Section 905 — STANDPIPE SYSTEMS

[F] 905.1 General. Standpipe systems shall be provided in new buildings and structures in accordance with Sections 905.2 through 905. 10 . In buildings used for high-piled combustible storage, fire protection shall be in accordance with the California Fire Code .

[F] 905.2 Installation standard. Standpipe systems shall be installed in accordance with this section and NFPA 14 as amended in Chapter 35. Fire department connections for standpipe systems shall be in accordance with Section 912.

[F] 905.3 Required installations. Standpipe systems shall be installed where required by Sections 905.3.1 through 905.3.10 . Standpipe systems are allowed to be combined with automatic sprinkler systems.

Exceptions:

1. Standpipe systems are not required in Group R-2 townhouses.
2. Standpipe systems are not required in Group R-3 occupancies.

[F] 905.3.1 Height. In other than Group R-3 and R-3.1 occupancies, Class III standpipe systems shall be installed throughout each floor where any of the following occur: 1. Buildings where the floor level of the highest story is located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access. 2. Buildings that are four or more stories in height. 3. Buildings where the floor level of the lowest story is located more than 30 feet (9144 mm) below the highest level of fire department vehicle access. 4. Buildings that are two or more stories below the highest level of fire department vehicle access.

Exceptions:

1. Class I standpipes are allowed in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.

2. Class I standpipes are allowed in Group B and E occupancies.

3. Class I standpipes are allowed in parking garages.

4. Class I standpipes are allowed in basements equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.

5. Class I standpipes are allowed in buildings where occupant-use hose lines will not be utilized by trained personnel or the fire department.

6. In determining the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, it shall not be required to consider either of the following: 6.1. Recessed loading docks for four vehicles or less. 6.2. Conditions where topography makes access from the fire department vehicle to the building impractical or impossible.

[F] 905.3.2 Group A. Class I automatic wet standpipes shall be provided in nonsprinklered Group A buildings having an occupant load exceeding 1,000 persons.

Exceptions:

1. Open-air-seating spaces without enclosed spaces.
2. Class I automatic dry and semiautomatic dry standpipes or manual wet standpipes are allowed in buildings that are not high-rise buildings.

[F] 905.3.3 Covered and open mall buildings. Covered mall and open mall buildings shall be equipped throughout with a standpipe system where required by Section 905.3.1. Mall buildings not required to be equipped with a standpipe system by Section

9-20 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

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FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS

905.3.1 shall be equipped with Class I hose connections connected to the automatic sprinkler system sized to deliver water at 250 gallons per minute (946.4 L/min) at the hydraulically most remote hose connection while concurrently supplying the automatic sprinkler system demand. The standpipe system shall be designed to not exceed a 50 pounds per square inch (psi) (345 kPa) residual pressure loss with a flow of 250 gallons per minute (946.4 L/min) from the fire department connection to the hydraulically most remote hose connection. Hose connections shall be provided at each of the following locations:

1. Within the mall at the entrance to each exit passageway or corridor.
2. At each floor-level landing within interior exit stairways opening directly on the mall.
3. At exterior public entrances to the mall of a covered mall building.
4. At public entrances at the perimeter line of an open mall building.
5. At other locations as necessary so that the distance to reach all portions of a tenant space does not exceed 200 feet (60 960 mm) from a hose connection.

[F] 905.3.4 Underground buildings. Underground buildings shall be equipped throughout with a Class I automatic wet or manual wet standpipe system.

[F] 905.3.5 Helistops and heliports. Buildings with a rooftop helistop or heliport shall be equipped with a Class I or III standpipe system extended to the roof level on which the helistop or heliport is located in accordance with Section 2007.5 of the California Fire Code .

[F] 905.3.6 Marinas and boatyards. Standpipes in marinas and boatyards shall comply with Chapter 36 of the California Fire Code .

[F] 905.3.7 Vegetative roof and landscaped roof standpipe systems. Buildings or structures that have landscaped roofs or vegetative roofs and that are equipped with a standpipe system shall have the standpipe system extended to the roof level on which the landscaped roof or vegetative roof is located.

905.3.8 Fixed-guideway and passenger rail transit systems. Fixed-guideway and passenger rail transit systems shall be provided with a Class 1 standpipe system in accordance with this section.

905.3.8.1 Underground stations. Underground stations shall be provided with an automatic Class I standpipe system.

905.3.8.2 All other stations. All other stations shall be provided with a Class I.

Exception: Open at-grade stations with unrestricted fire department access need not be provided with a standpipe system.

905.3.9 Smokeproof enclosures. For smokeproof enclosures see Section 909.20.

905.3.10 Group I-3. A housing pod within housing units where 50 or more inmates are restrained shall be provided with Class I wet standpipes. In addition, Class I wet standpipes shall be located so that it will not be necessary to extend hose lines through interlock- ing security doors and any doors in smoke-barrier walls, horizontal fire walls or fire barrier walls. Standpipes located in housing units may be placed in secured pipe chases.

nits where 50 or more inmates are restrained shall be provided with Class I wet_ standpipes. In addition, Class I wet standpipes shall be located so that it will not be necessary to extend hose lines through interlock- ing security doors and any doors in smoke-barrier walls, horizontal fire walls or fire barrier walls. Standpipes located in housing units may be placed in secured pipe chases.

