If you are protecting under a mezzanine, there is no more of a separation than there is in your parking garage, and yet you don’t have to add the area under the mezzanine to the area of the overhead system.
If I was designing it, I think I would default to one valve per floor. But I think there is code precedent to allow you to protect the entire garage with one system/control valve. Kyle Montgomery [cid:[email protected]] Pre-Construction Manager Aero Automatic Sprinkler Co. 21605 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85024 Direct: 623.580.7820 Cell: 602.763.4736 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> From: Rick Matsuda <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2026 4:10 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: Sprinklerforum <[email protected]> Subject: [External][Sprinklerforum] Re: parking structure Ken, I’m not an AHJ anymore and I don’t know what the codes require or allow so I’m just giving you a common sense suggestion. If possible, can they make a combined standpipe and sprinkler system? If yes, then install sectional valves for each level. If a combined system is not possible, then use the one sprinkler riser to supply a vertical feed, and install sectional valves for each level. The floor sectional valves will serve two purposes. 1. Any level can be shut off for repairs without affecting the entire parking garage. 2. A waterflow alarm for each level will direct the fire department to the problem so they don’t have to search for it. Ask the local AHJ what they want. Rick Matsuda On Sep 28, 2026, at 1:20 PM, Parsley Consulting <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Sam, Thank you so much for this response. While this is a wet system to be for a parking structure in California, the design shows only one system riser, however it does have a stand alone standpipe. So the sprinkler system protects an area of about 123 ft². Which is what prompted my question. sincerely, Ken Wagoner, SET Parsley Consulting 3002 Younger Drive Harrisonville, Missouri 64701-3909 Phone: (760) 745-6181 Visit the website<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.parsleyconsulting.com%2f&c=E,1,Y5zKJKPEh1mBEBqSR-VE9cUKl5y-eyP8BpvmE_5j9ZqW2eJbNphYzrCMBZ-2YuX6d-RRkHI4gQ1FV-cvOeCfRC58uZS9NiToZv2mx7909oCqLvCW_n5hDHeK&typo=1> On 9/28/2026 8:09, Shepherd, Shawn SS wrote: Ken, After design and reviewing bunches of these, but mostly from the AHJ side, it is the nature of how the building is designed and constructed the concept of separation gets tossed out the window. They are equal of large warehouses without separation. As long as the system does not cover more than the 52 ft2, I never had an issue with it. The systems get designed more on the concept of slope and drainage than anything else. It is common to have two risers per floor – almost solely based on slope of structure. With it being a dry system (assuming) the most common problems I have seen are the location of the inspector’s test connections and drains – get no good location to put them. Standpipe hose connections, if applicable are the next problem because the ones out of the stairways are problematic. Shawn Shepherd, PE Fire Protection Engineer Plan Review Unit Supervisor Seattle Fire Department From: Parsley Consulting <[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2026 14:04 To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [Sprinklerforum] parking structure CAUTION: External Email Forumites, I'm reviewing a parking structure of about 26K ft² on each of five levels for a total of about 123K ft². There is no physical separation between the floors only a ramp from the bottom to the top. Am I looking at a system covering more than the 52K ft² allowed by §4.4.1(3) since there is no physical separation? sincerely, Ken Wagoner, SET Parsley Consulting 3002 Younger Drive Harrisonville, Missouri 64701-3909 Phone: (760) 745-6181 Visit the website<https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=31323334-50bba2bf-31321b84-4544474f5631-1c89c207d70c55f6&q=1&e=07087bc5-8360-445a-944e-e07e9e11a8ec&u=https%3A%2F%2Flinkprotect.cudasvc.com%2Furl%3Fa%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.parsleyconsulting.com%252f%26c%3DE%2C1%2CY5zKJKPEh1mBEBqSR-VE9cUKl5y-eyP8BpvmE_5j9ZqW2eJbNphYzrCMBZ-2YuX6d-RRkHI4gQ1FV-cvOeCfRC58uZS9NiToZv2mx7909oCqLvCW_n5hDHeK%26typo%3D1> _________________________________________________________ SprinklerForum mailing list: https://lists.firesprinkler.org/list/sprinklerforum.lists.firesprinkler.org To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
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