Fire Protection Fundamentals

Index
1: Introduction.
2: Design of fire Protection system.
3: Stand Pipe Design.
4: Hydraulic calculations on Elite.
5: Fire Pump selection.
6: Portable Fire Extinguisher.
7: CO2 System Design.
8: FM 200 System Design.
9: Foam System Design.
1-Introduction

Fire has three main elements:-

1- Oxygen.
2- Combustible material (Fuel).
3- Heat (required temperature for ignition of material).
Example: if you open a match in a cold store area the fire will disappear due
to the lack of heat.

Fire Fighting depends on reducing:

1- Oxygen concentration to amount where fire is extinguished (CO2 &
FM-200).
2- Reduced Heat to where fire is extinguished (water system).
 ‫مكُواث وظاو األطفاء بانزشاشاث ‪:‬‬
‫انزشاشاث‬
‫انمُاسٍز‬
‫انكىتزَل سََن َ ًٌ مكُوت مه محبس بُابت َ ػهًٍ‬
‫‪ Tamper switch‬حتى ال ٌقفم اي احذ انمحبس دَن اػطاء اشارة‬
‫‪Flow switch‬‬
‫ٌستحذو نالحساس بانماء َ ٌؼطً اشارة نهُحت اوذار انحزٌق‬
‫َ محبس تفزٌغ نهمٍاي َ تجزبت نهشبكت‬
‫‪Test and drain‬‬
‫ارجغ نهبزسىتاشٍه نهصُر‬
 1- Hazard 2-furnish
Classification sprinkler and
adjust spacing

5- Pump sizing 3- Pipe layout &

using Hydraulic sizing using
calc or manual pipe schedule

4- Put FE and
FHC
 Design of fire Protection system
1- Hazards classification
Each occupancy has a Specific hazard classification in NFPA 13 and based
on the classification of hazard deign area is determined and also the
sprinkler spacing and coverage area.

Classification of Hazards

Hazards
classification

Light Ordinary Extra

Hazard
Hazard Hazard

Group 1 Group 2 Group 1 Group 2

 1- Light Hazard Occupancies.
Light hazard occupancies shall be defined as occupancies or portions of
other occupancies where the quantity and/or combustibility of contents is
low and fires with relatively low rates of heat release are expected.

Light hazard occupancies include occupancies having uses and conditions

similar to the following:
Animal shelters
Churches
Clubs
Educational
Hospitals, including animal hospitals and veterinary facilities
Institutional
Kennels (‫)تيوت الكالب‬
Libraries, except large stack rooms
Museums
Nursing or convalescent homes (‫)مىازل وقاهة‬
Offices, including data processing
Residential
Restaurant seating areas
Theaters and auditoriums )‫(القاعات‬, excluding stages and prosceniums
Unused attics (‫)سىدرات‬

2- Ordinary Hazard Occupancies.

2.1 Ordinary hazard (Group 1) occupancies shall be defined as occupancies
or portions of other occupancies where combustibility is low, quantity of
combustibles is moderate, stockpiles of combustibles do not exceed 8 ft (2.4
m), and fires with moderate rates of heat release are expected.

Ordinary hazard occupancies (Group 1) include occupancies having uses and

conditions similar to the following:
Automobile parking and showrooms
Bakeries Laundries
Beverage manufacturing
Canneries (‫)مصاوع التعلية‬
Dairy products manufacturing and processing (‫)مىتجات األلثان‬
Electronic plants Restaurant service areas
Glass and glass products manufacturing

2.2 Ordinary hazard (Group 2) occupancies shall be defined as occupancies

or portions of other occupancies where the quantity and combustibility of
contents are moderate to high, where stockpiles of contents with moderate
rates of heat release do not exceed 12 ft (3.66 m) and stockpiles of contents
with high rates of heat release do not exceed 8 ft (2.4 m).

Note: Dedicated and miscellaneous storage shall be protected in accordance

with Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 as applicable in NFPA 13.

