HOW THE SPRING WOOD FLOOR WOULD BE TREATED UNDER EXISTING CODES
Spring wood floors may exist throughout the country, perhaps in your jurisdiction. Fire and building officials agree that this type of floor construction poses considerable hazards to building occupants and firefighters under fire conditions. Preparedness and preplanning are essential to ensure safe operations at such fires.
Under the NFPA Life Safety Code, if the Walsh Recreation Center were built today, it would qualify as a Class A assembly occupancy and would have to be fully sprinklered. NFPA Standard 13 would require concealed spaces, such as the gym floor void space, to be sprinklered as well.
Since codes vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the protection requirements for any occupancy with a spring wood floor may differ. Firefighters should consult their local code enforcement personnel for further clarification.
When asked how best to protect a building with a spring wood floor, Providence Fire Marshal Paul M. Healy replied, “Don’t allow it to be built!”
