Back to Basics: Standpipe Design - Cover Story - PM Engineer http://www.pmengineer.com/Articles/Cover_Story/eb3ee3eac5a1b010V...

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This Just In Back to Basics: Standpipe Design
Calendar by Richard Piccolo
Webinars May 1, 2006
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Cover Story
Features
Columns Here is a review of the steps in designing standpipes for fire protection systems.
Industry News
Products
Editor’s Note: “Back to Basics” is a column that will run periodically in PME reviewing
Advertiser
Index the basic principles of plumbing engineering.
Resources
Archives Some of the most frequently asked questions about standpipe systems are about the
eNewsletter flows required, such as: “What are the required flows?” or “Are there adjustments to
Archive the flows?”
Buyers Guide
Radiant The flows are based on various factors: classification of the system, number of
Flooring Guide standpipe outlets and sprinkler protection provided. Let’s review system classification.
Digital Editions
Career Center Class I—2-1/2-inch hose connections for fire department use. This requires no
hose because the fire department will utilize their own fire hose.
AEC Store Class II—1-1/2-inch hose station for building occupants or the fire department. This has a hose rack, hose, nozzle and a
Market hose connection.
Research Class III—2-1/2-inch hose connection and a 1-1/2-inch hose station. They can be separate, or a 2-1/2-inch hose
Industry Links connection with a reducer to 1-1/2-inch hose. The hose is connected to the 1-1/2-inch outlet.
Showrooms
Classified Ads
Water Info
Library The number of outlets and location are derived from the building code.
Enlarge this picture
myPlumbing
Portal.com In a building with a Class I system, the 2006 International Building Code requires a hose outlet
PME Info in every stairway at each floor level on the intermediate landing, on roofs with a pitch less than
Special 4:12, covered malls and on both sides of a horizontal exit. Any portion of an unsprinklered
Collections building more than 150 feet, or more than 200 feet in a sprinklered building, requires additional
History of hose connections.
Plumbing
Radiant Heat Figure 1
In a building with a Class II system, all portions of the building have to be within 30 feet of a
Report
nozzle attached to 100 feet of hose. The requirement seems worded incorrectly, but just
remember, a hose can turn corners; streams do not.

In a building with a Class III system, both requirements have to be met.

When a building has a complete automatic fire sprinkler system installed, the total standpipe flow is compared to the total
sprinkler system flow. The larger of the two flows is used. The flows from both systems do not have to be combined.

The flows are based on the system classification (See Figure 1).

Let’s use a typical installation and determine the flow at each location (Figure 2). What is the
Enlarge this picture required flow in a five-story building with a Class I system, with a complete sprinkler system and
four exit stairs? All areas can be reached with a 200-foot hose line.

Standpipe #3—most remote

500 gpm
Combination riser
Figure 2 250 gpm
Standpipe #2
250 gpm
Standpipe #1
250 gpm
Total standpipe flow
1,250 gpm

The flow for the total flow is reduced to 1,000 gpm because the building is equipped with a complete sprinkler system.

The total flow for a Class III system would be the same 1,250 gpm reduced to 1,000 gpm. This assumes all areas of the
building can be reached with 100 feet of hose and a stream of 30 feet.

If the same building was more than 80,000 square feet, the flow from the combination riser would be 500 gpm. This increase

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Back to Basics: Standpipe Design - Cover Story - PM Engineer http://www.pmengineer.com/Articles/Cover_Story/eb3ee3eac5a1b010V...

is not because it is the combination riser (sprinkler and standpipe) but because it is more than 80,000 square feet.

Standpipe #3—most remote

500 gpm
Combination riser
500 gpm
Standpipe #2
250 gpm
Standpipe #1
250 gpm
Total standpipe flow
1,500 gpm

The flow from each riser would be calculated, but the total flow does not have to exceed 1,000 gpm because the building has
a complete sprinkler system.

A Class II system would have to have a flow of 100 gpm. Each standpipe would have to be able to supply 100 gpm, but the
common supply piping maximum is 100 gpm.

If the sprinkler system demand with the hose stream allowance per NFPA 13 exceeds the 100 gpm, the system has to be
designed to the larger flow.

A large single story building may require standpipes because of the distance from where the fire department accesses the
building. This would require a horizontal standpipe with a Class I or III system.

The horizontal standpipe system with three or more hose connections shall provide 750 gpm for the hydraulically most remote
horizontal standpipe (Figure 3).

The last possibility is a combination of vertical standpipes with a horizontal standpipe with three
Enlarge this picture or more outlets serving one of the floors. The flow requirements for the vertical standpipes would
have to be added to the 750 gpm for the horizontal standpipe.

The 500 gpm for the first standpipe with 250 gpm for each additional standpipe would have to
be added to the 750 gpm for the horizontal standpipe. The total standpipe flow for unsprinklered
buildings would be 1,250 gpm and 1,000 gpm for a fully sprinklered building.

Figure 3
For hydraulically calculated systems, the topmost outlet would be used. Class I and Class III
systems require a minimum residual pressure of 100 psi. It would be calculated at the
hydraulically most remote 2-1/2-inch outlet. The hydraulically most remote 1-1/2-inch outlet would be calculated at a residual
pressure of 65 psi.

The flows used for the hydraulic calculations are 250 gpm for the 2-1/2-inch outlets and 100 gpm for the 1-1/2-inch outlets.

The pipe sizes would be calculated with the flows and pressures shown in Figure 1. There are some minimum pipe sizes shown
in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Minimum size

Class I & III

4-inch
Combined systems
6-inch
Combined systems with sprinklers
4-inch
Branch lines
2-1/2-inch— hydraulically calculated

The pipe size for a pipe schedule system uses the flow indicated in Figure 1 and the total distance of piping from the farthest
outlet. These two factors are applied to Table 7.8.2.1 of NFPA 14, to determine the pipe size. The pipe size minimum indicated
would also be applied.

These flows and pressures for all three classes have to be maintained for a minimum of 30 minutes. This flow shall be supplied
through an approved water supply system and the fire department connection.

A fire department connection is required for standpipe systems. The fire department connection shall be capable of providing
the required flows.

A flow test of the system showing these flows shall be performed. The hydraulically most remote connections shall be used for
the flow test. Roof outlets shall be used to verify the flow and pressure. The maximum flow from a 2-1/2-inch hose connection
is 250 gpm and 100 gpm from a 1-1/2-inch hose connection.

The maximum system pressure is 350 psi. The maximum residual pressure at 1-1/2-inch hose connection is 100 psi. The

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After the flows are determined, the balance of the system can be designed. These requirements are outlined in the other
sections of NFPA 14.

Richard Piccolo
[email protected]
Richard Piccolo is president of B & F Technical Code Services, Inc., P.O. Box 957648, 2401 W. Hassell Rd., Hoffman Estates, IL
60195, (847) 490-1443, fax (847) 490-1476, www.bftechcs.com. He is a certified building official, certified fire official,
certified building inspector, certified plans examiner, certified instructor and County of Kankakee court-certified building code
expert. He began his career with the Elk Grove Village (IL) Fire Department and served with the municipality for 18 years. He
concurrently served as president of the Illinois Institutional Fire Training Corp. for 20 years. He can be reached by e-mail at
[email protected].

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