Fire Protection Systems - Assignment Example

Fire Protection Systems Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date of Submission: INSTALLING FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM IN APARTMENT BASED ON BRITISH STANDARD Introduction Fire protection systems are installed to mitigate destructive fires in apartments among other residential and commercial areas. The project presents the technical report of the writer comparing two fire protection systems namely the residential sprinkler system and the residential water mist system. The report will be used to determine the most efficient system that the 25m high residential apartment under construction should be used. The research is, therefore, highly relevant and must as it will ensure that the residents to live in the apartments will be protected in case of a fire. The research will be conducted in detail while presenting the benefits and disadvantages of choosing either of the systems. Thus, the information to include in the study will include the operation of each system, the components of each and the design criteria to be considered for the installation in the apartments. Residential Water Mist System The water mist systems are been installed for fire protections in residential buildings around the world. According to (bsi., 2015) when the fire protection systems are designed and implemented according to the British Standards they provide total protection of life and property in the residential area. The water mist systems have proved their value over the years in assisting the protection of property and life in numerous areas. The water mist systems are designed specifically for residential fire protection occupancies and among other occupancies (British Standards, 2015, 1). The water mist systems function through detecting, suppressing and controlling fires during their early stages of occurrence. At the same time, the systems activate the fire alarms, informing people of the imminent threat. Thus, before it progresses, almost everyone will be at a safe distance from the building. The system is efficient in reducing the production rates of smoke and heat, which also is an advantage as the occupants get a change to escape before anything serious that the system cannot manage happens (British Standards, 2015). The water mist systems due to the technological advancements they have encountered experience more effectiveness and can operate under high pressures. The water mist systems are designed to improve the suppression and control of fires. The design parameters of the water mist system are attained through engaging in several fire tests. That is; the design of the system ought to effectively suppress the test first for about 30 minutes in the residential premises. It should ensure that the temperature recorded after the first nozzle decreases steadily. The design of the system should include a width of 4.0+- 0.05. The length should include 8.0 +-0.05. The ceiling height should be designed to 2.5 +-0.05 m while the doorway height should also equal 2.5+-0.05 (British Standards, 2015, 35). The installation of the systems must be conducted by an authorized supplier and installed concerning the design of the manufacturer. However, the effective installation must also meet the parameters of the design. For commissioning of the system to work, it has to meet several tests. Some of the tests include leakage test, functional, alarm, and compliance (British Standards, 2015, 26). The figure below presents the elements of a typical water system (British Standards, 2015, 31). Main Components of the Residential Water Mist System The systems of water mists are distinctly different. The residential water mist fire suppression systems operation consists of water supply, filtering, stop and non-return valve, priority demand pipework for automatic water mist nozzles and the automatic alarm system (British Standards, 2015). The water mist nozzle component is fitted in the specific location and operate under a pre-determined temperature that allows them to discharge water over the known area. The flow of water leads to the automatic sounding of the alarm. The components of the water mist systems can, therefore, be divided into the following components: Firefighting mediums such as water supply availability (British Standards, 2015, 14). Detection using glass bulb nozzles and alarm systems automatically and valves among others. Atomisation using the filters, nozzle, orifice, strainers, medium, low and high-pressure bars among others (British Standards, 2015 18). Delivery attained through the automatic piping system. (British Standards, 2015, 20) Supply through the storage vessels such as pumps or propellants etc. It would be appropriate for the company’s residential apartments to use the wet pipe systems, low pressure for atomisation. The portable water for supply would be attained through tanks and cylinders for effective operation and the fast, quick responses; it should employ the glass bulb nozzles. Advantages of Using Residential Water Mist Systems The droplets from the system enable smoke washing processes. That is; as the water drops from the system, the smoke particles link with the water and fall on the floor (British Standards, 2015 ). Consequently, the spread of smoke throughout the building is controlled. The people in the apartments will have more time to escape without engaging in accidents and other harms. Given the number of storeys to be included in the building, smoke washing will highly benefit and save lives and property in case of an emergency. Water mist systems are highly effective in compartmentalized situations. Thus, the systems would favor the company building as they would be installed in different compartments. That is; when a fire begins in a specific area, its spread will be controlled and