THE BASICS OF BUILDING RES Symposium

FIRE PROTECTION DESIGN April 18, 2017

PRESENTER’S BACKGROUND

• 5 years as a Code Enforcement Official and Division Head 
supervising all Construction Inspectors and performing 
Plan Reviews for the City of Rochester Building Bureau
• 125 HR Code Certificate required for “New Building 
Officials”
• 25 years of Fire Protection Design at Local National and 
International A&E firms
• Certified Fire Protection Specialist since 2000
Ted Sherwood, PE,  • Currently Lead Fire Protection Engineer & QA Engineer 
CFPS, LEED AP reviewing LaBella Associates’ Fire Protection Design across 
US Offices (NY, PA, OH, NC)
GOALS FOR THIS SESSION
What we are going to cover

Understand / Receive a Design Process Learn Which Fire Protection Systems are in
For Fire Protection Systems in Buildings General Use and There Principles of Operation

Understand which Codes Govern Fire Required Testing & Records

Protection Systems

Understand How to Determine What

Fire Protection Systems are Required Free Codes Online
On Design Projects

Learn How to Evaluate a Water Supply The Alarm Side of Fire Protection Will 

Not Be Covered in this Presentation
FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

✓ DETERMINE WHAT SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED ✓ CREATE CONTRACT DRAWINGS

✓ PICK SYSTEM TYPE(S) ✓ DOWNLOAD & EDIT CSI SPECIFICATIONS

✓ EVALUATE WATER SYSTEM ✓ OBTAIN

QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW FROM SOMEONE IN
ORGANIZATION
✓ ESTIMATE WATER DEMAND (GPM & PRESSURE) FOR BUILDING
✓ HAVE
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION (AND OWNER’S
✓ CODE
REVIEW OF APPLICABLE STANDARDS NFPA SECTIONS, UNDERWRITE IF APPLICABLE) REVIEW DRAWINGS
OWNER, UNDERWRITER FOR SPECIFIC CASE
✓ REVIEW
SUBMITTALS (HARDWARE / WORKING DRAWINGS /
✓ DETERMINE WHICH TYPE OF BACKFLOW PREVENTION IS HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS)
REQUIRED
✓ ASKFOR “ CONTRACTOR’S MATERIAL AND TEST CERTIFICATE
✓ PERFORM HYDRAULICS (IF REQUIRED BY OWNER) FOR ABOVE GROUND PIPING” FORM NFPA 13 AT END OF
PROJECT
HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT

• Current International Code

Council (ICC) Building Codes

$15
HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT
IBC USE 
Description (Example)
OCCUPANCY
A Assembly (Restaurants, Theaters, etc.)
B Business (Offices, etc.)
E Education (Schools)
F Factory
H High Hazard (More Hazmat that shown in Table 307.1(1))
$15
I Institutional (Assisted Living Facilities, Hospitals, Jails, etc.)
M Mercantile (Stores)
R Residential All Residential (Not Group I)
S Storage
U Utility (Agriculture and Misc., Also see Appendix C)

• Determine the IBC occupancy by asking Architect of Record rather than interpreting IBC yourself, where possible
• Ask Architect of Record if they want fire sprinklers for code benefits within their code (IBC)
• If project has work in existing building, the IEBC applies. Ask Architect of Record which “compliance path” they are using 
(alteration Level 1, 2, 3 change of occupancy, etc.), they are difficult to determine
 HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
ARE REQUIRED ON YOUR PROJECT

• Consider Owner’s Standards

(e.g. Sprinklers in all dorms
in Universities)

• Find out if Owner has

$15
insurance underwriter and if
underwriter has additional
requirements such as
factory mutual global

• Determine what fire

protection systems are
required as a result of
working through all the
above
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY
Most Fire Protection Systems are Water Based

Private Water Tank 
Regulated by NFPA 24
• Standard for the Installation of Private 
Fire Service mains and their 
Appurtenances

DU6 – Station
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

A REASONABLE HYDRANT FLOW TEST!
DU6 – Station
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

