Fire Sprinklers

1
Fire Sprinklers

• A Presentation to the Canadian Home Builders
  Association
• Technical Research Committee

Sean Pearce National Marketing Manager Canadian
Automatic Sprinkler Association
2
Who is C.A.S.A.

• C.A.S.A. Is a trade association incorporated
  under a Dominion Charter in 1961, its staff
  represent its member corporations through
  technical research, government relations and
  industry promotion.
• Its head office is in Markham, Ontario and has
  regional offices in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
• Our Goal is to "To enhance the level of life
  safety and property conservation from the effects
  of fire through the use of fire sprinklers."

3
About the Trade

• The Fire Sprinkler trade in Canada is governed
  provincially, it is also a designated trade.
• Currently Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland,
  Nova Scotia, and Quebec require all fire system
  be installed by a certified sprinkler fitter.
• Sprinkler Fitters are qualified by their
  provincial governments, these qualifications are
  transferable across Canada when a fitter achieves
  the Red Seal Level.

4
Fire Sprinkler Codes

• NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of
  Sprinkler Systems as referenced in the National
  Building Code.
• NFPA 13 D-This standard shall cover the design
  and installation of automatic sprinkler systems
  for protection against the fire hazards in one-
  and two-family dwellings and manufactured homes
• NFPA 13 R-This standard shall cover the design
  and installation of automatic sprinkler systems
  for protection against fire hazards in
  residential occupancies up to and including four
  stories in height.

5
Types of Sprinkler Systems

• Fire Sprinkler systems fall into two basic
  categories, Residential and Commercial.
• On the commercial side there are Wet and dry
  systems with various functionalities to improve
  sprinkler response time.
• The residential side is made up of predominantly
  wet systems with three possible installation
  methods.

6
Residential Sprinkler Systems

• Stand Alone-This type of system is completely
  separate from your domestic supply. This system
  also requires a yearly inspection of the check
  valve and flow alarm operation. An advantage to
  this system is that a separate set of pipes is
  dedicated solely to the sprinklers. This system
  can be easier to engineer and install trained
  sprinkler fitters can install these system
  quickly with little disruption to the
  construction timelines.

7
Residential Sprinkler Systems

• Combination-This type of system is commonly
  called a multi-purpose system. The major
  difference with this type, is its integration
  into your domestic plumbing system. The water
  actually flows through the plumbing pipes and the
  sprinkler system. This system requires detailed
  designs and correct installation to ensure
  adequate water supply in the
  event of a head activation.

8
Residential Sprinkler Systems

• Passive Purge- Designed as a standalone system
  but ending at a single domestic water device,
  like a toilet. This system has many benefits of
  both of the previous system but again design and
  correct installation is imperative to ensure
  correct operation.

9
Who Should Install

• Trained certified sprinkler fitters provide you
  with the peace of mind that the system are
  installed correctly and will function according
  to the design specifications. This peace of mind
  will help to prevent liability and ensure the
  system will work when it is called upon.
• While in some Provinces this is not required, it
  is a best practice that you should investigate,
  certified sprinkler fitters spend a considerable
  amount of time repairing incorrectly installed
  systems. This does generate hours for the
  industry but it is also very disturbing that
  there are systems out there that may fail due
  incorrect parts or installation.

10
Accurate Parts Lists

• The importance of using the correct parts when
  installing a fire sprinkler system is paramount.
  Residential heads are designed for light hazards
  use, and they have quick response requirements
  as well as extended reach requirements, they are
  not always the least expensive individually but
  can reduce the overall installation cost.
• Be carful when selecting
  the lowest price installation.

11
Sprinkler Head Designs
Pendant Style Head
Upright Style Head
Concealed Style Head
Sidewall Style Head
12
Sidewall Installations

• The least expensive style of installation as you
  can have multiple heads on a single riser and all
  of the pipes can remain on interior walls. No
  freeze thaw concerns and less pipe.

13
Sprinkler Head Operation
Fire sprinklers are activated by heat, not smoke,
or steam, but heat. The activation point varies
depending on the thermo bulb or thermo link
installed. Residential heads are quick response
type heads. They traditionally activate at a
temperature of 57celsius to 260 Celsius
depending on the need in the area. Generally
heads with an activation temperature of 68 to 74
Celsius are used. The colour of the thermo bulb
indicates the temperature rating.
14
What is K Factor

• The term K-Factor refers to a set of
  dimensionless numbers used as coefficients of
  discharge for fire sprinklers. They are usually
  listed along with other fire sprinkler
  specifications found in manufacturer brochures.
  But exactly how is a K-Factor determined? The
  Bernoulli Equation is a good starting point. Most
  nozzles and standard deflection type sprinklers
  yield predictible flows relative to pressure(P)
  because the 4 Lagrangian assumptions regarding
  the flow stream are easily met. However,
  specially engineered sprinklers have complex
  internal and external geometries that may
  confound the Lagrangian assumptions. The internal
  vanes in such sprinklers impart a radial velocity
  component that creates their characteristically
  unique spray patterns. As pressure increases, the
  flow rate may drop because energy losses from
  turbulence could yield a lower K-Factor.
  Turbulent flow makes it virtually impossible to
  predict friction losses related to changes in
  pressure. Note that Q kÖP kP0.5 for standard
  deflection type sprinklers. For specially
  engineered sprinklers this could be Q kP0.44 or
  Q kP0.47. In such cases the fire sprinkler must
  be field tested to obtain Q kPn for nlt0.5.

