A Brief Introduction to HASS

1 OVERVIEW
HASS is a software which employees use to analyze fire sprinkler systems. It can be
utilized to perform hydraulic calculations on designs done both internally and
externally. Hydraulic calculations are performed in order to calculate the flow and
pressure throughout the fire sprinkler system. These need to be done in order to
verify that the design works and meets the applicable code standards. These
calculations are not typically done throughout the entire sprinkler system, but only
in the denoted remote area. This is where the most demand is needed, which
means it is the hardest to obtain the required pressure and flow. The code
minimum pressure required at the remote sprinkler is TYPICALLY 7 psig (depends
on sprinkler type). Pressure loss is usually due to friction caused by the lengthy
distance from the fire standpipe as well as any tees, elbows, other fixtures and
elevation changes in the piping. Consult a member of the plumbing group if you
have any further questions.

2 INSTALLATION
The HASS software can be found in the Plumbing Group folder. A link to the folder is
provided as follows: O:\Plumb\Hass\Hass 8.4
Consult a member of the plumbing group to determine the correct version to install
as newer versions become available.

3 STARTING UP HASS
After installation is complete, double-click the HASS icon (the dalmatian dog ) to
begin use. When HASS is opened, you will see a dialog box similar to the one shown
below. Select No to continue to the main screen.

You will then be directed to a blank screen with a number of shortcuts located on
the top ribbon. You will become more familiar with these as you become more
experienced with the software.

4 PERFORMING HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS

4.1 PROPERLY CREATING AND SAVING SPRINKLER DATA FILE
To begin your hydraulic calculation, click on the leftmost shortcut, it will display
New if you hover the mouse over it, on the top ribbon or go to FileNew. The
next dialog box, shown below, will prompt you to name the file you are creating and
select an area to save the file. Hydraulic calculations are usually saved within the
projects Internal ProjectCalculationsFire folder. The file should be saved as
a Sprinkler Data(*.SDF) file.

When the file is saved in the proper folder, a cover sheet will appear. Click
OK/Save to begin inputting data.

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Before you can input the data, you must first label your nodes so that you can
determine your route between nodes, pipe lengths and diameters, elevations and
the number of fixtures. We will discuss common techniques for labeling nodes in the
next section.

4.2 LABELING NODES

There is no one single way to label nodes as everyone has their own technique from
starting at the source or at the remote sprinkler to how many nodes to use. We will
discuss a few common methods that is used by most of the plumbing group, but
you will eventually develop a methodology that is easiest for you and makes the
most sense. Shown below you can see an example of a floor plan with the nodes
labeled. The node markers are typically done in Revit and the CAD manager of the
project will create node tags specifically for the project, so they may be different
than a previous project you have worked on. You can clearly see the remote area
labeled in the bolded dotted line in the image below. There are nodes placed
towards the top left of the image, these are the nodes from the fire standpipe,
SOURCE in HASS. You must always place nodes at the source AND on all
the sprinklers within the remote area AND back so as to complete a full
loop.

In the image below, you will see a closer view of the remote area. These nodes
were labeled beginning with the remote sprinkler head, 1S, while moving towards
the source. One thing that should become a habit is labeling sprinkler heads as the
node number followed by an S. The S denotes that it is the node for the
sprinkler head, otherwise referred to as a flowing node, as this is where water is

discharged. This will assist you in inputting the data in HASS as sprinkler nodes
need a K-factor (we will discuss later) whereas other nodes do not. A general rule
of thumb is to place nodes where the flow of water will separate. This can
be seen as you go from node 1S to node 2. The water can either continue upwards
into the other branch OR turn left, that is why node 2 is placed there. You may be
wondering why some sprinkler heads have two nodes, one with the S and one
without, while others only have the S notation. If you look at nodes 9 and 9S, you
can see that the water can either flow upwards into the sprinkler head or continue
moving along the branch through a tee at node 9. Thus, the flow of water does in
fact split therefore you need to place two nodes. Sprinkler heads at the end of
branches, i.e. nodes 1S and 5S, do not have a second node as the flow of water can
only go upwards to the sprinkler head. A node may be placed here as well, but it is
unnecessary and would just clutter your node map and possibly confuse you.
Another very important thing to pay attention to is that you do not double
count fixtures, which typically include tees and elbows. A common rule of
thumb is to either count the fixture at the starting or ending node of your run. For
example, if you are inputting data from node 1S2 you would only put an elbow
fixture that raises the sprinkler head and not the tee at node 2. Then, when you go
from node 23 you would include only the tee fixture at node 2 and not node 3.
This can be done at your own disgression as long as the all of the fixtures are
accounted for.

