To Wally and To Gloria

‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
 Contents

Introduction

1. FIRE SPRINKLERS: THEIR HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Citations
Endnotes

2. OVERVIEW OF A BASIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM DESIGN (GETTING STARTED)

Plans and Specifications
Starting the Work on Your Plan
Citations
Endnotes

3. BASIC DESIGN OVERVIEW (PART 2)

Citations
Endnotes

4. FURTHER SPECIFICS OF DESIGN BASICS

Dimensioning Pipe Lengths
Considerations for Office Areas
Take-Outs
Noted Dimensions
The System Header
At the End of the Job
Citations
Endnotes

5. ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING RESPONSIBILITIES

Locate Sprinklers in an Open Space
Some Other Red Flags
The Consulting Engineer’s Onus
Hazard Evaluation
On-the-Job Responsibilities
Critical Design Considerations
Communicate!

‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
 Always Be on the Alert
Citations
Endnotes

6. FINISHING THE PLAN.

Endnotes

7. STOCKLISTING
Endnotes

8. AREAS SUBJECT TO FREEZING

Auxiliary Dry Systems
Anti-Freeze Systems
Factors to Consider
Sprinkler System Conversions
Engineering Design Options
Citations
Endnotes

9. PIPE HANGING
Endnote

10. SYSTEM CODE REQUIREMENTS

Customizing Your Work to the Job at Hand
Code Specifics
Making Use of NFPA Pamphlet #13
Study Questions
Citation
Endnotes

11. BASICS OF HYDRAULIC CALCULATION

The Project Example
Primary Calculation Considerations
Cross-Main Calculation Procedures
Completing the Hydraulic Calculation
Proving System Adequacy
Some Finer Points
System Variations
Citations
Endnotes

12. PREPARATION FOR THE NICET EXAMINATION

Study Questions
Citations
Endnotes

13. PIPING METHODS AND DETAILS

Endnotes

14. OPTIONS FOR HYDRAULIC DESIGN.

The Grid Calculation
The Loop Calculation

‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
 To Bear in Mind
Citations
Endnotes

15. HIGH-PILED STORAGE

Commodity Classification
Commodity Piling Height
Code Application
Another Application Example
Sprinkler Options
Study Questions
Citations
Endnotes

16. TECHNIQUES FOR RETROFIT WORK

Measure and Quantify the Existing Building in Three Dimensions
Prepare the Design and Layout by Survey
Make a Comprehensive Effort
Recent Examples of Retrofit Design Work
Citations
Endnotes

17. THE ROLE OF FIRE PUMPS AND THEIR USAGE .

The Horizontal Electric Fire Pump
Vertical Turbine Pumps
In-Line and End-Section Pumps
Diesel-Drive Pumps
Pump Selection
Energy for Start-Up and Operation
The Codes
Code Interpretations
Field Engineering Concerns
Size and Safety
Citations

18. BASICS OF FIRE PUMP LAYOUT

Proper Proximity of the Pump
What the Code Dictates
Fire Alarm Control Panels
Fire Pump Performance Curves
Sizing the Fire Pump
Detailing the Pump Plan
Installation Considerations
Fire Pump Testing Apparatus
Endnotes

19. RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLER DESIGN

Project Design Considerations
NFPA Pamphlet #13-R Requirements
Laying Out the System Piping
Residential Sprinkler Plan Preparation
The Intent and Significance of Pamphlet #13-R
Study Questions

‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
 Citations
Additional Referenced Material
Endnotes

20. PROJECT ESTIMATING

Endnotes

21. ECONOMIES OF THE DESIGN FUNCTION

Citations
Endnotes

Appendix A: Fire Sprinkler Application Review

Appendix B: In-House Engineer Training
Appendix C: Protecting Computer Rooms
Appendix D: Figures and Photos
Appendix E: Friction Loss Tables for Thinwall
Cross-mains Black Schedule 10 Steel
Pipe C = 120 Friction Loss—PSI per lineal foot of pipe
Answer Key
Glossary

‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
 Introduction
B E it on the job or in the classroom, this text is directed
towards the individual beginning vocational training in
the engineering discipline of automatic fire sprinkler system
design. National building and fire codes are revised and up-
dated almost annually. By comparison, there has been very
little published to aid sprinkler system designers, particularly
in the area of design basics. This book was written largely
because I could not find one that comprehensively dealt with
this subject matter.
Although designed as a text, this book’s target audience is
not limited to students. Its purpose is to see that the informa-
tion discussed can be applied by those already employed as
consulting engineers and architects as well as those engineers
specializing in related areas of fire protection engineering. It
is also directed towards the needs of insurance underwriters,
fire protection researchers, building inspectors, and munici-
pal officials. If ongoing education is pivotal to the focus of
the attitude of the professional, then exposure to works such
as this will provide a solid benefit to his or her abilities as a
competent engineer.
This text will not only outline the role of the fire sprin-
kler designer, but will shed light on the broad expanse of
responsibilities this role encompasses. As many fire protec-
tion publications do a thorough job of keeping profession-
als abreast of changing code requirements, the goal of this
work is to furnish an overview of the basics necessary to ini-
tiate sprinkler system design and layout. Apart from some
fire sprinkler associations, the burden of engineering train-
ing today has fallen on independent sprinkler contractors,
most of whom are much too small and without the finan-
cial resources to pay someone to devote a significant por-
tion of his time to teach new engineers. Hopefully, this text
will serve to more efficiently put this training process in
motion.
It typically takes two or more years of on-the-job training
for a sprinkler designer to feel confident and comfortable in
‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
his responsibilities. This book is organized with the intention
of speeding that process.
The chapter sequences allow for new knowledge to be ac-
quired at a gradual pace. The beginning chapters of the book
take the reader through all of the steps involved with the de-
sign engineering process using an easy, basic example build-
ing. This has been authored to familiarize the reader with the
entire process, and to provide a broad foundation on which
to build a deeper understanding of the basics of the fire pro-
tection engineering.
This book is formatted for a semester-length curriculum.
The contents are structured for easy learning, and as a guide
in acquiring a foundation of knowledge that will accentuate
the subsequent understanding of various detailed fire codes
and pamphlets. It also serves as a preparation for the NICET
examination, and a vocational reference tool.
The 175+ study questions are included for two reasons.
Since they are “open-book” questions, they introduce the
reader to the unending activity of referencing codes to locate
the answers to questions of application. Second, as the ques-
tions are prepared in the same fashion as those encountered
in many NICET examinations, they will aid in preparation
for this test.
The creations of a mechanical engineer involve motion, or
specifically: by customizing a system in such a way to convert
energy into a useful mechanical form. If designing a sprin-
kler system were as simple as that statement makes it sound,
then of course the existence of this text would be completely
unnecessary. There is a lot to learn about the regimen of fire
sprinkler system design. Not that any of that information is
very hard to learn, there simply is a lot of it to digest.
One of the reasons for the many different fire sprinkler
rules and regulations is that some things are more apt to
spread fire more quickly than others. When these are known
stored products, the occupancy (or classification) of the build-
ing changes, necessitating a separate set of requirements.
Another way to look at this relates to the objects used to
build the building itself. Larger or thicker objects will take
longer to burn or to breach by burning, and are therefore
more fire resistive, because mass is directly related to fire
resistance. However, building code requirements that call for
parapet walls, non-combustible building materials, or addi-
tional fire separation walls, are not a complete solution or
remedy from the danger and destruction of fire. Rather, these
are viewed more as passive protection, while automatic fire
suppression systems are viewed as active protection; and
this protection must be compatible with the potential lurking
danger.
Just as the invention of the ox-drawn plow marked the
beginning of agricultural civilization, the development of
the fire sprinkler system in conjunction with the inven-
tion of the fusible sprinkler nozzle marked the beginning
‹1E\&5&3UHVV//&
of set-in-place fire suppression security. The automatic fire
sprinkler system is the conduit that connects the water supply
to the place of fire origin.
As the nature of the demand for engineering of diverse
functional mechanisms becomes more specialized over time,
it appears that the future of fire protection engineering will
also become more fractioned. This is all the more reason for
cross-training within the professional engineering subfields.
While each individual in the field of engineering has a role to
play, it is paramount that all the players be in sync with regard
to fire safety. Whatever part your endeavors play in the overall
picture, I hope you do invest the time to read and assimilate the
information contained herein. To avoid lengthy interruptions
within the text, all figures and photographs have been placed
at the end of the book. Your interest in fire protection and life
safety is appreciated.