International Building Code Section 905 – International Building Code 2006 Discussions

International Building Code 905.10

During construction. Standpipe systems required
during construction and demolition operations shall be provided
in accordance with Section 3311.

International Building Code 905.1

General. Standpipe systems shall be provided in new
buildings and structures in accordance with this section. Fire
hose threads used in connection with standpipe systems shall
be approved and shall be compatible with fire department hose
threads. The location of fire department hose connections shall
be approved. In buildings used for high-piled combustible storage,
fire protection shall be in accordance with the International
Fire Code.

International Building Code 905.2

Installation standard. Standpipe systems shall be
installed in accordance with this section and NFPA 14.

International Building Code 905.3

Required installations. Standpipe systems shall be
installed where required by Sections 905.3.1 through 905.3.7
and in the locations indicated in Sections 905.4, 905.5 and
905.6. Standpipe systems are allowed to be combined with
automatic sprinkler systems.
Exception: Standpipe systems are not required in Group
R-3 occupancies.

Building height. Class III standpipe systems
shall be installed throughout buildings where the floor level
of the highest story is located more than 30 feet (9144 mm)
above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, or
where the floor level of the lowest story is located more than
30 feet (9144 mm) below the highest level of fire department
vehicle access.
Exceptions:
1. Class I standpipes are allowed in buildings
equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler
system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or
903.3.1.2.
2. Class I manual standpipes are allowed in open
parking garages where the highest floor is located
not more than 150 feet (45 720 mm)above the lowest
level of fire department vehicle access.
3. Class I manual dry standpipes are allowed in open
parking garages that are subject to freezing temperatures,
provided that the hose connections are
located as required for Class II standpipes in accordance
with Section 905.5.
4. Class I standpipes are allowed in basements
equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler
system.
5. In determining the lowest level of fire department
vehicle access, it shall not be required to consider:
5.1. Recessed loading docks for four vehicles
or less; and
5.2. Conditions where topography makes
access from the fire department vehicle to
the building impractical or impossible.

Group A. Class I automatic wet standpipes
shall be provided in nonsprinklered Group A buildings having
an occupant load exceeding 1,000 persons.
Exceptions:
1. Open-air-seating spaces without enclosed spaces.
2. Class I automatic dry and semiautomatic dry
standpipes or manual wet standpipes are allowed
in buildings where the highest floor surface used
for human occupancy is 75 feet (22 860 mm) or
less above the lowest level of fire department vehicle
access.

Covered mall buildings. A covered mall building
shall be equipped throughout with a standpipe system
where required by Section 905.3.1. Covered mall buildings
not required to be equipped with a standpipe system by Section
905.3.1 shall be equipped with Class I hose connections
connected to a system sized to deliver water at 250 gallons
per minute (946.4 L/min) at the most hydraulically remote
outlet. Hose connections shall be provided at each of the following
locations:
1. Within the mall at the entrance to each exit passageway
or corridor.
2. At each floor-level landing within enclosed stairways
opening directly on the mall.
3. At exterior public entrances to the mall.

Stages. Stages greater than 1,000 square feet in
area (93m2) shall be equipped with a Class III wet standpipe
system with 11/2-inch and 21/2-inch (38 mm and 64 mm)
hose connections on each side of the stage.
Exception: Where the building or area is equipped
throughout with an automatic sprinkler system, a
11/2-inch (38 mm) hose connection shall be installed in
accordance with NFPA 13 or in accordance with NFPA
14 for Class II or III standpipes.

Hose and cabinet. The 11/2-inch (38 mm)
hose connections shall be equipped with sufficient
lengths of 11/2-inch (38 mm) hose to provide fire protection
for the stage area. Hose connections shall be
equipped with an approved adjustable fog nozzle and be
mounted in a cabinet or on a rack.

Underground buildings. Underground buildings
shall be equipped throughout with a Class I automatic
wet or manual wet standpipe system.

Helistops and heliports. Buildings with a
helistop or heliport that are equipped with a standpipe shall
extend the standpipe to the roof level on which the helistop
or heliport is located in accordance with Section 1107.5 of
the International Fire Code.
180 2006 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

Marinas and boatyards. Marinas and
boatyards shall be equipped throughout with standpipe systems
in accordance with NFPA 303.

International Building Code 905.3.1

International Building Code 905.3.2

International Building Code 905.3.3

International Building Code 905.3.4

International Building Code 905.3.4.1

International Building Code 905.3.5

Underground buildings. Underground buildings
shall be equipped throughout with a Class I automatic
wet or manual wet standpipe system.

International Building Code 905.3.6

International Building Code 905.3.7

Marinas and boatyards. Marinas and
boatyards shall be equipped throughout with standpipe systems
in accordance with NFPA 303.

