Occupancy groups where automatic sprinklers are required

New York City has a high density of high-rise buildings, and as a result, the population density is also very high. For this reason, it should come as no surprise that fire protection requirements in New York are among the most demanding in the world: these systems must comply with the New York Building Code, the New York Fire Code and all applicable standards. from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). ). Furthermore, occupying a building before fire protection requirements have been approved is illegal, leading to heavy fines.

This article will provide an overview of occupancy classifications where the New York Building Code makes automatic sprinklers mandatory. Remember that automatic sprinklers are also mandatory in buildings with a series of physical characteristics specified in the standard, regardless of occupancy classification.

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Occupation Group A: Assembly

Any building or building area classified as Group A must have automatic sprinklers. For Groups A-1 through A-4, automatic sprinkler coverage is required for the area itself as well as for any floors between the Group A occupancy and the level where the building exits are located. The requirements for each subgroup are summarized in the following table and, if at least one condition is met, automatic sprinklers become mandatory:

Occupation Group B: Business

Automatic sprinkler systems are required in ambulatory healthcare facilities and animal care facilities. It is important to note that office buildings also fall into this category, but requirements for automatic sprinklers are based on building characteristics rather than the occupancy classification itself.

Ambulatory healthcare facilities must be equipped with automatic sprinklers in all fire areas when their operation meets any of the following conditions, at any time:

• At least one patient who is not capable of self-preservation and is located on a floor other than the discharge exit level.
• Four or more patients who are not capable of self-preservation, even if they are located at the exit discharge level.

Animal care facilities must always include automatic sprinklers unless they have 24-hour personal supervision and smoke alarms.

Occupation Group E: Educational

Automatic sprinkler requirements in educational facilities are very general. They are required in all Group E fire areas exceeding 20,000 ft2 and in all parts of educational buildings located below the exit discharge level. However, an exemption exists when the following conditions are met:

• Every classroom in the building has at least one ground-level exit door.
• Exit doors lead directly outside, without passing through corridors, passages or exit enclosures.

Occupation Group F: Factory

The New York Building Code makes the sprinkler system mandatory for occupancies in subgroup F-1 (moderate hazard industrial occupancy) if they meet any of the following conditions:

• Fire area over 7,500 ft2.
• Group F-1 areas located more than three stories high, regardless of the fire area.

If any of the following conditions are met, the automatic sprinkler must cover not only the F-1 occupancy, but also the entire building containing it:

• A specific Group F-1 fire area exceeds 12,000 ft2.
• A specific Group F-1 fire area is located more than three stories high.
• The combined F-1 fire area on all floors and mezzanines is over 24,000 ft2.
• Anywhere required by New York State Labor Law.

There are also specific requirements in the case of carpentry operations and repair shops. Woodworking operations where waste or fine combustible materials are present must be equipped with sprinklers if their area exceeds 2,500 ft2. Repair shops are subject to the requirement if they meet any of the following conditions:

• At least two stories tall and have a repair shop in a fire zone over 10,000 ft2.
• Single storey buildings with repair shop in fire area above 12,000 ft2.
• Group F-1 fire area where commercial trucks or buses are repaired, if above 5,000 ft2.
• Buildings where vehicles are parked in the basement and there is a repair workshop dedicated to them.

Occupation Group H: High Risk

Because hazardous materials are handled in Group H occupancies, automatic sprinklers have become mandatory for all subgroups in this occupancy classification. Buildings containing high-hazard occupancies must be fully covered by automatic sprinklers if Group H is the dominant use, or if there is any Group H-5 occupancy, regardless of size.

Occupation Group I: Institutional

Automatic sprinkler systems are also required in all Group I occupancies, and mixed-occupancy buildings must be fully covered in Group I. However, automatic sprinkler systems may follow the simplified requirements of NFPA 13R or 13D if the classification for I-1 (housing or people with special needs).

Occupation Group M: Mercantil

Commercial occupancies must be equipped with sprinklers under any of the following conditions:

• Fire area over 7,500 ft2.
• Fire area of ​​any size when it contains a staircase or escalator that is not enclosed and connects at least two floors.
• Any Group M occupancy with high stack storage or rack storage.

Additionally, automatic sprinkler coverage is required for entire buildings containing Group M occupancies that meet any of the following conditions:

• A specific Group M fire area exceeds 12,000 ft2.
• A specific Group M fire area is located more than three stories high.
• The combined fire area of ​​Group M across all floors and mezzanines is over 24,000 ft2.

Occupancy Group R: Residential

In general, all fire areas in residential buildings must be equipped with automatic sprinklers. However, there are some exceptions:

• Single-family and two-family houses.
• Multiple single-family homes, better known as townhouses.

It is important to note that the exception only applies if these buildings are no more than three stories high and exits are constructed separately for each dwelling.

Occupancy Group S: Storage

Storage occupancies have different requirements depending on whether the area in question is classified as S-1 (moderate hazard materials, flammable or combustible) or S-2 (low hazard materials, non-flammable).

In S-1 occupancies, automatic sprinklers become mandatory when the fire area exceeds 500 ft2. The requirement extends to the entire building containing area S-1 under any of the following conditions:

• A specific Group S-1 fire area exceeds 12,000 ft2.
• The building is over 1,000 sq. ft. and S-1 is the dominant occupancy.
• A specific Group S-1 fire area is located more than three stories high.
• The combined fire area of ​​Group S-1 on all floors and mezzanines is over 24,000 ft2.
• There is a tire storage area that exceeds 500 ft2 in area or 7,500 ft3 in volume.

In S-2 occupancies, the minimum fire area requiring automatic sprinklers is increased to 5,000 ft2, given the lower risk involved. In the case of enclosed parking lots, automatic sprinklers are required regardless of area, but garages for R-3 occupancies are exempt. Automatic sprinklers are required for the entire building if it exceeds 5,000 ft2 and the dominant occupancy classification is S-2.

Conclusion

Determining when a New York building requires automatic sprinklers can be misleading unless you are well familiar with occupancy groups and New York Building Code requirements. The best recommendation is to seek professional assistance as soon as the project begins. This not only ensures compliance, but also helps optimize the cost of the automatic sprinkler system with smart design decisions.