Correcting specifications and plans to meet code

Often we find that a specification was put together from an older boiler plate version and items need to be corrected.

I contact the PE Engineer and send in an RFI to the EC, GC and the PE which as the Electrical Contractor, General Contractor and the Electrical Engineer listing out my questions from the specifications. Often specifications are used for several years without getting updated and that makes it difficult to try to meet the specifications because we have to list out exceptions and exclusions on our proposal for these issues.

Some examples of recent issues we have ran into:

1. Specification requires that we provide VHS training tapes to the owner at the end of the job. I wanted to do this with some of my old Disney movies as a joke although i did not do this.

2. I still see where they want CDs with the training and the plans on them and many people don’t have the ability to play these CDs any more.

3. We also see the request to provide the documents on 3.5 floppy disks and most people don’t have the ability to read or view these either.

4. Another common thing we still find in the specification is the request for a DOT MATRIX printer with ribbons and paper. These are harder to get now and we can do them although to allow them to tie to our fire panels additional modules and a UL listed printer need to be added and more often than not the owner will let the paper or the ribbons run out and then the fire panel has a trouble on it and often they put the printer in a dirty place and don’t maintain it. The panels keep a buffer of information reports as do the UL listed Central Stations. We can do printers for a customer that expects them, wants them and will take care of them.

5. Replacement bulbs for horn strobes, strobe and speaker strobes. These bulbs are not replaceable so we need to provide the actual units. Often a spec will want 10 percent of the detectors as spare equipment so with a job I bid last month just the spare equipment would be 29 smoke detectors. Sometimes asking for 2 of each detector type might be more reasonable.

6. As technology gets better we need to update the specifications.

7. Some of the issues that we see with plans are leaving out the 1 required pull station on a sprinkled building.

8. Often the weather proof horn strobe or speaker strobe is left off the plans outside the fire sprinkler riser room. This is a Utah requirement so out of state engineers often leave this off and instate PEs also leave it off.

9. Remember to include strobes in the restrooms that are common and include strobes in the ADA restrooms in the hotels etc…

10. Remember that code requires low frequency horn strobes or speaker strobes in the ADA rooms and additional spare wires need to be installed as per IBC 2021 so if the room is converted from a normal room to an ADA room the strobe can be added in the restrooms and the horn strobes or speaker strobes can be added to the living room and bedrooms. Some will argue that low frequency is not needed in the living room although most fire marshals will tell you that people end up sleeping in the living room area.

11. Proper code spacing of horn strobes and speaker strobes needs to be followed for egress areas, conference rooms and other required areas. If you have any questions, you can call a NICET tech with almost any fire alarm company and we can help answer code questions.

For questions or corrections contact Larry.Love@JCI.com 801 898 6003