The International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) update their codes and standards every three years to reflect the most recent methods, practices, and techniques in the built environment, with the overarching purpose of improving safety. On the one hand, it is critical that the codes and standards used across the built environment be updated to reflect modern construction techniques and practices. On the other hand, we are all aware of how quickly technology may evolve. In three years, a lot can (and often does) change.
This article will examine some of the key changes to model codes and standards that have occurred between the 2021 and 2024 versions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), NFPA 1, and NFPA 101, all of which have a direct impact on the fire sprinkler sector.
The code will mandate both fire separation and sprinkler protection in select, limited circumstances. According to the 2024 IBC, incidental use zones in ambulatory care facilities must be segregated from the rest of the building by a 1-hour fire barrier and protected with fire sprinklers. It is critical to note that ambulatory care facilities include structures used for medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing, or similar purposes on a less-than-24-hour basis where the individuals are incapable of self-preservation. In other words, the occupant(s) require help evacuating. These do not include traditional doctor’s or dentist’s offices. It will, however, most certainly include day surgery centers where patients are treated under general anesthesia.
- Above-grade plane of four floors or fewer.
- The topmost story’s floor level is 30 feet or less above the lowest level of fire department truck access.
- The lowest story’s floor level is 30 feet or less below the lowest level of fire department truck access.
However, there was an unintentional error committed when this part was updated between the IBC and IFC versions of 2018 and 2021. The difficulty with this change is that condition #2 limits the height of most residential buildings protected by an NFPA 13R system to three stories. The intention has always been to allow NFPA 13R up to and including four-story buildings. Another significant modification in the 2021 editions was the clarification of the number of stories of Group R occupancy that must be measured from the grade plane. Previously, the number of stories could be calculated from the horizontal assembly that created the occupancy separation.
It was approved that the NFSA codes and standards team’s code amendment for the 2024 IBC would change Section 903.3.1.2 again to raise the 30 foot requirement for Group R-2 occupancies to 45 feet. It is critical to note that this modification only applies to Group R-2 occupancy (not Group R-1). The 30-foot minimum added to the 2021 IBC prohibits residential buildings on top of podiums but also affects standalone R-2 multi-family occupancies, according to criticism collected by NFSA from contractors, developers, and design professionals. The revision in 2024 will allow NFPA 13R for four-story buildings. The 30-foot restriction, based on average floor ceiling assemblies and ceiling heights seen in apartment buildings, mistakenly confined NFPA 13R systems to three stories, which was not the intention.
A new provision in NFPA 1 permits the authority with jurisdiction to modify or postpone code-related inspections of fire prevention systems and equipment in response to declared disasters on a national, regional, or local level.
The usage of cooking equipment on multi-family dwelling decks and balconies has been amended and reformatted. Sprinkler protection is available on balconies and any overhanging structures, and a new section now permits the use of NFPA 13 or NFPA 13R sprinkler systems to protect cooking equipment on decks and balconies. Cooking appliances are also authorized on decks and balconies of Type I or II residential occupancies where they are listed and labeled in compliance with UL 1026. The 2024 edition further stated that a minimum distance of 24 inches from the building and combustible materials must be established and maintained.
A new version of Section 13.1.9 says that if any impairments, critical deficiencies, or non-critical deficiencies are found during maintenance on a fire protection system, they must be fixed or fixed within a timeframe that the AHJ agrees with, and a plan for managing impairments or deficiencies must be put in place until they are fixed.
To explain that private fire service mains must be examined, tested, and maintained in compliance with NFPA 25, new language was added. Previous editions of NFPA 1 only mandated “maintenance” of fire service mains.
The term “alternate care site” now refers to any building, structure, or part of it that is not in use for medical purposes but is temporarily repurposed, constructed, converted, or moved for medical purposes in response to an urgent need for more capacity to serve an impacted community.
Finally, NFPA 101 mandates that all new parking structures have an automated sprinkler system to protect them, regardless of their square footage or number of floors. Many vehicles today are composed of plastic and feature products such as lithium-ion batteries, which makes responding firefighters’ jobs more difficult. This is also why, in the 2022 version of NFPA 13, automotive parking garages were shifted from ordinary hazard group 1 to ordinary hazard group 2.
This article has some of the key modifications to the rules that have a direct influence on fire sprinkler designers, contractors, and authorities with jurisdiction. Some of these modifications will have no direct influence on fire sprinkler designers or contractors, but nearly all of them will have an impact on authorities with authority who are in charge of applying, interpreting, and enforcing the regulations in their individual areas. You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes that occur between the many rules and standards. Don’t worry, the NFSA’s code development team is committed to keeping you informed of these changes so you can do your work more successfully.
Courtesy: J.Swanson, Codes and Standards Specialist for the NFSA.
