Chapter 18 Protection of Rubber Tire Storage

The requirements of Chapter 12 shall apply unless modified by this chapter.

Total water supplies shall be in accordance with the following options:

1. A minimum of not less than 750 gpm (2835 L/min) for hose streams in addition to that required for automatic sprinklers and foam systems. Water supplies shall be capable of supplying the demand for sprinkler systems and hose streams for not less than 3 hours.
2. For on-floor storage up to and including 5 ft (1.5 m) in height, hose stream requirements shall be permitted to be 250 gpm (946 L/min) with a water supply duration of not less than 2 hours.
3. For ESFR and CMSA sprinkler systems approved for rubber tire storage, duration and hose allowance shall be in accordance with Table 18.4(c) and Table 18.4(d).

Sprinkler discharge and area of application shall be in accordance with one of the following:

1. Table 18.4(a) or Table 18.4(b) for standard spray sprinklers
2. Table 18.4(c) for CMSA sprinklers
3. Table 18.4(d) for ESFR sprinklers

Piling Method	Pile Height (ft)	Sprinkler Discharge Density (gpm/ft2 over ft2) (see Note 1)	Areas of Application (ft2) (see Note 1)
			Ordinary Temperature	High Temperature (see Note 1)
(1) On-floor storage	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
(a) Pyramid piles, on-side	Over 5 to 12	0.30	2500	2500
(b) Other arrangements such that no horizontal channels are formed (see Note 2)	Over 12 to 18	0.60	Not allowed	2500
(2) On-floor storage Tires, on-tread	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 12	0.30	2500	2500
(3) Palletized portable rack storage On-side or on-tread	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 20	See Table 18.4(b)	—	—
	Over 20 to 30	0.30 plus high-expansion foam	3000	3000
(4) Palletized portable rack storage, on-side	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 20	See Table 18.4(b)	—	—
	Over 20 to 25	0.60 and	Not allowed	5000
		0.90 (see Note 3) or	Not allowed	3000
		0.75 with 1-hour fire-resistive rating of roof and ceiling assembly	Not allowed	4000
(5) Open portable rack storage, on-side or on-tread	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 12	0.60	5000	3000
	Over 12 to 20	0.60 and	Not allowed	5000
		0.90 (see Note 3) or	Not allowed	3000
		0.30 plus high-expansion foam	3000	3000
(6) Open portable rack storage, laced	Over 12 to 20	0.60 and	Not allowed	5000
		0.90 (see notes 3 and 3)	Not allowed	3000
(7) Single-, double-, and multiple-row fixed rack	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 20	See Table 18.4(b) or	3000	3000
		0.40 plus one level in-rack sprinklers or
		0.30 plus high-expansion foam	3000	3000
	Over 20 to 30	0.30 plus high-expansion foam	Not allowed	3000
(8) Single-, double-, and multiple-row fixed rack storage without pallets or shelves, on-side or on-tread	Up to 5	0.19	2000	2000
	Over 5 to 12	0.60	5000	3000
		0.40 plus one level in-rack sprinklers	3000	3000
	Over 12 to 20	0.60 and	Not allowed	5000
		0.90 (see Note 3) or	Not allowed	3000
		0.40 plus one level in-rack sprinklers or	3000	3000
		0.30 plus high-expansion foam	3000	3000
	Over 20 to 30	0.30 plus high-expansion foam	Not allowed	3000
For SI units, 1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 ft2 = 0.0929 m2; 1 gpm/ft2 = 40.746 mm/min.
Notes:
(1) Sprinkler discharge densities and areas of application are based on a maximum clearance to ceiling of 10 ft (3.1 m) with the maximum height of storage anticipated.
(2) Laced tires on-floor, vertical stacking on-side (typical truck tires), and off-road tires. Laced tires are not stored to a significant height by this method due to the damage inflicted on the tire (i.e., bead).
(3) Water supply shall fulfill both requirements.
(4) Shelf storage of rubber tires shall be protected as solid rack shelving.
(5) This protection scheme is for use with K-16.8 (240) or larger control mode sprinklers only. Maximum clearance to ceiling can be increased to 14 ft (4.25 m) with this scheme.

