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1. RES Symposium
April 18, 2017
THE BASICS OF BUILDING
FIRE PROTECTION DESIGN

2. PRESENTER’S BACKGROUND
Ted Sherwood, PE,
CFPS, LEED AP
• 5 years as a Code Enforcement Official and Division Head
supervising all Construction Inspectors and performing
Plan Reviews for the City of Rochester Building Bureau
• 125 HR Code Certificate required for “New Building
Officials”
• 25 years of Fire Protection Design at Local National and
International A&E firms
• Certified Fire Protection Specialist since 2000
• Currently Lead Fire Protection Engineer & QA Engineer
reviewing LaBella Associates’ Fire Protection Design across
US Offices (NY, PA, OH, NC)

3. GOALS FOR THIS SESSION
What we are going to cover
Understand / Receive a Design Process
For Fire Protection Systems in Buildings
Understand which Codes Govern Fire
Protection Systems
Learn Which Fire Protection Systems are in
General Use and There Principles of Operation
Required Testing & Records
Understand How to Determine What
Fire Protection Systems are Required
On Design Projects
Free Codes Online
Learn How to Evaluate a Water Supply The Alarm Side of Fire Protection Will
Not Be Covered in this Presentation

4. FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS
✓ DETERMINE WHAT SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED
✓ PICK SYSTEM TYPE(S)
✓ EVALUATE WATER SYSTEM
✓ ESTIMATE WATER DEMAND (GPM & PRESSURE) FOR BUILDING
✓ CODE REVIEW OF APPLICABLE STANDARDS NFPA SECTIONS,
OWNER, UNDERWRITER FOR SPECIFIC CASE
✓ DETERMINE WHICH TYPE OF BACKFLOW PREVENTION IS
REQUIRED
✓ PERFORM HYDRAULICS (IF REQUIRED BY OWNER)
✓ CREATE CONTRACT DRAWINGS
✓ DOWNLOAD & EDIT CSI SPECIFICATIONS
✓ OBTAIN QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW FROM SOMEONE IN
ORGANIZATION
✓ HAVE AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION (AND OWNER’S
UNDERWRITE IF APPLICABLE) REVIEW DRAWINGS
✓ REVIEW SUBMITTALS (HARDWARE / WORKING DRAWINGS /
HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS)
✓ ASK FOR “ CONTRACTOR’S MATERIAL AND TEST CERTIFICATE
FOR ABOVE GROUND PIPING” FORM NFPA 13 AT END OF
PROJECT

5. HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT
$15
• Current International Code
Council (ICC) Building Codes

6. HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT
$15
IBC USE
OCCUPANCY
Description (Example)
A Assembly (Restaurants, Theaters, etc.)
B Business (Offices, etc.)
E Education (Schools)
F Factory
H High Hazard (More Hazmat that shown in Table 307.1(1))
I Institutional (Assisted Living Facilities, Hospitals, Jails, etc.)
M Mercantile (Stores)
R Residential All Residential (Not Group I)
S Storage
U Utility (Agriculture and Misc., Also see Appendix C)
• Determine the IBC occupancy by asking Architect of Record rather than interpreting IBC yourself, where possible
• Ask Architect of Record if they want fire sprinklers for code benefits within their code (IBC)
• If project has work in existing building, the IEBC applies. Ask Architect of Record which “compliance path” they are using
(alteration Level 1, 2, 3 change of occupancy, etc.), they are difficult to determine

7. HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT
$15
• Consider Owner’s Standards
(e.g. Sprinklers in all dorms
in Universities)
• Find out if Owner has
insurance underwriter and if
underwriter has additional
requirements such as
factory mutual global
• Determine what fire
protection systems are
required as a result of
working through all the
above

8. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
Private Water Tank
Regulated by NFPA 24
• Standard for the Installation of Private
Fire Service mains and their
Appurtenances
Most Fire Protection Systems are Water Based

9. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
A REASONABLE HYDRANT FLOW TEST!

10. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
Corroded Water Man Piping Showing
the Importance of having a Hydrant
Flow Test completed

11. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
Same Corroded Water Main Piping
End View

12. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
• Hydrant Flow Test Consists of Field Readings to
Determine 3 Numbers:
1. Water Pressure at No Flow (Static Pressure)
in PSI
2. Water Pressure at Any Known Flow in PSI
3. The Flow at that Pressure in Gallons Per
Minute
• When 3 Numbers are Known, They Can Be
Plotted on Semilog Paper (Also Know as 1.85
Paper) From:
o NFPA 13
o Online Calculator
o Online Semilog Graph Paper
o The Blank in NFPA 291 Testing and Marking
Hydrants
• You Can Only Remove Water Down to 20 PSI or
You May Damage the Main

13. DEVELOPING THE FIRE WATER DEMAND
DU6 – Station
• For Water Based Systems, Fire Water Demand Consists of the Pressure and Flow Required by NFPA 13, but
Modeled, “Worked Back”, to the Same Point in the Water System where the Hydrant Flow Test is Taken
• Two Methods for Determining Fire Water Demand:
1. Estimate the Pressure and Flow Independently and Combine
2. Full Hydraulic Calculations as Prescribed by NFPA 13

14. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
1. Estimate of Pressure and Flow Method
(Use with Caution‐ Requires Experience and
Engineering Judgement)
 Estimate the GPM Flow:
• Look up the Hazard in NFPA 13
• The GPM Required = [(gpm/ft2) x ft2] + [Waste %] + [Hose]
 Estimate Pressure Loss in PSI from Sprinklers Back to the Hydrant
Flow Test Location. Use GPM Flow Developed above. Include the
Following:
• Required Pressure to the Sprinklers Per NFPA 13
• Safety Factor (10% or 10 PSI)
• Pressure Loss due to Height of Highest Sprinkler
• Pressure Loss to Friction in Building Piping
• Pressure Loss from Alarm Valve and Shutoff Valve(s)
• Pressure Loss from Backflow Preventer and Water Service
• Pressure Loss from Site Piping

15. HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
DU6 – Station
2. Full Hydraulic Calculations as Prescribed by NFPA 13
o Sprinkcad by Tyco Inc.
o Hass by HRS Systems Inc.
o Auto Spink by MEP CAD Inc.
• The Resulting Estimate or Calculation of the GPM Flow and Pressure Low must be Plotted on
the 1.85 Graph Paper and Be Under the Water System “Curve” (The Straight Line at the Top
of the Graph)
• If Water Demand Point is Above the System Curve, You Do Not Have Enough Pressure and
Flow to Design Code Compliant Protection System(s)

16. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
DU6 – Station
WET PIPE SYSTEM RISER
• Note: Fire Department connection at
the left. It bypasses most things that
might go wrong. It is for the fire
department to add water
Wet Pipe System

17. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
DU6 – Station
WET PIPE ALARM VALVE
RETARD CHAMBER TRIM
• Delivers water on a fire when heat
boils the glycol mix in the sprinkler
head and the glass explodes
Wet Pipe System – Delivers Water on Fire When Heat Boils the Glycol Mix in the Sprinkler Head and Glass Blub Explodes

18. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
DU6 – Station
• How a wet pipe alarm valve with retard
chamber opens, retards the alarms,
delivers water to the fire and is drained
Wet Pipe System

19. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
DU6 – Station
• Dry Piper Rise (top left)
• Wet Pipe Rise (top right)
• Full of air from the dry pipe value to
the cold spaces
Dry Pipe System – Enables Water Based Suppression Where the Hazard Area is Below Freezing
• An air compressor (or nitrogen supply)
is required to hold the valve closed and
keep the water from freezing (below)

20. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
DU6 – Station
• Takes two events to deliver water on
the fire
o Heat on sprinkler head (s) to boil
the glycol mix
o Electronic detection to pull the
soleniod
Pre‐action System – Helps Prevent Accidental Discharge or Water if a Head is “Accidently” Broken

21. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Typical Room Layout 
Clean Agent System – Enables Protection of Mission Critical Equipment and Expensive Capital Equipment
Halo‐Carbon Based
Clean Agent Tanks,
Dupont Novec 1230

Liquid to Gas
Discharge Pattern


22. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Hose Standpipes – Enables Fighting a Fire in a “Mid‐Rise” Building Without Dragging the Hose “Around and Around” the
Stairway

23. WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Dry Chemical at for Gas
Station Canopy 
Foam Deluge Foam‐
Water Sprinkler –
Prevents a “River of
Fire” in a Fuel Fire

Direct Application
CO2 System


24. WHEN DO YOU NEED A HOSE STANDPIPE?

25. WHEN DO YOU NEED A FIRE PUMP?
DU6 – Station
Fire Pump, Skid Mounted, Electric Drive
Fire Pump, Skid Mounted, Diesel Drive

26. WHEN DO YOU NEED A FIRE PUMP?
DU6 – Station
• Fire Pump is needed when the
demand point is below the system line
• Fire pumps only come in listed sizes
which can cause them to draw a larger
GPM than the “real” demand point
from the main
• Fire pumps must be run at 150% of
their listed GPM capacity during the
acceptance test
• This may draw 1.5 times the listed
GPM from the main
• At “Churn” (aka deadhead) the max
pressure is 1.4 times the Design
Pressure

27. REQUIRED TESTING AND RECORDS BY OWNER
DU6 – Station
From: NFPA 25: Table 5.1.1.2 Summary of Sprinkler System Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance

28. REQUIRED TESTING AND RECORDS BY OWNER
DU6 – Station
From NFPA 25: Table 8.1.1.2 Summary of Fire Pump Inspections, Testing, and Maintenance

29. FREE ONLINE CODES
$15
CODE WRITING
GROUP
AVAILABLE CODES LINK TO FREE CODE AT THIS WRITING DIRECTIONS
City of Rochester
39 Building Code
54 Fire Code
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/citycode/
1. Go to Link at Left
2. Click on the Book you Want
ICC
IBC
IFC
IEBC
http://codes.iccsafe.org/I‐Codes.html
1. Go to Link at Left
2. Click on the Book You Want
3. Select the Chapter
NFPA
ALL NFPA CHAPTERS:
13 Sprinklers
14 Hose Standpipes
20 Fire Pumps
2001 Clean Agent
17 Dry Chemical
24 Private Water Supplies
16 Foam Systems
409 Aircraft Hangars
12 CO2
http://www.nfpa.org/codes‐and‐standards/all‐
codes‐and‐standards/list‐of‐codes‐and‐
standards?mode=code&code=13&tab=editions
1. Go to the Link at the Left
2. Click on the Section You Want
3. Current and Prior Additions Tab
4. Pick the Reference Standard Version
(Date) You Need
5. Click on the “View the Document
Online” Link
Ohio
IBC
IFC
IEBC
http://codes.iccsafe.org/I‐Codes.html
1. Go to the Link at Left
2. Click on the State You Want
3. Click on the Book You Want
4. Select the Chapter
Due to Veeck vs. Southern Building Code Congress International, a Federal Court Case in Louisiana in 2002, Building
Codes Required by Law Must be Free

30. TEST QUESTIONS
DU6 – Station
1 WHICH PART OF THE ICC CODES OF 2015 ADDRESSES ALTERATIONS TO BUILDINGS?
THE INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE
2 MOST FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE _________ BASED.
WATER
ADDING WATER
30
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION ON A FIRE SPRINKLERS SYSTEM
IS USED FOR _________.
3
ON A NEW BUILDING, A HOSE STANDPIPE SYSTEM IS REQUIRED IF THE HIGHEST OCCUPIED
FLOOR IS MORE THAN _____ FEET ABOVE THE LEVEL OF FIRE FIGHTER ACCESS.
4
WHAT NFPA SECTION REGULATES OWNER TESTING?
5
NFPA 25

31. QUESTIONS