2007-04-30 Futrell Fire Dept Access & Water Supplies Bldg 5
Fax Coversheet
City of Albertville
5959 Main Avenue N.E.
P.O. Box 9
Albertville, MN 55301
Building Department
Phone: . 763-497-3384, ext 103
Fax: 763-497-3210 email: Tleonhardt@ci.albertville.mn.us
TO:
A\ \\tl\eY
GeT
S\\D~~ @ ,.L. Jf
3~o-a6~-logll
~s 1,3<1-5
PHONE:
COMPANY:
REGARDING:
FAX:
FROM:.
Tori Leonhardt. Permit Technician
PAGE:
1 of ~~
1~/o1
DATE:
PURPOSE:
~proPriate action
_ As you requested
_ For your information
Review and return
As we discussed
_ Reply to sender
_ For your approval
_ Other (see remarks)
REMARKS:
April 30, 2007
RECEIVED
APR 3 0 2007
Building Insp~tH~
Jon Sutherland
Building Official
City of Albertville
5975 Main Avenue NE
P.O. Box 9
Albertville, MN 55301-9976
Re: Review of Fire Department Access and Water Supplies
Shoppes at Towne Lakes 11- Building #5
Linwood Drive and 68th Street N.E.
Albertville, MN
Case No. 2007-06
FFCDI #915au
Dear Jon:
I have reviewed the zoning site plans for the proposed Building #5 that were provided to
us by the City of Albertville. This report details my review of these plans to determine if
they are reasonably in compliance with the 2003 Minnesota State Fire Code for Fire
Service Features found in Chapter 5 of the Fire Code. Futrell Fire Consult and Design
Inc. (FFCDI) is involved in the review of these plans based on your city's contract with
us to provide plan review services to the City of Albertville. Any comments in this
review should be considered recommendations for your consideration, since FFCDI is
not the Authority Having Jurisdiction for fire protection issues in the City of Albertville,
nor is FFCDI the engineer or designer of record for this project.
The scope of this review is limited to the fire service features and related site water
supply for firefighting purposes. Any opinion of compliance should in no way be
construed as approval or acceptance of the plans submitted by this contractor until they
have received approval from the City of Albertville. This letter does not authorize the
contractor to purchase materials or begin installation on the project. Finally, this review
is based on evaluation with the codes and standards applicable to Minnesota and does
not include determining compliance with provisions in bid documents, contracts or
insurance standards.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
Lf-/2D/Ul '. . .. .
cc VIa ~ fH KelLer @
April 30, 2007
Page 1 of 7
MATERIALS REVIEWED
This plan review is based on the following materials submitted to FFCDI:
. Development Application dated April 1 0, 2007
. Cole Group Architects drawings A4 of 5, A5 of 5, A4 of 5 (option liB"), and A5 of 5
(option liB"), all undated except they have a plotted date of 4-10-07.
. An 8 %" x 11" Phase II site plan
Although these plans were included in the submitted set they have not been reviewed
except as they specifically apply to the Fire Service Features in our review. No
approval of any State Building Code or other Fire Code requirements is intended or
implied beyond the review for compliance with the MSFC Chapter 5.
It is expected that this review would need to be modified based on data not included in
the above list, should all of the relevant material not be provided. Information about
specific materials in the form of manufacturer's cut sheets or literature were not
provided, thus this review does not include analysis of any specific product or its
suitability for use.
STANDARDS USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
This plan review is based on the following standards as adopted in Minnesota:
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Fire Code
plus state amendments (MSFC).
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) optional Appendix Chapters B, C and D.
· Minnesota State Building Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Building
Code plus state amendments (SBC).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
From the information provided in the documents listed above or by the City of Albertville
in Development Permit Application:
. Current Zoning: Unknown
· Proposed Building Area: 10,000 fe.
. Water flow test information: None provided.
. Fire sprinklers: Unknown.
. Building Construction: Unknown
. Occupancy Classification: Unknown
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 2 of 7
RESULTS OF PLAN REVIEW
The construction type of the building has not been indicated on the drawings. In
addition, the submittal does not indicate whether or not this building will have an
automatic sprinkler system. It is assumed that the building will have an automatic
sprinkler system and fire alarm system in accordance with the requirements of the State
Building Code and Minnesota State Fire Code. On that basis this review will indicate
the minimum requirements, in general, and if and when additional information becomes
available changes may be necessary to the conclusions in this letter.
Listed below you will find the items included in the review. I have indicated whether or
not each item appears to comply with the provisions in the Minnesota State Fire Code,
the NFPA Standards, or other nationally recognized standards.
Insufficient information was provided to allow the complete plans to be reviewed. In
those areas where information is missing, we have summarized the applicable fire code
requirements to provide the City with the appropriate requirements.
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the submittal not acceptable
pending compliance with the items identified below and the response to the comments
, that follow.
Utility plans have not been provided. It is not possible to determine if city water mains
and existing or proposed hydrants are adequate in size, number, or spacing. The
comments below are based on the buildings being fully sprinklered. If the building is not
sprinklered the comments below will require modification.
GENERAL:
1. Fire apparatus access roads and water supplies for fire protection shall be installed
and made serviceable prior to and during the time of construction [MSFC (2003)
Section 501.4]. Fire department access is provided by the existing Linwood Drive
and 68th Street N.E. and thus would appear to be available during construction for
limited access to the proposed building.
