STATE OF LOUISIANA
Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Office of State Fire Marshal Code Enforcement and Building Safety
8181 Independence Boulevard
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806
225-925-4920

PAUL SMITH
FIRE MARSHAL

I N F O R M A T I O N  R E Q U E S T
N O T   -   F O R   -   P E R M I T T I N G

EDWARD GREMILLION, P E, C E
DAMMON ENGINEERING, INC
1095 FLORIDA AVE
SLIDELL, LA  70458-0000	RE:  P0337993
LAQUINTA INN HOTEL & SUITES #12 SLIDELL
HOLIDAY BLVD
SLIDELL, LA  70460

NFPA 101, 2006

HOTEL
ASSEMBLY 300 OCCUPANTS OR LESS
	
Dear Applicant:

Additional information is required to perform a proper review.  The project referenced above is being held pending submission of the following information:

1.	NOTE:  THE 2003 EDITION OF THE NFPA 101 LIFE SAFETY CODE APPLIES FOR THIS REVIEW. (DISREGARD THE 2006 REFERENCE ABOVE.) 

2.	Please return the requested information or replacement / additional submittal documents to the attention of the writer within 21 days of the date of this letter, reference this letter and the project number with your transmittal of the documents, and include a copy of this letter.  Do not send a new application and fee.

A deadline is imposed for receipt of the information by February 17, 2008. 

This review applies to the following scope of work: automatic sprinkler system.

The last statement in this letter, referencing "construction is  not authorized..." is limited to the scope of work as qualified above. 

3.	13: 4.1   A building, where protected by an automatic sprinkler system installation, shall be provided with sprinklers in all areas except where specific sections of this standard permit the omission of sprinklers.

The deficiency is that the room at the 1st Floor on the north side of the stair is not provided with sprinkler(s). 

4.	13: 8.4.5.1  Residential sprinklers shall be permitted in dwelling units and their adjoining corridors provided they are installed in conformance with their listing.

The deficiency is that the drawings indicate residential sprinklers in the 2nd Floor Supplies storage room. 

5.	13: 8.14.1.1 and 13: 11.2.3.1.8 (3)  All concealed spaces enclosed wholly or partly by exposed combustible construction shall be protected by sprinklers except in concealed spaces where sprinklers are not required to be installed by  8.14.1.2.1 through  8.14.1.2.15 and, based on the maximum design areas calculated, by 11.2.3.1.8 (4) (a) through (e). 

The deficiency is that the concealed spaces above ceilings and the voids in the area of Seatinf, Lobby, and Meeting Rooms are neither protected nor indicated to conform to any provisions of the standard allowing omission of sprinklers. 

6.	13: 11.2.3.5.1  Where Residential Sprinklers are used, the design area shall be the area that includes the four hydraulically most demanding sprinklers.

The deficiency is that design area #3, at the 3rd Floor, flows only 3 sprinklers. 

7.	13: 11.2.3.5.2  Unless the requirements of  11.2.3.5.3 are met, the minimum required discharge from each of the four hydraulically most demanding sprinklers shall be the greater of the following:  
(1) 	In accordance with minimum flow rates indicated in individual listings
(2) 	Calculated based on delivering a minimum of 0.1 gpm/ft2 over the design area in accordance with the provisions of  8.5.2.1

The deficiency is that calculations to document conformance with (2) are not provided for the residential areas. 

8.	13: 14.4.4.1  For all systems the design area shall be the hydraulically most demanding based on 
the criteria of Chapter 11, Chapter 12, or the special design approaches outlined in Chapter 13. 

	a)  A deficiency is that a calculation was not performed for the ordinary hazard (Group 1) area at the 1st Floor. which would include a portion of Laundry, Mech, and Elec.
 
	b)  A deficiency is that a calculation was not performed for the area at the 3rd Floor including Supplies storage, which would include ordinary hazard (Group 2) density requirements. (See 12.1.1.10 and Tables A.5.6.3.3 and A.5.6.3.4.) 
	