Ordinary hazard occupancies (Group 2) include occupancies having uses and

conditions similar to the following:
Agricultural facilities Barns and stables
Cereal mills Chemical plants — ordinary
Confectionery products Distilleries
Dry cleaner Exterior loading docks
Feed mills Horse stables
Leather goods manufacturing Libraries — large stack room
Machine shops Metal working
Mercantile Paper and pulp mills
Paper process plants Piers and wharves

Plastics fabrication, including blow molding, extruding, and machining;

excluding operations using combustible hydraulic fluids
Post offices Printing and publishing
Racetrack stable/kennel areas, including those stable/ kennel areas, barns,
and associated buildings at state, county, and local fairgrounds
Repair garages Resin application area
Stages
Textile manufacturing Tire manufacturing
Tobacco products manufacturing
Wood machining Wood product assembly
 3-Extra Hazard Occupancies
3.1 Extra Hazard (Group 1). Extra hazard (Group 1) occupancies shall be
defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies where the quantity
and combustibility of contents are very high and dust, lint, or other materials
are present, introducing the probability of rapidly developing fires with high
rates of heat release but with little or no combustible or flammable liquids.

Extra hazard occupancies (Group 1) include occupancies having uses and

conditions similar to the following:
Aircraft hangars (except as governed by NFPA 409, Standard on Aircraft
Hangars)
Combustible hydraulic fluid use areas
Die casting
Metal extruding
Plywood and particleboard manufacturing
Printing [using inks having flash points below 100°F (38°C)]
Rubber reclaiming, compounding, drying, milling, vulcanizing
Saw mills (‫)المطاحه‬
Textile picking, opening, blending, garneting, or carding, combining of
cotton, synthetics, wool shoddy, or burlap
Upholstering with plastic foams

3.2 Extra Hazard (Group 2). Extra hazard (Group 2) occupancies shall be
defined as occupancies or portions of other occupancies with moderate to
substantial amounts of flammable or combustible liquids or occupancies
where shielding of combustibles is extensive.

Asphalt saturating
Flammable liquids spraying
Flow coating )‫(طالء المعادن‬
Manufactured home or modular building assemblies (where finished
enclosure is present and has combustible interiors)
Open oil quenching
Plastics manufacturing
Solvent cleaning
Varnish and paint dipping

2-2 Design Area

After we selected hazard class we determine Design area
We select a design area (most remote Area) to make hydraulic calculation
on this area

Determining Design Area

For Light and Ordinary Hazard areas Design Area shall be 1500 ft2
(139 m2).
For extra hazard areas Design Area shall be 2500 ft2 (232 m2).

Determining Zones:
8.2.1 The maximum floor area on any one floor to be protected
by sprinklers supplied by any one sprinkler system riser
or combined system riser shall be as follows:
(1) Light hazard — 52,000 ft2 (4831 m2)
(2) Ordinary hazard — 52,000 ft2 (4831 m2)
(3) Extra hazard
(a) Pipe schedule — 25,000 ft2 (2323 m2)
(b) Hydraulically calculated — 40,000 ft2 (3716 m2)
(4) Storage—High-piled storage (as defined in 3.9.1.17) and storage
covered by other NFPA standards — 40,000 ft2 (3716 m2)
Determining Density / Area Curve
Used to get water supply for sprinkler / m2 Area according to hazard

Sizing system will be with 2 methods :

1-pipe schedule method.
2-hydrulic calculation method.
Pipe schedule method Sizing:
Branch size supply how many sprinklers:
2-hydrulic calculation using Elite software:-
Check Elite software Presentation for more info.

Sprinkler coverage area and spacing according to Hazard

1-Light Hazard:

2-Ordinary Hazard:

3-Extra Hazard:
4-Side wall sprinkler:

Maximum Distance from Walls.

8.5.3.2.1 The distance from sprinklers to walls shall not exceed one-half of
the allowable maximum distance between sprinklers.
8.5.3.2.2 The distance from the wall to the sprinkler shall be measured
perpendicular to the wall.

Add tank reqirements

Hose stream allowance

Stand Pipe Design.

Standpipe: The riser portion of the system piping that delivers the water
supply for hose connections, and sprinklers on combined systems,
vertically from floor to floor.

