DOB Findings and Recommendations for WTC, Feb 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

5.6 Proposed Requirements for Fuel Oil Storage and Supply of Emergency Power Systems

5.6.1 Fuel Oil Transfer Piping to Day Tanks Requirement: Fuel oil transfer piping to day tanks should be limited in diameter. Commentary: The size of fuel oil tanks ("day tanks") above the lowest level of a building is limited to a capacity of 275 gallons. There have been reports of 12 inch diameter fuel oil piping installed to tanks on upper floors in buildings. One foot of 12 inch diameter pipe has a volumetric capacity of about 5.8 (' gallons. Thus, 47 feet of 12 inch pipe would equal 275 gallons. Obviously the use of a 12 inch pipe is intended to provide reservoir capacity in excess of the 275 gallon limitation. Unfortunately, the Building Code, as presently written, would not prohibit , the use of such oversized fuel oil transfer piping.

5.6.2 Proposed Requirements on Fuel Oil Header Pipe Installations ! To be inserted into Article 17 27-829 (b) "exceptions."

Piping used for distribution of oil to fuel burning equipment. Where piping is utilized for means of distributing fuel oil to equipment, without the use of a day. tank, and where the piping is upsized to provide a storage capacity, the following requirements shall apply. 1. All piping shall be suitably supported so as to not allow overstressing of piping and shall be suitable isolated from rotating equipment. 2. All piping shall be schedule 40 steel. 3. Connections to main header (supply or return) shall be via the top of the pipe. 4. All fittings to header pipe and equipment shall be welded. 5. Fittings for immediate shut off valves to equipment shall be screwed or flanged. 6. Where air vents or vacuum breakers are required they shall be designed for the required use. 7. All air vents and vacuum breakers shall be hard piped to a local 55 gallon drum, with a leak sensor alarm tied into a central alarm monitoring location. J

5.7 Proposed Revisions to Fire Protection and Egress Requirements

5.7.1 Exit Signs Section 27-228.05 of article 26 of subchapter 1 administration and enforcement of chapter one of title twenty-seven of the administrative code is identified as paragraph (a) and new paragraph (b) is added as follows: §[C26-125.1] 27-228.05 General Requirements. (b) Owners of all existing buildings which are required to comply with paragraph fc) of section . 27-383 (exit signagel shall File with the department a report prepared by a registered architect or professional engineer certifying to the installation of the required exit signage no later than one year from the effective date of this law.

Page 44 WTC Building Code Task Force February 2003 Findings and Recommendations

NYC-WTC_000166530