3020 Bozeman Avenue consulting scientists and engineers Helena, MT 59601 (406) 443-4150 Fax: (406) 443-4155 January 30, 2015 SENT VIA EMAIL ONLY 7 Mr. Ryan Erickson, P.E. Fire Code Of?cial Tacoma Fire Department Prevention Division 901 Fawcett Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 rerickson@citvoftacoma.org RE: Point Ruston PrOpane Piping for Building 2A and 2B, 5005 Main Street Dear Mr. Erickson: Point Ruston requested that I review the design, installation and testing of the liquid propane gas system serving Buildings 2A and 2B at the Point Ruston in order to certify compliance with the 2012 International Fire Code (2012 IFC) with adopted state and local amendments (Washington State Building Code, Chapter 51 -54A), the National Fire Protection Association 2011 Lique?ed Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58), and the 2012 International Fuel Gas Code (2012 IFGC). Three sources of information were used during this review, including information and details from the installer Travis Harp of D.M. Kelly Mechanical, Inc, documentation that my staff collected during on-site observations during installation and testing, and documentation of testing and repairs of the system provided by Jim Snyder of Snyder Gas Consulting, LLC. Utility Materials and Installation D.M. Kelly Mechanical, Inc. was responsible for the installation of the underground propane piping for Building 2A and Building 2B at the Point Ruston Site. The materials for this system were supplied by Point Ruston. According to Travis Harp of D.M. Kelly Mechanical, Inc., the system components and materials used for the construction of the underground propane lines comply with 2012 IFGC code and were installed in accordance with 2012 IFGC, NFPA 58, and Uni?ed Plumbing Code (UPC). Travis also veri?ed that the underground propane lines at were installed by certi?ed commercial plumbers employed by DM Kelly Mechanical using electrofusion/butt welding in accordance with pipe and ?ision coupling manufacturer installation instructions, and that the D.M. Kelly employees performing the work were certi?ed by the manufacturer of the pipe and fusion couplers. Olson Brothers Excavating working with D.M. Kelly installed a 3-inch diameter Yellow MDPE propane piping in a clean utility trench shared with the water main. The materials were noted as HDPE on Hydrometrics? Daily Construction Reports; however, D.M. Kelly has veri?ed that the piping was MDPE and not HDPE. The clean utility trench is constructed by excavation and removal of contaminated site soils, installation of a non-woven geotextile marker layer on the U:\Point Ruston\L15 Erickson - Pmpane 1/30/2015 3:53 PM Mr. Ryan Erickson, P.E. January 30, 2015 Page 2 trench bottom and trench walls, at the use of imported back?ll in the trench meeting the remedial design speci?cation for clean import. Based on as-built engineering surveys, the MDPE propane pipe was installed approximately 1.5 to 2 feet away from the water main and had approximately the same crown elevation as the water main. The crown of the MDPE propane pipe is approximately 2.5 feet below the ?nish grade of the asphalt pavement placed above it, based on engineering as-built surveys. Back?ll for pipe zone bedding (WSDOT Speci?cation was placed above and below the MDPE propane pipe and haunched around the pipe barrel by a shovel (WSDOT, 2012). Clean back?ll for walls (WSDOT Speci?cation was used as trench back?ll above the pipe zone bedding and was compacted using a vibratory hydraulic plate compactor (WSDOT, 2012). Pressure Testing 3? MDPE Propane Line Hydrometrics? QC personnel witnessed and recorded the pressure testing of the propane lines installed to Building 2A and Building 2B on March 7, 2013 and January 25, 2015. On March 7, 2013, Olson Brothers Excavating pressurized each line to 60 psi and allowed the pressure to stabilize for 42 minutes for the Building 2A line and 30 minutes for the Building 2B line. Pressure in each line was then reduced to 50 psi and a test was run for 10 minutes. A PASCO pressure gauge with 2 psi increments was used for the test. Neither line showed a drop in pressure over the 10 minute duration that the test was run. On January 25, 2015, Snyder Gas Consulting, LLC performed a second air test of the lines in accordance with CPR-49 192.513, meeting the requirements of 2012 IFC with adopted state and local amendments, NFPA 58, and 2012 IFGC. Snyder Gas Consulting, LLC pressurized the line running to Building 2A to 52 psi which was held for 25 minutes in order to allow for the pressure to stabilize. The line running to Building 2B was pressurized to 53 psi and held for 13 minutes to allow for the pressure to stabilize. No pressure dr0p was observed on either line during the settling or stabilization period and a 1 hour pressure test was run on each line. Each line achieved a passing result of a 0 psi drop over a 1 hour period. Although the liquid propane gas system serving Buildings 2A and 2B at the Point Ruston site were not designed or constructed under my care, based on this review and knowledge of this design, installation and testing, I can certify that the design of the materials, installation and testing was done in accordance with 2012 IFC with adopted state and loc?endkgignts, NFPA Civil Engineer 58, 2011 edition and the 2012 IFGC. - - I {a Sincerely, Mike Oelrich, P.E. e- U:\Point Ruston\L15 Erickson - Propane 1/30/2015 3:57 PM