Basics of Fire Sprinkler

Design
K.S. Buck Collier
K.S. Collier
NICET Level III Fire Protection
Engineering Technology/Water
Based Systems Layout.
Have worked in industry 28 years.
January 1986 to December 1999

employed by Commonwealth
Sprinkler Company
February 2000 to present

employed by K & E Fire Sprinkler

 Elements with Largest
Impact on Sprinkler Design

Water Supply
Occupancy
Building Construction
Water Supply
Basic Definition- The water that is available
to the building/job site. The design of the
sprinkler system is based on this available
water
Varies from project to project
Can be public or private
Public- Locality provides water flow data

Some perform hydrant flow test

Some provide calculated information
Private- designs will include tank and pump
Water Supply

The three elements of the water

supply are:
Static Pressure
Residual Pressure
Water Flow
Water Supply
StaticPressure: The pressure
available with no water flow
Residual Pressure: The pressure

available with a water flow

Flow: The amount of gallons per

minute of the water flow

These three make up the Water Supply Curve

Water Supply Curve
Occupancy
Occupancy Determines Hazard Classification
Light Hazard
(Schools, Office Buildings, Restaurant Seating Areas, Hospitals)
Ordinary Hazard
Group I (Parking deck, restaurant service area, beverage
manufacturing)
Group 2 (Repair garages, mercantile, barns, chemical plants,
piers, wood shop)
Extra Hazard
Group 1 (Aircraft hangers, printing, saw mills,)
Group 2 (Flammable liquid spraying, Manufactured home
assemblies, plastic processing)
Occupancy

The Fire Hazards are based on fuel load

Each Fire Hazard has its own design criteria

Design Criteria are the requirements to which

the sprinkler system design is based
Design Criteria

Water Density
Coverage per Sprinkler
Spacing per Sprinkler
Remote Area
Design Criteria
Water Density= Gallons per minute (GPM)
per sq. ft. covered by the sprinkler

Light hazard= .10 gpm per sq. ft.

Ordinary hazard
Group 1= .15 gpm per sq. ft.
Group 2 =.20 gpm per sq. ft.
Extra Hazard
Group 1 = .30 gpm per sq. ft.
Group 2 = .40 gpm per sq. ft
Design Criteria

Coverage per Sprinkler (max. square

footage)

Light hazard= 225 sq. ft.

Ordinary hazard= 130 sq. ft.

Extra Hazard= 100 sq. ft.

Design Criteria

Spacing for a Standard Sprinkler (max.)

Light hazard= 15-0

Ordinary hazard= 15-0

Extra Hazard= 12-0

Design Critera
Remote Area- The area that must be
proven, by hydraulic calculations, that if all
sprinklers activate, the piping and supply
can provide the required pressure and gpm

Light Hazard- minimum of 1500 sq. ft

Ordinary Hazard- minimum of 1500 sq. ft

Extra Hazard- minimum of 2500 sq. ft.

Hazard Comparisons
Building Construction
Construction of Building Effects Design of
Sprinkler System
Sloped Ceilings
Impact reaction time of sprinklers thus requiring an
increase in remote area size by 30%.
1500 sq ft. +30% (450 sq. ft.) = 1950 sq. ft.
Unconditioned Spaces
Dry System required for unconditioned spaces
Dry Systems impact reaction time of sprinklers thus
requiring and increase in remote area size by 30%.
1500 sq ft. +30% (450 sq. ft.) = 1950 sq. ft.
Building Construction
Example: seasonal restaurant seating area
Heated flat ceiling
1500 sq ft remote area
Unheated flat ceiling
1500 sq ft. +30% (450 sq. ft.) = 1950 sq. ft. remote
area
Unheated sloped ceiling
1500 sq ft. +30% (450 sq. ft.) = 1950 sq. ft. +30%
(585 sq. ft.) = 2535 sq. ft. remote area
ASCET Central Virginia
Chapter

Thank you for allowing me to give this brief

presentation on Basics of Fire Sprinkler
Design

Sincerely,
K.S. Buck Collier
February 5, 2014