Did you know there are over 1,500 variations of sprinkler models which are actively on the market today?

Around three years ago we began development on one of the largest research projects we've ever undertaken - organization of all the fire sprinklers available on the market today. It took several hundreds of hours to finely comb through all the k-factors, pressure listings, spacing distances, model numbers, responses, and links to websites and product data.

​The Comprehensive Fire Sprinkler Database
In late 2018, we finally released it - a comprehensive Fire Sprinkler Database. With it you can search by SIN, k-factor, type, spacing distances.... most any parameter you need to in order to find the sprinkler that's the best fit for your design.

​The introductory video to it is here (forgive the terrible voice narrator... it was me): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsLPg4GKaCU

Updates from This Week
Just this week we've updated the database to include recent releases for new sprinkler models from Tyco, Viking, and Reliable, including new window sprinklers, concealed sprinkler options, MRI sprinklers, institutional sprinklers, and corridor sprinklers.

Use It Today
If you haven't checked it out - here's an opportunity to do so. I've opened it up for everyone just for the next couple weeks. Just go to this link - www.meyerfire.com/sprinklerdatabase - and login using info@meyerfire.com as the username and sprinklerdatabase as the password if you're not already a Toolkit subscriber.

What's Next?
For those in the inspection department - it's been asked how we can take this to the next level.

Can we get obsolete and recalled sprinklers into the database as well, so that we can quickly search to find information on recalls? That answer is yes, but I need your help. I'm not regularly involved in inspections, but I know many of you are.

If you have a good understanding of where all the various manufacturers recall information (old and current companies) and how I could best showcase that material, please reach out to me at joe@meyerfire.com. I'd be happy to get some input on how I can tackle this next phase of the database and make it that much more useful for us all.

​Thanks & have a great week!

Another summer on its way, and another year of feedback says that the Fire Protection PE (Principles and Practices of Engineering) Exam ranks as one of the toughest disciplines based on pass rate.

Here are some figures for first-time examinees from the Fall of 2019:

And here's what we saw for repeat examinees:

What's New in 2020?
This is a big year for the Fire Protection PE Exam. The long-awaited transition to computer-based testing has shaken up the exam with plenty of new offerings, new standards, new questions styles, and stirred up the prep-community too.

Exam Updates
I'll start with the exam first - this fall will mark the first Fire Protection PE Exam that's computer-based. They'll be given on a single-day this fall (October 22, 2020) at Pearson-Vue test centers.

The exam is moving from an 8-hour, 80-question, multiple-choice only question style to an 8.5-hour, 85-question, varied question style exam. 

Why the change? The exam will start to feature "alternative item type" questions that have shown to better test knowledge than the multiple-choice style questions. The can consist of multiple-correct answer questions, point and click, sequencing, drag and drop, or fill in the blank style answers.

While there isn't an expectation that all the exam questions will be this style, it'll be introduced for the first time this fall and should become more prevalent in future exams going forward.

New Standards
Gone are the days of lugging 75-pound suitcases full of hardcover books into the exam room. I say definitively say 75-pounds, because that was the limit the airline accepted when I took the exam.

The new exam features ready-access to PDF versions of multiple standards, and a new NCEES supplied reference manual. Here are the changes across the board, by year: 
​

In 2020, we're seeing a total of eleven references for the exam. This now consists of ten different standards, but pulls out the two largest volumes with the SFPE and NFPA Handbooks from the exam. 

While this is opposite of the direction we've been told the exam would take for a long time, it will do a good job of reducing the sheer quantity of content that's referenced by the exam into more practical deliverables.

New 2020 Prep Guide & PE Prep Series
The MeyerFire PE Prep Guide is getting an overhaul, as it does most years, to update to the latest exam standards. This year is taking some extra work and we're still looking to ship out by the end of May. The 2020 Prep Guide incorporates all the standard changes and has some new question styles, too. 

