The sprinkler requirement sits in one clause: 96/2
The Turkish Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY) lists where automatic sprinklers are mandatory in the second paragraph of Article 96. The paragraph has six criteria and each stands on its own: if the building meets any one of them, sprinklers are required. The checker tests every criterion against the use, structure height, area, rooms and beds and car park you enter, and shows which one applies with its clause number.
| Criterion | Scope | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 96/2-a | All buildings other than residential | Structure height > 30.50 m |
| 96/2-b | Residential buildings | Structure height > 51.50 m |
| 96/2-c | Enclosed car parks | Total area > 600 m² or > 10 vehicles taken in by lift |
| 96/2-ç | Hotels, dormitories, guest houses in multi-storey buildings; all sleeping facilities | > 100 rooms or > 200 beds; structure height > 21.50 m for sleeping facilities |
| 96/2-d | Multi-storey shops, shopping, commercial and entertainment premises | Total area > 2000 m² |
| 96/2-e | Buildings producing or keeping readily ignitable and flammable materials | Total area > 1000 m² |
The thresholds read “more than” and “exceeding”, so the exact threshold value does not trigger the requirement. An office with a structure height of 30.50 m is outside criterion a; one at 30.60 m is inside. The checker treats equality the same way.
Which height? The structure height
All height thresholds in 96/2 use the structure height. Under Article 4/bbb this is the total height of every storey built, including basements, mezzanines and attic rooms. The building height measured from the datum to the eaves (4/h) and the high-rise definition (4/ccc) are not separate sprinkler triggers. An office with three basements and eight storeys above ground can therefore pass 30.50 m of structure height even with a low eaves height.
A car park requirement stays in the car park
Criterion 96/2-c covers enclosed car parks. If the building meets no other criterion, sprinklers are required only in the enclosed car park, and the checker reports this separately as “required in car park”. Article 60/1 adds hose reels and fire-brigade outlets to enclosed car parks at the same threshold. A car park whose openings to outside exceed five per cent of the floor area counts as open and is not included.
“Multi-storey” shops and single-storey buildings
Criterion 96/2-d covers “multi-storey shops, shopping, commercial and entertainment premises with a total area above 2000 m²”. Whether a large single-storey store falls under it is not explicit in the text. The checker does not decide in this case and shows an “interpretation needed” warning; get the local authority’s written opinion. The BYKHY Guide uses the total floor area on one building permit as the basis for commercial buildings on the same plot.
If sprinklers are required: exemptions, prohibition and design
- Exemptions (96/3): wet rooms without combustibles, stair shafts separated by fire-resisting construction, lift shafts and rooms protected by another automatic system such as gas, dry powder or water spray.
- Prohibition (96/4): no sprinklers where materials expand or react with water and could make the fire worse.
- Design (96/5): to TS EN 12845. In Light Hazard and Ordinary Hazard 1 areas one standard head protects at most 21 m². Components to TS EN 12259 (96/1).
- Seismic (96/6): in first and second-degree seismic zones, four-way bracing on risers, flexible couplings and two-way bracing.
- Zones and spares (96/7, 96/8): a flow switch, test-and-drain valve and monitored isolating valve on each zone; at least six spare heads with their spanners.
What the 3D model shows
The building is built from the storeys and structure height you enter. The relevant threshold planes (21.50, 30.50 or 51.50 m) surround it as a horizontal band of light and turn red when exceeded. When sprinklers are required, the mains, branch lines and heads appear on the floors. With the fire scenario on, a fire starts on one floor, the nearest heads open one after another and the water knocks the fire down. If sprinklers are not required, the scenario shows smoke rising to the ceiling and spreading.
Building height and structure height
The Turkish fire code defines two heights and the sprinkler criteria use them in different places. Building height (4/h) is the distance from the building’s datum (kot) point to the eaves; it excludes basements. Structure height (4/bbb) is the total height of all storeys built, including basements, mezzanines and attic rooms. Figure 4.1.bbb of the Guide shows both on one section; the checker’s section also draws the two measures separately and places each threshold on its own measure.
| Provision | Which height | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 96/2-a (new, non-residential) | Structure height | > 30.50 m |
| 96/2-b (new, residential) | Structure height | > 51.50 m |
| 96/2-ç (new, sleeping facility) | Structure height | > 21.50 m |
| 165/1-a (existing, not residential or office) | Building height | > 30.50 m |
| 165/1-b (existing, office) | Structure height | > 51.50 m |
| 4/ccc high-rise | Building and structure height | > 21.50 m · > 30.50 m |
Being a high-rise is not by itself a sprinkler trigger for new buildings; the height criteria of 96/2 use the structure height. The high-rise definition lists the two measures with a comma and no conjunction; like the site’s hose-reel checker, this checker takes either one as sufficient (cautious reading) and warns when only one is exceeded.
