NMHC/NAA have been involved in the model code development process for many years and advocate for technologically feasible and cost-effective codes and standards that address the needs of the apartment industry while protecting the safety of residents and employees. One of our major efforts has been to place ensure building codes, such as the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Fire Code (IFC), include sprinkler provisions that save lives, as well as property, and to do so in a cost-effective way.
To that end, NMHC/NAA continue to work to propose and support provisions for sprinkler design options, or tradeoffs. Design options have been effective in providing construction alternatives that more than offset the sprinkler installation cost, saving lives and providing a positive effect on apartment residents’ safety. This paper reviews the design options permitted in the 2012 IBC and the 2012 IFC in properties where sprinklers are installed.