Each year is a bit of a writer's jam between when the exam standards are published and when I get the 2020 PE Prep Guide out for printing. This year has been especially busy and I sincerely appreciate the patience while I get this edition updated so that it's helpful for you, the user. If you've pre-ordered a copy and are dying to get started studying, reach out to me at joe@meyerfire.com and we'll see if I can set you up with materials in the interim. Thanks again for your patience.

The PE Prep Series will start the first week of June. It's our most adaptive and robust series of questions we have - the difficulty is closely monitored to help mirror the actual exam, all of the questions are timed, it's entirely computer-based, and it incorporates the question styles of the exam itself. Learn more about that here.

New PE Roadmap
The prep-space is updating as well. One of the frequent requests I've gotten the past few years is about studying - what should I study? When should I study? Am I on the right track? How do I keep myself accountable?

In the past there's only been a study course or two to help with this.

I'm now proud to say there is another option for those looking to go beyond the PE Prep Guide & online questions, but who might not be a good fit for a full-fledged course. It's the PE Roadmap by Chris Campbell. He's an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Maryland, a Senior Fire Protection Engineer, the writer at the Building Code Blog, and a great guy.

With the PE Roadmap, he's building on the book and the online questions I've written with his own guidance on when & how to study with study schedules, guidance on study content, and one-on-one personal check-in calls. Check the full offering here: www.buildingcode.blog/pe-roadmap

​Thanks & have a great week!

While couped up in our house I've been binging on creating cheatsheets instead of Netflix. Sorry Tiger King. 

This week I'm debuting an overview of the components for seismic bracing in fire sprinkler systems. Seismic bracing is a nuanced and complex topic, but my hope with this overview cheatsheet is that you'll have a starting point for reviewing all the different requirements that go into seismic bracing.

As always, be sure to check the code, the commentary, and any other information you can find on these topics to make sure your work or your reviews are top notch.

That being said, here's the two-page introductory cheatsheet for seismic bracing in sprinkler systems under NFPA 13. If you find this content helpful, please considering sharing with colleagues and subscribing to resources like this here: www.meyerfire.com/subscribe.
​

​Thanks and have a great rest of your week!

A couple weeks ago I sent a sprinkler obstructions cheatsheet for the options with standard spray sprinklers and ceiling-mounted obstructions where the sprinkler cannot throw over the obstruction.

Thanks to some great suggestions, I've now incorporated some visuals that might help. As always, thanks for the feedback! You can download the updated cheatsheet here:
​

NFSA Expert of the Day Handbook Coming Summer 2020
One of the major projects I've been working on since last fall is development of the National Fire Sprinkler Association's Expert of the Day Handbook. It is a two-volume hardcover compilation of thousands of informal interpretations by NFSA's Experts, spanning 2004 through 2018. 

The set will be available through NFSA later this summer (likely by July). I'm thrilled to be a part of compiling these in a searchable, organized manner that could very well be the go-to resource for suppression design, inspection & testing outside of the standards themselves. There will be plenty more on this as the book becomes available for sale, but wanted to share a little of the good news on this exciting undertaking. 

Thanks & I hope you have a safe and great rest of your week!​

Earlier this week I read a very basic question on a sprinkler design forum. Some say there are no bad questions. Those hypothetical people may never have been in a Facebook Group.

The question clearly showed the lack of understanding on the part of the person asking the question.

You can imagine what happened next – the keyboard warriors went to battle. They had fun blasting the novice into the internet oblivion.
 

And this happens all the time.
 

It doesn’t have to be Facebook. It happens on Facebook for Businesses (also known as LinkedIn), email forums, Reddit, and other online technical forums.

It is also not limited to the digisphere. A bad question in a conference room or in the field gets chided at best or embarrassingly criticized at worst.
 

Did we all not start somewhere with nothing?


I’m not a second generation Fire Protection Engineer, but my guess is those that are third and fourth generation practitioners don’t come out of the womb spelling escutcheon correctly.

