Sectioning with supervised valves in shopping mall

[sprinkler1000]

We are working in a sprinkler project for a shopping mall that is being constructed. Doubts about the criteria for installing sectioning supervised valves arise.
Is recommended to leave a supervised valve for every store, to isolate the rest of the mall in case of tenant change/renovation etc? I would like to consider the cost issue also.
I wanted to know if there is any standard practice about this in shopping malls.
Store sizes range from 600 to 5000 sq ft.

Thanks

 

[stookeyfpe]

What country?
What code?
What edition?

 

[sprinkler1000]

Stookeyfpe :
It is outside US but we are following NFPA 13. The question is not specifically related to code but to standard practice (unless it is adressed in the code which I think is not). Of course we are not exceeding 52000 sq ft per alarm valve.

 

[chevy4x4trucks]

I have done this in malls before (actual shopping malls, not strip malls). I believe this goes back to the IBC and it was just for the reason you described, so that when the space is remodeled it doesn't shut down 52,000 square feet of mall space for a 2,000 square foot tenant remodel.

 

[stookeyfpe]

No such requirement exists in the IBC or IFC. The only time sectional control valves are required by the indicated codes are in high-rise buildings.

With that said, some sectional valve arrangement is warranted in covered malls, especially with all the tenant improvements that occur in these buildings. However, I don't feel comfortable about speculating the number or location of valves because that decision should be based on the fire protection design and the building geometry.

My other concern is valve supervision. If the valves are not electrically supervised and monitored, each additional valve is a potential failure path.

 

[b1ueshift]

In a mall, there are a few issues, one is that retail tenancies shut down and get refitted regularly - the other is that on day one when the mall is open, the authorities will expect it to be fully covered with sprinklers even if only a small fraction of the retail tenancies are occupied.

I have some experience with shopping malls in the Middle East. On each project, the general contractor responsible for constructing the mall was also responsible for fitting 'high level' sprinklers above each retail tenancy. There was also a monitored isolation valve in each tenancy to facilitate the installation of sprinklers when the space is eventuall letted and fitted out.

Back in 1999, I was working on some shopping malls projects in the US (Pa). Each tenancy just had a flanged connection to the sprinkler system. When a tenancy was refitted, the whole sprinkler zone had to be shut down and drained, an a spade fitted in the flanged joint so that the sprinkler system in each tenancy could be modified. When the work was finished there was a similar procedure to remove the spade. The trouble with spades is that it's possible for them to be installed and for someone to forget to take them out, especially if the mall has a high turn over of maintenance staff. I wouldn't recommend any of my clients in the Middle East to use that type of system because some the maintenance staff here are not particularly responsible and would likely use the spades to 'fix' leaky pipework.

 

[sprinkler1000]

Thanks all for taking the time to reply.

In this case we are leaving about three supervised valves for each level of stores, taking into account the geometry of the installation.

I know that installing valves in each store is a much better option, but cost is an issue here. I will keep pushing towards this solution.

 

[SprinklerDesigner2]

Some states have their own rules like this one in Georgia

http://www.gainsurance.org/External...e Safety Standards - effective 03-09-2010.pdf

found on page 90.

3. Add a new paragraph 36.3.5.1.1 to read as follows:
“36.3.5.1.1 Individual tenant spaces located in covered mall buildings shall be provided with electrically supervised control valves. Such control valves shall be located off supply mains to control each individual tenant space.
“Exception: Multiple tenant spaces shall be permitted to be controlled by one control valve provided the total area covered by the single valve does not exceed 7,500 square feet (696.8 sq m).”

A covered mall building is defined in the IBC.

Georgia has some other deviations such as the number of sprinklers calculated on ESFR systems using a K25 sprinkler must be a minimum of 15 heads and not 12.

On other than high rise buildings, where sprinklers are installed throughout, you don't have to calculate standpipes, no calculations are required if all pipe, including the standpipe in each individual stairwell, is 8" diameter.

As long as it doesn't meet the definition of high rise you can have a 5 story building without a fire pump and a city supply of 60 static, 40 residual @ 600 gpm.

 

[sprinkler1000]

Interesting information SprinklerDesigner2.

I think that the 7500 sq ft limit they establish sounds reasonable, so you dont have to put a supervised valve for small stores.

In other jobs we have taken different approaches ,and I was looking for this kind of input to know how this was dealt in the past.
Thanks