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Fire Sprinkler Design for Elevators

9/23/2016

 
This week's breakout is a summary of fire protection requirements for elevators under the International Building Code, NFPA 13, and ASME A17.1. While there are some staples across all elevator types, there's also a number of exceptions and opportunities for flexible design approach, depending upon which edition of NFPA 13 and 72 are applicable.
Fire Sprinkler in Elevators
Sprinkler Elevator Requirements

Sprinkler at the Top of Shaft

Provide when:
  • elevators utilizes polyurethane-coated steel belts or other similar combustible belt material, unless tested as an FT-1 rating per UL 62 (NFPA 13 2010 Section 8.15.5.6, 2013-2016 Section 8.15.5.7)
Not required where:
  • the hoistway is noncombustible or limited-combustible and the car enclosure materials meet the requirements of ASME A17.1. (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.14.5.5, 2007-2013 Section 8.15.5.5, 2016 Section 8.15.5.6)
  • elevators are Fire Service Access Elevators (IBC 2009-2015 Section 903.3.1.1.1(5)) or Occupant Evacuation Elevators designed per the International Building Code Section 3008 (IBC 2012-2015 Section 903.3.1.1.1(6))

Sprinkler near the Bottom of Shaft (Pit)
Provide when:
  • elevator is hydraulic type (NFPA 13 2010 Sections 8.15.5.1, 8.15.5.2)
  • elevator has polyurethane-coated steel belts or other similar combustible belt material, unless tested as an FT-1 rating per UL 62  (NFPA 13 2010 Section 8.15.5.6, 2013-2016 Section 8.15.5.7)
Not required where:
  • elevators are Fire Service Access Elevators (IBC 2009-2015 Section 903.3.1.1.1(5)) or Occupant Evacuation Elevators designed per the International Building Code Section 3008 (IBC 2012-2015 Section 903.3.1.1.1(6))
​Installation Specifics
  • Provide at no more than 2 ft above pit floor
  • Branch lines serving sprinklers in hoistway shall supply no more than one floor unless going from top floor to shaft above the roof (ASME A17.1 2004-2010 Section 2.8.2.3.1)
​
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A Breakout of a Floor Control Riser Assembly

9/16/2016

 
Today we're breaking into floor control assemblies. The following is a full arrangement for a combination standpipe/sprinkler riser where high pressures necessitate a pressure reducing valve at each level.
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While every element in this specific arrangement is certainly not a necessity on every project, here's some considerations that go into the requirements and considerations for a layout like this:
Auxiliary Drain Valve
  • Permits faster draining of system (as opposed to only draining inspector's test valve)
Capped Outlets
  • Optionally included for testing of Pressure Reducing Valves, when provided (see Pressure Reducing Valve Testing below)
Check Valve
  • Can help reduce false waterflow alarms on floor where sprinklers have not activated (NFPA 13 2007-2016 Section A.8.17.1.6)
  • Required for a combined standpipe/sprinkler system (NFPA 13 2007-2016 Section 8.17.5.2.2(1))
Drain Pipe
  • Size: 3/4 inch for 2 inch system pipe, 1-1/4 inch for 2-1/2 - 3-1/2 inch system pipe, or 2 inch for 4 inch system pipe (NFPA 13 2002 Table 8.15.2.4.2, 2007-2016 Table 8.16.2.4.2)
Drain Valve
  • Minimum Size: 3/4 inch for 5-50 gallon system, 1 inch for 50+ gallon system (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.15.2.5.2, 2007-2016 Section 8.16.2.5.2)
Drain Riser
  • Discharge: must be to outside or drain capable of handling the flow (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.15.2.4.4, 2007-2016 Section 8.16.2.4.4)
  • Size: Must be at least one pipe size larger than the largest drain connection tying into it (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.15.2.4.7, 2007-2013 Section 8.16.2.4.7, 2016 Section 8.16.2.4.8)
  • Size with PRV: When serving a Pressure Reducing Valve, the drain, drain connection, and drain piping shall be sized to permit the greatest system demand by the Pressure Reducing Valve (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.15.2.4.5, 2007-2016 Section 8.16.2.4.5)
Height of Lowest Element
  • Objects cannot be more than 4 inches off of a wall unless they are more than 80 inches above the finished floor (ADA 2010 Section 307.2)
Inspector's Test
  • Accessible: Must be accessible (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.4, 2007-2016 Section 8.17.4)
  • Discharge: Must discharge outside or to a drain capable of handling flow (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.4, 2007-2016 Section 8.17.4)
  • Downstream of waterflow alarm (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.4, 2007-2016 Section 8.17.4)
  • Orifice: Must have smooth bore, corrosion-resistant orifice with flow equal to or less than one sprinkler orifice on each system (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.4, 2007-2016 Section 8.17.4)
​Pressure Gauge
  • Required at each floor control valve (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.3.1, 2007-2016 8.17.3.1)
  • Must have a limit at least twice the system normal working pressure (NFPA 13 2002 8.16.3.1, 2007-2016 8.17.3.3)
​Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)
  • Provided to reduce the system pressure such that the working pressure will not exceed a standard 175 PSI listed pressure of the sprinklers, piping, and fittings. PRVs can also be used to limit the system pressure to higher amounts when pressures are allowed to exceed 175 PSI.
  • Not required by code, and some have found PRVs to be prone to failure and difficult to test.
​Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) Testing
  • Inspected: must be quarterly (NFPA 25 2014 Section 13.5.1.1)
  • Tested: must be partially tested annually (NFPA 25 2014 Section 5.1.3), and fully flowed every 5 years (NFPA 25 2014 Section 13.5.1.2)
  • Full flow testing in place: requires pressure gauge on inlet and outlet side of PRV, takes flow measurement using a pitot tube or flowmeter, discharging through the roof manifold on building exterior or through capped outlets provided for testing (NFPA 25 2014 13.5.1.2)
Riser 
  • Control Valve for entire riser: Required to permit isolating a riser without interrupting other systems (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.5.2.2(3), 2007-2016 Section 8.17.5.2.2(3))
  • Size: Minimum 4 inch, unless hydraulically calculated to permit smaller size (NFPA 13 2002 Section 8.16.5.2.2(2), 2007-2016 Section 8.17.5.2.2(2)).
Sight Glass
  • Enables easy verification of water flow for inspector's test.
Supervisory Switches
  • Must be tested semiannually (NFPA 25 2014 Section 13.3.3.5.1)
​Union
  • Provided to permit exact orifice size of sprinkler for waterflow switch testing.
​Valve (Floor Control Valve)
  • Accessible (NFPA 13 2007 A.8.16.1.1.1)
  • Electrically supervised or locked (NFPA 25 2014 13.3.1.4)
  • Signage must be provided (NFPA 25 2014 13.3.1)
  • Tested: annually (NFPA 25 2014 Section 13.3.3.1)
Waterflow Switch
  • Tested: quarterly (NFPA 13 2002 Table A.18.1, 2007-2010 Table A.26.1, 2013-2016 Table A.27.1)
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Fire Protection Career Advice Beyond This Guy

