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Rack Boat Storage 1

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spkreng

Mechanical
Apr 7, 2010
55
gentlemen (sic ladies too) I have a 4 story rack boat storage facility (actually 2 bldgs) and am getting differing opinions on the requirements, me would go with .17/2000 GP A plastics no rack heads however, I was directed to a study that was concerned of boats filling with water and falling which I feel is off track for designing a system..what say u...the E.O.R. (don't let me go there) states emphatically "provide a nfpa complaint system"

spkreng, CET
 
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someone did an engineering thing on this I thought, not sure which city or if it was rv storage
 
thanks guys, gonna go with gp a plastics, was told by SOMEONE in FL to run away from the project....

spkreng, CET
 
Closely review NFPA 303. It offers no guidance. Annex A has some pretty powerful statements regarding the fire protection problems. This design requires specialized engineering by a licensed fire protection engineer. Too many variables to consider in this scenario AND no fire test data exists to confirm any assumptions.

Boats are not a commodity - they are their own individual fuel package. Mark my words, we'll see one of these uber rich boat warehouses protected by a dry pipe sprinkler system (because the owner was to cheap to heat the building) with a funky 3:12 pitch roof burn to the ground.

This website is an internet forum - not a design solution.
 
See NFPA 13, 2010, table A5.6 Examples of Commodities NOT addressed by the classification in section 5.6 ( commodity classification)

Boat Storage
Storage on Racks

Yes RUN as fast as you can AWAY from this one!!

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Fire Sprinklers Save Firefighters’ Lives Too!


 
There was some good information on the AFSA forum yesterday about this same thing. These types of buildings do not have any NFPA requirements that I have seen. I would tell the EOR that this is not addressed in NFPA and it is not possible to to an "NFPA compliant system." If that is what he desires, he should develop the criteria. I have run away from these jobs as well. Even in this economy, I don't want to risk my future for a project that does not have a prescriptive criteria or full scale testing to develop the criteria.

If you go for it, I would contact your insurance company to make sure that they will even cover your design liability for the project.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC
 
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