managed as the system will immediately detect and suppress the fire, as well as smoke. Given that the company intends to use fire systems in each apartment, the mist systems will be effective. The water mist droplets from the system can be easily propelled away. Once the system is effective, using air condition among other would blow away the droplets. The systems are also environmentally friendly. That is; the company is developing apartments with an open plan, yet they have a single stair. Thus, in the case of an emergency, the water mist droplets could be blown away giving more room to the occupants to escape. Therefore, the systems cause less damage to properties when compared to sprinklers as presented below. Disadvantages of Using Residential Water Mist Systems Water mist systems have small water droplets, which can lead to challenges such as adverse fire plumes due to poor compartmentation geometry. Thus, the systems have small-bore waterways, and may lead to numerous challenges in development and controlling fires. The small-bore waterways can easily be blocked by dust among other particles, influencing the performance of the system (British Standards, 2015). If the water is contaminated though microbial activity or corrosion, the waterways will be blocked, blocking the water supply and consequently, the performance of the system to control fires. More importantly, such small-bore waterways will require constant maintenance, which may be highly expensive to maintain for the residential areas. Thus, this would be dangerous for the company since if the system did not work as expected, the single stair used and open plan in the apartments would support the quick spread of fire leading to the high property and life losses. The cost of such an occurrence would be high for the company. The component specifications and testing for the water mists in residential areas is still ongoing (British Standards, 2015). Thus, using the systems would be challenging as the system performance, and reliability of its components cannot be completely provided. Thus, on the stipulation, the company used this system in the apartments, their failure would not necessarily be liable to the manufacturer or supplier as the British Standards has not yet approved the systems or components for use. Using water mist systems does not condition the need for other precautions. For instance, the usage of open flats as the company wants is fair as it provides the occupants with more space to flee in case of an emergency. It can be perceived as an escape route, which would benefit the occupants in the apartments. Residential Sprinkler System A residential fire sprinkler system can be described as an active method of protecting fire-related hazards with the residential areas. The method consists of an adequate water supply method that has am effective pressure and a good flow system in the form of pipes that are connected to the fire sprinklers (British Standards Institution, 2014). Records have it that there has been an increase in the death rate because of fire within the residential homes. The detail has triggered the necessity of an operative and reliable sprinkler system in the residential areas. The sprinkler system having been put in place does not mean that other fire prevention measures should not be put into consideration. People should be worry of other prevention methods and proper management skills. The main role of the sprinklers is to detect and extinguish fires in their early stages or hold the fire to limit its spread in the building. The sprinklers operate at set temperatures to influence the automatic water supply. The water flows through the valves to initiate the fire alarm. The temperature predetermined is carefully chosen to suit the temperature of the surrounding area (bsi., 2015, 13). The residential sprinklers ought to be designed by competent professionals considering the instructions of the manufacturer. Similar to water mist systems the residential sprinklers ought to use wet pipes that has water permanently (British Standards Institution, 2014, 8). In a compartment, the sprinklers that can work simultaneously together should be developed in accordance with the table below. For the effective performance of the systems, they ought to be provided in all parts of the building and apartments except for bathrooms, ceiling voids, and others unless it is required by the risk assessment. Main Components of the Residential Sprinkler System The figure below presents the components of a residential sprinkler. The sprinkler heads must be fitted at specified locations at the ceiling below shelves, in ovens or between cracks for the effective performance of the system. The sprinkler head must meet the BS 9252 for quick responses. That is; the British Standards has approved the usage of the system but in accordance by their standards for optimum performance of the system. The design must also meet the water supply requirements such as constant flow of water, high or low pressure and duration. The water supply may derive from pumps boosted by mains water supply or stored water from tanks, pressurized vessels among others (British Standards Institution, 2014, 12). The pipes, valves and other components identified above must meet the requirements of the British standards for appropriate utilization of the materials and performance of the system and components of the system in protecting life and property (British Standards Institution, 2014, 17). The installation and operation of the system follow the success of the leakage test, hydraulic test, and the alarm test. It is imperative for building designers to undertake initial reviews before commencing the project. Therefore, the type of residential property is key to examination in the sense that the designer should decide which system is best suited for the