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Fire and SecurityApprovals
Brands
Construction andEnvironmental
Approvals
Fire, security andelectronics testing,research, specialistadvice, investigation
and training
Environmental assessments, standards and
ratings for buildings
Overview
• Sprinklers• Commercial• Residential and domestic sprinklers
• Watermist• Commercial• Residential and domestic sprinklers
• System selection
Why install sprinklers?
• Life Safety:- To protect people and to maintain a
safe means of escape from the building.
• Fire engineering:– As part of designed engineering
solutions to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations
• Property Protection:– To protect premises, stock, plant
and machinery from the effects of fire
1:00
Smoke alarmactivates
Growth of a Fire
Fire Starts
F.B. notified
3:00
F.B.arrives
8:00
1st Water on fire
10mins
Sprinkler operates
Fire is out or controlled
FBstarts
10minsExample of how sprinklers can help to extinguish or control a fire
5 mins 5 mins
Tenable LevelTenable Level
Time MinsTime Mins0 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 102 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Applications
Commercial and industrial risks• Light hazard• Ordinary hazard• High hazard:
• Process risks• Storage risks
Residential risks:• Domestic• Residential
Description
A commercial sprinkler system consists of:• Water supply• Pump & valves• An alarm valve and a stop valve• Pipework• Sprinkler heads
Description
A residential & domestic sprinkler system consists of:
• Water supply• Valves• An alarm valve and a
stop valve• Pipework• Sprinkler heads
Body and yoke arms
Deflector
Sprinkler operation
Glass “frangible” bulb filled with a blend of thermally expansive liquids
Seating
Research
• Commercial (1920’s to now)– Rubber – full scale testing– Wood crib tests– High bay warehouse – full scale testing– ADD – full scale testing
• Domestic and residential (1970’s to now)– Residential fire testing (FM)– Effectiveness study - full scale testing and cost benefit– Concealed and recessed – full scale testing
Heritage of commercialsprinkler standards for design & installation• 1884 – FOC published the first FOC sprinkler Rules
• 1968 - 29th Edition FOC “Sprinkler Rules”
• 1985 - The insurers submitted the 29th Edition
Rules to BSI to use as the base document for BS
5306; Part 2, published in 1990• 1990 - LPC rules/BS5306:Part2• 2003 - LPC rules/BSEN12845• 2009 – BS EN12845 revised
• FOC’s approved equipment list• LPCB’s “Red Book” the “List of
Approved Fire and Security Products and Services”
• FOC requirements become “ Loss Prevention Standards”
Heritage of commercialsprinkler standards for components
• 2000 - DD251 – design & install• 2002 - DD252 - components• 2005 - BS 9251 – design & install• 2011 - BS 9252 – components
(due to be published)
Domestic & residentialsprinkler standards
Approvals
• Commercial– Components, LPS 1039+– Design and installation, LPS 1048
• Residential & domestic– Components (in development)– Design and installation, LPS 1301
Why install watermist?
• Property Protection:– To protect industrial plant and
machinery and to protect premises from the effects of fire.
– Applications limited by tests.• Life Safety:
– To protect people by suppressing and controlling a fire.
How watermist systems workHeat removed
from flameSpray penetrates flame
Oxygen reduced by steam andfire
Surface wetting of fuel
Critical parameters
• Increase surface area, increase efficiency
• Decrease drop size, increases influence by other flows
Applications
Commercial and industrial risks• Low hazard occupancies• High hazard
• Process/equipment risks
Residential risks:• Domestic• Residential
Description
• An active system to extinguish, suppress and/or control fire
• Local application or total compartment
• Bespoke systems (detector, actuation, pipe, pump, tank, pressure)
• Installed to manufacturer’s design manuals (no standard designs)
Research
• Commercial (1990’s to now)– MOD ships – full scale testing– CAA aircraft – full scale testing– Computer cabinets – droplet sizing and modelling– Tunnels – modelling– Prisons cells – full scale testing– Office work stations - full scale testing
• Residential & Domestic– Desktop exercise in relations to residential & domestic sprinkler
Development of office protocol test
• BRE developed and characterised office scenario
• Stylised fuel, highly repeatable, easily obtained, cost effective.
• Fuel loading representative of OH1, medium fire growth rate, with target items.
• Tests under an open 6 x 6 m ceiling at 5 m height
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 160
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000Manually
extinguished CEN office BRE office 2
Hea
t Rel
ease
Rat
e (k
W)
Time (minutes from ignition)
Findings – office tests
• Low pressure watermist test
• Scenario in the centre of 4 heads on a 6.25 m2 spacing (5 mm/min) at ~13 bar
• Flaming above the table was effectively suppressed
• Wood cribs under the table burnt freely for the duration
• Effective fire suppression for the tested scenario
Findings – office tests
• High pressure watermist test
• Scenario in the centre of 4 heads on a 9 m2 spacing (2.8 mm/min) at ~100 bar
• Reduced temperatures within the office scenario fire set-up
• No effective fire suppression for the tested scenario
Now available for order
• Independent• Public domain• Parameter assessment• System testing• Test data• Test protocol
Water mist standards and approvals
• Historically– Ship-board standards– Application specific testing– Case-by-case assessments
• Government survey & guide, 2006
• 2010/11– Land-based BS DD standards
Water mist standards
• Commercial– British Standards, DD 8489
• Design and installation• Fire test protocols• Components (in development)
• Residential & domestic– British Standards, DD 8458
• Design and installation• Fire test protocols• Components (to be developed)
Test slots available at BRE
• BS DD 8489• Local applications• Combustion turbines &
machine spaces <80m3
• Industrial oil fryers
• BS DD 8458• Residential
& domestic
Water mist approvals
• Commercial– LPCB approvals (in preparation)
• Components, systems, LPS xxxx• Installers, LPS yyyy
• Residential & domestic– LPCB approvals (in development)
• Components, systems• Installers
Selection criteria
• Risks (occupants, property, business interruption) • Hazards analysis (fire load, building, ventilation,
compensatory features, sensitivities)• System performance (control, suppress, extinguish)• System costs (size, time, finance, lifetime)• System reliability (evidence, tests, approvals)
For more information, please contact
Louise Jackman
Principal Consultant,Suppression and Fire Safety
BRE Global Limited,Bucknalls Lane, Watford,Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX
T: +44 (0)1923 664948E: [email protected]
Sarah Colwell
Business Group Manager, Fire Suppression
BRE Global Limited,Bucknalls Lane, Watford,Hertfordshire, WD25 9XX
T: +44 (0)1923 664942E: [email protected]