IFP Issue 08

The Global Voice for Passive & Active Fire Protection Systems

An MDM PUBLICATIONIssue 8 – November 2001

IFP

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Offshore Oil Rig FireProtection


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Minimum code specifications require at least a sprinkler system to protect the building.

But what about the business? What about the computer equipment? The sensitive electronics? The irreplaceable data? All can bedamaged by water, which can lead to significant downtime or worse. In many cases, the worst thing that can happen is for thewater sprinkler system to work perfectly.

That’s why you should consider an FM-200® fire suppression system. The FM-200 fire suppression agent doesn’t leave behind any oilyresidues, particulates, water, or corrosive materials-so it won’t cause collateral damage to the invaluable things businesses need to stay in business.

Find out more about FM-200 fire suppression systems today. It’s the best way to protect your customers’ businesses. And your reputation.

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Enquiry Card No. 1

Enquiries: www.fm-200.com

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INTERNATIONAL FIRE PROTECTIONwww.ifpmag.com

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Front cover picture: Copyright © 2001 Factory MutualInsurance Company. Reprinted withpermission. All rights reserved

PublishersDavid Staddon & Mark Seton

Editorial ContributorsGary Piermattei, Graham Small, PhilBayliss, Peter Battrick, Chris Miles, MitchLebovic, Sir George Pigot, Ron Smith

General ManagerMaggie Evans

IFP is published quarterly by:MDM Publishing Ltd 18a, St James Street, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5BWUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0) 1460 249199Fax: +44 (0) 1460 249292 e-mail: [email protected]: www.ifpmag.com

©All rights reserved

Periodical Postage paid at Charnplain NewYork and additional officesPOSTMASTER: Send address changes toIMS of New York, P 0 Box 1518Champlain NY 12919-1518USAUSPS No. (To be confirmed)

Annual SubscriptionUK & Europe - £25.00Overseas - £30.00 or US$55.00lSSN - 1468-3873

DISCLAIMER:The views and opinions expressed in INTERNATIONALFIRE PROTECTION are not necessarily those of MDMPublishing Ltd. The magazine and publishers are in no wayresponsible or legally liable for any errors or anomaliesmade within the editorial by our authors. All articles areprotected by copyright and written permission must besought from the publishers for reprinting or any form ofduplication of any of the magazines content. Any queriesshould be addressed in writing to the publishers.

Reprints of articles are available on request. Prices onapplication to the Publishers.

Page design by Dorchester Typesetting Group LtdPrinted by The Friary Press Ltd

Offshore Oil Rig Fire Protection ... 3-8

Fire Safety Cables ................... 11-14

Fire Rated and Smoke Outlet Ductwork ..................................17-20

Foam & Foam Systems ForProtecting Storage Tanks........ 23-27

FSSA News ................................... 29

Are Combustible Plastics Lurking In The Construction Of Your Facility? .......................31-34

Company Profile – Nelson Firestop Products.................... 36-37

The RSA Forum............................. 38

The Development Of Residential Fire Sprinklers ...... 43-47

Detectors Raise The Alarm For Special Hazards ................ 49-52

Product Profile – Wirsbo/HomesafeFire Protection System ................. 55

CE Marking For Building Hardware ................................. 56-58

Fire-Resistant Glazing For Building Facades..................... 60-62

Standards For Special HazardsSuppression Systems ............. 64-66

Product Profile – DuPont FE-36™ ......................................... 68

Product Update ....................... 69-70

Spectrex................................... 71-78

Advertisers’ Index ........................ 80

See pages 3-8

COMMENT . . .HERE WE ARE AT Issue 8, the November 2001 edition of IFP. All our staff at MDM Publishing Ltdwould like to express our extreme sorrow and sadness at the events, which took place in the USA onSeptember 11th. An event that none of us will forget and one we pray we will never have to witnessagain. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their family and friends at this time.

This issue marks the completion of our second year publishing the magazine. A magazine thatwe’re sure you will agree, has developed and grown since the first issue was published back inFebruary 2000. We still aim to improve every issue, and would like to encourage your comments,praises and criticisms, either by letter or e-mail: [email protected].

The main feature article of this issue is OFFSHORE OIL RIG FIRE PROTECTION and is authored byGary Piermattei of RJA. A quality article of great interest to many of you. We also feature, FireSafety Cables, Fire Rated Ductwork, Foam Systems For Protecting Storage Tanks, Residential Sprin-klers, Standards For Special Hazard Suppression Systems and much, much more. . . .

NEW LAUNCH We are also proud to announce our new launch for March 2002. ASIA PACIFIC FIRE Magazine(APF) covers all aspects of the fire industry, both fixed and mobile, but has a dedicated circulationin just the Asia Pacific Fire Market. For more information on advertising or subscribing, pleaselogon to our website www.apfmag.com or e-mail Mark Seton at: [email protected].

We hope you enjoy this issue and although it may seem a little early, we would like to wish youa Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Until next time . . .Kind regards

David Staddon & Mark SetonCo-Publishers


An MDM PUBLICATION

Issue 8 – November 2001

IFP

ON-LI

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www.ifpm

ag.co

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November 2001 Issue 8

See pages 17-20

See pages 60-62

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GOALS

As with any system design it is vitallyimportant to review the overall goals.Typical land based property and marinebased facilities lacking oil related prod-

ucts have different challenges andgoals. Most fire protection systemsdealing with relatively low heat releasehazards have the goal of detecting thefire and controlling or extinguishingthe fire prior to the arrival of trained

firefighters. Oil rig fire protection off-shore deals with a set of conditionssimilar to refinery-based protection,but with some additional complica-tions: An uncontrolled hydrocarbonrelease may overwhelm any suppressionsystem, firefighting efforts must beperformed by onsite personnel, andevacuating the facility has entirely dif-ferent risks and consequences thanwith a land-based operation. The highheat release rate fires make the firstreasonable goal to be one of limitingthe amount of fuel available to burn.Once the appropriate valves are closedand vessels isolated then the fire sup-pression systems must protect thevalves, vessels and critical structureswhile the remaining residual fuel isconsumed. These different goals makeit appropriate to place a differentemphasis than is found in many otherfire protection applications. Offshore oilrig fire protection by necessity has toplace more emphasis on avoiding thefire in the first place and in providingbetter training to responding personnel.

