Construction Supervisor License Practice Exam

When is a sprinkler system required in a two-story high school building constructed on a concrete slab?

1. The occupancy of the building is 300 or greater

2. The fire area in the building is greater than 12,000 ft²

3. The area of the building is greater than 12,000 ft²

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: The fire area in the building is greater than 12,000 ft²

In the context of fire safety regulations, a sprinkler system becomes essential based on specific criteria related to the occupancy and size of a building. For a two-story high school constructed on a concrete slab, one of the primary factors is the fire area. A fire area is defined as the aggregate area of all floors of a building, including any floor that is used for storage, regardless of the presence of walls. If the fire area within the building exceeds a specified threshold, in this case, 12,000 square feet, it typically mandates the installation of a sprinkler system to enhance fire safety and provide life safety measures. While occupancy and overall building area are also important considerations in determining the necessity for sprinklers, focusing on the fire area is crucial because it directly relates to the volume of space that could potentially fuel a fire and affect building safety. Therefore, option B is the correct consideration for requiring a sprinkler system in this scenario. The other criteria, such as occupancy exceeding 300 or the total area being greater than 12,000 square feet, do contribute to safety considerations but might be less central than the specific floor area designated as the fire area. Each of these factors can indeed affect fire safety requirements, which is why understanding the context of fire