This Might Not Be What You Wanted To See

Monday, May 24, 2010

Research and development of fire sprinkler heads that are designed for a specific purpose has come to the protection of glass used in rated fire separations.  Most codes allow the use of glass in fire rated separations as long as the glass is protected using fire sprinklers.  In the past, all that was required were closely spaced sprinklers on either side of and in close proximity to the glass.  However, NFPA 13, the Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, now requires that sprinklers used to protect glass be listed for that purpose.  The listing information for these “special application” sprinklers stipulates specific distances from the glass and especially their location in relation to mullions and lites.  The specific requirements are clearly shown in the literature for these special application sprinklers and should be reviewed in detail with the proposed fire separation to make sure that protection can be achieved while keeping the aesthetics in line with expectations. Obviously there are alternatives, but the use of these special application sprinklers can help keep costs down while making the use of glass in fire rated separations feasible.  A close look at the requirements and limitations of these special purpose sprinklers early in the design process will help to avoid misunderstandings at the last minute.