REGULATIONS

The regulatory process for offshorefacilities is very different from that forland based facilities. Many prescriptivefeatures are provided to meet classifica-tion society requirements (insuranceand finance concerns) and to complywith governmental regulations. Thereare a number of possible enforcingagencies: the classification society, the


3

Pic: Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc.

BY GARY PIERMATTEI, P.E.

Pushing The Limits DEMAND FOR NEW RESERVES is increasing and oil exploration has beenpushing the limits, finding oil in even deeper water every year. Protecting off-shore oil rigs from fire requires an equally progressive development of systemsto meet the challenge. From the onset, the offshore oil industry expanded onexisting marine fire protection technology to meet its needs. This article looks atoffshore oil platforms and mobile offshore drilling units (referred to genericallyas “oil rigs”) and the many different fire protection systems used in their pro-tection. These systems must endure a hostile environment, be easy to maintain,address rapidly developing fires with high heat release rates, have a highdegree of reliability and meet the approval of a number of regulatory authori-ties. To meet this challenge, new products and designs have been used to pushthe limits of performance of some standard fire protection systems. Listedbelow is a brief description of the systems and how they have been adapted.Some of these improvements may be useful for application in other fields.

OFFSHORE OIL RIG FIREPROTECTION


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coastal administration of the govern-ment to whom the lease belongs, and ifit is a vessel, the government underwhose flag the vessel is registered.

PASSIVE PROTECTION

Passive fire protection is used on the oilrig to provide protection for essentialequipment, maintain structural integri-ty, and assist with refuge and escapeefforts. Bulkhead and deck structuresare provided with “fireproofing” to helpmaintain the adequacy of fire bound-aries. While some of this fireproofinginvolves the use of standard rock woolfound on marine structures, there havebeen a number of intumescent prod-ucts and specialty coatings that arewell suited to the marine oil rig envi-ronment. These coatings are typicallyapplied to steel bulkheads and decks,are moisture and oil resistant and canbe appropriate for an offshore corrosiveenvironment.

Boundaries that need to be protected

include: control rooms, accommodations(living quarters), machinery rooms,process areas, and exit ways. Penetra-tions of these bulkheads with pipingand ventilation ducts need to be properlyprotected in a manner similar to landbased operations. Rated bulkheads areoften constructed around the wellheador other hazardous areas to provide pro-tection for escape routes. Frequently, thehelideck and the associated hazards arelocated above the accommodationsrequiring a rated separation.

FIRE MAINS AND FIRE PUMPS

The fire main system must provide areliable water supply throughout thefacility. For oil processing areas, water

is typically used as a means to protectthe control equipment, structure, andpassive barriers more than as a meansof suppressing fires. To this end, it isnecessary to have a degree of redun-dancy built in to the system design.Two independent fire pumps, locatedin separate spaces with independentsources of power are generally acceptedin the industry to meet the requirementof providing a reliable water supply.While fire pumps can be either electricor diesel driven, if both are electric, atleast one must be supplied with emer-gency power. Care should be taken toassure that conductors are routed sothat no single event would endangerpower for both pumps.

When the fire main is supplied withseawater it is necessary to addresscorrosion and fouling concerns usingspecial piping materials and treatmentsystems. Options include upgrading thepump materials to nickel aluminumbronze and the piping to copper nickelor fiberglass. While initially expensive,the increased reliability and reducedoperating costs pay off over the longrun. Routing of the fire mains is care-fully planned to avoid hazardous areasthat might be subject to explosion,thereby, putting the main at risk. Anexample of this is seen in Figure 1where deluge mains are located belowdeck girders to afford additional pro-tection from above deck fire hazards.

In an effort to protect the integrityof the fire main, some in the industryprohibit its connection to any other


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Figure 2. Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc.




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system. Others allow the limited use ofthe fire main for wash down purposes asa means to encourage its maintenance.While there may be different approaches,the goal is the same: a reliable sourceof water. The fire main is also providedwith an international shore connection,a common marine practice. This is astandardized connection through whicha vessel can supplement another vesselor platform’s water supply. This shoreconnection is not unlike a fire depart-ment connection that we see on landfacilities.

DELUGE SYSTEMS

Deluge systems are often used to pro-tect production, off loading, drilling,and wellhead areas. Wellhead area sys-tems often involve overhead spraynozzles along with direct applicationlocalized dedicated nozzles for eachwellhead. An example of such anarrangement is shown in Figure 2.Foam capabilities are often added inareas where liquid pool fires mightoccur. Deluge systems are most appro-priate where fast-developing firesmight occur. These systems utilize open

spray nozzles supplied by a piping sys-tem that is supplied with seawaterthrough a normally closed deluge valve.Upon alarm the deluge valve is openedand water is supplied to the spraynozzles over the hazard. Seawater sys-tems are typically required as freshwater availability is limited and highwater flow rates are needed for highchallenge hazards. Corrosion presents aserious concern as the piping is open tothe atmosphere and, at times, filledwith seawater. This is a particularly cor-rosive application with typical resultsusing steel piping systems clearlyshown in Figure 3. Some facilities optfor copper nickel piping and whereallowed, some operators utilize fiber-glass piping. To address fire exposureconcerns, especially during the early

stages when water is not yet flowing inthe pipe, fiberglass piping is providedwith an increased fire resistance.

MONITORS, SPRINKLERS & HOSE STATIONS

Monitors, sometimes referred to aswater cannons, are also used on facili-ties in the drilling or well test areas toprovide additional protection. Thesemonitors are more awkward to locatethan on land facilities due to thecongestion on offshore oil rigs. If used,sprinkler systems are fed by fresh waterfire pumps and protect the accommo-dation areas where slow growth firesare more likely. While fresh water stor-age is limited, it is usually adequate forthis relatively light hazard.


