The expense of double sprinklers can be avoided by using approved drop out panels that can be installed beneath sprinklers.
Ceiling tiles below sprinklers.
Melt away tile is factory mutual approved for installation below an automatic sprinkler system.
When exposed to heat from a small fire drop out ceiling panels soften distort and fall from ceiling grid.
The 18 inch vertical clearance requirement is treated as a horizontal plane throughout the storage.
When mineral fibre panels are used in suspended ceiling clouds fire sprinklers have to be installed both above and below the ceiling.
Just lay the 2 x 4 foot panel in the grid.
Approved drop out ceiling panels can be installed beneath fire sprinklers.
Melt away foam ceiling tiles 2 feet x 4 feet x 1 inch are specially made to melt out of a suspended ceiling grid system.
By eric marino csc ed davis and michael chusid fcsi.
The tiles may be removed and cleaned with mild soap and water.
Heat from the growing fire activates sprinklers that unimpeded by panels that have dropped out controls or extinguishes the fire.
29 cfr 1910 159 c 10 in part states the minimum vertical clearance between sprinklers and material below shall be 18 inches 45 7 cm does this apply only to materials placed directly below the sprinkler heads.
Drop out ceiling systems have been in use since the development in the mid 20th century of modern suspended ceiling systems and suitable plastics.