Fire Sprinkler System - Federal Law (US)

Federal Law (US)

While there is very little specific Federal legislation regarding building codes, which are generally left to local jurisdictions, the Federal government has used its funding and monetary clout to strongly encourage fire safety standards in construction. Since 2011, two states, California and Pennsylvania have required sprinklers in at least some new residential construction.

In 1990 the US Congress passed PL-101-391, better known as "The Hotel and Motel Safety Act (of 1990)". This law requires that any hotel, meeting hall, or similar institution that receives federal funds (i.e. for a government traveller's overnight stay, or a conference, etc.), must meet fire and other safety requirements. The most visible of these conditions are the implementation of sprinklers.

As more and more hotels, etc., upgraded their facilities to enable acceptance of government visitors, this type of construction became the de facto industry norm - even when not directly mandated by any local building codes.

If building codes do not explicitly mandate the use of fire sprinklers, the code often makes it highly advantageous to install them as an optional system. Most US building codes allow for less expensive construction materials, larger floor area limitations, longer egress paths, and fewer requirements for fire rated construction in structures protected by fire sprinklers. Consequently, the total building cost is often less by installing a sprinkler system and savings money in the other aspects of the project, as compared to building a non-sprinklered structure. In the UK, since the 1990s sprinklers have gained recognition within the Building Regulations (England and Wales) and Scottish Building Standards and under certain circumstances, the presence of sprinkler systems is deemed to provide a form of alternative compliance to some parts of the codes. For example, the presence of a sprinkler system will usually permit doubling of compartment sizes and increases in travel distances (to fire exits) as well as allowing a reduction in the fire rating of internal compartment walls.