2. Access to Building Openings and Roofs is required as indicated in MSFC (2003)
Section 504.
3. Premises identification is required as indicated in MSFC (2003) Section 505.
4. The building will require a key (Knox) box located as approved by the Fire Chief
[MSFC (2003) Section 506].
5. Hazards to Fire Fighters shall be protected and identified as indicated in MSFC
(2003) Section 507.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville.
April 30, 2007
Page 3 of 7
6. Fire Department access to equipment and labeling of rooms is required [MSFC
(2003) Section 510].
FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS ROADS:
1. Based on the current layout, it does appear that all portions of the proposed
buildings are within 150 feet to an access road as permitted by MSFC (2003)
Section 503.1.1. The dimensions of the access road and radius of the turns as
discussed in item #2 below need to be verified to provide fire department access to
the east side of the building. Fire department access to the remaining sides of the
building would be provided by Linwood Drive and 68th Street N.E. If the buildings
are sprinklered, MSFC 2003 Section 503.1.1 allows the fire chief to modify (Le.
increase) the distance to an approved fire department access road to greater than
150 feet.
2. Dimensions, construction, surface, turning radius, and grade shall comply with
MSFC (2003) Section 503.2. Based on MSFC Appendix Chapter D, nationally
recognized standards of good practice, and data applicable to typical fire department
ladder apparatus, we recommend a minimum 33-foot inside turning radius and 48
foot outside turning radius where fire department access roads around the building
are required, along with a minimum clear width of 20 feet. The required turning
radius could be larger based on any special apparatus in your fire department. At
present the approach paths for the fire apparatuses do not all appear to be within the
33-foot inside and 48-foot outside turning radii - specifically the entrance from
Linwood Drive into the east/west service road, the entrance from 68th Street N.E. to
the north/south service road, and from the east/west service road onto the
north/south service road.
3. It does appear that the minimum dimension (width) of 20 feet is maintained over the
length of the apparatus road, thus it is in compliance with the MSFC. The Fire Code
recommends that both sides of fire apparatus access roads be posted "No Parking"
when the net clear width is less than 26 feet [MSFC (2003) Section D1 03.6.1]. In
addition, the Fire Code recommends that one side of fire apparatus access roads be
posted "No Parking" when the net clear width is more than 26 feet, but less than 32
feet [MSFC (2003) Section D103.6.2]. No permanent or temporary obstructions (Le.
dumpsters, bollards, parking, storage, etc.) are allowed to be located in the required
20 feet clear width. The following sections of the fire department access roads
exceed 20 feet, but are less than 32 feet and require signage indicating "No
Parking":
· All access roads to the east and south sides of the building.
FIRE DEPARTMENT WATER SUPPLIES:
1. Fire protection water requirements shall be in accordance with MSFC (2003) Section
508 and MSFC Appendix B (a nationally recognized standard). Based on a fully
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 4 of 7
sprinklered building, Appendix B allows a reduction by the fire chief of up to 75
percent in this water supply requirement, but to not less than 1,500 gpm. Therefore,
the acceptable range of fire flows is between 1 ,500 gpm and 2,750 gpm, based on
the fact that the fire chief is permitted to accept a reduction in the required water flow
based on sprinkler protection throughout the building. The building construction is
not given, but is assumed to be a Type V-B or better (more fire resistive).
a. Based on a 10,000 fe Type V-B building a minimum fire flow according
to Table B105.1 is 2,750 gpm fire flow for a 2-hour duration. If the
building will be sprinklered throughout, the fire chief is allowed by
Section B1 05.2 to reduce the fire flow down to no less than 1,500 gpm.
2. Water supply test data was not provided thus could not be verified. It is
recommended that the developer confirm with the City that the fire hydrants around
the building can provide a flow rate of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure for a
duration of 2 hours.
a. If a water supply test is required to verify the available supply it shall be
conducted in accordance with MSFC Section 508.4 and a nationally
recognized standard such as NFPA 921.
The statement above is based on the Fire Chief accepting a reduction in the
required fire flow to 1,500 gpm. This minimum flow of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi does not
mean that this is an adequate supply for the sprinkler systems. Detailed hydraulic
calculations are required to determine the water supply appropriate for approved
sprinkler systems. If the building is not sprinklered or the Fire Chief does not accept
the reduction then the 2,750 gpm minimum flow requirement must be met.
3. Fire hydrant locations shall be in accordance with MSFC Appendix C (nationally
recognized standard). Because fire hydrant locations have not been indicated the
minimum number of hydrants (at least one, but three for type V-B construction
without sprinklers or without the Fire Chief accepting the reduction to 1,500 gpm)
could not be verified. The maximum distance from any point on a street or road to a
hydrant (250 feet is the maximum for a sprinklered building) could not be verified;
and the average spacing between hydrants (500 feet for a sprinklered building)
could not be verified. Additional information is required or it appears additional
hydrants will be required.
4. Fire hydrants shall be located so that they are not subject to vehicular and snow
plow damage. As required by MSFC (2003) Section 508.5.6, physical impact
protection that is designed and installed according to Section 312 should be
provided around all sides of these hydrants.
