This project involves the construction of a new non-occupied automated refrigerated / freezer warehouse. The overall facility is 150,826 s.f. with 107,884 s.f. being devoted to a -10ºF freezer space, and 26,240 s.f. being a +40ºF freezer loading dock. The remaining area is split between a mechanical component (7,846 s.f.) and an occupied office space (8,856 s.f.). The facility operates as a distribution warehouse, where clients lease space within the freezer, and then store, hold, and retrieve their frozen goods as required. Primary occupants within the facility include administrative, logistical staff, and the equipment operators who move product to and from the fully automated conveyor system on the dock which feeds the automated crane system in the freezer, then back again. The facility is in operation 10 hours per day, 5 days per week. The prerequisite intent is to enhance the minimum indoor air quality by meeting the minimum requirements of ASHRE 62.1. Due to the overall function of the facility our design assumption is that the full time occupied office area will be designed to comply with these standards while the non- occupied freezer, maintenance, and freezer dock areas will not. The International Building Code (IBC) 2006 1204 Temperature Control, interior spaces intended for human occupancy shall be provided with active or passive space heating system capable of maintaining a minimum indoor temperature of 68ºF on the design heating day. The office space is the only area that is able to meet this criteria. We maintain a -10ºF in the freezer and 45ºF in the freezer dock, based on this we have considered these areas unoccupied. All employee support spaces (as defined in the IBC) are in the office. We have therefore assumed that only the office portion of this project can meet the ASHRE standard noted in the prerequisite. We are asking for a ruling that our IEQ prerequisite number 1 per our assumption stated above based on building function and IBC are correct and the only area which will have to meet the ASHRE 62.1 will be the occupied office.
The applicant is requesting exemption from the requirements of ASHRAE 62.1-2004 for the unoccupied refrigerated warehouse. As long as the owner/ operator of the facility can provide a signed letter declaring that the warehouse potions have no human occupancy except for maintenance and repairs, the refrigerated warehouse portion of the facility will be considered exempt from the ventilation requirements of the ASHRAE 62.1-2004.