[F] 905.4 Location of Class I standpipe hose connections. Class I standpipe hose connections shall be provided in all of the following locations:

1. In every required interior exit stairway or exterior exit stairway, a hose connection shall be provided for each story above and below grade plane. Hose connections shall be located at the main floor landing unless otherwise approved by the fire code official. See Section 909.20.2.3 for additional provisions in smokeproof enclosures. Exception: A single hose connection shall be permitted to be installed in the open corridor or open breezeway between open stairs that are not greater than 75 feet (22 860 mm) apart.

2. On each side of the wall adjacent to the exit opening of a horizontal exit. Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to a horizontal exit are reachable from an interior exit stairway or exterior exit stairway hose connection by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose as measured along the path of travel, a hose connection shall not be required at the horizontal exit.

3. In every exit passageway, at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of a building. Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to an exit passageway are reachable from an interior exit stairway or exterior exit stairway hose connection by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose, a hose connection shall not be required at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of the building.

4. In covered mall buildings, adjacent to each exterior public entrance to the mall and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall. In open mall buildings, adjacent to each public entrance to the mall at the perimeter line and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.

5. Where the roof has a slope less than 4 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33.3-percent slope), a hose connection shall be located to serve the roof or at the highest landing of an interior exit stairway with access to the roof provided in accordance with Section 1011.12.

6. Where the most remote portion of a floor or story is more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) from a hose connection, the fire code official is authorized to require that additional hose connections be provided in approved locations. The distances from a hose connection shall be measured along the path of travel.

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FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS

[F] 905.4.1 Protection. Risers and laterals of Class I standpipe systems not located within an interior exit stairway shall be protected by a degree of fire resistance equal to that required for vertical enclosures in the building in which they are located.

Exception: In buildings equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system, laterals that are not located within an interior exit stairway are not required to be enclosed within fire-resistance-rated construction.

[F] 905.4.2 Interconnection. In buildings where more than one standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected in accordance with NFPA 14.

[F] 905.5 Location of Class II standpipe hose connections. Class II standpipe hose connections located so that all portions of the building are within 30 feet (9144 mm) of a listed variable stream fog nozzle of a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose. Class II standpipe hose connections shall be located where they will have ready access.

[F] 905.5.1 Groups A-1 and A-2. In Group A-1 and A-2 occupancies having occupant loads exceeding 1,000 persons, hose connections shall be located on each side of the rear of the auditorium and on each side of the balcony.

[F] 905.5.2 Protection. Fire-resistance-rated protection of risers and laterals of Class II standpipe systems is not required.

[F] 905.5.3 Class II system 1-inch hose. A minimum 1-inch (25 mm) hose shall be allowed to be used for hose stations in lighthazard occupancies where investigated and listed for this service and where approved by the fire code official.

[F] 905.6 Location of Class III standpipe hose connections. Class III standpipe systems shall have hose connections located as required for Class I standpipes in Section 905.4 and shall have Class II hose connections as required in Section 905.5.

[F] 905.6.1 Protection. Risers and laterals of Class III standpipe systems shall be protected as required for Class I systems in accordance with Section 905.4.1.

[F] 905.6.2 Interconnection. In buildings where more than one Class III standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected in accordance with NFPA 14.

[F] 905.7 Cabinets. Cabinets containing firefighting equipment such as standpipes, fire hoses, fire extinguishers or fire department valves shall not be blocked from use or obscured from view.

[F] 905.7.1 Cabinet equipment identification. Cabinets shall be identified in an approved manner by a permanently attached sign with letters not less than 2 inches (51 mm) high in a color that contrasts with the background color, indicating the equipment contained therein.

Exceptions:

1. Doors not large enough to accommodate a written sign shall be marked with a permanently attached pictogram of the equipment contained therein.
2. Doors that have either an approved visual identification clear glass panel or a complete glass door panel are not required to be marked.

[F] 905.7.2 Locking cabinet doors. Cabinets shall be unlocked.

Exceptions:

1. Visual identification panels of glass or other approved transparent frangible material that is easily broken and allows

access.

2. Approved locking arrangements.
3. Group I-3 occupancies and in mental health areas of Group I-2 occupancies.

[F] 905.8 Dry standpipes. Dry standpipes shall not be installed.

Exception: Where subject to freezing and in accordance with NFPA 14.

[F] 905.9 Valve supervision. Valves controlling water supplies shall be supervised in the open position so that a change in the normal position of the valve will generate a supervisory signal at the supervising station required by Section 903.4.1. Where a fire alarm system is provided, a signal shall be transmitted to the control unit.

Exceptions:

1. Valves to underground key or hub valves in roadway boxes do not require supervision.
2. Valves locked in the normal position and inspected as provided in this code in buildings not equipped with a fire alarm system.

[F] 905.10 During construction. Standpipe systems required during construction and demolition operations shall be provided in accordance with Section 3311.

[F] 905.11 Locking standpipe outlet caps. The fire code official is authorized to require locking caps on the outlets on standpipes where the responding fire department carries key wrenches for the removal that are compatible with locking FDC connection caps.