I'd venture a guess that thee are more illegal door stops in use than closed
spkr valves :)

glc

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Law, Kevin W
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:56 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: non-rated door

One of the reasons that you don't find a listed application for water
curtains on a fire door may be the difficulty in performing a test in
accordance to NFPA 252 to get a rated door.  I haven't talked to anyone at a
lab facility, but I am thinking that they would be resistant to putting an
array of sprinklers inside of their furnace while performing a burn test on
a door assembly. Plus, I think that it would be tough to keep the furnace
temperatures in line with the test curve with sprinklers inside of the
furnace.  It seems that I have heard rumors of water curtains for glass wall
assemblies (maybe it is more wishful thinking by artistic architects), but I
don't have any experience with those things.  The only thing I have been
able to find is water curtains for exposure and opening protection on
exterior walls, not for anything inside of a building.  

If you have a daring AHJ and engineer you could write up a performance based
criteria, but I wouldn't do it.  Fire doors are supposed to be a passive
barrier.  If the sprinkler system has a problem, in spite of our best
efforts (how many times have valves been shut, etc), then that door is going
to BURN. 


Kevin Law, PE
Bechtel National, Inc.
Waste Treatment Project
Fire Protection Engineering
Work  (509) 371-3280
Cell    (509) 531-5715


-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve
Kowkabany
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:20 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: non-rated door

Matt,

There is no code or provision for being able to add a fire rating to walls
or partitions by adding sprinklers on both sides, but I do wish I had a
dollar for every time I have had an architect ask me this.  It seems like it
would make sense, but there is no listing or precedence that I am aware of
for doing this for walls - unlike what is in place for glazing with window
sprinklers and such.

Luckily, rated doors are not that expensive.  Your contractor should just
buy one.

Good luck,


Steve Kowkabany, P.E.
Fire Protection Engineer
Neptune Fire Protection Engineering LLC
60 Ocean Boulevard, Suite 15
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
904-652-4200 Phone
904-212-0868 Fax 

We have moved.  Please note our new address.


-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Matt Grise
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 4:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: non-rated door

I have a case where a contractor wants to put a decorative (not fire rated)
door into a rated hallway of a non-sprinkled building. I was hoping that
there was some code or study that allows for a water curtain to be placed on
both sides of the door in order to maintain the fire rating. Has anyone
heard of anything like this?

Matt Grisé PE*, LEED AP
Sales Engineer
Alliance Fire Protection
*Licensed in KS & MO 

913.888.0647 ph
913.888.0618 f
913.927.0222 cell
www. AFPsprink.com
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