The National Fire Protection Association standard NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, is the most widely used source designed to protect occupants from fire based on the construction and features of buildings. NFPA 101 is the only standard that covers life safety for both existing and new buildings. One of the ways that features of construction protects occupants is through compartmentation.
One of the basic requirements of NFPA 101 is that each
floor that separates stories in buildings must be constructed as smoke
barriers. Openings in these smoke
barriers, however, are common and necessary for building aesthetics or
functionality. These vertical openings
can be for pipes, conduits, and cables, shafts for elevators, an atrium or
mezzanine, stairs, or an escalator. All
of these NFPA permissible vertical openings must be protected correctly to
minimize the spread of fire or smoke to other floors.
Types of NFPA
Permissible Vertical Openings
Seismic Joints,
Pipe Penetrations and Expansions
Pipes, conduits, cables, and other items have to run
vertically throughout a building to provide utilities to each floor and areas
of the building. Vertical openings that
are created by seismic joints are necessary to protect the structural integrity
of the building. Seismic joint expansion must be designed to prevent fire
penetration. Any of these types of vertical openings must be protected with a
type of device or system to prevent or limit the transfer of smoke.
Shafts
Shafts in buildings are often for elevators but can also
be for other reasons like mechanical equipment, pipes or stairs. Building shafts are required to have
fire-resistant rated walls that separate the shaft from the building, running
the entire length of the building or equal to or beyond the length of the
shaft.
Atrium
An atrium is one of the largest vertical openings and is
used for aesthetics or convenience, can be located anywhere in the structure
and is permitted to be open to other stories.
The atrium must be separated from the rest of the building construction
with one-hour fire resistant rated walls.
Some atriums use glass walls, which is allowed if other conditions are
met. Other conditions apply to atriums
as NFPA permissible vertical openings, your fire and life
safety provider can help you understand the
requirements for code compliance and ultimate building safety.
Mezzanine
A partial floor located between two floors is called a
mezzanine. The mezzanine itself is not considered to be a story. Certain requirements apply that depend upon
the design and size of the mezzanine.
Convenience
Stairs
Convenience stairs are openings that connect floors with
unenclosed stairs that allow travel between four floors. Convenience stairs are permitted to be no
more than four contiguous floors with regard to new construction. They cannot
serve as a required exit or means of egress.
Other requirements apply such as the need for a sprinkler system and
openings with sprinklers spaced as outlined in NFPA 13,
the Standard for Installation of Sprinkler Systems.
HRSS can help you understand the fire alarm
system design requirements
for fire safety regulations where convenience stairs are located as well as
other NFPA permissible vertical openings.
Escalator
Few options are available to protect vertical openings
that are a result of an escalator. The
most common method of protection is to use closely spaced sprinklers in
accordance with NFPA 13.
Other vertical openings include communication spaces such
as a “mini-atrium”, convenience openings, and two-story openings with partial
enclosures. HRSS offers fire alarm system design in accordance with all
building and fire safety code requirements.
HRSS is a
leading commercial fire alarm system provider offering UL listed equipment and
complete fire, life and safety services.
We assist building owners, general and electrical contractors to provide
code compliant fire safety systems in various building structures. Contact us to learn more about fire
protection and safety regarding NFPA permissible vertical openings.
This article was originally published at: https://hrsschicago.com/commercial-fire-alarms/nfpa-permissible-vertical-openings/
