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12/01/2003
By: Daniel Bolger
As rack heights extend upwards, so do costs.
any furniture retailers are surprised by the fire protection
requirements and costs when revising or expanding an existing
warehouse, building a new facility or even acquiring a warehouse
that was being used for furniture. There are a number of ways to
approach fire compliance design issues, but experience has shown
that skilled systems designers achieve fire protection compliance at
substantially lower cost.
For this article FURNITURE WORLD asked nationally recognized fire
protection code expert, Elley Klausbruckner to supply general
practical information on fire protection requirements for furniture
warehouses. Specific solutions require the design expertise of a
qualified fire protection engineer and warehouse designer.
Due to rising land costs, the availability of high-rise material
handling equipment and the need for large inventories to support
sales, racked warehouses are expanding toward the heavens.
Racked warehouses of 30 to 40 feet clear height and occasionally
higher are common. The highest furniture warehouse of record in
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the USA is an automated warehouse at 106 feet clear height.
Increasing building height to achieve a desired storage capacity is
much more cost effective than increasing the building footprint.
This is true even when we factor in the cost of the fire protection
systems needed to protect these facilities. Tall warehouses contain
more goods per square foot, which in turn increases the potential
property loss per floor area in the event of a fire. Property losses
resulting from smoke and fire damage to inventory, in many cases,
have surpassed the construction cost of the buildings. By
definition, high piled storage is any storage over 12 feet. There are
two major factors that affect any high piled storage warehouse:
Commodity (i.e. what is stored/burnabilty/heat production of
materials).
Geometry (how the product is stored).
Commodity Classification is the practice of determining the
burnability and rate of heat produced by a product. If
commodity classification is done incorrectly, it will result in
over-design (unnecessarily expensive) or under-design
(inadequate) of the protection system within a warehouse or
storage area.
There are five categories of commodities used by most insurance
carriers and fire codes agencies; Class I-IV and High Hazard/Group
A Plastics category. The Class I category includes the least
burnable and heat producing products and High Hazard/Group A
Plastics category includes the most burnable and heat producing
products.
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When providing information to the city and insurance carrier, it is
very important to give a thorough description of what is being
stored. The overall protection for a warehouse is typically based on
the worst-case commodity. There are a few allowances in most
codes for limited amounts of a higher hazard category products.
For example, a warehouse can be classified as a Class IV
warehouse with limited amounts of High Hazard/Group A. How this
limited amount of the higher hazard has to be stored depends on
the adopted code in the community.
High piled storage is of great concern to fire
inspectors, city plan reviewers, and the
insurance industry because of the speed at
which a fire can grow and spread, once a
fire has started. A similar occurrence can be
observed in the way a match will burn. It
burns slowly or extinguishes in a horizontal
position, but is consumed more rapidly and
completely when held vertically. Rack
storage, palletized storage, storage height,
ceiling heights, etc., all affect the way in
which a fire grows. When information is requested by fire plan
checkers, inspectors, or insurance carriers, it is important to
provide this information as accurately as possible.
The three most commonly used methods of storage are palletized/
floor storage, shelf storage and rack storage. The method of
furniture storage that generally requires the most costly fire
protection installation system is rack storage with solid shelving
(typically large shelving greater than 32 square feet and less than
50% open). Pallets are considered part of the commodity, and not
the rack. New inspectors and warehouse owners often
misunderstand the role of pallets... a very costly mistake that can
result in much higher fire protection costs.
If furniture on pallets catches fire, heat rises quickly, setting off
sprinkler heads. Water cascades from the ceiling between the
pallets down to the fire. That is why pallet loads set in racks
without shelving are still considered racks without solid shelving.
When fires occur in warehouses fitted with solid shelves, heat is
prevented from rising. Water from sprinkler heads mounted
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overhead is prevented by the solid shelves from reaching the fire
which may then jump the aisles, spread horizontally and
overwhelm the total system. Thats why rack storage systems with
solid shelving typically require in-rack sprinkler systems (sprinklers
installed in the middle of the racks) at every level of the rack.
