1 Fundamental Concepts for Design of Special Hazard and Fire Alarm Systems Chapter 1

2 Objectives List the items that comprise a set of contract documents for the design of a special hazard or fire alarm system List the categories of drawings that comprise a contract drawing package Explain the differences among the categories of contract drawings

3 Objectives Evaluate a set of contract drawings to determine the value of each drawing relative to the accurate development of a special hazard or fire alarm system design Explain the problems associated with the designer of a special hazard or fire alarm system failing to reference drawings relevant to fire protection systems in a contract drawing package

4 Objectives List the divisions of the contract specifications Explain the relationship between a set of contract drawings and the contract specifications Determine the divisions of the specifications that are of most value to the development of a fire protection system design

5 Objectives Identify the problems that could develop if the contract specifications conflict with the contract drawings List the items that should be found in every designer’s survey kit Perform a survey of a building to be used for the design of a fire protection system

6 Objectives Survey and accurately determine dimensions of a reflected ceiling plan Survey a building using the structural elements as the primary points of reference Field-check a drawing of a fire protection system Perform metric conversions where appropriate 6

7 Objectives Evaluate design objectives for special hazard suppression systems Know the characteristics that define a special hazard Evaluate branches of the Fire Safety Concepts Tree Know the difference between prescriptive and performance-based design

8 Fire Protection as a Profession Fire professionals are dedicated to saving lives Serious errors or less than minimal fire protection can lead to death Application of technical knowledge is fundamental Ethical behavior on the same level as technical knowledge

9 Fire Protection Engineers and Technicians Fire protection engineer: –Licensed professional engineer –Can apply science and engineering to protect the public from the impacts of fire Fire protection technician: –Achieved NICET Level III of IV certification in the appropriate subfield –Knowledge, experience and skills necessary to lay out fire protection systems

10 Fire Protection Engineers and Technicians Functions of a fire protection engineer –Fire protection analysis –Fire protection management –Fire science and human behavior –Fire protection systems –Passive building systems

11 Fire Protection Engineers and Technicians Functions of a fire protection engineer –Evaluation of the hazards and protection schemes required to develop a workable, integrated solution to a fire safety problem –Preparation of design documents –Layout of fire protection systems

12 Fire Protection Engineers and Technicians Functions of a fire protection engineer (co –Affixing a professional seal to documents –Review fire protection installation shop drawings for compliance with engineer’s design –Monitor installation of fire protection systems –Responsibility for designing and maintaining competency through continued education

13 Fire Protection Engineers and Technicians Functions of a fire protection technician –The system layout in accordance with the engineer’s design –Shop drawings in accordance with the engineer’s design or as otherwise permitted by state regulations –Supplemental calculations based on the engineer’s design

14 Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ): individual or agency who reviews and approves drawings and completed installations Examples of AHJs –Municipal permitting organization –Fire prevention officer of the municipality –Insurance company –Governmental organization –Code official

15 Metric Conversions, Significant Figures, and Rounding Metric Conversion Act of 1975: requires conversion to the metric system for all federal projects by 1992 Buildings not designed using the metric system can cause problems Most fire protection calculations performed with two significant figures to the right of the decimal point

16 Metric Conversions, Significant Figures, and Rounding Metric units QuantityUnitSymbol LengthMeterm MassGramg TimeSeconds TemperatureKelvinK

17 The National Fire Protection Association Publishes more than 290 codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides for fire safety and design of fire protection systems Codes: mandatory requirement suitable for adoption into law Standards: mandatory NFPA requirements that may be used to approve a fire protection system Recommended practices: NFPA documents that provide non mandatory advice Guides: informative NFPA documents

18 Oral, Written, and Graphic Communication Fire protection professionals depend on the ability to clearly communicate complex ideas to a wide audience Communications skills include written communication, oral communication, and graphic communication

19 Graphic Communication: Drawing Fire Protection Systems Graphic communication - conveyed through drawings Drawing: graphic representation of a designer’s ideas Computer-aided design (CAD): computerized method of preparing drawings Fire protection system drawings are drawn to scale

20 Graphic Communication: Drawing Fire Protection Systems Figure 1-1 Computer aided design process for fire drawings

21 Figure 1-4. An architect’s scale is needed for design of fire protection systems Graphic Communication: Drawing Fire Protection Systems (con’t.)

