June 2006
Plumbing and Fire Protection
353 .3 Fire Protection Piping: The mains for
the sprinkler system shall be run in subzone S-
3. The preferred location for branch and lateral
(sub branch) fire sprinkler piping is subzone S-7
for distribution to the functional zone. No fire
sprinkler system is required in the interstitial
area; except for conditions listed in VA Fire Pro- John L. McClellan VA Medical Center
tection Design Manual.
Little Rock, AR, 1981
Electrical
361 Basic Design: Now requires that electrical and telecommunications rooms are dedicated
and separate. Under some circumstances the telecommunication room may be further divided into
separate telephone/data and signal closets. Refer to VA PG-18-10, Electrical Design Manual
Chapters 7 and 8; and the VHA TCD Spaces & Cable Pathways Design Guide.
362.1 Service Zone: Figures in the Red Book depict electrical and telecommunications wireways
on independent supports; where space, wireway size, and separation requirements permit, it is
advantageous to install all wireways on a common support. Telephone and data cabling is to be
installed in cable tray as shown in figure 360-2, beginning with 18" minimum width tray at the
Telephone/Data room and narrowing as it traverses subzone S3. Narrow tray or wire basket tray
may be used in subzone S4. A separate cable tray, appropriately sized, shall be provided for other
signal systems. If an independent data network is required for facility engineering services, in
order to maintain separation between patient data and building services data and control functions,
its cabling shall be installed in a separate tray system. Do not use the specified covered 6" x 6"
wireways per the Electrical Design Manual.
362.2 Service Bay: bays shall be designed with the separation of electrical and
telecommunications rooms as described in the supplement to 361 Basic Design.
Section 362.2 Service Bay: this section is amended to include new subsections 362.2.1 and
362.2.2 as follows.
362.2.1 Electrical Room: Size the electrical room to house the normal and essential electrical
distribution equipment associated with the Service Module, including bare wall space for future
expansion. As the interstitial walk-on deck does not extend into the Service Bay, the designer may
take advantage of the very high ceiling by installing a steel grate `mezzanine' level, accessible by
ladder. This area may be used for installing step-down transformers, access to high-mounted bus
riser devices, access to branch circuit wireways before they penetrate the rated wall into the S3
subzone, or for mounting other electrical equipment.
The electrical room shall be located immediately adjacent to the Functional Floor. If the Service
Bay layout dictates that the electrical and telecommunications room(s) cannot be side-by-side
against the wall between the Service Bay and the Functional Floor, then the electrical room should
be behind the telecommunications space. This will ensure that the telecommunications wireways
do not violate the National Electrical Code clear space above electrical equipment. However, no
corresponding restriction prevents electrical wireways from passing above telecommunications
spaces, as long as VA criteria for separation and spacing between these systems are followed.
SUPPLEMENT TO RESEARCH STUDY REPORT
VA HOSPITAL BUILDING SYSTEM
SECTION 4-13
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