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Hose stations, supplied by the firemain, are located throughout the facilityso that all areas are reachable with alength of pre-connected hose. Someoperators utilize hose reels with a specialprovision for introducing Aqueous FilmForming Foam (AFFF). The foam con-centrate is stored in sealed bucketsadjacent to each hose reel. The bucketscan be pierced with an inductionnozzle device that is connected to thehose reel. In the event of a flammableliquid pool fire, the addition of foamcan increase the fire fighting effective-ness dramatically. Due to the size andrisk involved, the helideck area is oftenprotected with a large fixed AFFF sys-tem that employs large storage tanksand a number of well-placed monitorsat key locations on the helideckperimeter.

FIXED SUPPRESSION SYSTEMSAND EXTINGUISHERS

Enclosed oil rig spaces make good can-didates for water mist or gaseous extin-guishing systems due to their tightconstruction. Water mist systems follow-ing NFPA 750 are emerging as a pos-sible candidate for machinery enclosuresand electrical rooms. Typically, if protec-tion is provided, it is a fixed gaseoussystem utilizing one of the clean agentsfollowing NFPA 2001, “Clean Agent FireExtinguishing Systems.” While few, ifany, new halon systems are installed, anumber of facilities have existing halonsystems Fire extinguishers are providedthroughout the facility with the type ofextinguisher based on the hazard of thespace protected.

DETECTION AND ALARM

A vital element of the protection of oilrig facilities is the fire and gas detec-tion and alarm systems. These systemssound an alarm and, if appropriate, ini-tiate a response from the facility firebrigade or even initiate the facilityemergency shutdown (ESD) system. Thealarm information may be transmittedto land based facilities automatically orvia the radio operator, but the mainresponse is from on site staff. The mostcommonly referenced guidelines forautomatic detectors are from the Ameri-can Petroleum Institute, (API RP 14C, RP


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Enquiries: www.halotron-inc.com

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14G and RP 14F). Combustible gas detectors are typically setat 20% and 60% of the lower explosive limit and are locatedin areas subject to possible leaks and at fresh air inlets to non-classified areas. Protected areas include the wellhead, wellfloor, process equipment, degasser, shale shaker, and mud pro-cessing areas.

These are a vital element of the fire protection program asthey allow operators to shut off the fuel supply or take otherappropriate action before flammable conditions exist. Flamedetectors are often provided in process equipment areas. Somemanufacturers have developed detector housings that aremore water resistant and are better suited to the hostile andwet marine environment. The article “Flame Detectors” by Dr.Eliot Sizeland in Issue 1 of the International Fire ProtectionMagazine (See website www.ifpmag.com) provides a clear

insight into the latest trends, describing the advantages of themulti-spectrum infrared detectors. The alarm system may alsodetect toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, which may beproduced as part of the process (API RP55). Smoke detectorsare usually provided in control rooms, switchgear rooms andother enclosed areas where slow developing fires might occur.Manual fire alarm stations are provided throughout the facilityto allow for activating the general fire alarm signal, a signalthat is distinctive from any other emergency condition.

FIRE CONTROL PLAN

The above systems are clearly laid out on a fire control planthat is usually posted in a public area within the accommo-dations. This plan usually includes a layout of the entire facil-ity identifying: fire rated bulkheads and decks, detection andalarm equipment, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, exitpaths, fan controls and dampers.

SUMMARY

Oil rig fire protection follows regulations that are mostly pre-scriptive in nature and coordinate well with marine standardsand codes. Typically an authority having jurisdiction grantsapproval of the drawings and provides periodic audits of thefacility. It has long been recognized that while the frequencyfor fires is relatively low, the potential for large loss in humanand financial terms is quite high. There has been an increasingfocus on safety management techniques. There is a trend tointegrate the fire protection design and personnel training toform a more holistic approach to safety, addressing not onlythe technical requirements, but also organizational and humanperformance issues. Figure 4 shows one training facility wherea pool fire below a set of stairs is used to help train firefightersin extinguishing techniques. With any system it is not onlynecessary select the proper equipment, provide design appro-priate to the hazard, it is also important to ensure that theinstallation is tested and maintained and that operators areknowledgeable and trained as to its operation. Information onthese emerging approaches can be found in the “GuidanceNotes on Risk Assessment Applications for the Marine and Off-shore Oil and Gas Industries” published by the AmericanBureau of Shipping (ABS). As we continue to push the limits inour exploration for oil, it is appropriate that we keep expand-ing our capabilities in protecting against the hazards of fire.


88

Pic: Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc.

GARY PIERMATTEI, P.E. is a Senior ConsultingEngineer with the San Francisco Office of Rolf Jensen &Associates, Inc. He has worked on a variety of marinefacilities in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia andNew Zealand. These facilities include fire fighting vessels,mobile offshore drilling units and fixed production plat-forms. Mr. Piermattei holds a degree in Mechanical Engi-neering from the University of California, Berkeley and isa licensed fire protection engineer and mechanical engi-neer. He serves on two NFPA committees: “Water SprayFix Systems For Fire Protection,” (NFPA 15) and “Installa-tion Of Foam-Water Sprinkler and Foam-Water SpraySystems” (NFPA 16). To learn more about RJA, visit theirwebsite at www.rjagroup.com.

Enquiries: www.essexind.com

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1010Enquiries: www.daetwyler.net

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Cabling is a real mine field for jar-gon; not least of which in rela-tion to the properties of cables

in a fire. Users and specifiers should beaware of the correct terminology par-ticularly in specifying cables with lowsmoke emission, reduced fire propaga-tion and minimal toxicity. Some of themore popular terms include:

● Halogen-free● Flame and Fire Retardant● ‘Low Smoke, Zero Halogen’● ‘Low Smoke and Fume’● Fire Resistant

We should be aware of the charac-teristics that are important to us as auser of these cables (below):

Any cables used within public build-ings should, as a minimum require-ment, present no danger to the healthof people or integrity of propertythrough acid gas emissions during afire. They should also be self-extin-guishing, that is, not continue to burnonce the source of fire is removed andneither should it propagate fire intonew areas. Further, while burning – andof course everything will burn given theright conditions – the smoke producedshould not impede escape by obscuringemergency lighting and exit signs.

