Commercial Fire Sprinkler System Design
What is the process of commercial fire sprinkler system design? There are many things that you will take into account when designing a commercial building fire safety system.
(Source)
One essential thing for adding fire protection to any commercial space, whether a retail shop, center, warehouse, office, educational institute, office or an entire building, are fire sprinkler systems. These are the most important equipment for fire safety guidelines that ensure protection in the case of a fire that’s starting to spread. The automatic water discharge from the sprinkler heads (automatic heads) can extinguish the fire before it actually spreads.
Designing a Commercial Fire Sprinkler System
Most of the fire protection plans incorporate a fire sprinkler system as it is a major commercial application to ensure fire resistance. Choosing the right fire sprinkler system is not an easy task. On top of that, if you lack the experience and don’t know about the fire safety standards of the industry, here’s some basic knowledge for you. Although it doesn’t cover overly complex and technical information, you’ll swiftly get an idea of what is necessary during a commercial fire sprinkler design process.
Fire can cause loss of human lives, permanent health injuries, resource loss, asset damage, building, and structural damage, along with many penalties based on poor fire protection measures. Therefore, fire protection remains a top priority of all commercial building owners for their safety.
For employees of a business, it can be difficult to work with peace of mind when there is a risk of fire hazards. Moreover, you can adopt a swift approach and hire the best professionals to design a fire sprinkler system for your commercial space to make them feel safe. Here’s what the design process takes into account.
Fire Systems & Code Compliance
Code compliance is a prerequisite that no professional fire sprinkler designer can ignore. The only thing that differentiates the most effective and functional fire sprinkler systems from the poorly maintained and running ones is code compliance. The NFPA, in addition to the local fire safety rules around your region, will provide the main criteria, instructions, standards, and codes for installing a new fire sprinkler system.
It is the objective of every trustworthy, efficient, and reliable fire sprinkler designer to make sure that their designs and installation suggestions comply with the NFPA and local authority-set rules and standards. By keeping the codes and standards of fire safety in mind, you will maintain a higher fire resistance for your commercial space. According to the codes, regular inspections after proper installations are essential.
Water Supply for the Commercial Fire Sprinkler System
The main concern regarding the application of a fire sprinkler system is water which is necessary to surpass the fire. The sprinkler heads discharge water through the nozzles upon detecting smoke or heat on a certain level. However, it is intermittent to leave the water supply out of the equation. If you plan to adopt a fire sprinkler system, you will have to make sure that you acquire the right water sources. Is it an underground tank that will require pressure pumps for additional water flow consistency? Do you plan to use the nearest municipal water supply? Well, in any case, the water supply will go through the water flow test to make sure that all necessary measures are in place to maintain the pressure during water discharge. In compliance with NFPA 13, a sprinkler system should comprise an automatic water supply.
Choosing the Type of Fire Sprinkler System
Following the adoption of water supply and proper measures, the next step is to determine what kind of fire sprinkler system does the commercial space need? Is the space in a cold area where a dry pipe sprinkler system may prevent water or gas freezing in the pipes? Or is it in an arid or hot urban area where a wet-pipe sprinkler system will ensure effective and quick fire suppression? Your fire sprinkler designer will be able to make the best choice according to your needs.
Determining the Hazard Level & Water Capacity Needed
The team of professional fire sprinkler designers determines how much water will be necessary to control the spread of a fire. This involves the use of conceptual tools, including density/area curves, occupancy hazard, and design area.
(Source)
Layout and Coverage of Fire Sprinkler Heads
Since the design process of sprinkler systems is iterative, there are other calculations involved than those above. The sprinkler coverage and flow rate play a critical role in fire suppression. How much time it takes for a specific amount of water to discharge out of the sprinkler heads will determine how quickly the system can suppress a fire. The professional designers will consider the overall spread of sprinklers over a certain area to ensure maximum efficiency.
Commercial Fire Sprinkler System Design : Conclusion
Fire & Drafting Designs Inc. employs the best resources at its disposal to make sure that every client and their space receive maximum fire safety. In fact, we have the best technicians, engineers, and other helpful workers to deliver the best fire-resistant system for a building or space.
Do you want to ensure that your fire sprinkler system complies with the industry standards and local laws & codes? Well, we aim to make sure that all the fire safety practices are in compliance with the NFPA standards and other necessary regulations.
Call us at (718) 928-3009 to meet with an expert from Fire & Drafting Designs Inc. You can visit our official website and go through the list of fire protection design & drafting services that we offer.
F2M Fire & Drafting Designs Inc.
1231 Lafayette Ave, Fl 2
Bronx, New York, 10474
Reference Links:
https://www.wbdg.org/design-objectives/secure-safe/fire-protection
https://www.qrfs.com/blog/374-the-elements-of-fire-sprinkler-system-design/
https://www.kmbdg.com/news/fire-protection-engineering-2/
https://www.buildings.com/articles/35584/fire-protection-system-design