I'm still not 100% convinced I spelled it right just now.

We all started knowing literally nothing. We each are on our own journey learning piece by piece and at different paces that never really ends. The best experts that have spent three decades in the industry are still always trying to improve.
 

Is there harm in asking a dumb question? Yes, but it’s not the embarrassment in the moment or the obvious display of misunderstanding. It’s the discouragement to ask the next question.

When Average Jim (I have to use Average Jim because Average Joe hits a little too close to home for me) actually seeks an answer to a basic question and gets lambasted – you know what he’s not going to do? He’s not going to ask the next five questions that he also needs answers on. 
 

On the very first morning of my very first internship, I asked a bad one. I was maybe 15 minutes into that first day when the site project manager asked me to make copies of a handful of documents. I asked if the staples had to come out before making copies.

Dumb question? Yeah. Do commercial copiers appreciate hard metal through their sensitive little feeder claws? No. And had I ever used a commercial copier before? No.

If I hadn’t asked, would I have been the dufus that destroyed a commercial copier 15 minutes into his first internship? Yeah brah, that would have been moi.
 

I heard so much crap about asking that question, but I was glad I did. I also never had to ask it again.

Eventually my questions got slightly more sophisticated and a little better, but I did start at nothing.

 
I’m not going to change human behavior. I can’t help people act online like they would in a face to face conversation.

What I can do is provide a better avenue for those people who don’t want to be vilified but do need answers to their question.

With nearly a couple decades of internet usage we know now that it isn’t Vegas - what happens on the Internet stays on the Internet. Like forever.

It’s getting more and more difficult to ask a question that isn’t tagged to your name, your company, or your reputation. Your forum question you wrote in 2007 when you didn’t know anything on pre-action systems? Yeah it’s probably still searchable.

Goodness knows I’d rather not have my kids go post-by-post from what I put on Facebook during high school. Same would go for a client seeing questions I would have had early in my career.
 

So what can I do about it now? Create a quality avenue for the question - any question - whether it’s expert-level or at square one - and not tie a personal reputation to it.

If you haven’t checked it out, the Daily Forum is a place for a single, filtered, anonymous question each day. There are experts there from a wide variety of backgrounds and locations that have far more knowledge than I could hope to gain.

Experts from across the globe, from AHJs to Designers to Researches to Installers to Engineers. Last I checked we were approaching nearly 3,000 subscribers just to those questions.
 

If you have a "dumb" question, if you don’t want to ask your boss, if you need an outside opinion, and you don’t want your identity tied to something it? Send us your question here. Also consider bookmarking the page so you can send in that question the next time you're stumped.

The link toward the bottom of this email “Have a fire protection question?” is always there for exactly that same reason.
 
Chances are, if you have an interest or can’t find an answer, someone else is looking for it too. When you ask, we all learn. And that’s exactly what this site is all about. 


Free NFSA Virtual Conference Tomorrow
This year's National Fire Sprinkler Association Business and Leadership Conference went Virtual. The virtual seminars are this week (Thursday the 30th and Friday the 1st). Registration is live, it is FREE, and CEUs will be awarded. Check it out here.

I had the pleasure to talk about the changing digital media opportunities in fire protection with the host of the Fire Sprinkler Podcast, Chris Logan, as part of the virtual conference. I believe we'll air at 2:35 pm Eastern Time on Thursday.
​

A New, Free, Fire Protection App
I've gotten asked a good handful of times - "Will you make an app?"

While I am quintessentially a millennial who disowns being a millennial, I have thought about making an app.

The good news is, there's already one that I was able to help beta test and can now share with you. It's free and was developed by Michael Swahn and the helpful engineers over at Sebench Engineering out of Atlanta. It's now live on both Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Here's links to get it:

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sebench-engineering/id1506207375
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=al.pragmatic.sebench.android
 
The app has quick-calculations for Fire Pump Tests, Hydrant Flows, Equivalent K-Factors, Flow/K-Factor/Pressure Calculations, and Friction Loss. Download it today with the links above.

