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We have an influx of new top contributors, especially with the PE Problems now up. A huge thank you to those who posted the most in June 2019 - your input, commentary & expertise help the industry on the whole (if you don't believe me, you should see the emails I get!).
 The Leaderboard lists the top total scores for the most recent three weekly exams for PE Prep Series participants. See the entire leaderboard here.  Want to join in? It's not too late - the PE Prep Series is the ultimate PE Prep tool. It's a series of 1-hour, 10-question simulated PE Exams offered weekly with solutions immediately following each exam. Learn more here. Every week of the series is retroactive so you can still test yourself with past week exams
What books, trainings, or other materials would you recommend for an intern just learning the industry or a new hire to help get him/her up to speed with the basics of fire alarm, suppression & life safety?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A fire alarm system containing horn/strobes, manual pull stations, fire sprinkler monitoring, and heat detectors would be considered what type of fire alarm system? a. manual, temporal-3 b. manual and automatic, temporal-3 c. manual, emergency voice/alarm communication d. manual and automatic, emergency voice/alarm communication Solution | Posted 07/01/19
I have other smaller cloud ceilings that do not exceed 4 ft., however I do not think the sprinklers above have the 18” above the cloud to develop their sprinkler spray, so my gut tells me that means sprinklers are required below the cloud. I think I have seen an NFSA informal interpretation that agrees.
However, what about 8.6.5.3.2 (2016)? NFPA 13 - 2016
Does that mean it does NOT really need the 18” in order for it to qualify for the following 8.6.5.3.3 rule for obstructions over 4 ft. wide? In other words, my cloud is not over 4 ft. wide, so doesn’t need sprinklers, even if the sprinklers above do not reach full spray development? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A secondary containment tank is constructed to handle overflow from fuel in a storage area. If a 540 kW/m fire occurs from the fuel in the trench, determine most nearly the flame height. a. 1.1 m b. 2.3 m c. 4.6 m d. 11 m Solution | Posted 06/28/19
I know where I stand on this topic, but I'm interested in hearing other opinions and seeing if I'm wrong.
An existing, one-story, 35+ year old building that is a Seismic Risk Category IV building was not build to resist lateral loads. The building is being altered under a Level III alteration in the International Existing Building Code (IEBC), and is not required to be structurally braced nor is the sprinkler system required to be retrofit with seismic bracing. My question is, is there any benefit to bracing a fire sprinkler system where the building is not structurally built to resist lateral loads? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Use Alpert's Correlation to determine the maximum temperature (in degrees Celsius) of a ceiling jet at a point 1.3 meters (horizontally) from a 1.8 MW fire which burns within a 2.2 m tall room. Assume an ambient temperature of 22 deg C. a. 25 deg C b. 78 deg C c. 326 deg C d. 384 deg C Solution | Posted 06/27/19
Do you often come across AHJs who require manual pull stations at every exit, regardless of the occupancy and regardless of whether they're allowed to be omitted based on a fully-sprinklered building?
I've come across it a few times and we certainly see some ordinances written in - I'm just curious if it's something you have seen and whether you choose to fight it or just include the pull stations. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A new community college building contains 26,000 sqft of small instructional classrooms, an entry lobby, restrooms, offices, and a 15,000 sqft auditorium is considered what type of occupancy? a. Group A, Assembly b. Group B, Business c. Group E, Education d. Mixed Use Solution | Posted 06/26/19
 The Leaderboard lists the total scores for the most recent weekly exams for PE Prep Series participants. See the entire scoreboard here.  Want to join in? It's not too late - the PE Prep Series is the ultimate PE Prep tool. It's a series of 1-hour, 10-question simulated PE Exams offered weekly with solutions immediately following each exam. Learn more here. Every week of the series is retroactive so you can still test yourself with past week exams
Up through the 2015 Edition of NFPA 101, membrane penetrations in 1-hour or more rated walls/partitions allows any "steel electrical box not exceeding 0.1 sqft" to be addressed by several options.
