Missing suspended ceiling tiles 2

[FFP1]

I have a customer who has removed some of the suspended ceiling tiles (20ftx20ft area) in the middle of a large room. Elementary school occupancy. Steel deck above is 10 ft higher than the mineral tile ceiling. Pendent sprinklers remain where tiles remain. Upright sprinklers installed directly above the 20x20 opening. No draft curtains and no vertical tiles or drywall above the 20x20 opening.

Obviously, the heat would draft from the lower area to the large pocket above the suspended ceiling tiles (resulting in delayed operation of all pendent sprinklers).

I have looked everywhere I can think.....Where does NFPA code specifically state this is a code violation????

Do we have a problem if one suspended ceiling tile is missing (I think the answer is yes)....how many missing suspended ceiling tiles before we have an actual code violation?

 

[TravisMack]

I think they need to enclose that room with walls to the deck and then you just protect the room. There are exceptions in 13 to address these spaces, but that is when only one side is exposed. So, since you don't have that condition (4 sides exposed), they either put uprights across the facility until you get to walls, or they put walls up around the room.

I still don't see the issue with the heads at the 2x2 tiles. If the heads weren't there, it wouldn't be a question at all as the 2x2 tiles are not large enough to be an obstruction to the overhead sprinklers (<48" in width). You simply have more than the minimum protection required per NFPA 13. The bigger problem is inadequate protection at the level of the upright sprinklers.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC

http://www.mfpdesign.com

 

[TyphoonK]

NFPA 13 - 2010 Section 8.15.22 Spaces Above Ceilings

Check whether 8.15.22.3 applies, but it doesn't sound like it will based on your description. This applies if only one side of the drop ceiling is open. See Figure A.8.15.22.3 (Annex).

 

[cdafd]

Typhoon

That is a good section

Have not seen that before, but I Normaly ask and see sprinklers at the deck through out most of the time

But it looks like another argument for the op since it is saying sprinklers have to be above the office drop cieling