Most modern communications cablesand those used for emergency systems– such as fire alarm circuits, publicaddress, emergency lighting etc – are

available with LSOH-FR sheathing (i.e.Low Smoke, Zero Halogen and FlameRetardant). However, PVC continues tobe used because of lower pricing andgeneral ignorance of how PVC behavesin fire conditions. Internal cablingfavours PVC instead of polythenes andrubbers because unlike these othermaterials they will quickly extinguishthemselves once the source of fire isremoved or extinguished. Unfortu-nately, the halogens in PVC that exhibitthis property produce corrosive byprod-ucts such as hydrochloric acid that isfatal both to humans and sensitiveelectrical equipment as found in com-puters for example. Even quite smallfires can produce enough acidic fall-out to destroy electronic equipment inbuildings.


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Pic: Dätwyler (UK) Ltd.By GRAHAM SMALL, Sales Manager, Dätwyler (UK) Limited

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

FirFire Safety Aspectse Safety Aspects RequirRequired Characteristicsed CharacteristicsNo damage to health or property by acid or corrosive gases

Zero halogen,no corrosive gases

Self-extinction of flames when fire source is removed

No propagation of fire from one location to another

Sufficient visibility for evacuation of occupants and for firefighting

Flame retardance

Reduced fire propagation

Minimum smoke emission

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The table right shows the differencein light absorption between smoky PVCcable (blue curve) and DätwylerLSOH-FR cable (orange curve). After 5-7 min-utes opaque smoke from an LSOH-FRcable will cause a peak 15% deter-ioration in light transmission settling toaround 5% compared to a 90% deteri-oration over an extended period forPVC sheathed cable.

The majority of standard buildingcable used in the UK – even whereLSOH-FR types are installed – will losetheir functionality in a fire very quickly.That means that even if the cable posesno threat or hazard to people or build-ing systems they will cease to provide acircuit quite quickly. Therefore, emer-gency systems such as public address,lighting, heat and smoke extractionand special lifts for fire-fighters need tobe protected to ensure they will contin-ue to function for a period of timeduring a fire.

The fire resisting property of cable ismeasured in the UK by British StandardBS6387. This takes a 600mm length of

cable and subjects it to a flame of950°C for 3 hours while carrying 3amps of current. The specification alsoemulates fire conditions by subjectingthe burning sample to water spray andmechanical shock (categories C, W andZ respectively). A further specification –

BS7629 – combines this fire surviv-ability with low smoke and toxicityemission. Similar tests exist in Europe,such as IEC 60331 that concentrate onfire performance only.

Traditionally, fire-resisting cablessuch as MICC (mineral insulated, cop-per clad) have been used to providerobust links in fire protection systems.Often described as ‘fire survival’ cablesthey utilise mineral-based insulationand copper tube technology. Although

such cables are of a high quality androbust, they are more difficult to installthan alternatives.

Several years ago, a ‘soft skin’approach to fire-resistant cables wasintroduced. Such cables are more akinto those usually installed by electricalcontractors. They use thermoplasticmaterials and fire resisting tapes, ratherthan copper tube technology. Clearlythese cables offer a more flexibledesign and are easier to install. They donot require such highly skilled techni-cians to install them since the requiredinstallation techniques are little differ-ent from those employed on lightingcircuits.

Both solutions have their merits. Theconsultant or fire engineer has toweigh up the requirements of each spe-cific installation, balancing the need foreffective safety critical circuits (that willfacilitate evacuation and property pro-tection) against the available budget. Afurther issue relates to the way in


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Graphic: Dätwyler (UK) Ltd.

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

Graphic: Dätwyler (UK) Ltd.

PVC Cable NYY

Absorption of light (%)100

80

60

40

20Halogen free cable pyrofil (N)HXH E30

End

of fi

re

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Time (min)

Pic: Dätwyler (UK) Ltd.

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Risk Reductionin case your cables are not fire safety:

Flammadur®

cable-coating to protect against

– propagation of fire

– flame spread

– short-term circuit

For further information please contact:

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Warrington Fire Research isthe UK’s largest independenttesting, consultancy andresearch service aimed atfighting fire and its effects.

Whatever the nature or scale of fire safety or related problems, consultWarrington Fire Research.

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Brandschutztechnik

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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:27 am Page 13

which the standard tests the cable. Atpresent, only power transmission per-formance is assessed. This needs to beamended to address the data transmis-sion performance. This is all-importantfor modern addressable fire detectionand alarm systems.

However, current fire-related cablestandards deal only with the combus-tion of cables and not with the contin-ued functionality of the life andproperty protection systems they inter-connect. UK standards such as BS6387and BS7629 seek to ensure that cablesused in fire detection and alarm circuits(BS5839) and emergency lighting(BS5266) for example meet fire resis-tance, smoke and toxicity emission’sand propagation criteria. Even the ‘newbreed’ of composite ‘EN’ standards,such as EN50200, addresses theseissues from a component-based view-point. As these standards do not emu-late the thermal and dynamic stresseson cable and its supporting infrastruc-ture during fires the assumption thatthese cables can maintain circuitintegrity for extended periods in fireconditions is a dangerous fallacy.

Cabling practice for life-safety andproperty protection circuits too oftenfall far short of ideal. For example,over-loaded tray, fixing points too farapart, plastic cable ties and plasticdowels far too often compromise the

integrity of the circuit before the cableis threatened. While the importance ofselecting fit-for-purpose cables cannotbe over-stressed, their performance infire conditions can be ruined if insuffi-cient attention is paid to their fixingand management. Cables with thermo-plastic terminal blocks used for jointingmay suffer open or short-circuit failurewhen the fire heats the terminal block.Cables may lose their support if noteffectively fixed with fire-resistant clipsor other reliable support means. This isan easily overlooked aspect of installa-tion that may not come to light untilthe system is called upon to work in anemergency. Moves to regulate installersof such systems via the ECA/BFPSAsponsored training and accreditationscheme, to replace the failed LPS1014initiative, is a welcome move.