Storage Height (ft)	Sprinkler Temperature
	High Temperature	Ordinary Temperature
>5 to 10	0.32/2000	0.32/2000
>10 to 12	0.39/2000	0.39/2600
>12 to 14	0.45/2000	0.45/3200
>14 to 16	0.5/2300	0.5/3700
>16 to 18	0.55/2600	0.55/4400
>18 to 20	0.6/3000	0.6/5000

Piling Method	Maximum Storage Height		Maximum Ceiling/Roof Height		K-Factor	Type of System	Number of Sprinklers	Operating Pressure	Hose Stream Allowance	Water Supply Duration (hours)
	ft	m	ft	m
Rubber tire storage, on-side or on-tread, in palletized portable racks, or open portable racks, or fixed racks without solid shelves	25	7.6	32	9.8	11.2 (160)	Wet	15	75 psi (5.2 bar)	500 gpm (1900 L/min)	3
	25	7.6	32	9.8	16.8 (240)	Wet	15	35 psi (2.4 bar)	500 gpm (1900 L/min)	3

Piling Method	Pile Height	Maximum Building Height		Nominal K-factor	Orientation	Number of Sprinklers	Minimum Operating Pressure (see Note 2)		Duration (hours)	Hose Allowance
		ft	m				psi	bar		gpm	L/min
Rubber tire storage, on-side or on-tread, in palletized portable racks, open portable racks, or fixed racks without solid shelves	Up to 25 ft (7.6 m)	30	9.1	14.0 (200)	Upright/pendent	12 (see Note 2)	50	3.5	1	250	946
				16.8 (240)	Upright/pendent	12 (see Note 2)	35	2.4	1	250	946
				22.4 (320)	Pendent	12 (see Note 2)	25	1.7	1	250	946
				25.2 (360)	Pendent	12 (see Note 2)	15	1.0	1	250	946
Rubber tire storage, on-side, in palletized portable racks, open portable racks, or fixed racks without solid shelves	Up to 25 ft (7.6 m)	35	10.7	14.0 (200)	Upright/pendent	12 (see Note 2)	75	5.2	1	250	946
				16.8 (240)	Pendent	12 (see Note 2)	52	3.6	1	250	946
				22.4 (320)	Pendent	12 (see Note 2)	35	2.4	1	250	946
				25.2 (360)	Pendent	12 (see Note 2)	25	1.7	1	250	946
On-tread, on-side, and laced tires in open portable steel racks or palletized portable racks	Up to 25 ft (7.6 m)	30	9.1	14.0 (200)	Pendent	20 (see Notes 3 and 4)	75	5.2	3	500	1900
				16.8 (240)	Pendent	20 (see Notes 3 and 4)	52	3.6
Rubber tire storage, on-side, in palletized portable racks	Up to 25 ft (7.6 m)	40	12.2		Pendent	12	75	5.2	1	250	946
				16.8 (240)	Pendent	12	52	3.6
Rubber tire storage, on-tread, or laced in open portable steel racks	Up to 25 ft (7.6 m)	40	12.2	25.2 (360)	Pendent	12	40	2.8	1	250	946
On-tread, on-side, and laced tires in open portable steel racks or palletized portable racks	Up to 30 ft (9.1 m)	40	12.2	25.2 (360)	Pendent	12	75	5.2	1	250	946
Notes:
(1) Wet systems only.
(2) The shape of the design area shall be in accordance with 14.4.3 and 14.4.4.
(3) Where used in this application, ESFR protection is expected to control rather than to suppress the fire.
(4) The design area shall consist of the most hydraulically demanding area of 20 sprinklers, consisting of five sprinklers on each of four branch lines. The design shall include a minimum operating area of 1600 ft2 (149 m2).

Where high-expansion foam systems are installed in accordance with NFPA 11, a reduction in sprinkler discharge density to one-half the density specified in Table 18.4(a) or 0.24 gpm/ft² (9.78 mm/min), whichever is higher, shall be permitted.