Corroded Water Man Piping Showing 
the Importance of having a Hydrant 
Flow Test completed
DU6 – Station
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

Same Corroded Water Main Piping 
End View

DU6 – Station
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

• Hydrant Flow Test Consists of Field Readings to 
Determine 3 Numbers:
1. Water Pressure at No Flow (Static Pressure) 
in PSI
2. Water Pressure at Any Known Flow in PSI
3. The Flow at that Pressure in Gallons Per 
Minute
• When 3 Numbers are Known, They Can Be 
Plotted on Semilog Paper (Also Know as 1.85 
DU6 – Station
Paper) From:
o NFPA 13
o Online Calculator
o Online Semilog Graph Paper
o The Blank in NFPA 291 Testing and Marking 
Hydrants
• You Can Only Remove Water Down to 20 PSI or 
You May Damage the Main
DEVELOPING THE FIRE WATER DEMAND

• For Water Based Systems, Fire Water Demand Consists of the Pressure and Flow Required by NFPA 13, but 
Modeled, “Worked Back”, to the Same Point in the Water System where the Hydrant Flow Test is Taken
• Two Methods for Determining Fire Water Demand:
1. Estimate the Pressure and Flow Independently and Combine
2. Full Hydraulic Calculations as Prescribed by NFPA 13

DU6 – Station
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

1. Estimate of Pressure and Flow Method
(Use with Caution‐ Requires Experience and 
Engineering Judgement)
 Estimate the GPM Flow:
• Look up the Hazard in NFPA 13
• The GPM Required = [(gpm/ft2) x ft2] + [Waste %] + [Hose]

 Estimate Pressure Loss in PSI from Sprinklers Back to the Hydrant 
Flow Test Location. Use GPM Flow Developed above. Include the 
Following:
DU6 – Station
• Required Pressure to the Sprinklers Per NFPA 13
• Safety Factor (10% or 10 PSI)
• Pressure Loss due to Height of Highest Sprinkler
• Pressure Loss to Friction in Building Piping
• Pressure Loss from Alarm Valve and Shutoff Valve(s)
• Pressure Loss from Backflow Preventer and Water Service
• Pressure Loss from Site Piping
HOW TO EVALUTE A WATER SUPPLY

2. Full Hydraulic Calculations as Prescribed by NFPA 13

o Sprinkcad by Tyco Inc.
o Hass by HRS Systems Inc.
o Auto Spink by MEP CAD Inc.
• The Resulting Estimate or Calculation of the GPM Flow and Pressure Low must be Plotted on 
the 1.85 Graph Paper and Be Under the Water System “Curve” (The Straight Line at the Top 
of the Graph) DU6 – Station
• If Water Demand Point is Above the System Curve, You Do Not Have Enough Pressure and 
Flow to Design Code Compliant Protection System(s)
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Wet Pipe System

WET PIPE SYSTEM RISER

• Note: Fire Department connection at 
the left. It bypasses most things that 
might go wrong. It is for the fire 
department to add water
DU6 – Station
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Wet Pipe System – Delivers Water on Fire When Heat Boils the Glycol Mix in the Sprinkler Head and Glass Blub Explodes

WET PIPE ALARM VALVE 
RETARD CHAMBER TRIM

• Delivers water on a fire when heat 
boils the glycol mix in the sprinkler 
head and the glass explodes

DU6 – Station
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Wet Pipe System

• How a wet pipe alarm valve with retard 
chamber opens, retards the alarms, 
delivers water to the fire and is drained

DU6 – Station
 WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Dry Pipe System – Enables Water Based Suppression Where the Hazard Area is Below Freezing

• An air compressor (or nitrogen supply) 
is required to hold the valve closed and 
keep the water from freezing (below)

DU6 – Station
• Dry Piper Rise (top left)
• Wet Pipe Rise (top right)
• Full of air from the dry pipe value to 
the cold spaces
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Pre‐action System – Helps Prevent Accidental Discharge or Water if a Head is “Accidently” Broken

• Takes two events to deliver water on 
the fire
o Heat on sprinkler head (s) to boil 
the glycol mix
o Electronic detection to pull the 
soleniod
DU6 – Station
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Clean Agent System – Enables Protection of Mission Critical Equipment and Expensive Capital Equipment

Typical Room Layout  Liquid to Gas 
Discharge Pattern


Halo‐Carbon Based
 Clean Agent Tanks, 
Dupont Novec 1230
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?
Hose Standpipes – Enables Fighting a Fire in a “Mid‐Rise” Building Without Dragging the Hose “Around and Around” the 
Stairway
WHAT ARE THE BASIC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS?