5. At present no hydrant is shown within 100' of any portion of the proposed building.
The location of the sprinkler system Fire Department Connection (FDC) with respect
to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief. NFPA 13 states in
section 8.16.2.4.6: Fire department connections shall be on the street side of
buildings and shall be located and arranged so that hose lines can be readily and
conveniently attached to the inlets without interference from any nearby objects
including buildings, fences, posts, or other fire department connections.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 5 of 7
6. New underground water mains are not indicated to supply the new fire sprinkler
system in the building. Private fire service underground main is to be installed
according to NFPA 24 [MSFC (2003) Section 508.2.1].
CONCLUSIONS
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated for Fire Service Features. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the
submittal not acceptable, pending compliance with the items identified below,
submission of updated plans to the city and any subsequent reviews you feel
appropriate. It is not necessary for the plans to be submitted back to FFCDI for review
given that these items are the primary issues, should you wish to confirm their
correction:
· Verify that the building will have automatic sprinklers and possibly fire alarm systems
installed. If sprinklered, verify that the Fire Chief accepts the fire flow reduction
indicated.
· If the building is sprinklered, a FDC will be required. The location of the FDC and
the distance to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief.
· Verify existing and / or proposed new hydrant locations for quantity and spacing.
· Verify that the actual water supply is able to support the minimum fire flow of 1,500
gpm at 20 psi required for sprinklered buildings by the MSFC (provided the Fire
Chief accepts a 1,500 gpm flow) and that the water supply is adequate for the
automatic sprinklers. If the building will not be sprinklered the minimum fire flow will
be dependent on the building construction and use occupancy and that information
has not been provided.
· Revise the fire department access to provide minimum radius requirements.
· Require posting of "No Parking" areas where fire department access is between 26
feet and 32 feet (post one side). The access west and south of the building is more
than 26 feet wide, but less than 32 feet; however, all access roads appear to be 28
feet meaning that all roads would be required to be posted on one side.
· Verify that the building will not be used for high piled storage or hazardous material
storage or use of any kind.
Finally, the City should confirm that sprinklers or fire rated separations are provided as
required by MSFC (2003) and MSBC (2003). These provisions are outside the domain
of the Fire Service Features that are the subject of this letter, so although we find the
submission acceptable for fire department access roads and water supply, it may not be
so in terms of sprinkler protection.
This review is not necessarily intended to indicate all of the deficiencies on these plans,
nor does this review relieve the designer of any of their responsibility to furnish
documents in accordance with the State of Minnesota, the State Building Code, the
Minnesota State Fire Code, and NFPA or other recognized standards.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 6 of 7
If you have any questions or wish to discuss the contents of this letter, please feel free
to contact me.
Sincerely,
FUTRELL FIRE CONSULT & DESIGN, INC.
Scott A. Futrell
President
cc: City of Albertville - City Planner, Mr. AI Brixius
City of Albertville - Fire Chief, Tate Mills
DISCLAIMER
This report has been prepared by FFCDI based on the information available to us as
provided by the client and is limited to a review of the fire service features and water
supply as defined in Chapter 5 of the MSFC for this building. FFCDI has not
determined if the client or building is in compliance with any laws, rules, codes or
, standards.
The scope of this report is limited to that in the contract between the client and FFCDI
and is not to be used for other designs, locations, installations or situations outside
those for which it was intended. FFCDI is not responsible for implementation,
interpretation or confirmation of recommendations or requirements, including those
indicated in this report, unless provided for in additional contracts outside the scope of
the current work. Should the client not retain the services of FFCDI to review the
implementation or any other use of this report through site observation, inspection, or
audits, then the client and any end users agree to assume full liability and responsibility
for the verification, implementation, interpretation, or any other use of this report and its
findings for any purpose including, but not limited to development of construction
documents, approval, or any other implementation in any form.
Additionally, the recommendations in this report are based on responsible parties, other
than FFCDI, such as the building owner/operator maintaining the fire protection,
systems, maintenance, housekeeping and storage in accordance with local, state and
national laws, and nationally recognized standards, including those outlined in this
report.
Copyright FFCDI 2007.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #5 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 7 of 7
April 30, 2007
RECEIVED
APi{ :3 0 2007
Building lnlSpfi'ctions
Jon Sutherland
Building Official
City of Albertville
5975 Main Avenue NE
P.O. Box 9
Albertville, MN 55301-9976
Re: Review of Fire Department Access and Water Supplies
Shoppes at Towne Lakes 11- Building #3
Linwood Drive
Albertville, MN
Case No. 2007-05
FFCDI #915as
Dear Jon:
I have reviewed the zoning site plans for the proposed Building #3 that were provided to
us by the City of Albertville. This report details my review of these plans to determine if
they are reasonably in compliance with the 2003 Minnesota State Fire Code for Fire
Service Features found in Chapter 5 of the Fire Code. Futrell Fire Consult and Design
Inc. (FFCDI) is involved in the review of these plans based on your city's contract with
us to provide plan review services to the City of Albertville. Any comments in this
review should be considered recommendations for your consideration, since FFCDI is
not the Authority Having Jurisdiction for fire protection issues in the City of Albertville,
nor is FFCDI the engineer or designer of record for this project.