Alternative methods of storage, such as racks with wire decking,
can be considered to reduce the cost impact of fire protection
compared to solid shelves.
There are many other storage method options that can be
considered based on specific site conditions. In a recent existing
warehouse conversion to a furniture warehouse, low water supply
and pressure made in-rack sprinklers less costly than installing a
totally new overhead ESFR fire protection system which would have
required a fire pump and large storage tank. A fire protection
engineer, can evaluate alternate approaches to arrive at a cost
effective and practical solution.
The following is a list of general guidelines to follow when
information is requested by the local code agencies or insurance
carrier:
Honesty and courtesy is the best policy. Building good relationships
with insurance carriers and code enforcement agencies will help
any business owner in the long term. Allow insurance agents and
code enforcement officials to finish explaining their issues. Do not
interrupt them with offensive or defensive comments. Intimidation
does not normally work, and if it does, it provides only short-term
relief. Remember, you have to live with these inspectors and agents
for many years to come.
Apply for all permits when the warehouse is first built or when you
are moving into an existing facility. A high piled storage permit is
required by many local fire authorities these days. Do not let the
permit lapse. Renew the permit, as required by the local authority
(typically on an annual basis). If a permit is never obtained, or a
permit has lapsed, the fire authority may require you to apply for a
new permit and they may treat you as a new high piled storage
facility (require you to meet todays codes for high piled storage,
not by the codes in force when the building was originally built).
Although some officials may give leniency to existing buildings or
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facilities, comments such as weve been in this building forever
will not be persuasive when speaking with most code officials. Just
because you did not tell the fire authority that the building was to
be used for high piled storage when the facility was first planned or
built, does automatically put the building in the existing category.
If a high piled storage permit was applied for and renewed, the
newer or current codes will not be applied to the facility, unless
major additions/remodels/changes have been made. This permit is
the only acceptable written proof you have that the building was
originally designed and planned for high piled storage. These types
of permits are based on the business, not the building. Even if a
business that leased the building previously used it for the same
purpose (warehousing of furniture), any new business moving in
the same building is required to apply for new permits.
Provide detailed information when filling out the high piled storage
information forms requested by the fire authority. Remember that
the effectiveness of a fire protection system in controlling a fire
depends on the commodity stored, as well as the geometry of the
storage and building. Give them a detailed description of what you
are storing and how you are storing it. It is a lot easier and cheaper
to meet the code before the building is built and/or before you
have moved in than after.
Almost all insurance agents and codes officials are professionals
that are well versed in high piled storage requirements. However, if
something does not sound right, or you need to further research
alternatives to a requirement, it is all right to ask for requirements
or inspection comments in writing. As a matter of fact, it is best to
make it a company policy, so that the company representative
dealing with the fire authority or insurance carrier has a valid
reason to request their comments and requirements in writing
Hazardous materials permits and disclosure are under separate
permits that may be required if chemicals, such as stains and touch
up paints are used. Contact your local fire authority for
information.
The best fire protection system in the world still requires the daily
attention of management. Enforce no smoking rules, continuous
removal of trash, maintenance of electrical machinery and cords,
maintenance of the building exterior property and periodic walk
through reviews with the fire crews that would respond to an
emergency.
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Elley Klausbruckner is a nationally known Fire Protection Engineer
and a Hazardous Materials and High-Piled Storage specialist. She is
a registered Professional Engineer and author of several
publications including the Uniform Fire Codes Application Guide to
High Piled Storage. Klausbruckner & Associates clients are
supported through all phases of the code compliance approval
process with regional, state, and federal rules and regulations. She
can be reached at elley@furninfo.com.
Daniel Bolger of The Bolger Group helps companies achieve
improved transportation, warehousing and logistics. Questions can
be directed to Mr. Bolger care of FURNITURE WORLD at
dbolger@furninfo.com.

Furniture World Magazine http://www.furninfo.com/

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