The Codes and Standards staff of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) successfully defeated a proposal to require sprinklers in cement plants. The International Fire Code Committee had recommended approval of a code change to the International Building Code that would mandate that all Group F (manufacturing plants of low-hazard materials) occupancies install automatic sprinkler systems when they exceed 12,000 sq ft per floor or are more than three stories above grade.

PCA staff testified in opposition to the code change, citing the lack of substantiating fire data to support the code change, which would add substantial cost to new or remodeled cement plants. In response to the committee's approval of the change, a survey was sent to PCA's 119 member-company plants to determine whether automatic sprinkler systems were provided. Of the 66 survey forms that were returned, it was determined that only 11 (or 17%) were equipped with automatic sprinkler systems.

This information resulted in maintaining current code provisions that exempt cement plants from the sprinkler requirements when they are separated from property lines by a minimum of 60 ft.