All model codes now require sprinklers in one-

& two-family homes

By Samuel S. Dannaway, PE,
President, S.S. Dannaway Associates, Inc., Honolulu

If, as expected, the requirement for residential sprinklers survives the ICC code hearings scheduled for May in Dallas, all major U.S. model codes will be of one voice in their mandate for sprinklers for all new residential occupancies including one- and two-family dwellings.

Of course, with ICC’s International Residential Code (IRC), the requirement was first established in the 2009 edition after a difficult floor flight between the opponents of sprinklers for dwellings led by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the pro-residential sprinkler lobby led by the fire service community. The International Residential Building/Energy Code Committee had disapproved all proposals to require sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings, but was overruled by an assembly action from the sprinkler advocates and sprinklers became a requirement.

Another battle was expected during the code development hearings held last this past January in Baltimore, Maryland for the 2012 edition of the International Residential Code. However, this time the committee disapproved all proposals attempting to remove the sprinkler requirement from the IRC. Some were expecting the sprinkler opponents to initiate a floor action but it did not materialize. Now, given the committee’s desire to maintain the requirement for sprinklers, it is likely that it will get through the Dallas hearings and into the 2012 IRC.

The first U.S. model code to require sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings was NFPA 101 The Life Safety Code. In the 2006 edition of NFPA 101 paragraph 24.3.5.1 contains a requirement to sprinkler all NEW one- and two-family dwellings. Keep in mind that NFPA 101 specifically limits the requirement to new dwellings as NFPA 101 is a code that contains requirements for both new and existing buildings.

Following on the heels of the Life Safety Code, NFPA 1, the Uniform Fire Code in their 2006 edition also included the requirement for sprinkler protection in new dwellings.

The 2003 and 2006 editions of the International Building and International Fire Codes required sprinklers throughout all buildings containing a Group R occupancy. Section 903.2.7 of these IBC editions state:

“903.2.7 Group R. An automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3 shall be provided throughout all buildings with a Group R fire area.”

However, IBC Section 310.1 provided a rather large loop hole for one- and two-family dwellings (R-3 occupancies) by permitting these occupancies the option to comply with the IRC rather than the IBC. Since the 2003 and 2006 editions of the IRC did not include the requirement for sprinklers, the sprinklers could be avoided. At the code development hearings for the 2006 IRC the residential sprinkler opponents led by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) were able to thwart the efforts of the residential sprinkler proponents (led by the fire service community) to overturn the committee’s decision to disapprove all proposals to require sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings.

This loophole was eliminated with the 2009 edition of the IRC which required sprinklers for all one- and two-family dwellings.

Please keep in mind that this is a discussion of requirements contained within the model codes. Your jurisdiction will not be subject to the model code sprinkler requirements until one of these codes is adopted in your jurisdiction and those provisions are not “amended” out of the code. It is expected that many jurisdictions will amend the sprinkler provisions for one- and two-family dwelling out of their codes. This has been the case with some jurisdictions enforcing NFPA 101 in which Chapter 24 dealing with one- and two-family dwellings was simply not adopted along with the remainder of the code. It is also expected that many jurisdictions will simply put off adoption of new codes to avoid mandating the requirement for sprinklers, at least for a time.

These tactics will become harder to justify as other jurisdictions begin to mainstream the requirement and solidify the concept that residential sprinklers for one- and two-family dwellings is the standard of care in the industry. Recently the State of California adopted the 2010 California Residential Code which includes the 2009 International Residential Code. Effective January 1, 2011 all new one- and two-family homes and town houses built in the state will require sprinkler systems. Pennsylvania and New Hampshire have also adopted the 2009 IRC with the sprinkler provisions.

The NAHB arguments against sprinklers are they will reduce affordability of housing and will not improve the safety of home dwellers, from their website policy statement on Codes and Standards at http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=3093 they state their policy will be to “Continue to oppose mandatory residential sprinklers for multifamily low-rise and single family residential construction and other fire protection techniques that do not enhance the safety of occupants and are not cost-effective.” Another common argument put forward against residential sprinklers is that sprinklering new homes will have little impact, as the residential fire problem is with older housing stock.

Sprinkler supporters contend that the new homes will someday be those older homes with the same fire problems. To quote from a NFPA new release on January 28, 2009, which can be found here.

“Currently, 80 percent of fire deaths occur in the home, killing nearly 3,000 people each year. The Fire Sprinkler Initiative is dedicated to saving lives through the use of this proven technology. Homes with automatic fire sprinklers and working smoke alarms reduce the risk of an occupant dying in a fire by 82 percent.”

Regarding cost, there is no question that sprinklers will have a cost impact. In a September 2008 new release from the NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation the cost of installation fire sprinklers averages $1.61 per square and varied in the rand of $0.38 to $3.66 per square foot. This report can be found here.

Engineers need to be prepared to meet the design needs that architects and developers will have as sprinklers begin to become commonplace for one-and two-family housing developments. The first step is to become familiar with the standards that apply to these sprinkler systems. This will be discussed in my next article.

Samuel S. Dannaway, PE, is a registered fire protection engineer and mechanical engineer and past president and a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. He is president of S. S. Dannaway Associates, Inc. He can be reached via email at SDannaway@ssdafire.com.