International Building Code 905.4

Location of Class I standpipe hose connections.
Class I standpipe hose connections shall be provided in all of
the following locations:
1. In every required stairway, a hose connection shall be
provided for each floor level above or below grade. Hose
connections shall be located at an intermediate floor
level landing between floors, unless otherwise approved
by the fire code official.
2. On each side of the wall adjacent to the exit opening of a
horizontal exit.
Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to a horizontal
exit are reachable from exit stairway hose connections
by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle
attached to 100 feet (30480 mm) of hose, a hose
connection shall not be required at the horizontal exit.
3. In every exit passageway at the entrance from the exit
passageway to other areas of a building.
4. In covered mall buildings, adjacent to each exterior public
entrance to the mall and adjacent to each entrance
from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.
5. Where the roof has a slope less than four units vertical in
12 units horizontal (33.3-percent slope), each standpipe
shall be provided with a hose connection located either
on the roof or at the highest landing of stairways with
stair access to the roof. An additional hose connection
shall be provided at the top of the most hydraulically
remote standpipe for testing purposes.
6. Where the most remote portion of a nonsprinklered floor
or story is more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) from a hose
connection or the most remote portion of a sprinklered
floor or story is more than 200 feet (60 960 mm) from a
hose connection, the fire code official is authorized to
require that additional hose connections be provided in
approved locations.

Protection. Risers and laterals of Class I
standpipe systems not located within an enclosed stairway
or pressurized enclosure shall be protected by a degree of
fire resistance equal to that required for vertical enclosures
in the building in which they are located.
Exception: In buildings equipped throughout with an
approved automatic sprinkler system, laterals that are not
located within an enclosed stairway or pressurized
enclosure are not required to be enclosed within
fire-resistance-rated construction.

Interconnection. In buildings where more than
one standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected
in accordance with NFPA 14.

International Building Code 905.4.1

International Building Code 905.4.2

Interconnection. In buildings where more than
one standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected
in accordance with NFPA 14.

International Building Code 905.5

Location of Class II standpipe hose connections.
Class II standpipe hose connections shall be accessible and
located so that all portions of the building are within 30 feet
(9144 mm) of a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of
hose.

Groups A-1 and A-2. In Group A-1 and A-2
occupancies with occupant loads of more than 1,000, hose
connections shall be located on each side of any stage, on
each side of the rear of the auditorium, on each side of the
balcony and on each tier of dressing rooms.

Protection. Fire-resistance-rated protection of
risers and laterals of Class II standpipe systems is not
required.

Class II system 1-inch hose. A minimum
1-inch (25 mm) hose shall be permitted to be used for hose
stations in light-hazard occupancies where investigated and
listed for this service and where approved by the fire code
official.

International Building Code 905.5.1

International Building Code 905.5.2

Protection. Fire-resistance-rated protection of
risers and laterals of Class II standpipe systems is not
required.

International Building Code 905.5.3

International Building Code 905.6

Location of Class III standpipe hose connections.
Class III standpipe systems shall have hose connections
located as required for Class I standpipes in Section 905.4 and
shall have Class II hose connections as required in Section
905.5.

Protection. Risers and laterals of Class III
standpipe systems shall be protected as required for Class I
systems in accordance with Section 905.4.1.

Interconnection. In buildings where more than
one Class III standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be
interconnected at the bottom.

International Building Code 905.6.1

Protection. Risers and laterals of Class III
standpipe systems shall be protected as required for Class I
systems in accordance with Section 905.4.1.

International Building Code 905.6.2

Interconnection. In buildings where more than
one Class III standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be
interconnected at the bottom.

International Building Code 905.7

Cabinets. Cabinets containing fire-fighting equipment
such as standpipes, fire hoses, fire extinguishers or fire
department valves shall not be blocked from use or obscured
from view.

Cabinet equipment identification. Cabinets
shall be identified in an approved manner by a permanently
attached sign with letters not less than 2 inches (51 mm)
high in a color that contrasts with the background color,
indicating the equipment contained therein.
Exceptions:
1. Doors not large enough to accommodate a written
sign shall be marked with a permanently attached
pictogram of the equipment contained therein.
2. Doors that have either an approved visual identification
clear glass panel or a complete glass door
panel are not required to be marked.

Locking cabinet doors. Cabinets shall be
unlocked.
Exceptions:
1. Visual identification panels of glass or other
approved transparent frangible material that is easily
broken and allows access.
2. Approved locking arrangements.
3. Group I-3.

International Building Code 905.7.1

International Building Code 905.7.2

International Building Code 905.8

Dry standpipes. Dry standpipes shall not be
installed.
Exception: Where subject to freezing and in accordance
with NFPA 14.
2006 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE 181
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

International Building Code 905.9

Valve supervision. Valves controlling water supplies
shall be supervised in the open position so that a change in
the normal position of the valve will generate a supervisory signal
at the supervising station required by Section 903.4. Where
a fire alarm system is provided, a signal shall also be transmitted
to the control unit.
Exceptions:
1. Valves to underground key or hub valves in roadway
boxes provided by the municipality or public utility
do not require supervision.
2. Valves locked in the normal position and inspected as
provided in this code in buildings not equipped with a
fire alarm system.