24/01/2022, 15:25 Standpipe System Design and Calculations | NFPA | NFPA

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Standpipe System Design and

Calculations
BY SHAWN MAHONEY

Standpipe systems consist of piping and hose connections installed

throughout a building to provide reliable water for the manual suppression of
a fire by either the fire department or trained personnel. NFPA 14, Standard
for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, Chapter 6, outlines
design and installation requirements for standpipe and hose systems.
Standpipe systems can be broken down into different types of systems to
delineate whether the piping is full of water (wet) or not (dry) and whether the
water supplied for firefighting is automatically provided by a water supply,
such as a city main or a tank and fire pump (automatic or semi-automatic), or
needs to be provided by a fire department pumper (manual). When designing
a system, you first need to determine the supply pipe size, hose connection
location, size, and pressure based on the standpipe classification. There are
three classes of standpipe systems, they include Class I, Class II, and Class
II.

Class I

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Class I systems are installed for use by the fire department and are typically
required in buildings that have more than three stories above or below grade
because of the time and difficulty involved in laying hose from fire apparatus
directly to remote floors. Class I systems are also sometimes required in
malls, because these occupancies contain areas that are difficult to access
directly with hose from fire apparatus. Locations for hose connections in
Class I systems include:

Each main floor landing or intermediate landing of required stairs.

On the roof if the stairwell does not have access to the roof.
Each side of exit openings in horizontal exits.
Exit passageways.
Additional hose connections should be available in unsprinklered
buildings where the distance from a hose connection to the most
remote part of the floor exceeds the limits in NFPA 14 based on the
sprinkler system type and building type.

The minimum residual pressure required for a Class I system is 100 psi (6.9
bar) from the hydraulically most remote 2 ½ in. (65 mm) hose connection
with a flow rate of 500 gpm (1893 L/min), through the two most remote 2 ½
in. (65 mm) hose connections. A pressure-regulating device may need to be
used in order to limit the pressure at hose connections to less 175 psi (12.1
bar) static (pressure when not flowing).

Class II

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Class II are installed for use by trained personnel and are often required in
large un-sprinklered buildings. They might also be required to protect special
hazard areas, such as exhibit halls and stages.

In the past, Class II standpipes were typically installed with a hose, nozzle,
and hose rack on each hose connection. Prior to the 2007 edition of NFPA 14,
Class II systems were defined as being for use “primarily by the building
occupants or by the fire department.” Because of concerns regarding the
ability of untrained occupants to safely use the hose and the encouragement
of occupants to fight the fire rather than evacuate, the Technical Committee
chose to define Class II systems as being for use by “trained personnel or by
the fire department.”

Class II systems need to provide enough hose stations so that all portions of
each floor level of the building are within 130 ft (39.7 m) of a 1 ½ in. (40 mm)
hose connection provided with 1 1∕ 2 in. (40 mm) hose or within 120 ft (36.6
m) of a hose connection provided with less than 1 1½ ∕ 2 in. (40 mm) hose
connection.

The minimum residual pressure required for a Class II system is 65 psi (4.5
bar) from a remote 1 -1/2½ in. (40 mm) hose connection with a minimum
flow rate of 100 gpm (379 L/min). A pressure-regulating device may need to
be used in order to limit the pressure at these hose connections to less than
100 psi (6.9 bar) residual (pressure when flowing) and 175 psi (12.1 bar)
static (pressure when not flowing).

Class III

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Class III systems combine the features of Class I and Class II systems. They
are provided for both full-scale and first-aid firefighting. These systems are
generally intended for use by fire departments and fire brigades. Because of
their multiple uses, Class III systems are provided with both Class I and Class
II hose connections and must meet the placement, pressure, and flow
requirements for both Class I and Class II systems.

Pipe sizing

The minimum size pipe for Class I and III standpipes is 4 in. (100 mm). If the
standpipe is part of a combined sprinkler system in a partially sprinklered
building, that is increased to 6 inches (150 mm). If the building is protected
with an automatic sprinkler system, then the minimum combined standpipe
size can be 4 in. (100 mm) if hydraulically calculated. The branch lines of the
standpipe system are to be sized hydraulically but cannot be smaller than 2
-1/2½ in. (65 mm).

Calculating

Hydraulically calculating a standpipe system is very similar to that of a

sprinkler system because we are calculating the pressure lost in the system
to get the required flow to the most remote hose connection. In addition to
the required flow from the most remote hose connections, based on the
classification we are required to also calculate flow from connections on
each standpipe. For example, when calculating a Class 1 Standpipe system in
a building that is less than 80,000 ft2 (7432m2) we need to calculate the flow
rate of 500 gpm (1893 L/min), through the two most remote 2 ½ in. (65 mm)
hose connections at 100 psi (6.9 bar) and also calculate an additional 250
gpm (946 lpm) flowing from each standpipe in the building up to a maximum
total flowrate of 1000 gpm (3785 L/⁠min) for buildings that sprinklered
throughout, and 1250 gpm (4731 L/min) for buildings that are not sprinklered
throughout.

Take a look at this video taken from our soon to be released Online Certified
Water-Based System Professional Learning Path discussing how to
hydraulically calculate a standpipe system.

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