CHOOSING THE RIGHT FACILITY

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL T. REARDON, P.E.

There are so many factors to consider when it comes to the daunting task of finding the perfect facility for your new distillery. Whether your facility is for production, storage, a local The requirements for the various fire tavern, or a combination of all uses, key considerations need to protection and life safety elements of your facility need to be reviewed and be made in the early stages of a purchase or lease agreement. discussed as there may be limitations or added costs which may not be realized until later in your design process. While many of the minimum building and fire prevention code requirements can be handled after your purchase, there are a few significant requirements that can make or break your determination on the right building and/or location. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems are considered active fire protection systems and will most likely be required for your facility. Building codes have specific criteria on when a fire sprinkler or fire alarm system is required such as: building size, occupancy type, occupancy loads, and level of hazard. Once it is determined if these systems are required, further design considerations need to be evaluated such as sprinkler design criteria, water supply requirements, and level of fire alarm detection and notification. Existing fire alarm systems should be evaluated for expandability as the system may not meet the needs for your operations. Fire alarm systems have limitations to the number of field devices (smoke detectors, modules, strobes, etc.) they can handle due to maximum circuit loads or maximum number of zones. The age of the fire alarm system is also a key consideration as specific fire alarm models are often replaced with newer models and may become unsupported.

Fire sprinkler systems are specifically designed to the hazard they are controlling during a fire event.

Fire sprinkler systems are specifically designed to the hazard they are controlling during a fire event. The level of hazards present in buildings such as offices, restaurants, and storage facilities are significantly different and require the sprinkler systems to perform at specific water demands to control the fire. For example, office buildings typically require a water density of .10gpm/sq.ft. and require sprinklers to activate over a 1,500 sq. ft. area, while a flammable liquid storage facility may require a water density of .60gpm/sq.ft. and require sprinklers to activate over a 3,000 sq.ft. area. There are many additional sprinkler design criteria such as maximum sprinkler coverage areas, minimum water flow durations, and sprinkler location criteria. Existing sprinkler systems may not meet the hazards within your proposed facility and may require modifications or a complete replacement of the sprinkler system. Available water supplies should also be carefully evaluated as existing domestic water supplies may not have the necessary residual flows and pressures necessary to meet the water demand requirements, often leading to the addition of fire pumps or water supply tanks.

Local building codes have specific requirements for building height and area limitations based on the type of building construction. Construction types vary from non-combustible (Type I or II), to non-combustible exterior with combustible interior (Type III), to heavy timber (Type IV), to combustible (Type V). Building codes break down the limitations to building heights, sizes, and number of stories based on this construction type in conjunction with the occupancy classification(s) and fire sprinkler protection. When evaluating a building, the construction type and overall building size should be examined with your proposed occupancy classification. The existing building may have been compliant with a business occupancy, but may not meet the requirements with a factory occupancy (production). If you determine that the facility is compliant with your proposed occupancy (or occupancies), you should also consider modifications to your facility in the future. By choosing a facility that is “maxed out” per the limits of the building code, you limit your abilities to expand within that facility in the future.

Your existing facility may be located within the same building footprint with other tenants or be located within close proximity to other buildings. Buildings with multiple tenants typically contain fire-resistance rated demising walls to allow for adjacent tenants with differing occupancy classifications. Demising walls may be constructed with concrete masonry units (CMU), brick, gypsum board, or a variety of construction materials. These demising walls need to be evaluated to determine their hourly fire-resistance rating as the fire rated separation requirements for occupancy classifications vary. If your new facility is to be considered a factory occupancy and is adjacent to a storage facility, your demising wall may be

When evaluating a building, the construction type and overall building size should be examined with your proposed occupancy classification.

required to have a one- or two-hour fire-resistance rating depending on if you have a fire sprinkler system. If you have flammable liquid storage and are classified as a high-hazard occupancy, those hourly fire-resistance rated separations may be higher. The reconstruction of a separation wall can be costly and should be evaluated early on to determine the modifications necessary to meet code compliance.

Building codes also contain specific requirements to the fire-resistance rating of exterior walls based on the separation from neighboring buildings and property lot lines. These requirements are based on various factors such as construction type, occupancy classification, separation distance, and fire sprinkler protection. The exterior walls of buildings located within 30 feet of adjacent buildings and lot lines may require a fire-resistance rating. Additional requirements such as glazing limitations and opening protectives

(fire-rated doors and windows) may Performing due diligence for the be required. Separation distances and exterior wall construction should be various fire protection, life safety, closely evaluated to determine compliance or the feasibility to make modand building code requirements ifications. Similar to the previously early on in the procurement discussed code requirements, your facility may be compliant with the stages will help you with properly original occupancy classifications but budgeting your project and may no longer be compliant with your intended use. preventing future design issues. Performing due diligence for the various fire protection, life safety, and building code requirements early on in the procurement stages will help you with properly budgeting your project and preventing future design issues. An effective design of your distillery will not only help you be more productive and grow, but will assure the appropriate safety measures for your staff, customers, neighbors, and your business.

Michael T. Reardon, P.E. is a fire protection engineer and president of Reardon Fire Consulting, P.C. Visit www.RFCFireProtection.com for more information.