German standard DIN4102 part 12seeks to ensure the continued opera-tion of cable systems in fires up to1000°C. Similar in approach to our ownBS476, the DIN standard subjects arange of electrical cable (from <225Vto 0.6/1kV) and cable managementmethods to an ISO834 time/tempera-ture curve. The furnace reaches 830°Cafter 30 minutes and 1000°C after 90minutes. In this way, one gets a mea-sure of the systems integrity at hightemperatures; bearing in mind that thesteelwork starts to deform above600°C!

We are aware that any DIN standardwill not be popular in ‘BS’ dominatedmarkets. However, this performance-based standard is gaining ground inother European markets such asNetherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Aus-tria and even Greece. It is seems likelythat momentum will move CENELEC toadopt this as a mandate for a draft ENproposal in the near future.

We concede that this particular stan-dard does not take into account theactions of water (from sprinkler systems)or shock (from falling objects). However,cables meeting this systems-based per-formance standard will also meet thecomponent-based standards describedherein. In the absence of any other suit-able standards it remains a valid refer-ence point for those concerned with thefire performance of their building andadds a welcome tier of confidence inessential systems design.

A cable-based fire survival testcoupled with a demonstrable andrepeatable method of assessing theinstallation hardware would give con-sultants and fire engineers a more prac-tical benchmark to assess the suitabilityof systems for their projects. If this canbe coupled with a recognised installeraccreditation scheme then we can allbe better assured that we and our fam-ilies are better protected in buildingswe frequent.

AFD systems vendors, too, are con-sidering the effects of fire on the per-formance of systems. The continualevolution of fire protection system per-formance will inevitably impact on theperformance required of cables and therequirements specified in the relevantcable standards. Specifiers and manu-facturers will need to address issuesconcerned with reliable provision ofbandwidth in fire conditions. Indeed,manufacturers are looking to opticalfibre to provide the necessary resiliencein the next generation of life and prop-erty protection systems.


1414



We can never hope to demonstrate ina test what happens in a real fire.Every fire is different; every buildingis different and every installation isdifferent. We in the industry are deal-ing with issues of confidence. Anythingthat moves the focus away fromcomponent-specific arguments to aconsideration of the place of cable inthe greater scheme of things must beencouraged. Suppliers of cable systemsmust seek to provide solutions thatmeet the needs of the fire engineerand the requirements of the buildingunder consideration. As every installa-tion is unique then the industry shouldbe in the business of providing solu-tions not confusion.

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

FIRE SAFETYCABLES

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:27 am Page 14

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IntroductionIn 1987 the British Standards Institu-tion introduced Part 24 to the BS 476series of fire tests. This was a methodfor determination of the fire resistanceof ventilation ducts. The standard hasan annex which gives guidance on thefire performance criteria required forkitchen extract and smoke outlet appli-cations, which differ from the require-ments for ventilation ducts. It istherefore vitally important, whenassessing the suitability of a proposedsystem of fire rated ductwork, that theperformance of the proposed systemmatches the requirements of the appli-cation for which it is required. Forexample, a smoke outlet duct isrequired to maintain a minimum 75%of the original cross section when test-ed to BS 476: Part 24 (ISO 6944).

Car parks and non-domestic kitchensare required to have separate and inde-pendent extraction systems, because ofthe polluted nature of the extracted air.As BS 5588: Part 9 recommends thatfire dampers should not be installed inextraction ductwork serving car parks

or kitchens, any duct or ductwork pen-etrating fire resisting barriers in suchinstallations should be fire resisting.

Kitchen extraction ductwork presents aparticular hazard in that combustibledeposits, such as grease, are likely toaccumulate on the internal surfaces ofthe ductwork. A fire in an adjacent com-partment through which the ductworkpasses could therefore initiate a fire with-in the ductwork, which in the absence offire dampers might prejudice the safety ofthe kitchen occupants. For this reason BS476: Part 24 imposes an additionalrequirement for kitchen extract ductwork.The internal surface of the ductworkwithin the furnace, i.e. when tested as atype A duct against external fire, mustmeet the insulation criteria. It is alsoessential that this particular type of duct-work is provided with access for cleaningat distances not exceeding 3m.

Fire Resistance Test on DuctsAs indicated above, standard fire resis-tance tests on ventilation ducts are car-ried out in accordance with therequirements of BS 476: Part 24. Thestandard specifies a method of test andcriteria for the determination of the fireresistance of both horizontal and vertical


17

By Ron Smith

FIRE RATEDAND SMOKE

OUTLETDUCTWORK

FIRE RATEDAND SMOKE

OUTLETDUCTWORK

Typical installation of fire rated and smoke outlet ductwork. Pic by kind permission of ASFP member Fire Protection Ltd.

BS 5588 Part 9 paragraph7.5.1 acknowledges that

steel ductwork “ifsatisfactorily constructed

and supported” will be ableto provide a high degree ofresistance to the passage of

smoke and decompositionproducts. Rapid heat transfer

through the steel however,regardless of its thickness,

prevents the ductworkachieving any degree of fire

resistance withoutsupplementary insulation. A

satisfactorily constructed andsupported steel duct is one

proven by test and/orassessment to BS 476: Part24. Why then do we see somany “fire rated ductwork”

installations installed that are deficient?

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:28 am Page 17

ventilation ducts under standardisedfire conditions. The purpose of the testis to measure the ability of a represen-tative sample of ductwork, or ductworkassembly, to resist the spread of firefrom one compartment to another. Thetest is applicable to vertical and hori-zontal ducts, with or without branches,and takes into account joints, air supply and exhaust openings as well assuspension devices and penetrationseals. The tests are conducted withoutdampers.

