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I’m working in the construction of 4-star hotel. The water storage tank is underground made from concrete and the pump room is located above the water tank. The designer specified the fire pumps to be vertical split-case type! In order to follow code, I proposed to install vertical turbine pumps instead of the specified vertical-split case.
The supervisor Engineer is insisting to follow the specification of the fire pump and pushing me to create an underground pump room in order to install the specified pump set. Any recommendations to avoid this directive? I have a bad flooding experiences with this this type of subgrade pump rooms. Submitted anonymously and posted for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
12 Comments
Thomas Jones
7/20/2020 09:10:02 am
Explaining to them past issues and how much water they could expect due to a failure would be your best options. Also, NFPA 20 has special requirements for fire pump rooms that do not have direct access to the outside (4.13.2, NFPA 20). Maybe this will help make the argument to keep it above ground. Another thing that you may want to check is your local fire marshal may not even allow a fire pump room that doesn't have direct access to the outside per their own local policy.
Sakhr Saleh
7/28/2020 03:39:49 pm
Thank you Thomas
Glenn Berger
7/20/2020 10:14:58 am
You can also inform them of potential NPSH issues. I suspect that you have a building designer that does not know the differences between vertical centrifugal pumps and vertical turbine pumps.
Sakhr Saleh
7/28/2020 03:46:05 pm
Thank you Glenn
Iwan Foster
3/28/2021 08:40:23 am
Dear Glenn
Greg Lindholm
7/20/2020 10:17:32 am
I have had experience with two pump rooms like this, and both have had nothing but major problems with corrosion of everything in them. On one of them, we have had to replace the Jockey Pump every two or three years for the past 15 years or so.
Sakhr Saleh
7/28/2020 03:38:08 pm
Thank you Greg
Rusty Scott
7/20/2020 12:07:01 pm
Agreed with @Glenn, sounds like they don't know the difference or they forgot to change the pump spec/schedule/typo. Best practice you have to maintain at a positive suction side of the fire pump which wouldn't be possible with a below grade tank. Recommend you RFI if the fire pump room is above water storage level, and send in the respective NFPA 20 codes explaining the difference in terminology. The room flooding issue is more of an architectural issue and we recommend that they don't skimp on the water proofing. In Charleston SC, we have to do these Vertical Turbine style pump rooms with below grade storage on all highrises due to the inability to elevate the water storage (seismic region). In the case of the underground fire pump room, you'll need a 2-hr rated pathway out.
Sakhr Saleh
7/28/2020 03:38:33 pm
Thank you Rusty
James Peterkin
11/18/2022 10:51:52 am
Rusty,
Peter DeGloma
7/20/2020 05:30:25 pm
Maybe they don't want to see the pump. If you're installing the job, don't design the job. If you're the EOR, don't install it. If you think it's a mistake, ignore the RFI chain and call the office of the engineer on the FP drawing.
Sakhr Saleh
7/28/2020 03:38:58 pm
Thank you Peter for your advice Leave a Reply. |
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