Comments on the 2013 Update to the Florida Building Code to considered by the

Fire TAC

Meeting Date: August 1, 2013

Tracking ID

Florida Building Code, Residential

Proposed Changes

Comments

TAC Action

F1

Section 553.73(10), Florida Statutes

553.73 Florida Building codes—

(17) A provision The provisions of section R313 of the most current version of the International Residential Code relating to mandated fire sprinklers may not be incorporated into the Florida Building Code as adopted by the Florida Building Commission and may not be adopted as a local amendment to the Florida Building Code. This subsection does not prohibit the application of cost-saving incentives for residential fire sprinklers that are authorized in the International Residential Code upon a mutual agreement between the builder and the code official. This subsection does not apply to a local government that has a lawfully adopted ordinance relating to fire sprinklers which has been in effect since January 1, 2010.

Revise R101.2 to read as follows:

R101.2 Scope. The provisions of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings shall apply to the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement,

replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, removal and demolition of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories above

grade plane in height with a separate means of egress and their accessory structures.

Exceptions:

1. Live/work units complying with the requirements of Section 419 of the International Building Code shall be permitted to be built as one- and two-family dwellings or townhouses. Fire suppression required by Section 419.5 of the International Building Code when constructed under the International Residential Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings shall

conform to Section P2904 Section 903.3.1.3 of the Florida Building Code, Building.

2. Owner-occupied lodging houses with five or fewer guestrooms shall be permitted to be constructed in accordance with the International Residential Code for One- and Two-family Dwellings when equipped with a fire sprinkler system in accordance with Section

P2904 903.3.1.3 of the Florida Building Code, Building.

Glitch –

(e) Changes to or inconsistencies with federal or state law.

HB 269.

F2

Revise R302 to read as follows:

SECTION R302 FIRE-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION

R302.1 Exterior walls. Construction, projections, openings and penetrations of exterior walls of dwellings and accessory buildings shall comply with Table R302.1(1); or dwellings

equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section P2904 shall comply with Table R302.1(2).

Exceptions:

1. Walls, projections, openings or penetrations in walls perpendicular to the line used to determine the fire separation distance.

2. Walls of dwellings and accessory structures located on the same lot.

3. Detached tool sheds and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures exempted from permits are not required to provide wall protection based on location on the lot. Projections beyond the exterior wall shall not extend over the lot line.

4. Detached garages accessory to a dwelling located within 2 feet (610 mm) of a lot line are permitted to have roof eave projections not exceeding 4 inches (102 mm).

5. Foundation vents installed in compliance with this code are permitted.

Glitch –

(e) Changes to or inconsistencies with federal or state law.

HB 269.

F3

Delete Table R302.1(2)

TABLE R302.1(2)

EXTERIOR WALLS—DWELLINGS WITH FIRE SPRINKLERS

Glitch –

(e) Changes to or inconsistencies with federal or state law.

HB 269.

TABLE R302.1(2) EXTERIOR WALLS—DWELLINGS WITH FIRE SPRINKLERS

EXTERIOR WALL ELEMENT		MINIMUM FIRE-RESISTANCE RATING	MINIMUM FIRE SEPARATION DISTANCE
Walls	Fire-resistance rated	1 hour—tested in accordance with ASTM E 119 or UL 263 with exposure from the outside	0 feet
	Not fire-resistance rated	0 hours	3 feet^a
Projections	Fire-resistance rated	1 hour on the underside	2 feet^a
	Not fire-resistance rated	0 hours	3 feet
Openings in walls	Not allowed	N/A	< 3 feet
	Unlimited	0 hours	3 feet^a
Penetrations	All	Comply with Section R302.4	< 3 feet
		None required	3 feet^a

For SI: 1 foot = 304.8 mm.

N/A = Not Applicable

a. For residential subdivisions where all dwellings are equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with Section P2904, the fire separation distance for nonrated exterior walls and rated projections shall be permitted to be reduced to 0 feet, and unlimited unprotected openings and penetrations shall be permitted, where the adjoining lot provides an open setback yard that is 6 feet or more in width on the opposite side of the property line.

F4

Delete Section P2904 in its entirety

SECTION P2904

DWELLING UNIT FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS

(See Attachment)

Glitch –

(e) Changes to or inconsistencies with federal or state law.

HB 269.

F5

Additional Residential Fire Sprinkler language revisions to be considered for modification (See Note):

Revise R302.3 to read as follows:

R302.3 Two-family dwellings. Dwelling units in two-family

dwellings shall be separated from each other by wall and/or

floor assemblies having not less than a 1-hour fire-resistance

rating when tested in accordance with ASTM E 119 or UL

263. Fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling and wall assemblies

shall extend to and be tight against the exterior wall, and wall

assemblies shall extend from the foundation to the underside

of the roof sheathing.