The specimen(s) used in the testmust be designed and constructed tobe representative of how the ductworkwould be constructed on site. Twoducts are tested, one with fire from theoutside only (type A) and one with fireon the inside (type B). Both ducts maybe tested in either the horizontal orvertical plane. The test specimen(s) issubjected to fire on all four sides usingthe standard temperature/time curvedetailed in BS 476: Part 20.

The tested duct assembly is judgedagainst the three performance criteriaused for fire resistant barriers – i.e.stability, insulation and integrity. Therequirements for these criteria are asgiven below.

Stability: failure shall be deemed tohave occurred in duct type A within thefurnace, and in duct types A and Boutside the furnace, when the duct col-lapses in such a manner that the ductno longer fulfils its intended function.

As previously stated a smoke outletduct must also retain a minimum of75% of its internal cross sectional areathroughout the test.

Insulation: failure is deemed to haveoccurred when the temperature riseabove initial ambient air temperatureon the unexposed surface of the duct,outside the furnace, exceeds either,(i) 140°C as an average value, or(ii) 180°C as a maximum value

As stated before, for kitchen extractducts (type A), these temperature riselimits also apply to the inside surfaceof the duct within the furnace.

Integrity: failure shall be deemed tohave occurred if any cracks, holes orother openings, outside the furnace,allow hot gases or flames to passthrough the duct walls. Integrity failureis based upon the requirements of BS475: Part 20. These are,(i) when a 6mm diameter gap gauge

can penetrate through a gap andcan be moved in that gap for a dis-tance of at least 150mm

(ii) when a 25mm diameter gap gaugecan penetrate through a gap

Integrity failure shall also be deemedto have occurred when the cotton paddefined in ISO 834 is ignited, or whensustained flaming for at least 10seconds appears on the unexposed sur-face of the test specimen outside thefurnace.

It is recognised in the UK that theresults of the above test(s) for horizon-tal ductwork, types A and B, are applic-able to horizontal ducts only. Similarly,a test result obtained for vertical duct-work, types A and B, is applicable tovertical ducts only, without a horizontalbranch. However, if a vertical test onhorizontal ductwork type A, with abranch, has been successful, the duct-work may include a horizontal branchwithout further testing. These specificpoints appear to be misunderstoodwhen “evidence” of successful fire testshas been presented to the specifier ormain contractor.

Support Systems – Horizontal DuctsHorizontal ductwork is normally sup-ported along its length by a system ofsteel framework, attached to the build-ing structure with fire resisting fixings.This framework generally consists ofvertical hangers connected to a hori-zontal member, or members, with thehangers being fixed to the buildingstructure above the ductwork. It is pos-sible to use unprotected steel hangers,provided the calculated stresses do notexceed the values given below.

The stress should be calculated fromthe supported load only and if hangeris a threaded rod the cross sectionalarea should be based upon the rootdiameter of the rod.

Penetration SealsIt is well recognised that it is of primeimportance to maintain fire resistanceof a supporting construction at thepoint where the ductwork passesthrough the construction. In thisrespect, the current UK test method


1818

Typical installation of fire rated and smoke outlet ductwork. Pic by kind permission of ASFP member Fire Protection Ltd.

ALLOWABLE TENSILE STRESS

Up to 60 minutes Over 60 minutes Over 120 minutesUp to 120 minutes Up to 240 minutes

Tensile stress in allvertically oriented 15 N/mm2 10 N/mm2 6 N/mm2

components

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:28 am Page 18

considers the seal around the ductwork,where it passes through the surround-ing construction (wall or floor), to bean integral part of the duct construc-tion. The penetration seal must, there-fore, be constructed of the samematerial and installed in the same man-ner as that tested. The dimension ofthe “gap” between the inside edge ofthe supporting construction and theperimeter of the ductwork must also bethe same as that tested.

This is where, on site, a problemsoccur in that the “seal” often consistsof mineral wool (or even worse – glasswool) being “stuffed” around the duct-work to provide the required seal. Thisis not acceptable as a fire resistant sealand should not be allowed. If a mineralwool seal has been tested in conjunc-tion with the specific ductwork beinginstalled, the density, resin content, etc, of the mineral wool must be clearly defined. Reputable manufac-turers’ and installers of fire rated duct-work will use the sealant used in thefire test, or will have obtained anassessment from a fire test laboratoryfor the seal they use.

DampersWhere ductwork passes through a com-partment wall or floor it must beensured that the fire separation of thewall or floor is maintained. This can beachieved in one of two ways.

● The fitting of a penetration sealaround fire rated ductwork.

● The fitting of a fire damper in theplane of the wall or floor when non-fire rated ductwork passes throughthe separating element. It is impor-tant to ensure that the damper andseal used must be installed to asystem substantiated by test orassessment. The damper MUST be mounted in the wall or floor andMUST be supported/restrained inde-pendently of the ductwork.

On many sites this requirement hasbeen ignored and dampers have beenfitted away from the separating ele-ment, have not been independentlysupported and have not been properlysealed. In a fire situation there wouldbe total failure of the system and yetthis practice is allowed to continue


19

Great Northern Development, Manchester. Pic: Senior Hargreaves

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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:28 am Page 19

unheeded in the UK by those res-ponsible for the construction of thebuilding(s).

Other Items of Importance(i) General purpose ventilation/air

conditioning ductwork cannot beutilised as, or converted into, a firerated ductwork system unless theconstruction/materials of thewhole system are proven by test orassessment in accordance with therequirements of BS 476: Part 24.

(ii) In the case of an existing metalduct, where the application of afire insulation cladding material isbeing considered in order to pro-vide fire resistance, it is imperativethat the construction standard ofthe metal ductwork is checked forconformity with the appropriatefire test report. Similarly, the con-struction of newly erected metalductwork should be subjected tothe same scrutiny. Metal gauge,spacing and size of flanges andstiffeners, bolting centres, use ofsteel/aluminium rivets, sealants,spacing of hanger supports andfixing method to the soffit shouldall be checked for compliance withthe fire tested construction. It isnot sufficient to rely on a DW 144(142) construction classification forfitness for purpose in this respect.