Thanks & I hope you have a safe and great rest of your week.

There are a handful of rules in NFPA 13 covering how sprinkler protection works in and around obstructions. It's for good reason; we don't want objects getting between a growing fire and our best method of suppressing it.

The PDF cheatsheet this week covers options for throwing water below obstructions, where the top of the obstruction is at or above the sprinkler deflector, for standard pendent and upright sprinklers.

If the sprinkler deflector has the ability to throw over the top of an obstruction - different rules apply - which we'll get to in the coming weeks. 

To get your free PDF download, enter your email below and you'll immediately have the PDF sent right to you. If you're already subscribed to the blog, check the Recent Resources section at the very bottom of your latest April email.

​As always, any tips, ideas or feedback feel free to send my way at joe@meyerfire.com. Hope you find this helpful and that you have a great & safe week!

The past seven days have been a very exciting time with the launch of CodeCalls.org. If you missed last week's article, here's more about it.

This week's post is a quick one with an ask.

Feedback
In short, CodeCalls.org is a free database that brings together jurisdictions and designers to help clarify the parts of code that are not always written in ordinances. Jurisdictions can get what they need for operations while designers get a little more clarity and help in meeting local guidelines.

I've heard from many this past week about how they'd love to see this come together, and I greatly appreciate the input and encouragement. I've also heard a couple concerns that I'm optimistic we can incorporate as we learn and grow while working on this.

Viability
Our first goal is making sure the project is viable. Essentially we have to prove to ourselves that we will be able to provide enough valuable content that both designers and jurisdictions benefit. We're doing this by going all in on the State of Indiana. If we get things to work there, we feel comfortable that we can learn and expand into other areas.

I have a quick ask this week - if you have worked in Indiana, or know of people who do, could you put us in touch? My email is joe@meyerfire.com, my co-founder Chris' email is chris@codecalls.org, or if you got this post via email you can just reply directly to it. 

I'd love to have a quick conversation about how we can make the experience easy and that the benefits of helping will far outweigh the task of reaching out. I see that as the only way we can get this project rolling and I'd be thrilled to have that conversation. 

Thanks in advance, and have a great week!

Today is a very big day for me. I am finally launching the start of an idea I've had and brainstormed and discussed and revisited for a number of years now.

Finally. I could not be more excited about it.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the world around us I've been pressed to rethink my own operations and what I'm contributing to the world. Articles, design content, PE Prep, and trying to find ways to help the knowledgebase of the fire protection community is good, but I started the website around the idea of impacting the community in a real and tangible way.

Today's new project is the start of what I hope could be a major positive impact for AHJs, designers, and installers.

What is it? A Code Call Database.

What is CodeCalls.org?
CodeCalls.org is a free website that is bringing together local jurisdictions, fire protection designers, engineers, and installers to clarify and collaborate local code requirements.

We're taking the areas of code in fire protection design that need local input, and helping jurisdictions get what they need to help first responders do their work.

​When we're done, we plan to have a searchable, filterable database where you can find local requirements based on a project's ZIP code, city or county name.

Where to Start? Indiana!
There tens of thousands of jurisdictions in the United States alone, how is all this data going to come together?

First, we're starting with our test case. If you work in the State of Indiana or have contacts who do, pay close attention today.

Our Goal is to gather jurisdictional requirements for 70% of Indiana's population by May 8th. That's in 30 days.

Why Indiana?
Indiana has a healthy mixture of urban, suburban and rural jurisdictions, so it presents a great test case to validate the concept. If we get enough momentum for Indiana, we feel confident in pursuing the project for larger coverage.

If we find that we can get enough momentum to clarify requirements for Indiana, then we feel that the project could be viable to expand to new areas beyond Indiana and beyond just the United States, too.

Why a 70% Coverage Goal?
In order for the database to work, the user experience has to be great. Both for jurisdictions and for designers & installers. We feel that if we can cover jurisdictions that account for at least 70% of the area's population, that we'll have enough data for a great user experience and a very helpful resource.

