- Author
-
Lougheed, G. D.
|
Mawhinney, J. R.
- Title
- Design Criteria for Sprinklered Mobile Shelving Units for the National Library of Canada.
- Coporate
- National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
- Report
-
Research Report No. 200
November 2005
13 p.
- Keywords
-
sprinkler systems
|
libraries
|
costs
|
design applications
|
records storage
|
smoke production
- Identifiers
- design criteria; sprinkler layout - mobile shelving units; sprinkler layout - aisles; custon design for non typical areas
- Abstract
- In early 1991, the design began for a new sprinkler system for the existing National Archives/National Library of Canada building in Ottawa. The primary challenge in the design and installation of the sprinkler systems was to protect mobile compact shelving units located in the three levels below grade in the building. Storage of documents in these open shelving units is typically within 178 mrn (7 in.) of the concrete slab ceiling. Since the minimum clearance pemitted by sprinkler system installation standards is 457 rnm (18 in.) from the sprinkler to the top of the storage, the potential impact on existing storage practices and space requirements for the National Archives/Library was significant in order to comply with sprinkler installation standards and to assure adequate fire protection, the Library faced the prospect of removing all storage from the top shelves and, in many cases, the top two shelving rows throughout the stack areas. In addition to the Library staff resources necessary to remove and reorganize files, the cost estimate for additional storage space would have exceeded $1 million per year.