9/9/2016

 
I had a great conversation yesterday with a young undergraduate student who is nearing entry in the fire protection industry. In many ways the questions he asked reminded me of my own uncertainty about my future and eagerness to gather advice when I was at that point in my career.

We spoke at length about transitioning into the field, graduate school, career tips, areas to keep growing, experience, having passion for the work, technical components of fire protection engineering, and finding satisfaction in a quality role on a regular basis.

This blog, while in its infancy, already has a strong handful followers from throughout the U.S. (…and world, I see you South Korea!) with professionals ranging from firefighters to plan review to contractors to engineers. Today I want to ask you to share one insight that has helped your career in fire protection. All I ask is you note (1) a helpful book, (2) a favorite quote or piece of advice, or (3) a valuable lesson that has helped you in your journey.

While I would love to consider myself worthy of providing savvy career advice, I am much more interested in reading and sharing what you have to offer. Share your one insight in the comments of the post here at www.meyerfire.com/blog.
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Our goal is to improve fire protection practices worldwide. We promote the industry by creating helpful tools and resources, and by bringing together industry professionals to share their expertise.

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We respect your privacy and personal data. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 
The views, opinions, and information found on this site represent solely the author and do not represent the opinions of any other party, nor does the presented material assume responsibility for its use. Fire protection and life safety systems constitute a critical component for public health and safety and you should consult with a licensed professional for proper design and code adherence.

Discussions are solely for the purpose of peer review and the exchange of ideas. All comments are reviewed. Comments which do not contribute, are not relevant, are spam, or are disrespectful in nature may be removed. Information presented and opinions expressed should not be relied upon as a replacement for consulting services. Some (not all) outbound links on this website, such as Amazon links, are affiliate-based where we receive a small commission for orders placed elsewhere.

  • Blog
  • Forum
  • THE TOOLKIT
    • SUBMIT AN IDEA
    • BACKFLOW DATABASE*
    • CLEAN AGENT ESTIMATOR*
    • CLOUD CEILING CALCULATOR
    • DOMESTIC DEMAND*
    • FIRE FLOW CALCULATOR*
    • FIRE PUMP ANALYZER*
    • FIRE PUMP DATABASE*
    • FRICTION LOSS CALCULATOR
    • HANGER SPACER*
    • IBC TRANSLATOR*
    • K-FACTOR SELECTOR*
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('19 ONLY)
    • NFPA 13 EDITION TRANSLATOR ('99-'22)*
    • LIQUIDS ANALYZER*
    • OBSTRUCTION CALCULATOR
    • OBSTRUCTIONS AGAINST WALL*
    • PLUMBING FIXTURE COUNTS
    • QUICK RESPONSE AREA REDUCTION
    • REMOTE AREA ANALYZER*
    • SPRINKLER DATABASE*
    • SPRINKLER FLOW*
    • SYSTEM ESTIMATOR*
    • TEST & DRAIN CALCULATOR
    • THRUST BLOCK CALCULATOR
    • TRAPEZE CALCULATOR
    • UNIT CONVERTER
    • VOLUME & COMPRESSOR CALCULATOR
    • WATER STORAGE*
    • WATER SUPPLY (US)
    • WATER SUPPLY (METRIC)
  • UNIVERSITY
    • ABOUT
    • CATALOG
    • CONTENT LIBRARY
  • PE Exam
    • PE Forum & Errata
    • PE Store
    • PE Tools
    • PE Prep Series
    • PE 100-Day Marathon
  • LOGIN
  • PRICING
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