Sustainability in active fire suppression
Published: 02 April, 2009
David O’Riley, Business Development Manager with ProjectFire, writes about sustainability in fire suppression. Not only is it possible, he argues, but it can save time and money for all parties.
In today’s enlightened world, issues of sustainability and low carbon footprints are at the forefront of every Government’s thinking, so it is not surprising therefore that it is a primary consideration when a developer is planning a new project or undertaking a major refurbishment. Sadly however, the same consideration is not yet a factor when specifying the provision of a fire suppression system. The sustainability issues that relate to a fire suppression system, are very similar to those of any other system, and can be divided into three distinct areas.
* the manufacture of the system components
* those associated with supply, installation and commissioning of the completed system
• those that relate to its ongoing existence – maintenance.
• System components
•
Most fire suppression systems are water-based sprinkler systems, the design parameters of which have remained largely unchanged since they were first published. Whilst complying with the codes does provide a perfectly usable solution, it does not encourage optimum design – and yet it is optimum design that yields improvements in system sustainability.
The Code Standard bodies also determine that only “approved” components shall be used. Sadly the test houses responsible for undertaking the approvals process have no mandate to consider the issues of sustainability, with the result that there is no pressure applied to manufacturers to reduce the carbon footprint associated with a particular component, and no league table to enable a designer to choose components with lower carbon footprints. Notwithstanding these oversights a fire sprinkler system can still be designed with sustainability in mind.
Opting for an engineered solution enables a designer to evaluate each individual project, with the objective of tailoring a design to maximise performance whilst minimising the carbon footprint. Using lower discharge rates and increasing delivery pressure usually results in the downsizing of system components. Whilst other techniques can be used to reduce the component count, these measures not only reduce the overall carbon footprint of the installation, but frequently result in a lower cost solution. HydroTower is a prime example of what can be achieved, especially designed for high-rise and super high-rise buildings, it not only provides a more reliable solution; it also provides substantial savings in both carbon footprint and cost.
To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the installation process it is necessary to adopt an off-site construction approach. If undertaken properly it will show a reduction in the carbon footprint associated with the installation process, and also decrease the time taken.
Commissioning To correctly commission a fire sprinkler system takes time, effort and co-ordination, since it involves a number of different stakeholders such as the AHJ, the specifier the designer and specialist contractors. At some time or another all will need to be present during the process to participate or validate the results, but from a sustainability standpoint, this simply serves to increase the carbon footprint associated with this activity. By utilising the facilities offered by a fire sprinkler management system, combined with modern communications technology, it possible for most of the participants to carry out their responsibilities from their own offices, thus reducing that all-important carbon footprint. Adopting this approach also has the additional benefit of ensuring that several copies of the commissioning data exist in digital form, and are therefore less likely to be mislaid.
System maintenance In order for a fire sprinkler system to remain fit for purpose for the whole of its life, it must be adequately inspected, tested, and maintained. To establish a minimum standard to which these activities must be undertaken, the governing bodies provide a written code. Upon examination of these codes however it is obvious that they were written before sustainability had become such a big issue. To comply with the prescribed nature of these test regimes it is necessary to waste large quantities of fresh water, and energy at regular intervals throughout the year. Consequently the lifetime carbon footprint of a fire sprinkler system, maintained in accordance with the written code, is substantial, and its ongoing impact upon the environment detrimental.
The codes do however give credence to the use of new technology, so with careful thought, a sprinkler system can be designed using remote testing devices such as Zonecheck, that not only provide code compliant testing of flow-switches without discharging any water at all, but open the way for an automated approach to carrying out the tests. A similar technology is available for the testing of alarm valves too. These technologies are accredited by all major third-party international approval bodies, and furthermore, because they are considerable more energy efficient than the traditional method of undertaking these tests, a secondary saving in energy is also achieved, enhancing still further their sustainability credentials.
To maximise the effectiveness and efficiency with which a sprinkler system can be maintained fit for purpose is another challenge, not least because the building owner and/or their representative(s) has little or no knowledge about the subject, and therefore the contracts that are let are usually done so on price. What is needed is a management system that is able to support the building owner, whilst improving sustainability. One such system is Kodecheck. It is a multi-faceted management tool designed to significantly improve the effectiveness with which a fire sprinkler system can be managed. It comprises two distinct elements, a “life safety” compliant electronic data acquisition and control system, and an integrated management software suite. Together they enable the comprehensive management of a fire sprinkler system to be undertaken in an efficient compliant way, ensure that test results are validated, and that all activity is recorded, complete with a date and time stamp.
With its own asset management system and activity scheduler, Kodecheck encourages compliant routine inspection and test through the use of a “walkthrough” and through automation. The walkthrough can be tailored to suit a particular client’s requirements, but the system does contain defaults for EN12845 and NFPA25, the latter being licensed by the NFPA. To facilitate ease of data entry for inspections, the system incorporates a hand-held device (PDA) that also serves to guide user activity.
When undertaking many of the tests required by the codes, the system is able to automate or semi-automate these activities, ensuring that they are carried out in compliance, and are fully documented. Furthermore since it incorporates the ability to measure and monitor system parameters, the test data is frequently supplemented with additional information that can be used to create a proactive approach to the maintenance work. To further improve the efficiency with which the fire sprinkler system is managed, a programmable escalation procedure for responding to alerts and alarms is included. The procedure is based on the use of passwords, so ensuring that ownership of all alerts and alarms is achieved, thus providing an audit trail of responsibility. The system also has an ISO standard Bacnet communications interface, for linking to BMS systems.
To complete the picture, when any additions and modifications are needed to an installed fire sprinkler system they should be able to be undertaken without the need to drain down, or take any part of the system off-line. LiveTap is an approved, affordable, under-pressure drilling system that facilitates connection to an existing installation whilst under pressure, saving time and money for everyone. Sustainability in fire suppression is not difficult to achieve, especially for an engineered solution, it just needs to become habit forming.