The scope of this review is limited to the fire service features and related site water
supply for firefighting purposes. Any opinion of compliance should in no way be
construed as approval or acceptance of the plans submitted by this contractor until they
have received approval from the City of Albertville. This letter does not authorize the
contractor to purchase materials or begin installation on the project. Finally, this review
is based on evaluation with the codes and standards applicable to Minnesota and does
not include determining compliance with provisions in bid documents, contracts or
insurance standards.
LfI2>D 1~7Ppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
Uo, \L1l Keller VIa ~
April 30, 2007
Page 1 of 7
@
MATERIALS REVIEWED
This plan review is based on the following materials submitted to FFCDI:
· Development Application dated April 1 0, 2007
· Cole Group Architects drawings A4 of 4, A4 of 5, A4 of 5 (option "B"), and A5 of 5
(option "B"), all undated except they have a plotted date of 4-1 0-07.
. An 8 %" x 11" Phase II site plan
Although these plans were included in the submitted set they have not been reviewed
except as they specifically apply to the Fire Service Features in our review. No
approval of any State Building Code or other Fire Code requirements is intended or
implied beyond the review for compliance with the MSFC Chapter 5.
It is expected that this review would need to be modified based on data not included in
the above list, should all of the relevant material not be provided. Information about
specific materials in the form of manufacturer's cut sheets or literature were not
provided, thus this review does not include analysis of any specific product or its
suitability for use.
STANDARDS USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
This plan review is based on the following standards as adopted in Minnesota:
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Fire Code
plus state amendments (MSFC).
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) optional Appendix Chapters B, C and D.
· Minnesota State Building Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Building
Code plus state amendments (SBC).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
From the information provided in the documents listed above or by the City of Albertville
in Development Permit Application:
. Current Zoning: Unknown
. Proposed Building Area: 5,000 W.
. Water flow test information: None provided.
. Fire sprinklers: Unknown.
. Building Construction: Unknown
. Occupancy Classification: Unknown
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 2 of 7
RESULTS OF PLAN REVIEW
The construction type of the building has not been indicated on the drawings. In
addition, the submittal does not indicate whether or not this building will have an
automatic sprinkler system. It is assumed that the building will have an automatic
sprinkler system and fire alarm system in accordance with the requirements of the State
Building Code and Minnesota State Fire Code. On that basis this review will indicate
the minimum requirements, in general, and if and when additional information becomes
available changes may be necessary to the conclusions in this letter.
Listed below you will find the items included in the review. I have indicated whether or
not each item appears to comply with the provisions in the Minnesota State Fire Code,
the NFPA Standards, or other nationally recognized standards.
Insufficient information was provided to allow the complete plans to be reviewed. In
those areas where information is missing, we have summarized the applicable fire code
requirements to provide the City with the appropriate requirements.
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the submittal not acceptable
pending compliance with the items identified below and the response to the comments
that follow.
Utility plans have not been provided. It is not possible to determine if city water mains
and existing or proposed hydrants are adequate in size, number, or spacing. The
comments below are based on the buildings being fully sprinklered. If the building is not
sprinklered the comments below will require modification.
GENERAL:
1. Fire apparatus access roads and water supplies for fire protection shall be installed
and made serviceable prior to and during the time of construction [MSFC (2003)
Section 501.4]. Fire department access is provided by the existing Linwood Drive
and thus would appear to be available during construction for limited access to the
proposed building.
2. Access to Building Openings and Roofs is required as indicated in MSFC (2003)
Section 504.
3. Premises identification is required as indicated in MSFC (2003) Section 505.
4. The building will require a key (Knox) box located as approved by the Fire Chief
[MSFC (2003) Section 506].
5. Hazards to Fire Fighters shall be protected and identified as indicated in MSFC
(2003) Section 507.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 3 of 7
6. Fire Department access to equipment and labeling of rooms is required [MSFC
(2003) Section 510].
FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS ROADS:
1. Based on the current layout, it does appear that all portions of the proposed
buildings are within 150 feet to an access road as permitted by MSFC (2003)
Section 503.1.1. The dimensions of the access road and radius of the turns as
discussed in item #2 below need to be verified to provide fire department access to
the east side of the building. Fire department access to the remaining sides of the
building would be provided by Linwood. If the buildings are sprinklered, MSFC 2003
Section 503.1.1 allows the fire chief to modify (Le. increase) the distance to an
approved fire department access road to greater than 150 feet.
2. Dimensions, construction, surface, turning radius, and grade shall comply with
MSFC (2003) Section 503.2. Based on MSFC Appendix Chapter D, nationally
recognized standards of good practice, and data applicable to typical fire department
ladder apparatus, we recommend a minimum 33-foot inside turning radius and 48
foot outside turning radius where fire department access roads around the building
are required, along with a minimum clear width of 20 feet. The required turning
radius could be larger based on any special apparatus in your fire department. At
present the approach paths for the fire apparatuses do not all appear to be within the
33-foot inside and 48-foot outside turning radii - specifically the entrance from
Linwood Drive into the eastlwest service road and from the east/west service road
onto the north/south service road.
