I'm glad to see others seem to be thinking along the same lines. This
is the second design-build chemical facility project this year with
no engineering or insurance company input and no company policies on
fire protection other than 'code says we need sprinklers'.
Let me pose this: if there is no such thing as an 'ordinary chemical
plant' and they all require specific engineering analysis per NFPA
30, is NFPA doing a disservice by including this in 13? Anybody can
read that statement and decide that a facility is an ordinary
chemical plant and protect it as OH2 when it should be analyzed and
could be a lot higher. Don't mean to dis the sprinkler bible, but
this type of statement could have some unintended consequences.
At 12:07 PM 3/6/2008, you wrote:
I have never done a chemical processing facility that fell under NFPA 13
and never an OH occupancy. Usually they fall under NFPA 30 or a more
stringent and specific FM criteria. Each plant requires a detailed
hazards analysis of the process, equipment types and purpose, MSDS info
as well as building construction among other issues to determine the
proper protection approach.
The other issue is that there are new technologies being born every day.
Each new product being used or produced doesn't always have a page of
it's own in the code. So it takes some homework and detailed analysis
when it comes to determining fire protection criteria for these kinds of
facilities.
"Ya gotta love it!"
Craig L. Prahl, CET
Fire Protection Group
Mechanical Department
CH2MHILL
Lockwood Greene
1500 International Drive
PO Box 491, Spartanburg, SC 29304-0491
Direct - 864.599.4102
Fax - 864.599.8439
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.ch2m.com
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Todd
Williams - FPDC
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 11:26 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Ordinary chemical plants?
In NFPA 13, under the section describing OH2 occupancies, they mention
"Chemical plants - ordinary". What is an ordinary chemical plant?
Todd G. Williams, PE
Fire Protection Design/Consulting
Stonington, Connecticut
www.fpdc.com
860.535.2080
_______________________________________________
Sprinklerforum mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum
To Unsubscribe, send an email
to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
_______________________________________________
Sprinklerforum mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum
To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
Todd G. Williams, PE
Fire Protection Design/Consulting
Stonington, Connecticut
www.fpdc.com
860.535.2080
_______________________________________________
Sprinklerforum mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum
To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