Classes of Standpipe Systems:

1- Class I Systems.

A Class I standpipe system shall provide 2 1/2-in. (63.5-mm) hose connections to

supply water for use by fire departments and those trained in handling heavy fire
streams.
2- Class II Systems.

A Class II standpipe system shall provide 11/2-in. (38.1-mm) hose stations to

supply water for use primarily by the building occupants or by the fire
department during initial response.

Exception: A minimum 1-in. (25.4-mm) hose shall be permitted to be used for

hose stations in light hazard occupancies where investigated and listed for this
service and where approved by the authority having jurisdiction.

3- Class III Systems.

A Class III standpipe system shall provide 11/2-in. (38.1-mm) hose stations to
supply water for use by building occupants and 21/2-in. (63.5-mm) hose
connections to supply a larger volume of water for use by fire departments and
those trained in handling heavy fire streams.

Exception No. 1: A minimum 1-in. (25.4-mm) hose shall be permitted to be used

for hose stations in light hazard occupancies where investigated and listed for
this service and where approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
System accessories:
1- Fire Department Connection(Seamess Connection)
2- Fire Hydrant
3- PRV
4- Alarm check valve
Step 6:Fire Pump selection.
Fire pump have 3 factors ( Head , Flow , Speed)

Use above table to select flow fire pump must operate from
Selection that pump operates on arrange of 90%-150% of rated flow.
A pump should achieve 100% rated Pressure at 100% rated Flow
A pump should achieve 65% rated Pressure at 150% rated Flow
A pump should achieve 140% rated Pressure(shut off head) at 0% rated
Flow
Concerning head of pump
Total head = Static head and dynamic and residual pressure
Static head= elevation
Dynamic head= friction losses to get it we use

Residual pressure = hose stream minimum pressure for 2.5”=100 Psi

And for 1.5”= 65 Psi
Check pump room arrangement in next page
Type of fire pump (centrifugal split case , Inline, End suction)
Step 6: Portable Fire Extinguisher.
Definitions:
Portable Fire Extinguisher: A portable device, carried or on wheels and
operated by hand, containing an extinguishing agent that can be expelled ‫طزد‬
under pressure for the purpose of suppressing or extinguishing fire.
Travel Distance: The actual walking distance from any point to the nearest fire
extinguisher fulfilling hazard requirements.

Portable fire extinguishers are intended as a first line of defense to cope( ‫انخط‬
‫ )نمُاجٍت األَل نهذفاع‬with fires of limited size.

The selection and installation of extinguishers is independent of whether the

building is equipped with automatic sprinklers, standpipe and hose, or other fixed
protection equipment.

Selection of Fire Extinguisher chapter 5 in NFPA 10,2010:

Selection of Portable Fire Extinguishers

Classifications of Fires

Extinguisher Classification System

Classification of Hazards

Selection for Specific Hazards

Selection for Specific Locations

1-Classifications for Fires:
5.2.1 Class A Fires. Class A fires are fires in ordinary combustible materials,
such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and many plastics.

5.2.2 Class B Fires. Class B fires are fires in flammable liquids, combustible
liquids, petroleum greases, tars, oils, oil-based paints, solvents ‫ مذٌباث‬, lacquers
ًٍ‫الك‬, alcohols, and flammable gases.

5.2.3 Class C Fires. Class C fires are fires that involve energized electrical
equipment.

5.2.4 Class D Fires. Class D fires are fires in combustible metals, such as
magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, lithium, and potassium.

5.2.5 Class K Fires. Class K fires are fires in cooking appliances that involve
combustible cooking media (vegetable or animal oils and fats).

2-Classifications for extinguishers:

Fire extinguishers classified for use on Class A or Class B hazards shall be
required to have a rating number preceding the classification letter that indicates
the relative extinguishing effectiveness.
Example: 30A means protects 3m2 mainly when the number goes up the
effectiveness goes up.