Is it Free?
Yes, the database will always be free for anyone to access. We're funding the development efforts as a joint project by MeyerFire.com and BuildingCode.Blog.

Why Should I Help?
If you're an engineer, designer or installer, why should you contribute?

For one - this is a way to clarify local requirements that will help in more fair and consistent bidding.

Second - we'll thank you by crediting your contribution with a link from the local listing directly to your company's website. If someone is looking for a local contractor or design outfit, they can search a ZIP code and immediately have contact information to you, the person who they know is already familiar with the local requirements.

If you're a jurisdiction, why should you contribute?

Simple - get your needs met. Are you tired of providing the same plan-review comments? Tired of answering the same basic questions in phone calls and emails? This platform is an easy way to clarify the gray areas of code and simply make your requirements more clear to those who are seeking them.

I Have Some Information for Some Areas in Indiana. How Can I Help?
You can contribute information for jurisdictions you're familiar with here. We'll thank you with a promotional link to your company's website and help get the information verified by the jurisdiction.​

See The New Site!
Click here or the link below to check out the new project. Let us know what you think by commenting or emailing me at joe@meyerfire.com. Would love to hear feedback on how we can make this helpful and accessible.

First - last week I put together a draft PDF cheatsheet for fire alarm design in elevators. Lots of great response to that tool. One major flub on my part - I didn't actually link to it. Here's an actual working hyperlink (fingers crossed).

K-Factor & Pressure Versus Area & Density
One of the hand calculations I do frequently when laying out sprinkler systems is comparing the k-factor, minimum pressures, and resulting flow for the sprinkler. It comes up all the time with residential-style, extended coverage, special application, and storage sprinklers.

Many hydraulic calculation programs do this comparison automatically. That being said, it is important to understand and compare the minimum flow from sprinklers for a hydraulic calculation.

Reducing unnecessary flow from a sprinkler reduces the total calculated flow from a system, which has major impacts on pipe sizing for some branch lines, cross mains, feed mains, and even the underground service size.

Driver #1: K-Factor and Minimum Pressure
There are two drivers for the actual minimum flow that must come from a fire sprinkler.

The first driver is the K-Factor and Minimum Pressure. This equation is

Q = Flow (gpm)
k = Sprinkler k-Factor
P = Pressure (psi)

With a 5.6 k-factor and a minimum pressure of 7.0 psi (as is required by NFPA 13), we get a flow of 5.6 x √7 = 14.8 gpm

There's a wide array of k-factors available on the market, and a wide variety of minimum sprinkler pressures too. Extended coverage, residential, attic, storage, and ESFR all vary in required minimum pressures.

Driver #2: Area and Density (When Using the Density/Area Design Approach)
When reviewing cutsheets for sprinklers it's easy to take a k-factor and minimum pressure and assume that you then know the minimum requirements for a sprinkler and you're done. If you're using design criteria that only uses that approach, then you may actually be done.

However, if you're using the density/area approach of NFPA 13 then you also have to ensure the sprinkler is actually delivering the minimum density for the area its protecting.

It's easy to skip over this step. If you've ever laid out residential-style sprinklers, then you probably already know this.

Residential-style sprinklers can have small k-factors and relatively low minimum pressures to cover a reasonable floor area. However, these sprinklers can be used in NFPA 13, 13R, or NFPA 13D systems. 13R and 13D specifically can allow densities less than 0.10 gpm/sqft. The cutsheets often offer the minimum pressure for a given k-factor and floor area coverage, but the cutsheet may be assuming a 0.05 gpm/sqft density.

When we have higher densities (such as residential-style sprinklers in an NFPA 13 design), we have to consider this second driver for sprinkler flow.

