FIRE PREVENTION AND BUILDING SAFETY COMMISSION
Department of Homeland Security
Written Interpretation of the State Building Commissioner
Interpretation #: CEB-2022-52-2014 IFC-T5003.1.1(1)
Building or Fire Safety Law Interpreted
675 IAC 22-2.5 2014 Indiana Fire Code Table T5003.1.1(1) MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE QUANTITY PER CONTROL AREA OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS POSING A PHYSICAL HAZARD
Excerpted tabular data:
Maximum Allowable Storage in Liquid Gallons, Class II Combustible Liquid [diesel fuel]: 120 gallons
Maximum Allowable Storage in Liquid Gallons: Class IB Flammable Liquid [gasoline]: 120 gallons
Table footnote "p": The following shall not be included in determining the maximum allowable quantities:
1. Liquid or gaseous fuel in fuel tanks on vehicles.
2. Liquid or gaseous fuel in fuel tanks on motorized equipment operated in accordance with this code.
3. Gaseous fuels in piping systems and fixed appliances regulated by the International Fuel Gas Code.
4. Liquid fuels in piping systems and fixed appliances regulated by the International Mechanical Code.
Whether gasoline or diesel fuel contained in the fuel tanks of vehicles inside a structure is counted against the maximum hazardous material quantities allowed by Table 5003.1.1(1) of the 2014 Indiana Fire Code (IFC).
Interpretation of the State Building Commissioner
No, gasoline or diesel fuel contained in the fuel tanks of vehicles inside a structure is not counted against the maximum hazardous material quantities allowed by Table 5003.1.1(1) of the 2014 IFC.
Table 5003.1.1(1) of the 2014 IFC provides limits on the allowable storage of hazardous materials within a control area of a building before that building's occupancy classification, in whole or in part, must be considered one of the H subgroups, irrespective of its otherwise use-derived occupancy classification.
The table has multiple entries for various types of hazardous material, among them Class IB Flammable Liquids and Class II Combustible Liquids, representing, respectively, the gasoline and diesel fuel that are used in the majority of motor vehicles. It places the allowable limit of those materials at 120 gallons.
The table includes a variety of footnotes, some applicable to individual table entries, some to individual material types, and some that apply generally to the entire table. One of that last group is footnote "p", which explicitly states that the liquid or gaseous fuel contained in the fuel tanks of vehicles that are inside the building does not contribute to the maximum allowable quantity of those materials. IFC commentary reinforces this point, saying:
Note p clarifies that vehicles with closed fuel systems should be treated no differently than machinery or equipment when applying the provisions of the table. The fuel contained within the fuel tanks of vehicles or motorized equipment is not to be considered when calculating the aggregate quantity of hazardous materials within a control area of a building. For example, when evaluating a parking garage with several hundred cars parked inside, the capacity of their fuel tanks is not counted.
Note that the table's limits are absolute and are not conditioned upon the size of vehicle, the length of its storage period, or the nature of (or reason for) its presence in the structure.
Posted: 02/01/2023 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20230201-IR-675230063NRA
Composed: Apr 23,2024 6:20:24AM EDT
A
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