(iii) The element of building construc-tion to which the support systemsare attached must have a fire resis-tance of at least that specified forthe fire rated ductwork and shouldbe able to support the ductwork ina fire situation.

(iv) The fire resistance of fire ratedductwork should be expressed asthree time period components.These, as previously described, arestability, integrity and insulation.Where only a single time period isexpressed it shall be deemed toapply to all three periods.

(v) Fire rated ductwork tested to BS476: Part 24 (ventilation ductworktest), which meets criteria of sta-bility, integrity and insulation, maynot be suitable for kitchen extractapplication or smoke extract appli-cation unless proven by additionaltest criteria.


2020

News International London.Pic: Senior Hargreaves

Further information regarding fire ratedductwork is contained in the Associationfor Specialist Fire Protection publication“Fire rated and smoke outlet duct-work – an industry guide to designand installation”. Copies can beobtained from the Secretariat at Associa-tion House, 235, Ash Road, Aldershot,Hampshire, GU12 4DD. Telephone: 01252321322, Fax: 01252 333901, e-mail:[email protected]


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:28 am Page 20


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:29 am Page 21

Enquiries: www.skum.com

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:29 am Page 22

The contents of storage tanks inthe Oil industry is predominantlyHydrocarbon based. Fire officers

have long seen the benefits of usingfoam as the major means of fightingfires in all forms of tanks; Fixed Roof,Floating Roof, Vertical or Horizontal.There are many ways in which we canutilise fixed and portable methods offoam application. Recently, we haveseen the rise of a greater variety ofprocess chemicals resistant to conven-tional foams being stored in tank farms,such as Alcohols and Polar Solvents.(Not only are they used in Petrochemi-cal and Pharmaceutical processes but in

Oil Refineries as OCTANE BOOSTERS forpetrol). The main response to thischange has been for many Refinery FireBrigades to standardize on “AR” (Alco-hol Resistant) type foams which can beused on hydrocarbon and Polar SolventChemicals. The cost increase to achievethis often puts pressure on the Fire Pro-tection Budget, as “AR” foams can be3-4 times the cost of their predecessors!

Foam concentrate manufacturers arecurrently responding to this commercialpressure by offering the next genera-tion of foam concentrates known inthe trade as “1 x 3” which looselytranslates as:

The days of 6% foam concentrateseem numbered. Why store 6 times thevolume, when you can use 1% foam?The logic seems simple, but does theproportioning equipment match?

Of course many Fire Brigades, bothindustrial and municipal, have onlyrecently taken the step to use “3 x 3”versions of AR-AFFF’s and AR-FFFP’s.With the exit of the 3M corporationfrom the foam concentrate market itwould seem that there are a lot of bigdecisions to be made about whichfoam concentrate type to be used whenformulating a Foam Fire Fighting Strat-egy. Whilst the Foam Concentrate man-ufacturers may wish to promote a 1%foam concentrate, it will be anotherquestion to decide about the level ofaccuracy tolerance on 1% Foam Pro-portioning devices. The margin forerror on a 6% foam proportioner of +or – 10% can be acceptable, but whatguarantees would an equipment manu-facturer offer on a 1% device on a coldday with a drum of viscous AR-AFFF toproportion accurately? It is clear thatequipment manufacturers will have tomatch their equipment to the perfor-mance that will be demanded by theFoam Concentrate manufacturers. Inreality though, most of the large Foam


23

FOAM AND FOAM

SYSTEMSFOR

PROTECTING STORAGE TANKS

FOAM AND FOAM

SYSTEMSFOR

PROTECTING STORAGE TANKS

By Phil Bayliss, Firemain Engineering Ltd

FLAMMABLE HYDROCARBON CHEMICALS = 1% FOAM : 99% WATERFLAMMABLE POLAR SOLVENT CHEMICALS = 3% FOAM : 97% WATER

With the ever increasing financial pressures bearing down on theWorldwide Petroleum industry, we see the effects of the requirementto cut costs by reducing manning levels, increasing automation and in

the case of storage tanks: building larger, more cost effective tanks tohold more fuel. It is now common for “new build” floating roof tanksto be in excess of 100 metres in diameter, whereas twenty-five years

ago a 60-metre diameter tank was considered large.

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:29 am Page 23

Concentrate manufacturers are alsomanufacturers of equipment and con-sequently will perform their in-housetesting on matching the performanceof their own brand of concentrate tothat of their own brand of proportion-ing and delivery equipment.

As if all this was not enough to con-sider when deciding on which foam tospecify there appears the topical issueof foam and the environment. The pro-liferation of discussion in this wholearena seemed to have escalated withthe 3M decision to pull out of foamproduction in May 2000.

This event however only highlightedone particular chemical in a blend ofmany from one manufacturers recipe,namely “PFOS”. It seemed more associ-ated to the levels of this chemical beingpresent in the production of the foamrather than the fire-fighting environ-ment. The bio-accumulation issue wassurely related to constant exposure toPFOS during the manufacturingprocess, not when a fire fighter isspraying 97% water and 3% foam onto a blazing oil fire in a Refinery! As aconsequence of mighty U.S Corpora-tion’s actions, there seemed to be ahigher degree of debate and even con-fusion within the market place abouthow environmentally friendly foamconcentrate actually is. In the UK, thelevel of questions about this subjectprompted the British Fire ProtectionSystems Association (BFPSA) to releasea statement, by way of a press release,to inform the users and specifiers offoam concentrate of their continuedconfidence in the use of foam as a pri-mary fire fighting agent. This endorse-ment alone is one that most users offoam must have welcomed.

When assessing the total fire strategyof protecting storage tanks a compre-

hensive pre-incident plan is required.How far this plan goes to prepare for aworst case scenario will dictate howefficient the petrochemical facility willdeal with and recover from the emer-gency and return to normal. Theoptions available to include in a strategyare many and will vary dependant uponcircumstance, geographical locality orplain budget.