Exceptions:

1. A fire-resistance rating of 1/2 hour shall be permitted

in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic

sprinkler system installed in accordance with NFPA

13. Reserved.

Revise R309.5 to read as follows:

R309.5 Fire sprinklers. Private garages shall be protected by

fire sprinklers where the garage wall has been designed based

on Table R302.1(2), Footnote a. Sprinklers in garages shall

be connected to an automatic sprinkler system that complies

with Section P2904. Garage sprinklers shall be residential

sprinklers or quick-response sprinklers, designed to provide a

density of 0.05 gpm/ft2. Garage doors shall not be considered

obstructions with respect to sprinkler placement. Reserved.

Revise R501.3 to read as follows:

R501.3 Fire protection of floors. Floor assemblies, not

required elsewhere in this code to be fire-resistance rated,

shall be provided with a 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) gypsum wallboard

membrane, 5/8-inch (16 mm) wood structural panel membrane,

or equivalent on the underside of the floor framing member.

Exceptions:

1. Floor assemblies located directly over a space protected

by an automatic sprinkler system in accordance

with Section P2904, NFPA13D, or other

approved equivalent sprinkler system. Reserved.

2. – 4. (No Change)

Revise P2803.6.1 to read as follows:

P2803.6.1 Requirements for discharge pipe. The discharge

piping serving a pressure-relief valve, temperature relief

valve or combination valve shall:

1. – 12. (No Change)

13. Be constructed of those materials listed in Section

P2904.5 or materials tested, rated and approved for

such use in accordance with ASME A112.4.1. Reserved.

Glitch –

(e) Changes to or inconsistencies with federal or state law.

HB 269.

Note: Items should be modified as indicated if TAC recommends approval for modifications listed in F1-F4

Revise P2803.6.1 to read as follows:

TABLE P2902.3

APPLICATION FOR BACKFLOW PREVENTERS

DEVICE	DEGREE OF HAZARD^a	APPLICATION^b	APPLICABLE STANDARDS
Air gap	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage or backpressure	ASME A112.1.2
Air gap fittings for use with plumbing fixtures, appliances and appurtenances	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage or backpressure	ASME A112.1.3
Antisiphon-type fill valves for gravity water closet flush tanks	High hazard	Backsiphonage only	ASSE 1002, CSA B125.3
Backflow preventer with intermediate atmospheric vents	Low hazard	Backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^1/4″ - ^3/4″	ASSE 1012, CSA B64.3
Double check backflow prevention assembly and double check fire protection backflow prevention assembly	Low hazard	Backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^3/8″ - 16″	ASSE 1015, AWWA C510, CSA B64.5, CSA B64.5.1
Double check detector fire protection backflow prevention assemblies	Low hazard	Backpressure or backsiphonage (Fire sprinkler systems) Sizes 2″ - 16″	ASSE 1048
Dual-check-valve-type backflow preventer	Low hazard	Backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^1/4″ - 1″	ASSE 1024, CSA B64.6
Hose-connection backflow preventer	High or low hazard	Low head backpressure, rated working pressure backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^1/2″ - 1″	ASSE 1052, CSA B64.2.1.1
Hose-connection vacuum breaker	High or low hazard	Low head backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^1/2″, ^3/4″, 1″	ASSE 1011, CSA B64.2, CSA B64.2.1
Laboratory faucet backflow preventer	High or low hazard	Low head backpressure and backsiphonage	ASSE 1035, CSA B64.7
Pipe-applied atmospheric-type vacuum breaker	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage only Sizes ^1/4″ - 4″	ASSE 1001, CSA B64.1.1
Pressure vacuum breaker assembly	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage only Sizes ^1/2″ - 2″	ASSE 1020, CSA B64.1.2
Reduced pressure detector fire protection backflow prevention assemblies	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage or backpressure (Fire sprinkler systems)	ASSE 1047
Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly and reduced pressure principle fire protection backflow prevention assembly	High or low hazard	Backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^3/8″ - 16″	ASSE 1013, AWWA C511, CSA B64.4, CSA B64.4.1
Spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker	High or low hazard	Backsiphonage only Sizes ^1/4″ - 2″	ASSE 1056, CSA B64.1.3
Vacuum breaker wall hydrants, frost-resistant, automatic-draining type	High or low hazard	Low head backpressure or backsiphonage Sizes ^3/4″ - 1″	ASSE 1019, CSA B64.2.2

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.

a. Low hazard—See Pollution (Section R202). High hazard—See Contamination (Section R202).

b. See Backpressure (Section R202). See Backpressure, Low Head (Section R202). See Backsiphonage (Section R202).