building. The designer should also take into account some special circumstances such extending the duration of the water supply and residential areas where the time for putting the off the fire may exceed the water supply duration. Advantages of Using Residential Sprinkler Systems It is very advantageous that the residential apartments of the company are fitted with wet fire sprinklers. The advantage occurs because the systems are reliable in the sense that they have a simplified operational system that depends on an automatic water supply that is supplied under pressure to get to higher heights. The issue also helps in ensuring that the backflow of water protection is not required since the mechanical pressure will be enough in ensuring that water does not flow back. The company should put the system into deliberation because the new building’s plan states that building will be 25 meters high from the ground level. A suitable pump meant for sprinkler systems will be put in use. Another advantage of ensuring that a residential home is installed with a sprinkler system is because the use another system can be used as a way of carrying out compensation if the building is not able to comply with the laid down guidance as provided (British Standards Institution, 2014). It is applicable if the building is not able to meet the requirements for installing all the necessary fire appliances. It is, therefore, mandatory to have proposals that are fully supported by a given for strategy and putting in place a resilience system measures for the sprinkler to be used as a feature of compensation. The building will benefit in ensuring it has fulfilled the anticipated requirements by the British Standards Institution (2014) Another advantage is that the new building to be constructed will be 25 meters high, which is very appropriate because it will be in line with the sprinkler position and better coverage. It will enable the sprinkler to be positioned in such a way that the delicate patterns are not affected by other constructional factors like fire alarm system, beams or even smoke alarms. It will also allow the sprinkler system to have sufficient positioning that is away from heat sources that may include ovens, kitchen ranges, and hot water pipes. The fact that the new building’s plan will have an extended common corridor will enable the sprinkler system to have the potential of dealing with a shielded fire that may not spread to other apartments. Disadvantages of Using Residential Sprinkler Systems The cost implications of having sprinkler systems at residential homes are expensive (British Standards Institution, 2014). The new building will be 25 meters high making it more expensive in the sense that the building will require a particular type of pump that is specifically suited for handling the sprinkler system. Such a pump is costly to obtain and maintain. Additionally, the system not only requires a sufficient water storage, but it must be designed hydraulically because this will be a residential area whose inhabitants will demand to make proper use of water to run other domestic functions like washing, bathing and cooking. At the same time, the same water will be needed to supply the fire flow necessities. Thus, the reliability of water supply for such emergencies will be required, which may be a challenge for the company apartments to maintain. Furthermore, the system may end up becoming a source of pollution especially if water remains stagnant. Water pollution can occur if there is limited use of water by the people and fire hazards that may require a huge amount of water do not use the stored water frequently. Stagnant water can lead to an outbreak of diseases, which may threaten the wellbeing of the occupants. It may also be costly to the company as some of the tenants may sue. Consequently, to prevent backflow of water, the system, therefore, must have various connections to toilet or laundry machines to prevent water becoming stagnant. It makes its installation very complicated. Conclusion Despite the challenges that are involved in having a sprinkler system in residential areas, they have proven to be imperative in preventing fire outbreaks from spreading far and beyond. It effectively ensures the protection of peoples’ lives in the sense that during an emergency, there will be no need of seeking extra help from the authorities. The sprinkler system will also be installed in an efficient manner because the open plan design that the new building will take will not have many walls that will serve as barriers and therefore this will make the installation a bit easier as compared to a situation where there are walls. On the other hand, using the water mist systems would be less expensive and beneficial for the company and the apartments. However, given the threats that may occur when the waterways block and the lack of complete approval of the system and its components by the British Standards, it would be better is the company used the residential sprinkler systems. As presented above, they have already been deemed imperative and reliable in protecting the lives of people in such a building if a fire emergency were to occur. More importantly, the British standards have approved the use and reliability of the system and its components. References British Standards Institution, 2014. Fire sprinkler systems for domestic and residential occupancies - code of practice. BSI Standards Publication: B2 9251: 2014, pp. 1-33. British Standards, 2015. Fixed Fire Protection Syste, - Residentiaal and Domestic Watermist Systems - Code of Practice for Design and Installation. BS 8458:2015: British Standards Publication, pp. 1-50. bsi., 2015. Fixed Firefighting Sytems- Automatic Sprinkler Systems _ Design, Installation and Maintenance. BS EN 12845:2015: BSI Standard Publication, pp. 1-206. Read More