San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Codes § 314.27 Automatic sprinkler system – Existing high-rise buildings

314.27.1 General. Regardless of any other provisions of [ ← ]

The arrow represents the location of language that has been deleted by San Francisco from the applicable California Code.

this code, every existing high-rise building as defined in San Francisco Building Code Chapter 2 shall be provided with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system conforming to NFPA 13.

Existing high-rise buildings that are also qualified historical buildings as defined in California Health and Safety Code Section 18950 shall be provided with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system when and as required by the State Historical Building Code.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. An apartment house, condominium or other building used as a Group R, Division 2 Occupancy as defined in this code excluding tourist hotels as defined in Section 41.4 of the San Francisco Administrative Code.

2. A mixed-use occupancy building containing a Group R, Division 1 or Group R, Division 2 Occupancy.

314.27.2 Additional requirements. The following additional requirements shall also apply:

314.27.2.1 Valves and devices. A sprinkler control valve and a waterflow detecting device shall be provided at the lateral connection to the riser for each floor.

314.27.2.2 Signals. A separate and distinct supervisory signal shall be provided to indicate a condition that will impair the satisfactory operation of the sprinkler system. This shall include, but not be limited to, monitoring control valves, fire pump power supplies and pump running conditions. Such supervisory signals shall be annunciated at a constantly attended building security control center; when that location is not under constant supervision by qualified personnel, the signals shall be transmitted to a remote monitoring station in accordance with NFPA 72.

314.27.2.3 Water supply. The minimum water supply requirement for the sprinkler shall be determined without regard to inside hose stream demand.

314.27.2.4 Standpipe conversion. Existing standpipes may be converted to sprinkler risers, provided that they are hydrostatically tested for two hours at not less than 50 psi (345 Pa) in excess of the maximum pressure to be maintained in the system.

314.27.2.5 Supports. Additional hangers, braces or other attachments for support of existing standpipes which have been converted in accordance with Section 314.27.2.4 shall be provided if they are necessary to meet the requirements of NFPA 13. The installation of additional flexible fittings in such risers is not required.

314.27.2.6 Pipe material. Any type pipe which has been listed by an approved testing agency for use in automatic sprinkler installations may be used when installed in accordance with its listing limitations.

314.27.3 Permissible omissions. The following features required in new high-rise buildings are not required in systems installed under the provisions of this section:

1. Redundant fire pump;

2. Secondary on-site supply of water;

3. More than one fire department connection;

4. Connection of the system to two risers on each floor. Hydraulic calculations may consider all risers in service;

5. In a Group R, Division 1 or R-2 Occupancy building, sprinklers in bathrooms and closets.

See San Francisco Building Code Section 903.3.1.1.1 for additional permissible sprinkler omissions.

314.27.4 Effective date. The effective date of these requirements shall be January 01, 2008.

314.27.5 Notification. Not later than 60 days following the effective date of these requirements, the Building Official shall notify in writing by certified mail the owner of each building within the scope of this section. The notice shall contain a copy of this section, a commentary on it and a notice of intent form. The notice of intent shall be designed to elicit information regarding proposed water supply connections, pumps, risers and existing partial sprinkler systems. The notice of intent shall include a tentative schedule for phasing the installation of the complete sprinkler system. 314.27.5.1 Deferred notice. If a building within the scope of this section is not discovered by the Building Official until after the deadline for notification, the building owner shall be notified within 30 days of such discovery. Failure to receive notification does not exempt a building owner from compliance with this section.

314.27.6 Authority of Building Official. The Building Official, in consultation with the San Francisco Fire Marshal, may approve modifications and alternate methods and materials when it is clearly evident that a reasonable degree of fire safety is provided. In such cases, the Building Official may:

1. Consider alternative protection based on nationally recognized standards, principles and tests, and generally recognized and well-established methods of fire protection;

2. Waive specific individual requirements if it can be shown that such requirements are not physically possible, require disproportionate effort or pose an undue hardship with little increase in life safety and that a practical alternate cannot be provided; and

3. Grant necessary extensions of time when it can be shown that the specific time periods are not physically practical or pose an undue hardship. The granting of an extension of time for compliance may be approved by the Building Official based on the showing of good cause and on approval of an acceptable, systematic, progressive plan of correction.

