Use a Highrise Slosh Damper Tank for Fire Water?

2/20/2025

Has anyone ever used a slosh damper water tank on a roof as part of the fire reserve for the building?

The project is located in NYC. If so, are there any special requirements that need to be adhered to?

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6 Comments

Todd E Wyatt

2/20/2025 08:34:45 am

If the “slosh damper” was installed to improve the building’s performance in high winds, I would not recommend considering it as part of the fire reserve for the building without conferring with the structural engineer of record.

In some instances, these dampers are an integral part of the structural integrity of the high-rise … see “The Design Flaw That Almost Wiped Out an NYC Skyscraper” :

“But that’s only if the tuned mass damper, which keeps the building stable, is running. LeMessurier realized that a major storm could cause a blackout and render the tuned mass damper inoperable. Without the tuned mass damper, LeMessurier calculated that a storm powerful enough to take out the building his New York every 16 years.”

Curtis Tower

2/20/2025 09:03:15 am

In response to Todd: I imagine that a case could be made based on the immediacy of the problem at hand, esp. should the reserve be needed for a fire event. If we're talking about just using the water, then I'll admit that I'm oblivious to how that would relate to the structure of the reservoir containing it, or how it is integrated into the design of the building. Also, the reservoir can always be "recharged" once the threat is abated. I would think that it has some self-regulating method of determining when water should be added or discharged. Interesting subject, BTW. My interest is piqued...NEVER heard of or considered a design feature like this before.

David Kendrick

2/20/2025 09:54:55 am

If it has a UL listing for fire protection use then its role would be defined.
Without a listing you’ll be responsible for as long as the system using it exists.

Jose Figueroa

2/20/2025 10:20:47 am

As mentioned earlier, this is my first time hearing of this. I also looked it up using the Gemini AI tool. Before proceeding, please consult the engineer who designed the building to ensure the natural vibration frequency is adjusted for strong winds. When the wind frequency matches the building's natural frequency, it can lead to significant vibrations due to a phenomenon known as resonance. Do you remember the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge? The vibration engineer should be able to say under what conditions slosh water can be used for fire protection.

Jack G

2/20/2025 05:23:39 pm

I m not sure why anyone would want to use this tank for fire protection.
First of all it was provided/ designed for building sway and or vibration. Removing or adding water could cause a catastrophe in my opinion. Also in my opinion any engineer that designed this ( for the building ) is probably going to say no, ( and not risk any potential liability. Remember — you do have to test the fire pump ( with water possibly emptying the tank )
When mid level and roof level tanks are designed for fire protection, the water and no water conditions are factored into the buildings design.
So I would pass on this idea, unless the use of it for standpipe and sprinklers was in the “original design of the building “.

sean

3/3/2025 09:39:09 pm

i think the risk is not worth the benefit.

does the municipal water supply not provide adequate volume

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Use a Highrise Slosh Damper Tank for Fire Water?

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