9.	13: 14.4.4.1.1.1  and .2  Where the design is based on the density-area method, the design area shall be a rectangular area having a dimension parallel to the branch lines at least 1.2 times the square root of the area of sprinkler operation (A) used, which shall permit the inclusion of sprinklers on both sides of the cross main and any fractional sprinkler shall be carried to the next higher whole sprinkler. 

The deficiency is that the design area at the 1st floor has a dimension parallel to the branch lines of only 30 ft. 

10.	13: 14.1.3   Working plans shall be drawn to an indicated scale, on sheets of uniform size, with a plan of each floor, and shall show those items from the following list that pertain to the design of the system:   The deficiency is that the shop drawings did not adequately indicate the following required information:

	(4)	Full height cross section, including structural member information and including ceiling construction.  The cross section is incomplete; nothing is described.  Also, the type and combustibility of materials in the concealed space above ceilings are not described.

	(6)	Location of fire walls.  The fire rating of walls, which define enclosure of areas calculated according to "room design" method, such as a minimum of 1-hour rating for walls enclosing ordinary hazard areas are not indicated. 

	(7)	Occupancy class of each area or room.  The plans do not indicate the occupancy class(es) of areas having an occupancy class of greater hazard than light hazard.

	(8)	Location and size of concealed spaces, closets, attics, and bathrooms.

	(9)	Any small enclosures in which no sprinklers are to be installed.  Various unprotected small enclosures in which no sprinklers are to be installed, such as at the Seating, Lobby, and Meeting Room area, occur but are not described.

	(38)	If room design method is used, all unprotected wall openings throughout the floor protected.   

11.	ASME/ANSI A17.1 Sprinkler protection in Elevator Hoistways, Machine Rooms, or Machinery Spaces shall comply with the following: 

c)	Rule 102.2(c)(3)  Means shall be provided to automatically disconnect the main line power supply to the affected elevator upon or prior to the application of water from sprinklers located in the machine room or in the hoistway.  This means shall be independent of the elevator control and shall not be self-resetting.

The deficiency is that neither is a pre-action valve is indicated in the supply to the sprinklers in the Machine Room nor are high temperature sprinklers indicated which can be coordinated with low temperature heat detectors.  (See also Rule 102.2(c)(4)  Sprinkler activation in elevator machine rooms and hoistways by smoke detectors is prohibited.) ( 13: A.8.14.5.4  Sprinklers within 2 ft. of the bottom of the pit are exempted. ) 

______________________________________________________________________________________

NOTE:  THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS IDENTIFY ISSUES FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.

12.	This review applies to the automatic sprinkler system, for conformance with NFPA 13, 2002 edition, as shown on the drawings for the above referenced project.

The drawing General Notes describes: "NFPA 13 RESIDENTIAL DESIGN" 

13.	This fire protection system review is limited to the original plan review scope as per State Fire Marshal letter P0324475. 

Due to the lack of information, the referenced project has NOT been reviewed.  Please direct the requested information to my attention.  Processing will continue upon receipt of the information requested above.  Enclose a copy of this letter with future submittals and/or other correspondence pertaining to this project.

This project will be returned as "NOT IN COMPLIANCE" if the requested information is not received by this office within 21 days of the date of this letter, thereby requiring a RESUBMITTAL of the entire project along with a new completed application and appropriate review fee.

If a sprinkler system construction release (Go-To-Work-Request) was granted prior to formal review, the release is hereby rescinded until such time that a formal review of plans has been conducted and a plan review letter is issued that will release the project for construction.

CONSTRUCTION IS NOT AUTHORIZED until a satisfactory review has been performed and a formal review letter has been issued by this office.

REVIEWED BY:
JOHN MOORE
ARCHITECT

CC:
Dapco Ventures
Firetrol Protection Systems
Property Insurance Association*
St Tammany Fire Protection District No 1*
City Of Slidell*
New Orleans District*     5042194600