by Michael O'Brian on December 19, 2011
It Looks Really Cool
There are times that fire protection features, egress doors, fire hydrants, and even exit signs get modified to become more attractive to the owner. I may be a little odd, but I think a well lit exit sign looks great in a store!
For those of you who are not suppression inspectors, the picture shows a remote fire department connection. A remote FDC is typically installed in downtown settings, west coast (warmer climates), and where a designer or AHJ feels these are more applicable to the fire protection scheme.
Therefore the question at hand, does this [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on November 3, 2011
Change in Egress
There are times construction projects lead to changes in the egress system. Proper marking of an approved “exit” is critical to ensuring occupant safety in the occupied building. Take a look at the following picture [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on April 17, 2011
System Readiness
Inspectors are becoming quickly over worked and rely on qualified contractors to complete system maintenance, inspection, and repair. The AHJ relies on reports provided by contractors (system experts) which should state the system meets the minimum code requirements.
Lets take a look at these pictures and ask the question [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on December 19, 2010
Interior Finish or Decorations
The pictures below are provided from one of Inspector report subscribers. Its important that we set up these pictures. The art work and other decorations are hung to the wall. The decorations are located in an exhibit hall on one of the exit cooridoors located in the building.
The building is provided with automatic sprinkler system and you can see the doors are held open with hold open devices that are connected to [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on May 20, 2010
Proper Penetrations
Multiple inspectors are challenged with systems that pass thru a fire separation or fire wall. This can be the fire inspector looking at a fire sprinkler pipe which passes thru a 1.o hour fire separation or the Plumbing Inspector who is looking at a water filled pipe. The common practices is to plaster red caulk through out the space until the void is filled.
This picture is in a a E use group [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on January 12, 2010
Flexible Armover Attachments
Sprinkler systems have seen an increase in the use of specifically listed equipment. Flexible arm-overs serve a great purpose in sprinkler system installation but are heavily depended on proper installation per the manufacture listing requirements.
If you look at the first picture above you may say “Well it truly depends!” So lets make a couple of assumptions:
- The system was properly designed to account for the friction loss of the devices
- The flexible armover is listed for use on sprinkler systems
So the question is, does this meet code…. oh and take a look at [click to continue…]
by Michael O'Brian on October 19, 2009
Electrical Systems and Required Clearance
Do electrical systems require clearance and separation from other building systems? Is this a requirement of the fire code, electrical code, plumbing code, or the building code?
Which inspector is required to ensure clearance to electrical equipment is maintained at all times? Could it be the plumbing or the electrical inspector? What if all inspectors understand the proper installations to ensure a smooth project? I know the code world can seem complex, but what about the picture shown below? [click to continue…]
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