3. It does appear that the minimum dimension (width) of 20 feet is maintained over the
length of the apparatus road, thus it is in compliance with the MSFC. The Fire Code
recommends that both sides of fire apparatus access roads be posted "No Parking"
when the net clear width is less than 26 feet [MSFC (2003) Section D103.6.1]. In
addition, the Fire Code recommends that one side of fire apparatus access roads be
posted "No Parking" when the net clear width is more than 26 feet, but less than 32
feet [MSFC (2003) Section D103.6.2]. No permanent or temporary obstructions (Le.
dumpsters, bollards, parking, storage, etc.) are allowed to be located in the required
20 feet clear width. The following sections of the fire department access roads
exceed 20 feet, but are less than 32 feet and require signage indicating "No
Parking":
· All access roads to the east side of the building.
FIRE DEPARTMENT WATER SUPPLIES:
1. Fire protection water requirements shall be in accordance with MSFC (2003) Section
508 and MSFC Appendix B (a nationally recognized standard). Based on a fully
sprinklered building, Appendix B allows a reduction by the fire chief of up to 75
percent in this water supply requirement, but to not less than 1,500 gpm. Therefore,
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 4 of 7
the acceptable range of fire flows is between 1,500 gpm and 2,000 gpm, based on
the fact that the fire chief is permitted to accept a reduction in the required water flow
based on sprinkler protection throughout the building. The building construction is
not given, but is assumed to be a Type V-B or better (more fire resistive).
a. Based on a 5,000 fe Type V-B building a minimum fire flow according
to Table B105.1 is 2,000 gpm fire flow for a 2-hour duration. Ifthe
building will be sprinklered throughout, the fire chief is allowed by
Section B1 05.2 to reduce the fire flow down to no less than 1,500 gpm.
2. Water supply test data was not provided thus could not be verified. It is
recommended that the developer confirm with the City that the fire hydrants around
the building can provide a flow rate of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure for a
duration of 2 hours.
a. If a water supply test is required to verify the available supply it shall be
conducted in accordance with MSFC Section 508.4 and a nationally
recognized standard such as NFPA 921.
The statement above is based on the Fire Chief accepting a reduction in the
required fire flow to 1,500 gpm. This minimum flow of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi does not
mean that this is an adequate supply for the sprinkler systems. Detailed hydraulic
calculations are required to determine the water supply appropriate for approved
sprinkler systems. If the building is not sprinklered or the Fire Chief does not accept
the reduction then the 2,000 gpm minimum flow requirement must be met.
3. Fire hydrant locations shall be in accordance with MSFC Appendix C (nationally
recognized standard). Because fire hydrant locations have not been indicated the
minimum number of hydrants (at least one, but two for type V-B construction without
sprinklers or without the Fire Chief accepting the reduction to 1,500 gpm) could not
be verified. The maximum distance from any point on a street or road to a hydrant
(250 feet is the maximum for a sprinklered building) could not be verified; and the
average spacing between hydrants (500 feet for a sprinklered building) could not be
verified. Additional information is required or it appears additional hydrants will be
required.
4. Fire hydrants shall be located so that they are not subject to vehicular and snow
plow damage. As required by MSFC (2003) Section 508.5.6, physical impact
protection that is designed and installed according to Section 312 should be
provided around all sides of these hydrants.
5. At present no hydrant is shown within 100' of any portion of the proposed building.
The location of the sprinkler system Fire Department Connection (FDC) with respect
to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief. NFPA 13 states in
section 8.16.2.4.6: Fire department connections shall be on the street side of
buildings and shall be located and arranged so that hose lines can be readily and
conveniently attached to the inlets without interference from any nearby objects
including buildings, fences, posts, or other fire department connections.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 5 of 7
6. New underground water mains are not indicated to supply the new fire sprinkler
system in the building. Private fire service underground main is to be installed
according to NFPA 24 [MSFC (2003) Section 508.2.1].
CONCLUSIONS
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated for Fire Service Features. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the
submittal not acceptable, pending compliance with the items identified below,
submission of updated plans to the city and any subsequent reviews you feel
appropriate. It is not necessary for the plans to be submitted back to FFCDI for review
given that these items are the primary issues, should you wish to confirm their
correction:
. Verify that the building will have automatic sprinklers and possibly fire alarm systems
installed. If sprinklered, verify that the Fire Chief accepts the fire flow reduction
indicated.
· If the building is sprinklered, a FDC will be required. The location of the FDC and
the distance to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief.
· Verify existing and lor proposed new hydrant locations for quantity and spacing.
· Verify that the actual water supply is able to support the minimum fire flow of 1,500
gpm at 20 psi required for sprinklered buildings by the MSFC (provided the Fire
Chief accepts a 1 ,500 gpm flow) and that the water supply is adequate for the
automatic sprinklers. If the building will not be sprinklered the minimum fire flow will
be dependent on the building construction and use occupancy and that information
has not been provided.
· Revise the fire department access to provide minimum radius requirements.
· Require posting of "No Parking" areas where fire department access is between 26
feet and 32 feet (post one side). The access east of the building is more than 26
feet wide, but less than 32 feet; however, all access roads appear to be 28 feet
meaning that all roads would be required to be posted on one side.
· Verify that the building will not be used for high piled storage or hazardous material
storage or use of any kind.
Finally, the City should confirm that sprinklers or fire rated separations are provided as
required by MSFC (2003) and MSBC (2003). These provisions are outside the domain
of the Fire Service Features that are the subject of this letter, so although we find the
submission acceptable for fire department access roads and water supply, it may not be
so in terms of sprinkler protection.
