Why Fire Sprinklers Should Not Be Required in Open Parking Structures

In the 2021 editions of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC), provisions were added by code change F110-18 to require automatic sprinkler protection in all open parking structures that exceed 48,000 square feet in fire area. Unfortunately, the technical documentation that was submitted to support such a drastic change to the building and fire codes did not meet the expected robustness to justify these new requirements. This white paper provides: • Historical background information on the fire experience in open parking structures. • A summary of the documentation used to require sprinkler protection for open parking structures in the 2021 IFC. • A review of the potential fire hazards in open parking structures. • An explanation of why this added expense for the construction of open parking structures is not justified.