quire d at the horiz ontal exit.
3. In e ve ry exit passageway, at the e ntrance from the exit passageway to othe r are as of a building.
Except io n: Whe re floor are as adjace nt to an exit passageway are re achable from an interior exit
stairway or exterior exit stairway hos e conne ction by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hos e s tre am from a noz z le attache d
to 100 fe e t (30 480 mm) of hos e , a hos e conne ction s hall not be re quire d at the e ntrance from the exit
passageway to othe r are as of the building.
4. In cove re d mall buildings , adjace nt to e ach e xte rior public e ntrance to the mall and adjace nt to e ach e ntrance from
an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall. In ope n mall buildings , adjace nt to e ach public e ntrance to the mall
at the pe rime te r line and adjace nt to e ach e ntrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.
5. Whe re the roof has a s lope le s s than 4 units ve rtical in 12 units horiz ontal (33.3-pe rce nt s lope ), a hos e conne ction
s hall be locate d to s e rve the roof or at the highe s t landing of an interior exit stairway with acce s s to the roof
provide d in accordance with Se ction 1011.12.
6. Whe re the mos t re mote portion of a nons prinkle re d floor or s tory is more than 150 fe e t (45 720 mm) from a hos e
conne ction or the mos t re mote portion of a s prinkle re d floor or s tory is more than 200 fe e t (60 960 mm) from a
hos e conne ction, the fire code official is authoriz e d to re quire that additional hos e conne ctions be provide d in
approved locations .
2021 Int ernat ional Building Code
Revise as f o llo ws:
[F] 90 5.4 Lo cat io n o f Class I st andpipe ho se co nnect io ns.
Clas s I s tandpipe hos e conne ctions s hall be provide d in all of the following locations :
1. In e ve ry re quire d interior exit stairway or exterior exit stairway, a hos e conne ction s hall be provide d for e ach s tory
above and be low grade plane. Hos e conne ctions s hall be locate d at the main floor landing unle s s othe rwis e
approved by the fire code official.
Except io n: A s ingle hos e conne ction s hall be pe rmitte d to be ins talle d in the ope n corridor or ope n bre e z e way
be twe e n ope n stairs that are not gre ate r than 75 fe e t (22 860 mm) apart.
2. On e ach s ide of the wall adjace nt to the e xit ope ning of a horizontal exit.
Except io n: Whe re floor are as adjace nt to a horizontal exit are re achable from an interior exit stairway
or exterior exit stairway hos e conne ction by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hos e s tre am from a noz z le attache d to 100
fe e t (30 480 mm) of hos e , a hos e conne ction s hall not be re quire d at the horizontal exit.
203. In e ve ry exit passageway, at the e ntrance from the exit passageway to othe r are as of a building.
Except io n: Whe re floor are as adjace nt to an exit passageway are re achable from an interior exit stairway
or exterior exit stairway hos e conne ction by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hos e s tre am from a noz z le attache d to 100
fe e t (30 480 mm) of hos e , a hos e conne ction s hall not be re quire d at the e ntrance from the exit passageway to
othe r are as of the building.
4. In cove re d mall buildings , adjace nt to e ach e xte rior public e ntrance to the mall and adjace nt to e ach e ntrance from
an e xit passageway or e xit corridor to the mall. In open mall buildings, adjace nt to e ach public e ntrance to the mall
at the pe rime te r line and adjace nt to e ach e ntrance from an e xit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.
5. Whe re the roof has a s lope le s s than 4 units ve rtical in 12 units horiz ontal (33.3-pe rce nt s lope ), a hos e conne ction
s hall be locate d to s e rve the roof or at the highe s t landing of an interior exit stairway with acce s s to the roof
provide d in accordance with Se ction 1011.12.
6. Whe re the mos t re mote portion of a nons prinkle re d floor or story is more than 150 fe e t (45 720 mm) from a hos e
conne ction or the mos t re mote portion of a s prinkle re d floor or story is more than 200 fe e t (60 960 mm) from a
hos e conne ction, the fire code official is authoriz e d to re quire that additional hos e conne ctions be provide d in
approved locations .
Reaso n: This propos al corre cts an e rror that firs t appe are d in the 2015 IFC. Propos al E2-12, s ubmitte d by ICC-CTC, we nt
through the code s to s e parate "e xit s tairway" re fe re nce s into e ithe r "inte rior e xit s tairway" or "e xte rior e xit s tairway"
whe re ve r the te rm appe are d. Unfortunate ly, the re vis ion to Se ction 905.4, Ite m 1 mis take nly adde d "inte rior" but not
"e xte rior." This re s ulte d in an uninte nde d and unjus tifie d te chnical change ; whe re by, Clas s I hos e conne ction locations
we re no longe r s pe cifie d for e xte rior e xit s tairways , e ve n if a building e xce e ds the he ight thre s holds re quiring ins tallation
of a s tandpipe s ys te m. Although tall buildings don't ofte n have e xte rior e xit s tairways , the y s ome time s do, and the code
ne e ds to be fixe d to addre s s the s e ins tance s .
Co st Impact : The code change propos al will incre as e the cos t of cons truction
From a lite ral pe rs pe ctive , this propos al might be vie we d as incre as ing the cos t of cons truction in that it te chnically adds a
re quire me nt for additional hos e conne ctions in buildings with e xte rior e xit s tairways and which re quire s tandpipe s .
Howe ve r, the change to the 2015 e dition that e liminate d this re quire me nt was done in e rror, with no dis clos ure or
s ubs tantiation. The inte nt is to re turn the code to whe re it s hould have be e n all along.
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