Code Issues
Sprinkler systems fail in one out of six building fires, yet the new building codes will put people and property at even greater risk by over-relying on sprinklers, and reducing or eliminating fire-resistant construction.
Sprinkler systems have been an important advance. However, in order to protect human life and property, it is essential to restore historically proven, built-in, fire-resistant material requirements in our building codes.
The combination of both sprinklers and fire-resistant construction is more effective than either one alone.
Listed below are aspects of the model codes where increased use of fire-resistant construction and/or smoke-resistant features could enhance fire safety for building occupants and firefighters.
- Height and area tables
- Rated construction: non-load bearing interior partitions
- Corridor fire-resistance ratings
- Egress corridors
- Higher, fire-resistant types of construction: fire-resistant ratings
- Fire wall ratings
- Two-story unlimited-area buildings
- Tenant separations
- Exterior wall ratings
- Fire area concept
- High-rise buildings: fire-resistance ratings
- High-rise buildings: smoke control
- Area thresholds for mandatory sprinklers
- Smoke control in one- or two-story mall buildings
- Double sprinkler trade-offs (permitted increases in height and area)
- Unprotected vertical openings, two-story buildings
- Anchor building separations for malls
- Occupancy separations: one-hour sprinkler trade-offs
recent articles [ view all articles ]
- Study demonstrates benefits of balanced fire protection design for dorm safety (March 31, 2010)
- Is sprinkler-washed tempered glass as safe as fire-rated glass? (December 2008)
- Clarifying the issue of fire pritection balance - Fire Engineering Magazine Nov 2003 (November 2003)
- Refurb may be factor in tower fire tragedy: Building experts question why fatal blaze was able to spread so quickly (July 10, 2009)
- NFPA: U.S. Experience with Sprinklers and Other Fire Extinguishing Equipment (January 2009)
- NFPA: Sprinkler Errata (January 2009)
- NFPA: Printable fact sheet on sprinklers (January 2009)
- Safer Buildings Are Goal of New Code Changes Based on Recommendations from NIST World Trade Center Investigation (October 1, 2008)
- Sprinkler Trade-Offs by Occupancy Type from the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) (October 2008)
- Sprinkler trade-offs: An Editorial from Fire Safety & Technology Bulletin (October 2008)
- Woman dies of smoke inhalation on 3rd floor due to 5th floor fire (October 3, 2008)
- Effort to Ease Skyscraper Codes Fails (September 20, 2008)
- Senator Clinton Blasts Government Agency's Opposition to Post-9/11 Safety Standards for New Skyscrapers (September 10, 2008)
- NY Times: GSA and BOMA working to repeal stronger safety requirements for skyscrapers (September 7, 2008)
- On Smoke Control by Pressurization in Stairwells and Elevator Shafts (August 8, 2008)
- Homeland Security: New Metal Theft Threatens ESS
- Lack of regular inspection, testing, and maintenance can compromise the performance of fire-protection devices and have deadly results (June 2008)
- Low water pressure and overwhelmed sprinkler system contribute to large loss at Universal Studios Hollywood (6/2/2008)
- Latest NFPA statistics show 90% performance reliability for automatic sprinklers (March / April 2008)
- Fire Sprinklers in New Construction (3/13/2008)
- Have we gone too far for cost vs. safety? (12/12/2007)
- Do sprinklered fires eliminate the need for smoke control?
- AFSCC Appoints New Executive Director (9/2/2007)
- It Is About Time-- Direct Impact of World Trade Center Report Affects All Firefighters (6/14/2007)
- January 2007 Fire Engineering Magazine Article - Code Developments: Whose Battlefield Is This?
- "Defective sprinklers spur fire officials to push for backups" - "Defective sprinklers still in use." (2/12/2006)
- Building Operating Management Article "Squelching Fire Safety Risks"
- Statement by Jon S. Traw before the ICC Code Technology Committee (July 20, 2005)