It's in IBC 507.3. 2. The automatic sprinkler system shall not be required in areas occupied for indoor participant sports, such as tennis, skating, swimming and equestrian activities in occupancies in Group A-4, provided that:
2.1. Exit doors directly to the outside are provided for occupants of the participant sports areas; and 2.2. The building is equipped with a fire alarm system with manual fire alarm boxes installed in accordance with Section 907. And most racquetball courts are A-3 anyway unless you have defined spectator seating, which I haven't seen personally. A viewing deck above or glass wall IMHO isn't the same. So this A-4 exception may not help you. Also, in the commentary it makes the point A-4 exception only applies when in unlimited area buildings so you just have to watch what the mixed uses are. This goes to Steve's comment about separation of occupancies. If you are unlimited and fit within the definitions of unlimited I'm seeing it as you can not sprinkler the A-4 and still be unseperated. No direct show stoppers as these are typically in A-3's and they can be unlimited when one story. Got a two story health club and you start to run into issues even if you somehow get to the A-4 occupancy in the first place. Don't get me wrong there are many places I think sprinklers are kinda silly. The above though is Code and I don't like to override with common sense too often. I have too good a life to waste on an outlier event. BTW, I've played off and on. Been a number of years, but I don't recall hitting the ceiling ever never mind often enough or hard enough to statistically hit too many heads. Am I miss-remembering? As far as other solution not previously discussed are there areas of the ceiling less likely to get hit? Re-space and get closer to the corners? Also, at what rate are they getting knocked off. A few times a year, buy a ladder, few times a day yeah I see the issue. You still have the exception of IFC 903 1.1.1.1 4. Rooms or areas that are of noncombustible construction with wholly noncombustible contents. But I'd think the requirement for detection would just swap the details of the same problem. Chris Cahill, PE* Senior Fire Protection Engineer, Aviation & Facilities Group Burns & McDonnell 8201 Norman Center Drive Bloomington, MN 55437 Phone: 952.656.3652 Fax: 952.229.2923 [email protected] www.burnsmcd.com Proud to be one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For *Registered in: MN -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 5:50 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Racquet Ball Court 2003 IFC 903.2.1.4 Group A-4. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided for Group A-4 occupancies where one or more of the following conditions exists: 1. 2. 3. Exception: Areas used exclusively as participant sports areas where the main floor area is located at the same level as the level of the exit discharge of the main entrance and exit. This exception has been deleted from all later versions on the code. _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum
