All LH full 13 systems. 

#1 is the hall in a hospice house  
#2 is/was more theoretical but common enough
#3 is two different places - an office and same hospice
#4 is office.

Let's not confuse the issue with residential and keep it to 13 and LH.  Yes
it may be different in 13R or 13D.  Perhaps that is another discussion all
together. But clearly one explanation there is the different goals of those
systems.     

Chris 
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Thom McMahon
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 12:01 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Soffits, light shelves other obstructions

Chris:

Are these all in LH or Residential occupancies?
What occupancy these occur in may affect the answer.

Thom McMahon, SET
Firetech, Inc.
2560 Copper Ridge Dr
P.O. Box 882136
Steamboat Springs, CO 80488
Tel:  970-879-7952
Fax: 970-879-7926



-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Chris Cahill
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 9:54 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Soffits, light shelves other obstructions

I had a fitter question a seemingly similar situation and couldn't really
come up with a logical answer.  

 

#1 - It started with a light shelf.  The self sticks out from the wall about
3'.  It's about 10' long.  This is in a very wide hallway.   The top is more
than 18" below the deflector. It's about 5" thick.  I say '02-8.6.5.3
(obstructions more than 18" below) tells us we don't need a head under the
shelf.  The floor is covered from the overhead assuming the shelf didn't
exist.    

 

#2 - Then we have about the same situation but the edge of the shelf returns
to the ceiling creating a box. I think we'd call it a soffit.  As I see it
'02-8.6.5.3 doesn't apply anymore.  We'd go back to 8.6.5.1.2 (beam rule).
It's over 30" so that's not an option.  In nearly all cases a head goes in.


 

#3 - Or how about a closet with no doors recessed into the wall with just a
header over the opening.  In nearly all cases a head goes in.   

 

#4 - Or how about a shower with doors but the top 6"-8" of the door is
missing.  Really a drop soffit, 6" opening then the door below.  In nearly
all cases a head goes in.   

 

In all cases as I see it and our fitter sees it we have the exact same
operation time of the head and the same wetting pattern on the floor
assuming one doesn't put the lower head in.  By that I mean there will be no
water on the floor because of the obstruction.  Again if the obstruction
didn't exist the floor would be wet from the overhead.  But in the first
case we don't put a head under the obstruction but usually put one in the
other three cases.  Now example 3 and 4 could be argued as rooms but from a
performance standard the issue is the same is it not.  Now I say usually
because with subtle dimension differences we might skip the head in the box
or closet if we can meet the beam rule and distance from the wall.  

 

Any thoughts other than I know applying logic to the codes it dangerous.
That's OK with me.  I don't like it but will live with it.  My fitter really
doesn't like it.  More of a black or white kind of guy.  

 

Chris Cahill, P.E.

Fire Protection Engineer

Sentry Fire Protection, Inc.

 

763-658-4483

763-658-4921 fax

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Mail: P.O. Box 69

        Waverly, MN 55390

 

Location: 4439 Hwy 12 SW

              Waverly, MN 55390

 

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