Transcript Fire Sprinklers - Canadian Home Builders' Association

Fire Sprinklers
A Presentation to the Canadian
Home Builders Association
Technical Research Committee
Sean Pearce
National Marketing Manager
Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association
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."
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.
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 twofamily 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sprinkler Head Designs
Pendant Style Head
Upright Style Head
Concealed Style Head
Sidewall Style Head
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.
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.
•
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 n<0.5.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
A Canadian Municipal
Experience 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.
10 year Experience with Sprinklers
Fire Deaths
No. of Fires
Fire Loss
Total Value at
risk
Average Fire
loss
(residential)
Sprinklered
0
121.5
$1,612,000
$911,281,000
Unsprinklered
4.5
1062
$14,023,000
$329,690,000
$1065
$13,937
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.
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.
Fire Sprinklers Are Green!
FM Global
-Scientifically focused
-Don’t 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
Environmental Analysis
Outside
Pollution (air-water)
Water Usage
Fire Damage
(land fill waste
reconstruction)
Inside
Temperature
Gases
Smoke
Findings
• 99% reduction in greenhouse gases
• 97% reduction in fire damage
• 50% reduction in fire suppression water
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.
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.
• Questions?