Nodes are needed at the source as well to complete the calculations. This can be
seen in the image below as 1A refers to the fire standpipe. Nodes 1B, 1C and
1D are intermediate nodes that are located between the remote area nodes and
the source nodes. These are needed due to limitations within the HASS software
that we will discuss in the next section.

4.3 INPUTTING DATA

Now you may begin inputting your data to HASS. A sample of how the data should
be added can be seen in the image below. QUICK TIP: F2 key allows you to
add entries quickly. We will outline the procedure in a few simple steps.
1. The nodes are added in the Node Data Entry section to the left. You enter
all the nodes you previously created on the floor plan and include their
elevations. As we mentioned earlier, sprinkler nodes or flowing nodes get a
K-Factor of 5.60 while all other nodes have a value of 0. This is ALWAYS the
case. If you need to turn off or remove a sprinkler node, simply change the
K-Factor value to 0. Although not shown in the image, make sure to put an
elevation on the source (denoted as SOURCE in HASS) in the node data
entry as well as in the Source Tag located above the node data entry.
2. Your routing data is added on the right hand side under Pipe Data Entry.
You begin by inputting the pipe tag. You can leave this as the default
numbering (1,2,3) or you can give it a specific name which is
recommended. This is recommended because there will be two or more
routes that split from the same starting node. Thus if you were to encounter
an error at the starting node, you would not as easily recognize which route
contains the error. This method allows you to quickly find the route of interest
without looking at starting and ending nodes. This can be seen in the image
below as there is a 3 and 3A pipe tag. The starting nodes are the same but
the ending nodes of these routes are different.
3. You will then add the starting and ending nodes. This is the route which you
are following on the fire sprinkler layout.
4. Length is simply the distance between the starting and ending nodes. This
length can be determined using Revit, Adobe Acrobat, Bluebeam or any other
approved software. It is important to include any elevation changes
between nodes in the total length of the run as HASS does not
assume the elevation changes when the nodes are added in Step
1.
5. Fittings refer to the fixtures such as tees, elbows or valves. Typical fixtures
are as follows: E refers to elbows, T refers to tees, G refers to a gate
valve, B refers to a butterfly valve and C refers to a check valve. It is
important to input these accurately as each fixture has a specific fixture unit

which affects the pressure loss through it due to friction. HASS only allows
up to 9 fittings to be added, which is another reason why
intermediate nodes are needed on long runs. A Flow Control
Assembly (FCA) is comprised of several fittings. Input the fixtures of
the FCA according to the detail drawing. If unsure, contact a senior
engineer or project manager.
6. The Diameter is inputted as the diameter of the piping between the start
and end node. This must be carefully added as the diameter of the piping
changes between branches and mains.
7. HWC refers to the Hazen-Williams Coefficient. This is needed for the HASS
software to accurately calculate the pressure and flow. This is always
inputted as a value of 120.
It is important to note that HASS is not particular if you input your node and pipe
data in numerical order. It can be added in any order and will still run as long as you
begin and end at the same position. After you have inputted all of you data, you can
run the calculation.

4.4 RUNNING THE CALCULATION

The calculation is run by clicking the CALC button on the top ribbon. This is shown
in the image below if you cannot find it. A dialog log box will appear titled Edit
Calculation Criteria. Leave all entries as defaulted and click OK. These entries
are set during the installation process.

Another dialog box will appear asking you to Edit First End-Head Value. As we
mentioned earlier, the minimum pressure required at the most remote head is 7
psig. **The 7 psig is for a standard sprinkler head, other sprinkler heads
may have a different pressure requirement. Confirm this value with a
senior engineer or your project manager**. This value will then be inputted in
the dialog box, as shown in the image below. Once that is completed, click OK and
the simulation will begin. At the end of the simulation a report will be printed and it
can be determined whether the fire sprinkler system will perform according to code
or whether adjustments need to be made.

QUICK TIPS

When there is one head above and one head below an obstruction, only place
a node for one of the sprinklers and not both. This is because if a fire were to
occur, the heat would either be collected under the obstruction which would
activate the sprinkler below OR the heat would rise to activate the sprinkler
above the obstruction. Thus, only one sprinkler head is activated and the
floor is still protected.

THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT

1) Show sample node labeling
2) Usually only put nodes where flow separates because elbows can be
accounted for
3) Only counts up to 9 elbows or tees
4) DONT DOUBLE COUNT FIXTURES
5) ETCB for flow control assembly
6) Add HELPFUL TIPS SECTION and talk about how only put one node for
sprinklers above and below obstruction because one OR the other will go off