82 Bridge St Sprinkler Review 11-20-2019
Harold R. Cutler, P.E.
Fire Safety, Building and Access Code Consultant
165 Landham Road
Sudbury, MA 01776 -3156
Voice & fax 978-443-7088
Email hcutlercfpe@verizon.net
November 20, 2019
P/N 2877
Northampton Building Department
Puchalski Municipal Building
212 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060
Attention: Louis Hasbrouck
Building Commissioner
Dear Mr. Hasbrouck:
Subject: Automatic Sprinkler System Requirement
Sergeant House, 82 Bridge Street, Northampton
This letter will summarize my review of requirements of the Ninth Edition of the Existing
Building Code of Massachusetts (EBCM9 and the Ninth Edition of the Massachusetts
State Building Code (MSBC9) for sprinkler protection in the proposed Sergeant House
at 82 Bridge Street in Northampton.
The project involves expansion of an existing building to a total area on all levels of
17,151 gsf. The resulting building will have a primary occupancy of Use Group R-2 with
an accessory Use Group B office area. It is assumed the office area operations are
accessory to the primary residential use of the building.
Sprinkler protection is required throughout the building in accordance with the change of
occupancy provisions of EBCM9 Section 1012.2.1 and the requirement of EBCM9
Section 1102.1 to satisfy height limitations of the new construction code.
The new construction requirements for sprinklers are provided in MSBC9 Section 903
with specific requirements specified in Table 903.2 based on occupancy classification
and a buildings height and area characteristics. The area threshold for Use Group R-2
is 0 sf.
Note a(1) of Table 903.2 states the following:
Louis Hasbrouck, NBD - 2 - November 20, 2019
1. For Use Group R and I-1 buildings with an aggregate building area of 12,000
ft2 or more, and mixed use buildings containing R-Uses, the sprinkler system shall
be designed and installed throughout the structure in accordance with NFPA 13.
This MA amendment of the IBC-15 base code takes precedence over the provisions of
the IBC-15 itself and NFPA 13R that allow use of NFPA 13R sprinkler systems in
buildings up to and including four stories in height without an area restriction. This more
stringent requirement than those of the IBC-15 and NFPA 13R was adopted into the
MSBC in response to multiple fires in which buildings without sprinkler or buildings with
NFPA 13R sprinklers were destroyed because of fires in unsprinklered attic spaces.
Conclusions
The Sergeant House building is required to be sprinklered in accordance with NFPA 13.
If you have any questions concerning my analysis as documented in this letter, please
do not hesitate to contact me.
Very truly yours
Harold R. Cutler