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Standpipe Hose Connections Egress Clearance

1) Standpipes located within stairwells require coordination with architects to ensure the hose connection does not obstruct the required egress clearance of the stair. 2) It is best to locate both the standpipe and hose valve entirely outside of the egress path to avoid any potential code issues, though some minor parts of the connection may be allowed within the clearance. 3) Retrofitting standpipes can encounter structural conflicts if beams are located where the connection needs to be, requiring potentially costly modifications. Proper planning is important to avoid such issues.

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Haitham Dweik
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755 views2 pages

Standpipe Hose Connections Egress Clearance

1) Standpipes located within stairwells require coordination with architects to ensure the hose connection does not obstruct the required egress clearance of the stair. 2) It is best to locate both the standpipe and hose valve entirely outside of the egress path to avoid any potential code issues, though some minor parts of the connection may be allowed within the clearance. 3) Retrofitting standpipes can encounter structural conflicts if beams are located where the connection needs to be, requiring potentially costly modifications. Proper planning is important to avoid such issues.

Uploaded by

Haitham Dweik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Standpipe Hose Connections: Egress Clearance

6/13/2019
 

.Hope your week in fire protection is going well

Standpipes within stairs can be an important item to coordinate with the


project architect, as the fix for the lack of coordination can be extremely
difficult to accomplish in the field. This week I'm breaking down an enlarged
.floor plan detail for a standpipe hose connection within a stairwell

Avoiding the Egress Path


The image above shows the clear span that's required to maintain clearance.
How do you know the radius of this line? Just take the width of the stair, set
the center of your arc to the edge of the stair, and draw your arc from one end
of the stair to the other. This is an extension of the required egress of the stair
.to turn on the landing and move the other direction

Is it possible and allowed to locate small parts of the hose connection within
 .this clear span? There could be a basis for it

In design I try to avoid any controversy by locating both the standpipe and
those valve entirely outside of this egress path. Doing so may require a little
extra space on the landing, but it is far better than finding out after the stair is
.constructed that you're short on space

Structural Conflicts
A traditional new-construction stair will likely have support for the stairwell
landing incorporated into the stair enclosure, or contain a beam across the
landing where the landing meets the beginning of the stairs if it's a concrete
stair. These new builds don't present too much of a challenge to coordinate
.with structure

However, for retrofits or stairs that do not simply jog back and forth, beware of
beams that could run where you'd like to locate the standpipe connections.
Core drilling a 4-inch to 10-inch hole through a concrete beam will not make
.you good friends with the structural engineer

Handle Clearance
The hose connection is required to have 3-inches of clearance on all sides of
the handle. (NFPA 14 2013-19 4.7.5)

It's not enough to just stick your hand and start turning the valve, we have to
remember that it's the firefighter's thermally insulated and rigid gloves that
must turn the hose valve while the building is literally on fire. Giving 3-inches
of clearance just feels like a minimally-nice gesture to thank your local first
.responder

Drain Riser
.Lastly, don't forget about the drain riser

If the standpipe includes pressure-reducing valves, these valves require


testing and it's required to have a way to connect directly to an oversized
drain riser that can handle the testing. This can be done with capped outlets
.on the drain riser that can accept a hose connection for testing

NFPA 14 provides guidance on sizing the drain riser in this scenario: 3-inch
drain riser for 2-1/2-inch pressure reducing devices, a 2-inch riser for 1-1/2-
inch pressure reducing devices, or sized large enough to handle the full flow
from the largest pressure reducing device. (NFPA 14 20037.12, 2007-19
7.11.1)

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