In-rack fire protection sprinkler system including at least one unitary horizontal barrier that covers racks of adjoining racks and at least one rack level fire protection sprinkler disposed below the at least one horizontal barrier

A rack and fire protection sprinkler system comprising:

• (A) a first plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the first plurality of adjoining racks, with commodities to be stored on the racks;
• (B) a second plurality of adjoining racks having a vertical flue space provided between a pair of adjacent racks of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the second plurality of adjoining racks being spaced from the first plurality of adjoining racks by an aisle width, with commodities to be stored on the racks;
• (C) at least one first unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier being provided at a first predetermined height;
• (D) at least one second unitary horizontal barrier that covers (i) a rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, (ii) another rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, and (iii) the vertical flue space between the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second horizontal barrier being provided at a second predetermined height;
• and
• (E) a fire protection sprinkler system for the protection of the commodities to be stored on the first plurality of adjoining racks and the second plurality of adjoining racks, the fire protection sprinkler system comprising:
• (a) at least one first rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to a first fluid supply conduit, the at least one first rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed in the vertical flue space below the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier, and (ii) being vertically spaced from commodities to be stored on the rack and the other rack, of the first plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier;
• (b) at least one ceiling level fire protection sprinkler provided above the at least one unitary first horizontal barrier and connected to the first fluid supply conduit;
• and
• (c) at least one second rack level fire protection sprinkler connected to a second fluid supply conduit associated with the second plurality of adjoining racks, the at least one second rack level sprinkler (i) being disposed below the at least one second horizontal barrier, and being vertically spaced from commodities to be stored on the rack and the other rack, of the second plurality of adjoining racks, covered by the at least one second unitary horizontal barrier.