Existing buildings: Article 165
An existing building is one whose building permit was issued before 19.12.2007, under construction or completed (4/ff); buildings whose permit drawings were approved before that date also count as existing (Guide 138/4). Sprinklers in existing buildings follow 165/1, whose criteria differ from those for new buildings:
| Criterion | Scope | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 165/1-a | All buildings other than residential and office | Building height > 30.50 m |
| 165/1-b | Office buildings | Structure height > 51.50 m |
| 165/1-c | Enclosed car parks | Total area > 1000 m² or > 10 vehicles by lift |
| 165/1-ç | Hotels, guest houses in buildings of more than two storeys | > 200 beds |
| 165/1-d | Multi-storey shops, shopping and entertainment premises, places such as congress and meeting halls | Total construction area > 3000 m² |
| 165/1-e | Stores with readily flammable materials in multi-storey buildings | Basements > 2000 m², other storeys > 4000 m² |
Existing buildings converted after the regulation to healthcare, care, nursery, kindergarten, primary school, children’s home, entertainment, accommodation or hazardous-materials use follow the new-building rules (138/1, 139); the Guide treats major alterations (alteration permit) the same way. Existing buildings that already meet the 2002 regulation need no additional measures as a rule (138/2).
The 2000 m² thresholds
For sprinklers, 2000 m² is the total area of multi-storey commercial and entertainment premises in new buildings (96/2-d) and the basement stores of readily flammable materials in existing ones (165/1-e). For 96/2-d the Guide takes the total construction area on the permit where several commercial buildings, each below 2000 m², are built on one plot under one permit; attached or separately permitted buildings are assessed separately. Other provisions at the same threshold:
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 6/4 | Storeys with a floor area above 2000 m² need evacuation drawings separate from the architectural drawings |
| 60/2 | Enclosed car parks above 2000 m² need an independent mechanical smoke exhaust system |
| 88/3 | Boiler rooms, enclosed car parks and basement stores above 2000 m² need mechanical smoke exhaust with at least 10 air changes per hour |
| 164/2 (existing) | Hose reels in manufacturing, workshop, storage, accommodation, healthcare, assembly and education buildings above 2000 m² enclosed area |
| 166 (existing) | Fire-brigade inlet (Article 97) in buildings with a hose-reel requirement and a floor area above 2000 m² |
Hose reels and fire-brigade connections
With the same inputs the checker assesses, for new buildings, hose reels (94/1-b-1, 94/1-a-1), fire-brigade outlets (94/1-a-1), the fire-brigade inlet (97/1) and external hydrants (95/7, 7/12), using the same rules and wording as the site’s hose reel and hydrant checker. For existing buildings, hose reels follow 164/2 (high-rise; 2000 m²; enclosed car park 1000 m²; boiler 500 kW) and the inlet follows Article 166.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which buildings must have sprinklers in Turkey?
Under Article 96/2 of the Turkish fire code: all non-residential buildings with a structure height above 30.50 m (a), residential buildings above 51.50 m (b), enclosed car parks above 600 m² in total or taking more than 10 vehicles by lift (c), hotels, dormitories, guest houses with more than 100 rooms or 200 beds in a multi-storey building and all sleeping facilities above 21.50 m (ç), multi-storey shops, shopping, commercial and entertainment premises above 2000 m² (d) and buildings above 1000 m² producing or keeping readily ignitable and flammable materials (e).
What is the difference between building height and structure height?
Building height (BYKHY 4/h) is the distance from the building’s datum point to the eaves and excludes basements. Structure height (4/bbb) is the total height of all storeys including basements, mezzanines and attic rooms. For new buildings the sprinkler thresholds (96/2) use the structure height; for existing buildings 165/1-a uses the building height.
When are sprinklers mandatory in an existing building in Turkey?
Under Article 165/1: buildings other than residential and office with a building height above 30.50 m, office buildings with a structure height above 51.50 m, enclosed car parks above 1000 m², hotels and guest houses with more than 200 beds in buildings of more than two storeys, multi-storey shops and entertainment premises above 3000 m², and stores of readily flammable materials above 2000 m² in basements or 4000 m² on other storeys.
If sprinklers are required, are hose reels and a fire-brigade inlet also required?
They have their own conditions. For new buildings hose reels follow 94/1-b-1 and 94/1-a-1 (high-rise, listed uses above 1000 m², enclosed car parks above 600 m², boilers above 350 kW, storeys over 60 m) and the fire-brigade inlet follows 97/1 (high-rise, footprint 1000 m², façade 75 m). The checker shows both from the same inputs.
Does being a high-rise make sprinklers mandatory?
The high-rise definition (building height above 21.50 m or structure height above 30.50 m) is not a sprinkler trigger on its own. The 96/2 thresholds use the structure height and depend on the use: 30.50 m for non-residential, 51.50 m for residential and 21.50 m for sleeping facilities.
Does an enclosed car park in the basement require sprinklers throughout?
Criterion 96/2-c applies to enclosed car parks; if the building meets no other criterion, sprinklers are required in the enclosed car park. Article 60/1 also requires hose reels and fire-brigade outlets there at the same 600 m² threshold.
Which standard is used to design the sprinkler system?
TS EN 12845, under Article 96/5. In Light Hazard and Ordinary Hazard 1 areas one standard head protects at most 21 m²; components must comply with TS EN 12259 (96/1). If an insurer or investor asks for NFPA or FM Global, these are applied on top of the regulation’s minimum.
MEP Calc — 110+ Engineering Calculators
MEP Calc bundles 110+ engineering modules in one iOS app: 21 fire calculations plus heating, cooling, HVAC, plumbing, steam and natural gas.
Download MEP Calc on the App Store
SprinkCalc — Fire Sprinkler Design in Three Standards
Run these calculations on site, offline and with PDF reports: NFPA 13, FM Global and BS EN 12845 in one iOS app.
Get SprinkCalc on the App Store