This review is not necessarily intended to indicate all of the deficiencies on these plans,
nor does this review relieve the designer of any of their responsibility to furnish
documents in accordance with the State of Minnesota, the State Building Code, the
Minnesota State Fire Code, and NFPA or other recognized standards.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 6 of 7
If you have any questions or wish to discuss the contents of this letter, please feel free
to contact me.
Sincerely,
FUTRELL FIRE CONSULT & DESIGN, INC.
Scott A. Futrell
President
cc: City of Albertville - City Planner, Mr. AI Brixius
City of Albertville - Fire Chief, Tate Mills
DISCLAIMER
This report has been prepared by FFCDI based on the information available to us as
provided by the client and is limited to a review of the fire service features and water
supply as defined in Chapter 5 of the MSFC for this building. FFCDI has not
determined if the client or building is in compliance with any laws, rules, codes or
. standards.
The scope of this report is limited to that in the contract between the client and FFCDI
and is not to be used for other designs, locations, installations or situations outside
those for which it was intended. FFCDI is not responsible for implementation,
interpretation or confirmation of recommendations or requirements, including those
indicated in this report, unless provided for in additional contracts outside the scope of
the current work. Should the client not retain the services of FFCDI to review the
implementation or any other use of this report through site observation, inspection, or
audits, then the client and any end users agree to assume full liability and responsibility
for the verification, implementation, interpretation, or any other use of this report and its
findings for any purpose including, but not limited to development of construction
documents, approval, or any other implementation in any form.
Additionally, the recommendations in this report are based on responsible parties, other
than FFCDI, such as the building owner/operator maintaining the fire protection,
systems, maintenance, housekeeping and storage in accordance with local, state and
national laws, and nationally recognized standards, including those outlined in this
report.
Copyright FFCDI 2007.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #3 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 7 of 7
April 30, 2007
RECEIVED
/'PR 3 0 2007
Jon Sutherland
Building Official
City of Albertville
5975 Main Avenue NE
P.O. Box 9
Albertville, MN 55301-9976
Building Inspections
Re: Review of Fire Department Access and Water Supplies
Shoppes at Towne Lakes 11- Building #2
West Laketowne Drive and CSAH 19
Albertville, MN
Case No. 2007-05
FFCDI #915at
Dear Jon:
I have reviewed the zoning site plans for the proposed Building #2 that were provided to
us by the City of Albertville. This report details my review of these plans to determine if
they are reasonably in compliance with the 2003 Minnesota State Fire Code for Fire
Service Features found in Chapter 5 of the Fire Code. Futrell Fire Consult and Design
Inc. (FFCDI) is involved in the review of these plans based on your city's contract with
us to provide plan review services to the City of Albertville. Any comments in this
review should be considered recommendations for your consideration, since FFCDI is
not the Authority Having Jurisdiction for fire protection issues in the City of Albertville,
nor is FFCDI the engineer or designer of record for this project.
The scope of this review is limited to the fire service features and related site water
supply for firefighting purposes. Any opinion of compliance should in no way be
construed as approval or acceptance of the plans submitted by this contractor until they
have received approval from the City of Albertville. This letter does not authorize the
contractor to purchase materials or begin installation on the project. Finally, this review
is based on evaluation with the codes and standards applicable to Minnesota and does
not include determining compliance with provisions in bid documents, contracts or
insurance standards.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 1 of 7
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MATERIALS REVIEWED
This plan review is based on the following materials submitted to FFCDI:
· Development Application dated April 1 0, 2007
· Cole Group Architects drawings AO of 4, A2 of 2, A3 of 5, A4 of 5, A5 of 5 and L 1 of
1 , all undated except they have plotted date of 4-1 0-07 (and one of the two copies of
A4 [option "B:] has a plot date of 4-9-07).
Although these plans were included in the submitted set they have not been reviewed
except as they specifically apply to the Fire Service Features in our review. No
approval of any State Building Code or other Fire Code requirements is intended or
implied beyond the review for compliance with the MSFC Chapter 5.
It is expected that this review would need to be modified based on data not included in
the above list, should all of the relevant material not be provided. Information about
specific materials in the form of manufacturer's cut sheets or literature were not
provided, thus this review does not include analysis of any specific product or its
suitability for use.
STANDARDS USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
This plan review is based on the following standards as adopted in Minnesota:
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Fire Code
plus state amendments (MSFC).
· Minnesota State Fire Code (2003) optional Appendix Chapters B, C and D.
· Minnesota State Building Code (2003) comprised of the 2000 International Building
Code plus state amendments (SBC).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW
From the information provided in the documents listed above or by the City of Albertville
in Development Permit Application:
. Current Zoning: Unknown
· Proposed Building Area: 8,000 fe.
· Water flow test information: None provided.
. Fire sprinklers: Unknown.
. Building Construction: Unknown
. Occupancy Classification: Unknown
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 2 of 7
RESULTS OF PLAN REVIEW
The construction type of the building has not been indicated on the drawings. In
addition, the submittal does not indicate whether or not this building will have an
automatic sprinkler system. It is assumed that the building will have an automatic
sprinkler system and fire alarm system in accordance with the requirements of the State
Building Code and Minnesota State Fire Code. On that basis this review will indicate
the minimum requirements, in general, and if and when additional information becomes
available changes may be necessary to the conclusions in this letter.
