If you've been following the blog for awhile, you might already know about the Toolkit that has really taken off lately. This past week I've incorporated some (great) user feedback and now have a new version to present: I've revamped the organization and it's FAR easier to navigate and use now. With a new main menu and crisp pages the Toolkit is FAR easier to navigate. Now you can get what you need, quickly. If you're already a subscriber to the Toolkit, use the download link below to get the latest version right now. No need for any new access codes - it just updates the Toolkit right over your current version. A clip of the latest version of the Sprinkler Obstruction Calculator on the MeyerFire Toolkit. What is the Toolkit, and what does it include? The MeyerFire Toolkit is a downloadable series of excel-based tools that allow fire protection designers, engineers and code authorities to quickly calculate a myriad of regular applications. With this tool you can save time with quick but powerful tools that you can save, PDF, or print. The Toolkit contains all of the tools you see on this website - plus the popular Fire Sprinkler Database - which is a live collection of all fire sprinklers on the market where you can sort and filter to see what products exist for your application, and then specify or design the ones that best match your design goals. What's Next?
There's a few new additions to the Toolkit I hope to debut in the next couple weeks based on suggestions from users just like you. If you're an expert in fire flow calculations or water storage tank design and are interested in early testing, email me at [email protected]. Subscribe If you know someone who might be interested in giving the Toolkit a try, email them about downloading it today. As always, you can subscribe to these weekly articles & resources here. As promised I've been busy developing all of the tools available from this site into a downloadable software package, where you can quickly run calculations, save, and print your work. I'm calling it the MeyerFire Toolkit. Here's the info page about the MeyerFire Toolkit. The Toolkit is a downloadable software package with an assortment of basic tools for the fire protection professional. I have the software to a point now that I'd love to gather feedback from you - if you're interested.
If you'd like to beta test the software (try it out and poke around for free), please just reply to this email or shoot me a quick email at [email protected] letting me know you're interested. I'll send a link for a trial version of the software. While it would be great to get a gauge on where the software is now, I'm far more interested in where it can go in the coming months and couple years. I've been very encouraged by the interest and support to date and I think what these tools are now hardly scratches the surface of what could be developed to help fire protection professionals like you work faster and smarter. If you'd like to give it a try, all I ask is that you let me know your thoughts about it - usefulness, ways it can be improved, your level of interest - anything that might help build a better resource going forward. See more about it all here: MeyerFire Toolkit. Thank you!
After posting a Flammable & Combustible Liquid tool I occasionally use a few weeks ago, some of the feedback I received included requests for similar provisions on the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) and United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS).
The US DOT classifications come from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 49, 173.120. Cornell Law School offers access to the regulation here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/173.120. The United Nations GHS system resembles the NFPA flammable liquid classifications, except the thresholds for Flash Point and Boiling Point differ slightly, are metric-based, and have different Categorization labels. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) offers a guide on the GHS System here. (Can't see the tool below? View the full version here)
Occasionally I've been asked to look into storage quantities of flammable or combustible liquids.
This typically comes up in research and development facilities and laboratories, where the quantity of different liquid classifications becomes important. Liquid fires present a different challenge than pyrolysis of solids as the shape of the fire can change quickly and the speed of ignition can be significantly faster than fire growth of solids.
Cabinets and sprinkler protection can contribute to increasing allowable storage quantities, but in order to do so, an evaluation must first be made to the different classifications for the liquids.
Many code and standard requirements depend on the classification of a Flammable or Combustible Liquid, such as storage locations, limits in quantity, limits in storage height, grouping, arrangement, whether control areas are necessary, and auxiliary requirements such as secondary containment and sprinkler densities. Where projects are subject to the International Fire Code, Chapter 34 (2003-2009 Editions) or Chapter 57 (2012-2018 Editions) begin to address these limitations and impacts. Where NFPA 30 (Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code) is applied, the entire standard sets precedents for these limitations and impact. This basic tool below is what I use to begin to assess and compile the classes and quantities for flammable and combustible liquids. Entering in only the Flash Point, Boiling Point, and quantity will identify and sum the totals that I can then use to assess against code and standard requirements. (If you don't see this tool above, click here to view) As I mentioned last week, I'm working towards a downloadable, printable software package where you can use all these tools on your own computer. It should help simplify and dramatically speed up using these tools. I hope to have this available by late May. Interested in seeing more articles like this, or want to stay in the loop with all the latest tools? Subscribe today. |
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+ Unsubscribe anytime AUTHORJoe Meyer, PE, is a Fire Protection Engineer out of St. Louis, Missouri who writes & develops resources for Fire Protection Professionals. See bio here: About FILTERS
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