Full-Scale Fire Testing as a Strategic Alternative for ASRS Fire Protection Design

Automatic Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) represent a fundamentally different fire protection challenge than conventional pallet rack storage. Their dense storage arrangement, narrow aisles, unique rack geometry, and automated operation create fire dynamics that are not addressed by the prescriptive sprinkler design criteria contained in NFPA 13. Importantly, the storage protection rules in NFPA 13 were developed based on full-scale fire testing of conventional rack configurations, and as such, they are not directly applicable to ASRS installations.

Recognizing this gap, NFPA 13 permits alternative design pathways when prescriptive criteria do not adequately address a storage arrangement. For ASRS projects, NFPA 13 allows fire sprinkler systems to be designed using either industry-recognized standards developed specifically for ASRS—most notably FM Global Data Sheet 8-34—or through a performance-based approach supported by full-scale fire testing representative of the actual ASRS configuration. Both options are explicitly permitted, code-compliant pathways.

FM Global Data Sheet 8-34 is itself a prescriptive framework developed from full-scale fire testing of ASRS configurations. Its strength lies in providing a standardized, widely accepted design approach that insurers and Authorities Having Jurisdiction readily recognize.

However, because FMDS 8-34 must accommodate a broad range of ASRS geometries, commodities, and operating conditions, it often results in conservative designs that require multiple tiers of in-rack sprinklers, hydraulic balancing with ceiling systems, and higher overall water demand. While compliant, these designs can introduce significant cost, construction complexity, and long-term maintenance challenges—particularly for high-density ASRS installations.

NFPA 13’s allowance for project-specific full-scale fire testing provides an alternative path that offers greater flexibility without compromising safety. Rather than applying generalized criteria, full-scale fire testing evaluates the actual ASRS geometry, storage arrangement, commodity, and proposed sprinkler configuration under controlled fire conditions. This approach allows the fire protection system to be engineered specifically for the system being installed, rather than designed to satisfy the most conservative assumptions embedded in a prescriptive standard.

When properly executed, full-scale fire testing can validate sprinkler protection strategies that are simpler, more constructible, and better aligned with ASRS operations. In many cases, testing can demonstrate that effective fire control or suppression can be achieved with a single level of on-rack sprinklers, often located at the top of the rack array and potentially supplemented by horizontal barriers, without relying on multiple tiers of in-rack sprinklers or combined hydraulic demand with ceiling systems. The result is a fire protection design grounded in demonstrated performance rather than assumption.

Beyond code compliance, this performance-based approach can significantly reduce sprinkler system complexity, lower material and installation costs, reduce water supply demand, and improve long-term accessibility for inspection and maintenance. Equally important, it provides a clear, data-driven technical basis that can be presented to Authorities Having Jurisdiction and insurers to demonstrate equivalency—or improvement—relative to prescriptive solutions. A well-documented test program translates directly into defensible, project-specific fire protection design criteria.

Engineering Fire Protection has extensive experience supporting ASRS projects through both prescriptive and performance-based design pathways, including the planning, execution, and documentation of full-scale fire testing programs with multiple nationally recognized laboratories. We help clients determine when FM Global Data Sheet 8-34 is the right solution—and when project-specific fire testing can deliver a more efficient, optimized design.

For owners, developers, and integrators seeking a fire protection strategy that balances life safety, constructability, and operational efficiency, Engineering Fire Protection offers proven expertise in navigating both code-compliant paths. Please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at contact@engineeringfireprotection.com.