22 Graphic Communication: Drawing Fire Protection Systems Drawing medium - the reproducible surface on which a drawing exists Size of the print medium must be larger than the drawing you are printing, to allow room for notes and a title block Cover sheet of a contract drawing contains a wealth of information for the fire protection designer

23 Site (Underground) Drawings Civil drawings: coordinate underground utilities entering and leaving a building or group of buildings Profile plan: shows reference elevations with respect to finished grade Invert elevation: references the bottom of a pipe with respect to the reference elevation

24 Architectural Plans Architectural drawings: drawings that show dimensions of walls, floors, ceilings, and other building features Plan job: design performed using new architectural plans as the basis for design Survey job: a project involving an existing building for which plans cannot be obtained

25 Structural Drawings Structural drawings: provide details related to the floors, roof, and structural elements of a building Foundation plans: show floor and wall structural details and sectional views Framing plans: show beam and joist size and elevation

26 HVAC Drawings HVAC drawings: heating, ventilating, and air conditioning drawings Supply diffuser: ceiling element used to distribute fresh air to a room Return diffuser: ceiling element used to draw stale air from a room Plenum space: space above a suspended ceiling that is kept under negative pressure for return air

27 Plumbing Drawings Designated in the contract set with a “P” prefix May show fire protection system piping layout or schematic Water supply and other fire protection- related information may be in the plumbing general notes

28 Fire Protection Contract Drawings Strong preference in the profession to display all fire protection and detection requirements on a separate set of contract drawings

29 Electrical Drawings Contract drawing set has an “E” prefix Useful to special hazard and fire alarm system designers Provide the location and power requirements of lighting and other electrical devices Locations of other electrical devices may also be shown on electrical drawings

30 Specifications Developed by architects and engineers from –Standardized computer specification database –Revisions to specifications for a project that may conflict with the contract drawings Performance specification: a general specification that provides the minimum information necessary to estimate, design, and install a fire protection system

31 Specifications Detailed specification: requirements for the design of a fire protection system –Little latitude for interpretation or alternatives Specification divisions: categories of building component groupings standardized by the Construction Specifications Institute Specification sections: detailed requirements for each CSI division

32 Specification Division Numbers and Titles Procurement and Contracting Requirements Group General Requirements Subgroup Facility Construction Subgroup Facility Services Subgroup Site and Infrastructure Subgroup Process Equipment Subgroup

33 Specification Division Numbers and Titles Fire protection systems and fire alarm systems are within Division 21 Formerly part of Division 15 Change resulted in better coordination and reduced conflict between two different contractors or subcontractors

34 Fire Protection Surveys Survey: investigation of a building and its components to take detailed measurements of the building as a reference for a fire protection drawing Get your bearings Determine the general building layout Bring proper survey equipment

35 Fire Protection Surveys (con’t.) Figure Survey equipment

36 Fire Protection Surveys Survey building details Develop a system design strategy Building elevations and ceiling measurements Water supply information Draw the building, layout the system, field- check the drawing and inspect the system after installation

37 Special Hazard Suppression Systems Protects hazards not amenable for protection by an automatic sprinkler system Special hazard categories –Large quantities of flammable liquids –Facilities containing valuable or irreplaceable commodities –Facilities where water may pose a danger

38 Special Hazard Suppression Systems Special hazard categories –Automatic sprinkler systems are not always fast enough for effective suppression –Mobile facilities where the transport of water is unfeasible –Facilities where service loss is intrinsically linked to facility loss or water damage –Facilities where high-tech research lost by fire or water damage could be significantly more than the dollar loss

39 Design Approaches for Special Hazard Design Requires evaluation of design objectives and design concepts, and implementation of design methodology Design objectives –Property protection and preservation –Life safety and preservation –Business continuity –Protection of the environment

40 Design Approaches for Special Hazard Design Design concepts: Fire Concepts Safety Tree (see Figure 1-13, Page 40) Design methodologies –Prescriptive design: direct use of national, local, or manufacturer standards to design a suppression or detection system –Performance-based design: an engineering approach to fire protection design (see Figure 1-14, Page 43)

41 Figure Steps in the Performance-Based Analysis and the Conceptual Design Procedure for Fire Protection Design Design Approaches for Special Hazard Design

42 Summary Must understand differences between a fire protection engineer and a fire protection technician Knowledge of oral and written communication and media is essential, particularly computer-aided design Contract documents consist of contract drawings and specifications

43 Summary Contract drawings consist of the cover sheet and civil, architectural, structural HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and electrical drawings All documents used to minimize conflicts or omissions that could affect performance of a fire protection system Specifications generally take precedence over contract drawings

44 Summary Specifications divided into specification divisions Specifications for fire suppression systems are located in Division 21 Fire alarm systems are in Division 28 An organized and well-planned strategy for conducting a survey assures a successful result

45 Summary Fundamental approaches, objectives, concepts, and methodologies related to special hazard and fire alarm design must be understood and evaluated before commencing design