3-Classification of Hazards:
5.4.1 Classifying Occupancy Hazard. Rooms or areas shall be classified
as being light (low) hazard, ordinary (moderate) hazard, or extra (high) hazard.
5.4.1.1* Light (Low) Hazards. Light (low) hazard occupancies shall be
classified as locations where the quantity and combustibility of Class A
combustibles and Class B flammables are low and fires with relatively low rates
of heat release are expected.
These occupancies consist of fire hazards having normally expected quantities of
Class A combustible furnishings, and/or the total quantity of Class B flammables
typically expected to be present is less than 1 gal (3.8 L) in any room or area.
Examples: offices, classrooms, churches, assembly halls, guest room
areas of hotels or motels, and so forth

5.4.1.2* Ordinary (Moderate) Hazards. Ordinary (moderate) hazard

occupancies shall be classified as locations where the quantity and combustibility
of Class A combustible materials and Class B flammables are moderate and fires
with moderate rates of heat release are expected. These occupancies consist of
fire hazards that only occasionally contain Class A combustible materials beyond
normal anticipated furnishings, and/or the total quantity of Class B flammables
typically expected to be present is from 1 gal to 5 gal (3.8 L to 18.9 L) in any
room or area.
Example:Dining areas, mercantile shops and allied storage, light
manufacturing, research operations, auto showrooms, parking
garages, workshop or support service areas of light (low) hazard
occupancies, and warehouses

5.4.1.3* Extra (High) Hazards. Extra (high) hazard occupancies shall be

classified as locations where the quantity and combustibility of Class A
combustible material are high or where high amounts of Class B flammables are
present and rapidly developing fires with high rates of heat release are expected.
These occupancies consist of fire hazards involved with the storage, packaging,
handling, or manufacture of Class A combustibles, and/or the total quantity of
Class B flammables expected to be present is more than 5 gal (18.9 L) in any
room or area.

Example: woodworking; vehicle repair; aircraft and boat servicing;

cooking areas; individual product display showrooms; product
convention center displays; and storage and manufacturing processes
such as painting, dipping, and coating, including flammable liquid
handling

4-Selection for Specific Hazards:

Like Extinguishers for Pressurized Flammable Liquids and Pressurized Gas Fires. ,
Three-Dimensional Fires (A three-dimensional Class B fire involves Class B
materials in motion, such as pouring, running, or dripping flammable liquids) ,
Class K Cooking Media Fires, Electronic Equipment Fires & Areas Containing
Oxidizers.

5-Selection for Specific Locations:

(1) NFPA 30A, Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
(2) NFPA 32, Standard for Dry cleaning Plants
(3) NFPA 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code
(4) NFPA 86, Standard for Ovens and Furnaces and others more
Installations for Portable Fire Extinguisher
 Installations for Class C Hazards:
Class C ratings shall be required where energized electrical equipment can be
encountered.

Installations for Class D Hazards

shall be provided for fires involving combustible metals.
Fire extinguishers or extinguishing agents (media) shall be located not more than
75 ft (22.9 m) of travel distance from the Class D hazard

Installations for Class K Hazards

Shall be provided for hazards where there is a potential for fires involving
combustible cooking media (vegetable or animal oils and fats).
Maximum travel distance shall not exceed 30 ft (9.15 m) from the hazard to the
extinguishers.
Step 7: CO2 System Design.
Co2 extinguish fire by reducing O2 conc. So that fire stops.
What is the difference between deep seated fires and surface fires?
A surface fire usually involves flammable liquids, gases or solids which are
unlikely to become deep-seated.
A concentration of 34% is usually used in such applications.
A deep-seated fire usually involves solids which are subject to smoldering and
likely to produce glowing embers.
Concentrations from 50% up to 75% are typical

1-5.2 Carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing systems are useful within the limits of
this standard in
extinguishing fires involving specific hazards or equipment in the following
occupancies:
(1) Where an inert electrically nonconductive medium is essential or desirable
(2) Where cleanup of other media presents a problem
(3) Where they are more economical to install than systems using other media
1-5.2.3*
Carbon dioxide will not extinguish fires where the following materials are actively
involved
in the combustion process:
(1) Chemicals containing their own oxygen supply, such as cellulose nitrate
(2) Reactive metals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, titanium, and
zirconium
(3) Metal hydrides