The equation for density/area coverage is also straightforward:

Q = Flow (gpm)
D = Minimum Density (gpm/sqft)
A = Area Covered by Sprinkler (sqft)

A sprinkler spaced at 15 ft x 15 ft with a minimum design density of 0.10 gpm/sqft requires a flow of 22.5 gpm.

With this, a k-5.6 sprinkler at 7 psi, spaced 15 x 15 feet with a 0.10 gpm/sqft density will actually need to flow 22.5 gpm.

​Here's how this scenario looks when graphed:

The red line above represents the hydraulic pressure/flow relationship that a k-5.6 sprinkler offers. As the minimum pressure increases, the flow will increase. Similarly, as the flow needed through the sprinkler increases, the minimum pressure required to deliver that flow also increases.

​For this scenario, the actual flow through the sprinkler must be the higher of the two amounts, or 22.5 gpm which will occur at 16.1 psi (see the blue lines above).

This means for a light-hazard, typical sprinkler we're demanding that the pressure at the sprinkler is over double what the code minimum is! 

Will this difference break your calculation? No, it won't. 

But let's look at another example where these decisions become a little more critical.
​
Residential Sprinklers
Take a Viking VK460 residential sidewall sprinkler. It's a 5.8 k-factor and has varying coverage areas with varying pressure and flow requirements.

Based on a 12 ft x 12 ft spacing, the minimum pressure required under the product data is 7.6 psi.

The Sprinkler-Driven minimum flow becomes Q = k√P = 5.8 x √7.6 = 16.0 gpm.

Assuming an NFPA 13 design, the Density-Area minimum flow becomes Q = 0.10 gpm/sqft x (12 ft x 12 ft) = 14.4 gpm. 
​

In this scenario, the flow is Sprinkler-Driven. The actual flow through the sprinkler is driven by the k-factor and minimum pressure, and not the density/area point.

This same sprinkler, however, at a 16x20 spacing, looks a little different.

Based on a 16 ft x 20 ft spacing, the minimum pressure required under the product data is 20.1 psi.

The Sprinkler-Driven minimum flow becomes Q = k√P = 5.8 x √20.1 = 26.0 gpm.

Assuming an NFPA 13 design, the Density-Area minimum flow becomes Q = 0.10 gpm/sqft x (16 ft x 20 ft) = 32.0 gpm. 

The demand through this sprinkler now becomes density-driven, and notice the actual pressure required to achieve this density is now 30.4 psi. If you have a poor water supply then these decisions can begin to really impact your hydraulic calculations.

Importance
Do you need to assess whether your sprinklers are driven by the k-factor and pressure or density/area? No - many hydraulic calculation programs cover this already.

These differences to become critical though with sprinkler selection, reducing the system demand, reducing the system pressure, and refining a design to end up with the most efficient system possible as an end result.

This Tool Available Now
If you're a Toolkit user, you can give this new tool a try today. Click here for online access to it.

This tool comparison tool allows different k-factor inputs, minimum pressures, density and areas with immediate graphed comparisons.

This tool will also be available for download with the latest Toolkit release here in a few weeks. More on that to come.

Thank you for reading and have a great, safe week!

Wow a lot has changed in a week. We're holding on fine here, but I hope you and your family are safe and healthy wherever you are.

Now back to more fun things like fire protection - 

After last week's debut of fire sprinkler requirements for elevators, I had a couple emailed requests for a fire alarm version. I love the idea and put some time into reviewing and organizing the requirements on the fire alarm side.

This first iteration is a draft, and if you're well versed in this arena I'd love for you to take a look and let me know what you think. Feel free to email me directly at joe@meyerfire.com, or comment on it here.

In the upcoming week I plan to incorporate ASME A17.1 and it's impact on the fire alarm side of accounting for elevators, hence the big [DRAFT] watermark on this PDF. 

Click on the image below to get a PDF copy of the Fire Alarm Elevator Cheatsheet:

If you know anyone that could benefit from this content, please consider forwarding them a link.

Hope you have a safe and healthy rest of your week! Thanks for reading.