FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
3 PARTS
1. WATER STORAGE TANKS
2. PUMPS
3. NETWORK OF PIPES
WATER STORAGE TANKS
- Underground
- Ground level
- On top of building
- Combination of elevated and ground level
Water storage should always remain full.
Fire water storage tanks are separated from the Domestic water tanks.
Water must flow from municipal supply > fire tank > domestic water supply.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD BE THERE IN THE TANKS?
1. LIGHT HAZARD (1 HR CAPACITY)
- Schools, Residential buildings and offices
2. MEDIUM HAZARD
- Factories and warehouses
3. HIGH HAZARD (3-4 HRS CAPACITY)
- Foam factories, aircraft hangars, paint factories, firework factories, etc.
- Those that store or use flammable materials.
QUANTITY OF WATER TO BE STORED – HRS OF PUMPING CAPACITY
If the pumping capacity is 1 HOUR, tanks are made large enough to supply the fire for a period of 1
HOUR if pumps are switched on.
FIRE PUMPS
- Usually located in pump rooms which are very close to FIRE TANKS.
Back-up pumps are needed in case the main pump fails.
4 TYPES OF PUMPS USED IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
1. Jockey Pump (Electric Driven, Fully Automatic)
- Small pump
- Continuously switches on
- Maintain correct pressure or temperature in distribution system (7
kg/cm2 or 100 psi)
- Should be sized 3% of flow of MAIN FIRE PUMP
- To provide 10 psi more PRESSURE than main fire pump
- If there’s a small leakage in the system, jockey pump will switch on to compensate for it.
- Controlled by pressure sensors.
2. Main Pump (Electric Driven, Starts Automatically, Switch off manually)
3. Back Up Pump (Diesel Driven, Starts automatically, Switch off manually)
- If electricity fails, the other electric driven pumps will not work.
4. Sprinkler Pump (Electric Driven)
ALL IDENTICAL IN CAPACITY EXCEPT JOCKEY PUMP.
ALL PUMPS EXCEPT JOCKEY PUMP MUST ONLY BE SWITCHED OFF MANUALLY IN PUMP ROOM AS PER
INTERNATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE TO AVOID THE PUMPS SWITCHING OFF DUE TO ANY
MALFUNCTION IN THE CONTROL SYSTEM.
FACTORS AFFECTING CAPACITY OF PUMPS
1. AREA COVERED BY HYDRANTS OR STANDPIPES OR SPRINKLERS
2. TYPE/LAYOUT OF BUILDING
NETWORK OF PIPES
- Composed of Steel/Galvanized Steel Pipes painted RED
- When underground, wrapped with SPECIAL COATING that prevents CORROSION and protects
pipe.
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
AUTOMATIC WET SYSTEM / WET PIPE SYSTEM
- Sprinkler system employing automatic sprinklers attached to a piping system containing water
and connected to a water supply so that water discharges immediately from sprinklers opened
by the heat from fire. (NFPA 13)
- Used in areas that can be maintained above 40 deg F (4 deg C)
- Sprinkler systems filled with water connected to the pumps and storage tanks.
BRANCH LINES PIPE HANGERS
CROSS MAIN
RISER
AUTOMATIC
SPRINKLERS
WATER FLOW/MOTOR
ALARM
FIRE
DEPARTMENT /
INSPECTOR’S TEST
SIAMESE ALARM CHECK VALVE
VALVE
MAIN CONTROL VALVE
MAIN DRAIN VALVE
WATER SUPPLY
MAINS
Feed mains are pipes supplying cross mains, either directly or through risers.
Alarm Check Valve is used on the riser to lock water pressure into the system and prevent the water in
the sprinkler piping from travelling back into the water supply.
AUTOMATIC DRY SYSTEM
- Network of pipes filled with pressurized AIR instead of water
- When firefighter opens the hydrant, pressurized air will first rush out, then water comes out.
- Used in systems with risk of fire pipes freezing if filled with water
In high-rise buildings, EACH STAIRCASE must have a Wet riser. A vertical firefighting pipe with a hydrant
at every floor.
Distribution system must be designed with a RING MAIN. 2 routes for water to flow in case one side gets
blocked.
In more complex and dangerous installations, HIGH AND MEDIUM VELOCITY WATER-SPRAY SYSTEMS
are used.
For Hazardous chemicals, FOAM SYSTEMS are used.
Foam acts like an INSULATING BLANKET over the top of BURNING LIQUID cutting off its oxygen.
Special Areas such as Server Rooms with components that might be damaged by WATER use Gas
Suppression Systems
- Inert gas is pumped into the room to cutoff oxygen supply of fire.
Flash Point – lowest temperature at which the material ignites
Fire blankets and certain fire extinguishers remove the oxygen side of the fire triangle removing it or
displacing it causing suffocation, ceasing the combustion reaction.
TYPES OF SPRINKLERS
NFPA 13 TABLE 7241
UPRIGHT SPRINKLER HEAD
- Concave deflector like an umbrella
- Produce dome-shaped spray pattern
- Mounted on pipes just below the ceiling
- Efficient at dispersing water between obstructions
- Commonly used in inaccessible rooms (Mechanical rooms, warehouses,
industrial spaces) and structures with open ceilings
PENDENT SPRINKLER HEAD
- Most common
- Descend from the ceiling with a convex circular gap deflector plate
at the bottom
- Disperse the water widely side to side in a conical pattern
SIDEWALL SPRINKLER HEAD
- Protrude horizontally out of the wall parallel to the floor
- Ideal for small places (hallways, spaces with obstructions and
where ceiling piping is not available)
CONCEALED SPRINKLER HEAD
- Heat sensitive plate detaches at temperatures roughly 20
degrees lower than the fire sprinkler head
- Concealed sprinklers deflector to drop in the head to activate