Design steps:
Classify if fire is deep seated or surface fires
Calculate the total volume of the hazard being protected.
Determine flooding factor, minimum amount of CO2 required=Flooding factor x
Volume

Deep seated fire Flooding factor cahrt

 Surface fire Flooding factor cahrt

Determine Discharge Duration and Flow rate For Deep-Seated fires(electrical

Rooms ability for reigniting) or surface fire,

For deep seated

The design concentration shall be achieved within seven minutes, but at a flow
rate that will provide a concentration of 30% within two (2) minutes.
Multiply volume in 0.688 then divide on 2 (for 2 minutes) to get max flow rate .

For surface fire time shall be one minute

Each cylinder is 45 kg calculate number of cylinders

Flow = (45 kg of co2x no. of cylinders)/discharge time =…… kg /min

For pipe sizing use table below:

Nozzle coverage minimum 6x6 and can be higher depending on supplier.

Sequence of operation:
1- alarm is triggered by detector from 1 or 2 zones
2- fire control panel give min 30 sec – 1 min before gas discharge
3- control panel sends signal to pilot cylinder filled with nitrogen
4- pilot give signal to co2 cylinder actuation valve so gas is discharged into
pipe system to extinguish the fire
We use NFPA 12 for Co2 systems
FM-200 System
FM-200 : HFC-227ea Heptafluoropropane CF3CHFCF3 (chemical name)
Used with electrical rooms were human is the room like IT room and data
centers and in some countries they use FM200 instead of Co2 systems.

Table 1-6.1.2.1(c) Time for Safe Human Exposure at Stated Concentrations for HFC-227ea

HFC-227ea Concentration
% v/v ppm Human Exposure Time (minutes)
9.0 90 5.00
9.5 95 5.00
10.0 100 5.00
10.5 105 5.00
11.0 110 1.13
11.5 115 0.60
12.0 120 0.49

Calculate the total volume of the hazard being protected.

Determine flooding factor
Design concentration for Class A fire :7%
For Class B concentration:9%

W=agent weight in Kg
V=Hazard Volume m3
C=FM200 volumetric concentration in air ,per cent by volume
S= specific volume of super heated FM200 vapor in m3/kg

t=Design Temperature
K1= 0.11712
K2= 0.00047
t=25
then S= 0.12887

we take concentration to 7%

Flow of FM200 = agent weight / discharge time = …kg /sec

For pipe sizing use this table taken from Tyco:

Minimum
Pipe Size mm flow Maximum flow
rate kg/s
(in) (lb/s) rate kg/sec.(lb/s)
10 (3/8) 0.272 (0.60) 0.907 (2.00)
15(½ ) 0.454 (1.00) 1.361 (3.00)
20 (¾) 0.907 (2.00) 2.495 (5.50)
25 (1) 1.588 (3.50) 3.855 (8.50)
32 (1 ¼) 2.722 (6.00) 5.67 (12.50)
40 (1 ½) 4.082 (9.00) 9.072 (20.00)
50 (2) 6.35 (14.00) 13.61 (30.00)
65 (2 ½) 9.072 (20.00) 24.95 (55.00)
80 (3) 13.61 (30.00) 44.92 (99.00)
100 (4) 24.95 (55.00) 56.7 (125.00)
125 (5) 40.82 (90.00) 90.72 (200.00)
150 (6) 54.43 (120.00) 136.1 (300.00)

Nozzle coverage is 8.7m min and may be more for other suppliers

We use NFPA 2001 for Clean agents

Step 9: Foam system design
Foam depends on making a blanket of foam on fire to cool it and separate it
from air until it is extinguished
Effective with hazard containing flammable liquid like fuel rooms
Foam solution consists of foam Constraint and water
Foam is 3 or 6 % of solution volume
Constraint

Min design density is 6.5 l/min.m2

We calculate flammable Area of hazard
Min protection time is 1o min according to NFPA 11
Foam solution needed= 6.5 x 10 x Area=… liter
To get foam Constraint = Foam solution x 0.03= liter

For pipe sizing we use water pipe sizing charts.