15
K- Factor

•  A hydraulic calculation may well be the single
  most important activity associated with designing
  a fire sprinkler system. The success of a design
  hinges almost entirely on the extent to which
  discharging sprinklers can meet the density and
  flow requirements specified in the design
  criteria. If the calculations fail, or are in
  error, the design must be rejected. Hydraulic
  calculations are usually performed at the bid or
  preliminary stage of a fire sprinkler project.
  The results could determine both the physical and
  economic viability of the sprinkler project.
  Hydraulic calculations must be done "in house" to
  ensure flexibility and control over the design
  process.

16
Why is K Factor Important

• Who is designing your systems, who is supplying
  the components, who is testing water flows, two
  identical homes may have different heads so as to
  allow correct operation. Qualified installers
  protect the lives of the occupants and your
  liability.

17
Why Fire Sprinklers

• In 2001, there were 21,494 residential fires
  reported, 39 of the Canadian total. A
  significant number also go unreported.
• This includes 273 deaths or 73 of fire
  fatalities.

The primary victims are children under 10 years
old and adults over 70 years old!
18
Contents have Changed

• We have more dense fuel loads and they are more
  petroleum based products in our structures.

• Quicker flashover
• More toxic vapours
• More gas is burnt outside of the room. This leads
  to greater radiation of heat to surrounding
  structures.

19
Cost of Installation

• Water supply, water pressure, head location
  style, head design(k factor) all contribute to
  system pricing actual pricing is something
  derived during a bid when all of the relevant
  information is available. To estimate a factor
  of one to one and a half percent of the price of
  a home, in a competitive market is a safe
  consideration. This is not considering stand
  alone installations which can be more.

20
A Canadian MunicipalExperience with Sprinklers

• No fire fatalities have occurred in a residential
  property protected by a sprinkler system
  installed to NFPA 13D standards.
• Fire losses have reduced from over 30.8M per
  year in 1990 to 15.4M a 50 reduction despite
  a 25 population growth.
• Over the 10 year average, the damage in a
  sprinklered residential unit was 13 times less
  than for an equivalent non-sprinklered unit.

21
10 year Experience with Sprinklers
Sprinklered Unsprinklered
Fire Deaths 0 4.5
No. of Fires 121.5 1062
Fire Loss 1,612,000 14,023,000
Total Value at risk 911,281,000 329,690,000
Average Fire loss (residential) 1065 13,937
22
Fire Growth

• If we look at the Power Laws related to fire
  growth and development we become aware that even
  average fires, of medium fire loads ( offices and
  residential occupancies for example) existing
  between normal ventilation parameters within the
  confines of a compartmented space, are expected
  to double in size every 60 seconds where there is
  adequate amounts of fuel and air. With increased
  fire loads and ventilation this growth can double
  in size as fast as every 16 seconds.

23
Note The NRC Report of Fire Performance of
Canadian Housing December 2008 found conditions
to be untenable in under 5 minutes in most test
scenarios.
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Fire Sprinklers Are Green!
27
FM Global
-Scientifically focused -Dont manufacture or
sell fire sprinklers -Believe losses are
preventable not inevitable -One of the worlds
largest insurers -175 years in business -Employ
1700 engineers, no actuaries
28
Environmental Analysis

• Outside
• Pollution (air-water)
• Water Usage
• Fire Damage
• (land fill waste
• reconstruction)
• Inside
• Temperature
• Gases
• Smoke

29
Findings

• 99 reduction in greenhouse gases
• 97 reduction in fire damage
• 50 reduction in fire suppression water

30
Possible Trade Ups

• Options include
• Street Width Reduction Traffic lanes may be
  narrowed, substantially reducing the amount of
  pavement in every linear foot of street in the
  development.
• Longer Dead-end Streets Dead-end streets may be
  increased in length allowing additional building
  lots to be accessed.
• Tee Turnarounds Permitted The permitted use of
  tee turnarounds in sprinklered developments can
  create at least one additional lot per
  cul-de-sac.
• Increased Street Grades and Building Setbacks
  Steeper street grades and building locations
  further from paved fire vehicles access may be
  permitted.
• Additional Units Permitted Although the actual
  percentage may vary, increases up to 20 percent
  are not uncommon.
• Expansion of Existing Water Supply May Not Be
  Needed Required fire flows for fully sprinklered
  developments can be greatly reduced compared to
  non-sprinklered developments.
• Increased Hydrant Spacing Supply mains may be
  reduced and hydrant spacing can be increased.
• Decreased Death Rates and Property Loss Over
  time, communities with fully sprinklered
  developments should see a decrease in fire death
  rates and property loss.

31
Ontario Meetings

• Currently the Ontario Home Builders Association,
  the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and
  C.A.S.A. are meeting to examine partnership and
  promotion opportunities for the sale of
  residential fire sprinkler systems Ontario.

32

• Questions?