Anvil Fire Blog

* Note that the 2016 edition of NFPA 20 changed the 4-hour to 10-hours of continuous outage * When do you need backup power for an electric fire pump?  The simple answer is when the power is "reliable".  Of course the word reliable means a lot of different things to different people.  Interestingly, NFPA 20 did not define reliable power until the 2007.  Thankfully the committee did agree on the following language: NFPA 20-2010 A.9.3.2 A reliable power source possesses the following characteristics: (1) The source power plant has not experienced any shutdowns longer than 4 continuous hours in the year prior to plan submittal . NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, requires special undertakings (i.e., fire watches) when a water-based fire protection system is taken out of service for longer than 4 hours. If the normal source power plant has been intentionally shut down for longer than 4 hours in the past, it i

For a horizontal split-case fire pump the rotation is defined by looking at the drive side of the pump unit. This means that if you were sitting on the motor and looking at the pump, a right-hand (clockwise) rotation has suction on the right and a left-hand (counter-clockwise) has the suction on the left. Make sure that you verify your orientation when looking at the pump. LH Counter Clockwise    |     RH Clockwise Also don't forget there are no UL/FM listed "left hand rotation" diesel engines available on the market.

Guidance for the sizing diesel fuel tanks is quite straight forward due to the prescriptive requirements of the code.  Just take your engine HP x 1.10 and the result in gallons is the minimum required diesel fuel storage tank size.  The exact code reference from NFPA 20 (2010 edition) is provided below: 11.4.2* Fuel Supply Tank and Capacity. 11.4.2.1* Fuel supply tank(s) shall have a capacity at least equal to 1 gal per hp (5.07 L per kW), plus 5 percent volume for expansion and 5 percent volume for sump. A.11.4.2 The quantity 1 gal per hp (5.07 L per kW) is equivalent to 1 pint per hp (0.634 L per kW) per hour for 8 hours. Where prompt replenishment of fuel supply is unlikely, a reserve supply should be provided along with facilities for transfer to the main tanks. How the committee arrived at these simplified guidelines is as follows.  First, lets look at the conditions for when we expect the fire pump to run: Quarterly Refilling of the Fuel Tank (approx 12-weeks) A weekly t

Continued from Part 1 of seismic design for fire sprinkler systems. After you have determined if you need seismic bracing, how do you determine the amount of Horizontal Seismic Force or Fp to apply?  ( Hint - You can just go to our  Seismic Calculator App  and have much of the look up work done for you. ) STEP ONE - APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND CODES Assuming that you are working in a jurisdiction that has adopted the International Building Code (IBC), you would start with section 1613.1 which states: 1613.1 Scope. Every structure, and portion thereof, including nonstructural components that are permanently attached to structures and their supports and attachments , shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of earthquake motions in accordance with ASCE 7, excluding Chapter 14 and Appendix l1A.  T he seismic design category for a structure is permitted to be determined in accordance with Section 1613  or ASCE 7.  Furthermore the International Mechanical Code (IMC) sect

There is a site similar to USGS' for earthquake data in Canada available at: http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/hazard-alea/interpolat/index-eng.php Let us know if you are interested in having Anvil Fire update our Seismic Force Calculator App to include this information.

DesignMaps Application and 2008 Design Data USGS has released an updated DesignMaps application which is a great application.  However, before you start applying it to 2009 International Building Code please make sure to read their FAQ page which states: This application should currently only be used to investigate which design values will likely be mandated in the future. This recommendation by USGS is based on the hierarchy of the codes and standards, which is as follows: 2003 IBC 2006 IBC 2009 IBC 2012 IBC ASCE7-02 ASCE7-05 ASCE7-05 ASCE7-10 USGS 2002 USGS 2002 USGS 2002 USGS 2008 The  DesignMaps application  utilizes information from the 2008 USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps information.   For 2008 the hazard values in the Central and Eastern U.S. have been reduced by 10-25% in many cases, and most 1-second period ground motion values for the Western U.S. have also been reduced, in some cases by as much as 30%. Example differences between 20

So that our clients outside of the continental United States don't feel left out, we have expanded our seismic ground motion data to include: Hawaii Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands This data is from the USGS and is applicable for designs applying ASCE 7-05 as referenced by the 2006 and 2009 editions of IBC.  Visit our on-line fire sprinkler seismic calculation app and try it out for these locations.