ES&H Manual

Flammable Gas Supplement

 

 

 

Chapter 3 –Storage and Handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gases

 

 

(Copyright 2004, National fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02269)

 

Note: This appendix presents National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-58 as of 2004; it is typically revised every five years.  You are responsible for meeting the current standard at the time of approval of your gas system.  We provide this material here to indicate the scope and content of the standard.

 

10.3.        Scope.

10.3.2.     Application.  This chapter applies to the construction, ventilation, and heating of structures, parts of structures, and rooms housing LP-Gas systems where specified by other parts of the code.

10.3.3.     Nonapplication.  The provisions of this chapter do not apply to buildings constructed or converted before December 31, 1972.

 

10.4.        Separate Structures or Buildings.

10.4.2.     Construction of Structures or Buildings.

10.4.2.1.        Separate buildings or structures shall be one story in height and shall have walls, floors, ceilings and roofs constructed of noncombustible materials.

10.4.2.2.        Either of the following shall apply to the construction of exterior walls, ceilings, and roofs:

1)         Exterior walls and ceilings shall be of lightweight material designed for explosion venting.

2)         Walls or roofs of heavy construction, such as solid brick masonry, concrete block, or reinforced concrete construction, shall be provided with explosion venting windows that have an explosion venting area of at least 1 ft2 (0.1 m2) for each 50 ft3 (1.4 m3) of the enclosed volume.

10.4.2.3.        The floor of separate structures shall not be below ground level.

10.4.2.4.        Any space beneath the floor shall be of solid fill, or the perimeter of the space shall be left entirely unenclosed.

10.4.3.     Structure or Building Ventilation.  The structure shall be ventilated using air inlets and outlets, the bottom of which shall be more than six inches (150 mm) above the floor, and ventilation shall be provided in accordance with the following:

1)      Where mechanical ventilation is used, the rate of air circulation shall be at least 1 ft3/min.ft2 (0.3 m3/min. m2) of floor area.

2)      Outlets shall discharge at least 5 ft (1.5 m) from any opening into the structure or any other structure.

3)      Where natural ventilation is used, each exterior wall shall be provided with one opening for each 20 ft (6.1 m) of length.

4)      Each opening shall have a minimum size of 50 in2 (32,250 mm2), and the total of all openings shall be at least 1 in2/ft2 (720 mm2/m2) of floor area.

10.4.4.     Structure of Building Heating.  Heating shall be by steam or hot water radiation or other heating transfer medium, with the heat source located outside of the building or structure (see Section 6.20), or by electrical appliances listed for Class I, Group D, Division 2 locations, in accordance with NFPA 70, National Electrical Code.

 

10.5.        Attached Structures or Rooms within Structures

10.5.2.     Construction of Attached Structures

10.5.2.1.        Attached structures shall be spaces where 50 percent or less of the perimeter of the enclosed space is comprised of common walls.

10.5.2.2.        Attached structures shall comply with 10.2.1.

10.5.2.3.        Common walls of structures shall have the following features:

1)        A fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour

2)        Where openings are required in common walls for rooms used only for storage of LP-Gas, 1 1/2 hour (B) fire doors

3)        A design that withstands a static pressure of at least 100 lb/ft2 (4.8 kPa)

10.5.2.4.        Where the building to which the structure is attached is occupied by operations or processes having a similar hazard, the provisions of 10.3.1.3 shall not apply.

10.5.2.5.        Ventilation and heating shall comply with 10.2.2 and 10.2.3

10.5.3.     Construction of Rooms within Structures.

10.5.3.1.        Rooms within structures shall be spaces where more than 50 percent of the perimeter of the space enclosed is comprised of common walls.

10.5.3.2.        Rooms within structures shall be located in the first story and shall have at least one exterior wall with unobstructed free vents for freely relieving explosion pressures.

10.5.3.3.        Walls, floors, ceilings, or roofs of the rooms shall be constructed of noncombustible materials.

10.5.3.4.        Exterior walls and ceilings shall be of lightweight material designed for explosion venting.

10.5.3.5.        Walls and roofs of heavy construction (such as solid brick masonry, concrete block, or reinforced concrete construction) shall be provided with explosion venting windows or panels that have an explosion venting area of at least 1 ft2 (0.1m2) for each 50 ft3 (1.4 m3) of the enclosed volume.

10.5.3.6.        Walls and ceilings common to the room and to the building within which it is located shall have the following features:

1)         A fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour

2)         Where openings are required in common walls for rooms used only for storage of LP-Gas, 1 1/2 hour (B) fire doors

3)         A design that withstands a static pressure of at least 100 lb/ft2 (4.8 kPa)

10.5.3.7.        Where the building to which the structure is attached is occupied by operations or processes having a similar hazard, the provisions of 10.3.1.3 shall not apply.

10.5.3.8.        Ventilation and heating shall comply with 10.2.2 and 10.2.3.

 

Revision Summary

 

Periodic Review – 05/06/16 – No changes per TPOC

Revision 1.0 – 06/15/11 – New content

 

 

 

ISSUING AUTHORITY

TECHNICAL POINT-OF-CONTACT

APPROVAL DATE

REVIEW DATE

REV.

 

 

Flammable Gas – Physics

Jack Segal

05/06/16

05/06/21

1.0

 

This document is controlled as an on line file.  It may be printed but the print copy is not a controlled document.  It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the document is the same revision as the current on line file.  This copy was printed on 5/26/2016.