Plastic bin storage with high roofs

[witchdoc]

We constructed a 70000 square foot metal fabrication plant a few years back for a customer. It is fully sprinkled, with a design density of 0.35 gpm/sf. The eave height is about 55 feet. The building houses large metal stamping presses. The customer originally stored both finished and work-in-process parts in noncombustible wire cages.

Their customer is now using collapsable HDPE crates (or stack bins) for parts transport and storage. They typically stack the bins 4 to 5 high, which yields storage heights of about 20 feet. We have been asked to evaluate necessary changes to the fire protection system. We are having trouble finding a solution using NFPA 13 due to the excessive eave height. The building has overhead bridge cranes and 70 foot spans between columns. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[LCREP]

A review FM Data Sheet 8-9 and NFPA 13 does not permit this storage because of the excessive clearance height.

As I see it they have the following options, they may not like it, but sometimes we just need to say what u did is not in the books!

1. Have the client store the bins on a dedicated area and lower the ceiling via a suspended ceiling and then upgrade this area with ESFR. Separate this area from adjacent area with a draft curtain.

2. Store the product on a rack and put in-racks at each level of storage.

3. Go back to a wire cages.

4. Store the plastic outside in a trailer.

You may want to post this question on the American Fire Sprinkler Association e-mail forum to.
sprinklerforum@firesprinkler.org