314.27.7 Appeal of high-rise sprinkler requirements. Application may be made to the Board of Examiners in accordance with San Francisco Building Code Section 105A.1 for approval of alternate methods, materials or types of construction or for variances from the provisions of this section.

314.27.8 Implementation. The requirements stated in Section 314.27.2 shall be accomplished by the following steps. Failure to complete any step within the required time frame is a violation of this code, and the Building Official shall have the power to abate the building in accordance with San Francisco Building Code Section 102A.

314.27.8.1 Step 1. Notice of intent. The owner shall submit a properly completed Department-provided notice of intent to the Building Official not later than three years after the effective date of this requirement.

EXCEPTION: No notice of intent is required if an approved sprinkler system is completed prior to the deadline above.

314.27.8.2 Step 2. Water supply. The owner shall install the system riser, including floor-control valves, and shall connect it to the approved automatic water supply not later than five years after the effective date of these requirements. For purposes of this section, an automatic water supply shall consist of a connection to the public water works system and, if required by hydraulic analysis, installation of a fire pump.

314.27.8.3 Step 3. Piping and sprinklers. The owner shall complete the sprinkler system, including required electrical monitoring, not later than 12 years after the effective date of these requirements.

314.27.8.4 Installation. The installation of all fire alarm equipment shall be in accordance with the San Francisco Electrical Code and the California Fire Code.

324 Add the following section:

SECTION 324 – RESERVED

325 Add the following section:

SECTION 325 – RESERVED

326 Add the following section:

SECTION 326 – EXISTING BUILDINGS OR OTHER STRUCTURES LOCATED ON A MILITARY BASE SELECTED FOR CLOSURE

326.1 General. As authorized by Assembly Bill 1644 California Military Base Reuse and Preservation Act of 2012, a building or other structure that is located on a military base selected for closure by action of the federal Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, including Naval Station Treasure Island (including Yerba Buena Island) and Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, may comply with the requirements of this code in a graduated manner over a period not to exceed three years, provided that:

1. The building or structure is in existence at the time the military base is selected for closure by action of the federal Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission;

2. The building or structure will be safe for its intended use and occupancy;

3. The building or structure is under a lease from the federal government to either the City and County of San Francisco or the Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco (the “Redevelopment Agency”);

4. The building or structure will be subleased by the City and County of San Francisco or Redevelopment Agency to either a private party, to the City and County of San Francisco or to the Redevelopment Agency; and

5. The building or structure meets the code compliance inspection and graduated compliance plan requirements set forth below.

326.2 Presubleasing Code Compliance Inspections. Before the City and County of San Francisco or the

Redevelopment Agency enters into any sublease of a building or structure, the public entity proposing to enter into the sublease shall request the Building Official and the San Francisco Fire Marshal (the “Fire Marshal”) to inspect, or cause to be inspected, the building or structure for compliance with applicable codes, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 326. The Building Official and the Fire Marshal shall issue a written report containing their findings on the compliance of the building or structure to the agency proposing to enter into the sublease. The Building Official and the Fire Marshal may, in their discretion, issue the compliance report jointly or separately. 326.2.1 Applicable codes. The Building Official and the Fire Marshal shall evaluate the building or structure, including any alterations or changes in use if known, using the codes in effect at the time of original construction. If a determination of what codes were in effect at the time of original construction cannot be made, the Building Official and the Fire Marshal shall jointly determine which codes are appropriate for evaluation of the building or structure for the purposes herein.

326.2.2 Notice to proposed subtenants. The Redevelopment Agency or the City and County of San Francisco agency proposing to enter into a sublease shall notify the proposed subtenant of the final compliance inspection reports for such building or structure by (a) attaching a copy of the final reports of the Building Official and Fire Marshal to the sublease; or (b) providing a copy of such reports to the subtenant and referencing such delivery in the sublease.

326.3 Graduated Code Compliance Plan and Timetable.