Dry Chemical at for Gas 
Station Canopy 
Direct Application 
CO2 System


Foam Deluge Foam‐
 Water Sprinkler –
Prevents a “River of 
Fire” in a Fuel Fire
WHEN DO YOU NEED A HOSE STANDPIPE?
WHEN DO YOU NEED A FIRE PUMP?

DU6 – Station

Fire Pump, Skid Mounted, Electric Drive
Fire Pump, Skid Mounted, Diesel Drive
WHEN DO YOU NEED A FIRE PUMP?

• Fire Pump is needed when the 
demand point is below the system line
• Fire pumps only come in listed sizes 
which can cause them to draw a larger 
GPM than the “real” demand point 
from the main
• Fire pumps must be run at 150% of 
their listed GPM capacity during the 
acceptance test
DU6 – Station
• This may draw 1.5 times the listed 
GPM from the main
• At “Churn” (aka deadhead) the max 
pressure is 1.4 times the Design 
Pressure
REQUIRED TESTING AND RECORDS BY OWNER
From: NFPA 25: Table 5.1.1.2 Summary of Sprinkler System Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance

DU6 – Station
REQUIRED TESTING AND RECORDS BY OWNER
From NFPA 25: Table 8.1.1.2 Summary of Fire Pump Inspections, Testing, and Maintenance

DU6 – Station
FREE ONLINE CODES
Due to Veeck vs. Southern Building Code Congress International, a Federal Court Case in Louisiana in 2002, Building 
Codes Required by Law Must be Free
CODE WRITING 
AVAILABLE CODES LINK TO FREE CODE AT THIS WRITING DIRECTIONS
GROUP
39 Building Code 1. Go to Link at Left
City of Rochester http://www.cityofrochester.gov/citycode/ 2. Click on the Book you Want
54 Fire Code
IBC 1. Go to Link at Left
ICC IFC http://codes.iccsafe.org/I‐Codes.html 2. Click on the Book You Want
IEBC 3. Select the Chapter
ALL NFPA CHAPTERS: $15
1. Go to the Link at the Left
13 Sprinklers 2. Click on the Section You Want
14 Hose Standpipes 3. Current and Prior Additions Tab
20 Fire Pumps 4. Pick the Reference Standard Version 
http://www.nfpa.org/codes‐and‐standards/all‐ (Date) You Need
2001 Clean Agent
NFPA codes‐and‐standards/list‐of‐codes‐and‐ 5. Click on the “View the Document    
17 Dry Chemical standards?mode=code&code=13&tab=editions Online” Link
24 Private Water Supplies
16 Foam Systems
409 Aircraft Hangars
12 CO2
1. Go to the Link at Left
IBC
2. Click on the State You Want
Ohio IFC http://codes.iccsafe.org/I‐Codes.html
3. Click on the Book You Want
IEBC
4. Select the Chapter
TEST QUESTIONS

1 WHICH PART OF THE ICC CODES OF 2015 ADDRESSES ALTERATIONS TO BUILDINGS?  
THE INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE

2 MOST FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE _________ BASED.
WATER

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION ON A FIRE SPRINKLERS SYSTEM 
3 IS USED FOR _________.
ADDING WATER
DU6 – Station
ON A NEW BUILDING, A HOSE STANDPIPE SYSTEM IS REQUIRED IF THE HIGHEST OCCUPIED 
4 FLOOR IS MORE THAN _____ FEET ABOVE THE LEVEL OF FIRE FIGHTER ACCESS. 
30

5 WHAT NFPA SECTION REGULATES OWNER TESTING?
NFPA 25
QUESTIONS