Listed below you will find the items included in the review. I have indicated whether or
not each item appears to comply with the provisions in the Minnesota State Fire Code,
the NFPA Standards, or other nationally recognized standards.
Insufficient information was provided to allow the complete plans to be reviewed. In
those areas where information is missing, we have summarized the applicable fire code
requirements to provide the City with the appropriate requirements.
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the submittal not acceptable
pending compliance with the items identified below and the response to the comments
that follow.
'Utility plans have not been provided. It is not possible to determine if city water mains
and existing or proposed hydrants are adequate in size, number, or spacing. The
comments below are based on the buildings being fully sprinklered. If the building is not
sprinklered the comments below will require modification.
GENERAL:
1. Fire apparatus access roads and water supplies for fire protection shall be installed
and made serviceable prior to and during the time of construction [MSFC (2003)
Section 501.4]. Fire department access is provided by the existing CSAH 19 and
Linwood Drive and thus would appear to be available during construction for limited
access to the proposed building.
2. Access to Building Openings and Roofs is required as indicated in MSFC (2003)
Section 504.
3. Premises identification is required as indicated in MSFC (2003) Section 505.
4. The building will require a key (Knox) box located as approved by the Fire Chief
[MSFC (2003) Section 506].
5. Hazards to Fire Fighters shall be protected and identified as indicated in MSFC
(2003) Section 507.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 3 of 7
6. Fire Department access to equipment and labeling of rooms is required [MSFC
(2003) Section 510].
FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS ROADS:
1. Based on the current layout, it does appear that all portions of the proposed
buildings are within 150 feet to an access road as permitted by MSFC (2003)
Section 503.1.1. The dimensions of the access road and radius of the turns as
discussed in item #2 below need to be verified to provide fire department access to
the north, south, and west sides of the building. Fire department access to the
remaining side of the building would be provided by CSAH 19. If the buildings are
sprinklered, MSFC 2003 Section 503.1.1 allows the fire chief to modify (Le. increase)
the distance to an approved fire department access road to greater than 150 feet.
2. Dimensions, construction, surface, turning radius, and grade shall comply with
MSFC (2003) Section 503.2. Based on MSFC Appendix Chapter D, nationally
recognized standards of good practice, and data applicable to typical fire department
ladder apparatus, we recommend a minimum 33-foot inside turning radius and 48
foot outside turning radius where fire department access roads around the building
are required, along with a minimum clear width of 20 feet. The required turning
radius could be larger based on any special apparatus in your fire department. At
present the approach paths for the fire apparatuses do not all appear to be within the
33-foot inside and 48-foot outside turning radii - specifically the entrance from
Linwood Drive into the east/west service road and from the east/west service road
onto the north/south service road.
3. It does appear that the minimum dimension (width) of 20 feet is maintained over the
length of the apparatus road, thus it is in compliance with the MSFC. The Fire Code
recommends that both sides of fire apparatus access roads be posted "No Parking"
when the net clear width is less than 26 feet [MSFC (2003) Section D1 03.6.1]. In
addition, the Fire Code recommends that one side of fire apparatus access roads be
posted "No Parking" when the net clear width is more than 26 feet, but less than 32
feet [MSFC (2003) Section D103.6.2]. No permanent or temporary obstructions (Le.
dumpsters, bollards, parking, storage, etc.) are allowed to be located in the required
20 feet clear width. The following sections of the fire department access roads
exceed 20 feet, but are less than 32 feet and require signage indicating "No
Parking":
· Access to the west side of the building.
FIRE DEPARTMENT WATER SUPPLIES:
1. Fire protection water requirements shall be in accordance with MSFC (2003) Section
508 and MSFC Appendix B (a nationally recognized standard). Based on a fully
sprinklered building, Appendix B allows a reduction by the fire chief of up to 75
percent in this water supply requirement, but to not less than 1,500 gpm. Therefore,
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 4 of 7
the acceptable range of fire flows is between 1,500 gpm and 2,500 gpm, based on
the fact that the fire chief is permitted to accept a reduction in the required water flow
based on sprinkler protection throughout the building. The building construction is
not given, but is assumed to bea Type V-B or better (more fire resistive).
a. Based on an 8,000 fe Type V-B building a minimum fire flow according
to Table B105.1 is 2,500 gpm fire flow for a 2-hour duration. If the
building will be sprinklered throughout, the fire chief is allowed by
Section B105.2 to reduce the fire flow down to no less than 1,500 gpm.
2. Water supply test data was not provided thus could not be verified. It is
recommended that the developer confirm with the City that the fire hydrants around
the building can provide a flow rate of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi residual pressure for a
duration of 2 hours.
a. If a water supply test is required to verify the available supply it shall be
conducted in accordance with MSFC Section 508.4 and a nationally
recognized standard such as NFPA 921.
The statement above is based on the Fire Chief accepting a reduction in the
required fire flow to 1,500 gpm. This minimum flow of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi does not
mean that this is an adequate supply for the sprinkler systems. Detailed hydraulic
calculations are required to determine the water supply appropriate for approved
sprinkler systems. If the building is not sprinklered or the Fire Chief does not accept
the reduction then the 2,500 gpm minimum flow requirement must be met.