The IBC has a similar provision, although it talks about 16-square-inch boxes instead of 0.1 sqft. NFPA 101 2012 8.3.5.6.3 Where walls or partitions are required to have a minimum 1-hour fire resistance rating, recessed fixtures shall be installed in the wall or partition in such a manner that the required fire resistance is not reduced, unless one of the following is met: (1) Any steel electrical box not exceeding 0.1 ft2 (0.01 m2) shall be permitted where the aggregate area of the openings provided for the boxes does not exceed 0.7 ft2 (0.06 m2) in any 100 ft2 (9.3 m2) of wall area, and, where outlet boxes are installed on opposite sides of the wall, the boxes shall be separated by one of the following: (a) Horizontal distance of not less than 24 in. (610 mm) (b) Horizontal distance of not less than the depth of the wall cavity, where the wall cavity is filled with cellulose loose-fill, rock wool, or slag wool insulation (c)*Solid fireblocking (d) Other listed materials and methods The 0.1 sqft threshold seems overly vague - a 4-inch x 4-inch electrical backbox, for instance, is 16 square inches while 0.1 sqft = 14.4 square inches. Has anyone come across this part of NFPA 101 before and addressed this issue with anything other than a listed box or puddy pad? My understanding is that the only way to address these 4x4 boxes, since they don't qualify as being 0.1 sqft or less, is to have a listed electrical outlet box or to use a listed assembly around the box (like a puddy pad). After looking into this question a little more, it looks like the 2018 Edition of NFPA 101 even clarified this section to change 0.1 sqft to 16 square inches, but we're not under the 2018 Edition for this project. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A 52 ft long by 22 ft wide by 10 ft tall space contains high value historic newspapers in pervious metal storage. If the space is to be kept at 72 deg F and has fixed structures of 194 cubic feet, what minimum quantity of FM-200 agent would be required to protect the space in a full flood application if the design concentration is 6.7%? a. 340 lb b. 364 lb c. 437 lb d. Other Solution | Posted 06/25/19
The remote area for a wet hydraulically-calculated sprinkler system contains two different hazard classifications - Light and Ordinary Hazard Group II.
When using the density/area method of NFPA 13, is each sprinkler calculated only to the hazard within the room it protects? If the OH2 spaces are confined to small storage rooms (with walls and doors), does the OH2 density have to extend beyond the OH2 room at all? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe NFPA 24-2016: 10.10.2.5 Backflow Prevention Assemblies.
10.10.2.5.1 The backflow prevention assembly shall be forward flow tested to ensure proper operation. 10.10.2.5.2 The minimum flow rate tested in 10.10.2.5.1 shall be the system demand, including hose stream demand where applicable. My question is: When is hose stream demand applicable? Is this referring to inside hose streams or all hose streams? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe What is the minimum flammable & combustible liquid standard recommended spacing between an outdoor 120-foot diameter floating roof liquid storage tank of 7,000 barrels and a 100-foot diameter refrigerated dome roof storage tank? a. 100 feet b. 180 feet c. 200 feet d. 240 feet Solution | Posted 06/21/19
Based on the energy code many buildings have vestibules with two lines of doors. At what point along the vestibule is travel distance taken?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe I've seen floor control assemblies (isolation valve, sometimes a check valve, waterflow switch, test & drain) in many different configurations as far as spacing of each of the components. I also understand that several manufacturers make an "all in one" valve assembly that can have all of these components.
Is there any benefit to the operation of the waterflow switch by spacing out these components? I'm wondering if a steady stream from the test and drain that is further from the switch allows the waterflow switch to operate more consistently? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe Is there a reason why OS&Y would be better on backflow preventers for fire suppression systems over butterfly valves?
One application where we often must use the OS&Y is when the backflow serves a fire pump and we don't want to distort the flow and cause cavitation at the pump - but otherwise the butterfly valves are a major space saver. Just curious if others feel differently or if I'm missing a major benefit to the OS&Y type. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe  The Leaderboard lists the total scores for the most recent weekly exams for PE Prep Series participants. See the entire scoreboard here.  Want to join in? It's not too late - the PE Prep Series is the ultimate PE Prep tool. It's a series of 1-hour, 10-question simulated PE Exams offered weekly with solutions immediately following each exam. Learn more here. Every week of the series is retroactive so you can still test yourself with past week exams
Do you know what the protocol is if I am the engineer of record for an ongoing project when I change employers? Am I obligated to continue to provide engineering services?
Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe A 4-inch schedule 40 main is routed parallel in-between two beams and requires a trapeze hanger. The main is 2 ft. from one beam and 8.5 ft from the other for a total span of 10.5 ft. What is the smallest schedule 10 pipe capable of supporting this main as a trapeze hanger? a. 2 inch b. 2-1/2 inch c. 3 inch d. 3-1/2 inch Solution | Posted 06/17/19
The 2015 Edition of the International Fire Code added some clarity for water supply for buildings with automatic sprinkler systems.
The Annex B material (not enforceable unless adopted) states: B105.3 Water supply for buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. For buildings equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system, the water supply shall be capable of providing the greater of: 1. The automatic sprinkler system demand, including hose stream allowance. 2. The required fire-flow. In the past I've heard several people say that only inside hose allowances are included when determining the total volume required (which sizes the water storage tank). Would you interpret this section of IFC to include both the inside and outside hose allowance? Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe The pressure gradient that causes a liquid to move through the intake line to the pump impeller is: a. Total static head b. Net positive suction head c. Net discharge head d. Rated head Solution | Posted 06/14/19
If you'll be in San Antonio next week, be sure to stop by and say hi at booth 460. Would be happy to meet you in person!  |
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