'3. Fire hydrant locations shall be in accordance with MSFC Appendix C (nationally
recognized standard). Because fire hydrant locations have not been indicated the
minimum number of hydrants (at least one, but three for type V-B construction
without sprinklers or without the Fire Chief accepting the reduction to 1,500 gpm)
could not be verified. The maximum distance from any point on a street or road to a
hydrant (250 feet is the maximum for a sprinklered building) could not be verified;
and the average spacing between hydrants (500 feet for a sprinklered building)
could not be verified. Additional information is required or it appeats additional
hydrants will be required.
4. Fire hydrants shall be located so that they are not subject to vehicular and snow
plow damage. As required by MSFC (2003) Section 508.5.6, physical impact
protection that is designed and installed according to Section 312 should be
provided around all sides of these hydrants.
5. At present no hydrant is shown within 100' of any portion of the proposed building.
The location of the sprinkler system Fire Department Connection (FDC) with respect
to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief. NFPA 13 states in
section 8.16.2.4.6: Fire department connections shall be on the street side of
buildings and shall be located and arranged so that hose lines can be readily and
conveniently attached to the inlets without interference from any nearby objects
including buildings, fences, posts, or other fire department connections.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 5 of 7
6. New underground water mains are not indicated to supply the new fire sprinkler
system in the building. Private fire service underground main is to be installed
according to NFPA 24 [MSFC (2003) Section 508.2.1].
CONCLUSIONS
This submittal does not appear to be in compliance with the codes and standards as
indicated for Fire Service Features. I recommend that the City of Albertville find the
submittal not acceptable, pending compliance with the items identified below,
submission of updated plans to the city and any subsequent reviews you feel
appropriate. It is not necessary for the plans to be submitted back to FFCDI for review
given that these items are the primary issues, should you wish to confirm their
correction:
. Verify that the building will have automatic sprinklers and possibly fire alarm systems
installed. If sprinklered, verify that the Fire Chief accepts the fire flow reduction
indicated.
. If the building is sprinklered, a FDC will be required. The location of the FDC and
the distance to the nearest hydrant should be reviewed by the fire chief.
. Verify existing and / or proposed new hydrant locations for quantity and spacing.
· Verify that the actual water supply is able to support the minimum fire flow of 1 ,500
gpm at 20 psi required for sprinklered buildings by the MSFC (provided the Fire
Chief accepts a 1,500 gpm flow) and that the water supply. is adequate for the
automatic sprinklers. If the building will not be sprinklered the minimum fire flow will
be dependent on the building construction and use occupancy and that information
has not been provided.
. Revise the fire department access to provide minimum radius requirements.
. Require posting of "No Parking" areas where fire department access is between 26
feet and 32 feet (post one side). The access west of the building is more than 26
feet wide, but less than 32 feet; however, all access roads appear to be 28 feet
meaning that all roads would be required to be posted on one side.
. Verify that the building will not be used for high piled storage or hazardous material
storage or use of any kind.
Finally, the City should confirm that sprinklers or fire rated separations are provided as
required by MSFC (2003) and MSBC (2003). These provisions are outside the domain
of the Fire Service Features that are the subject of this letter, so although we find the
submission acceptable for fire department access roads and water supply, it may not be
so in terms of sprinkler protection.
This review is not necessarily intended to indicate all of the deficiencies on these plans,
nor does this review relieve the designer of any of their responsibility to furnish
documents in accordance with the State of Minnesota, the State Building Code, the
Minnesota State Fire Code, and NFPA or other recognized standards.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss the contents of this letter, please feel free
to contact me.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 6 of 7
Sincerely,
FUTRELL FIRE CONSULT & DESIGN, INC.
Scott A. Futrell
President
cc: City of Albertville - City Planner, Mr. AI Brixius
City of Albertville - Fire Chief, Tate Mills
DISCLAIMER
This report has been prepared by FFCDI based on the information available to us as
provided by the client and is limited to a review of the fire service features and water
supply as defined in Chapter 5 of the MSFC for this building. FFCDI has not
determined if the client or building is in compliance with any laws, rules, codes or
standards.
, The scope of this report is limited to that in the contract between the client and FFCDI
and is not to be used for other designs, locations, installations or situations outside
those for which it was intended. FFCDI is not responsible for implementation,
interpretation or confirmation of recommendations or requirements, including those
indicated in this report, unless provided for in additional contracts outside the scope of
the current work. Should the client not retain the services of FFCDI to review the
implementation or any other use of this report through site observation, inspection, or
audits, then the client and any end users agree to assume full liability and responsibility
for the verification, implementation, interpretation, or any other use of this report and its
findings for any purpose including, but not limited to development of construction
documents, approval, or any other implementation in any form.
Additionally, the recommendations in this report are based on responsible parties, other
than FFCDI, such as the building owner/operator maintaining the fire protection,
systems, maintenance, housekeeping and storage in accordance with local, state and
national laws, and nationally recognized standards, including those outlined in this
report.
Copyright FFCDI 2007.
Shoppes @ Town Lakes II Building #2 - Albertville
April 30, 2007
Page 7 of 7