Assuming the facility to be designedin accordance to a Flammable andCombustible Liquids Code such asNFPA 30, and that suitable tank main-tenance procedures are followed, thestrategy can call upon guidelines forprotection contained with documentssuch as NFPA 11 or API 19 which coveraspects of cooling spray rates for themitigation of radiated heat from onetank on fire to its close neighbour,right through to calculating the quan-tity of foam concentrate to be storedand the type of foam delivery equip-ment to be used.

The options can be summarized inthe following categories

● DETECTION & ALARM SYSTEMS● DETECTION & FIXED SUPPRESSION

SYSTEMS● FIXED FOAM POURER/BASE

INJECTION SYSTEMS● FIXED AND MOBILE FOAM

MONITORS● EXTERNAL BRIGADE ASSISTANCE

In considering the above, an assess-ment of the site facilities is also required.

● AVAILABLE TRAINED FIRE FIGHTERS?● AVAILABLE WATER SUPPLIES, PUMP

CAPACITY AND FIREMAININFRASTRUCTURE

● DISTANCE FROM EXTERNAL FIREBRIGADE BACKUP

● FREQUENCY OF INCIDENTS (such as lightning strikes)

● LEVEL OF FIXED FOAM SYSTEM PRO-TECTION

● FINANCIAL BUDGET

One can easily see that strategies willdiffer from say, a remote equatorialpetrol tank farm, with poor water sup-plies and no trained fire fighters; to aRefinery with its own brigade, situatedclose to an urban municipal brigade ina cold climate.

Equally, one financial budget maydictate that, early detection and sup-pression of fires in the incipient stage,may be preferable to investing in largepumps, hoses and portable monitors forfighting fires once they become largeincidents. The adverse publicity andconsequential loss of product or produc-tion surrounding major tank fires shouldalso have a great effect on decidingwhich way the desirable route should be.

The availability of foams and appli-cation equipment has never been bet-ter. High quality concentrates andFoam Systems are available worldwidewith well-documented success. Thereare many ways to deliver foam for fireextinguishment. These include:

FLOATING ROOF TANKS

● Detection and Foam SuppressionStand Alone Units. Usually Nitrogenpowered with telemetry back to thecontrol room. Small foam vessels arelocated on the roof to protect theRimseal Area. The advantage of thecombined detection system is itsspeed of response.

● Over the Top Pourers provide lowexpansion foam to the Rimseal foamdam area. Can be fed from a CentralFoam Proportioning System or froma Mobile Foam Tender. Can belinked to Linear Heat Detection orcan be manual.

● Large Foam Monitors i.e. 20,000LPM with throws in excess of 100metres, requiring large hose feeds,foam tanker deployment and watersupplies. Used for fully involvedFloating Roof Tank fires.


2424

FOAM AND FOAM SYSTEMSFOR PROTECTING STORAGE TANKS

FOAM AND FOAM SYSTEMSFOR PROTECTING STORAGE TANKS

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:29 am Page 24


25

Enquiries: www.saval.nl


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:29 am Page 25

CONE ROOF TANKS

● Over the Top Pourers, protecting the full fuel surface andincorporating a vapour seal between the tank and supplypipework. Can be subject to explosion damage.

● Base Foam Injection Systems are situated remotely fromthe explosion area. Rely on forcing low expansion foamthrough the base of the tank up to the fuel surface.

● Semi Subsurface Base Foam Injection Systems incorporate aHigh Back Pressure Generator and an internal floating deliv-ery hose to apply foam to the surface of tanks containingfoam destructive chemicals such as Methanol or Acetone. Agentle foam application results in faster extinguishment. A plunging foam application is a less efficient method ofdelivery.

● Mobile Equipment such as Monitor Trailers and RefineryVehicles with Monitors, as with Floating Roof Tanksrequire a critical deployment factor, involving a sufficientquantity of foam concentrate and water in the right appli-

cation rate or deployment will usually not succeed. UsingMonitors invariably means using a large quantity of foamconcentrate.

BUNDED AREAS

Bunds or dikes can represent the potential for large surfaceareas containing spilled fuel. That is what they are designedto do, to contain the full volume of a tank or multiple tanks.


2626

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This area is not as well defined with-in international standards for fire fight-ing as with tanks, BS5306 : Section6.1, does propose the parameters forfoam protection. In reality the varietyof methods utilised for bunds can varyfrom a small mobile foam trolley beingmanually connected to a local hydrantto a complete foam pourer system. Byfar the most practical way to fill abund with foam is to use MediumExpansion pourers; the expanded foamfills and contains the area with an eco-nomical use of foam concentrate.

There is often a debate aboutwhether to use fixed or portable equip-ment. The simple answer is; you haveto have both! One might see fightingfires as spectacular and courageous,but cost for cost, fixed systems areabout the same price, can fight fires inmore than one place at a time andhave a shorter response time thanportable systems. If your fixed systemhas “gone up” in an incident then theback up provided by portable equip-

ment is worth a million dollars! As with many Fire Protection strate-

gies, Storage Tank Fire Suppression andExtinguishment will benefit from earlydetection, fast response, accurate deliv-ery of the fire fighting medium and aplanned response to the escalation ofsmall incidents involving back up mea-sures for major fully involved tank fires.

The merits of foam as an extinguishingmedia for fires in storage areas will con-tinue for many years, new foam andequipment technology will be intro-duced. The low frequency of large tankfires is proof that foam systems work, it’sunfortunate that we don’t hear of thecountless times that small fires have beenstopped before developing into big ones.


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As with many FireProtection strategies,Storage Tank FireSuppression andExtinguishment willbenefit from earlydetection, fastresponse, accuratedelivery of the firefighting medium and aplanned response tothe escalation of smallincidents involvingback up measures formajor fully involvedtank fires.

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:30 am Page 27

Enquiries: www.firemain.com

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:30 am Page 28

FSSA to Celebrate 20thAnniversaryThe Fire Suppression Systems Associa-tion will celebrates its 20th anniversaryFebruary 6-10, 2002 in Marco Island,Fla. Themed “Celebrating our Past,Shaping our Future,” the group’s annualmeeting is the leading forum for lead-ership training, technical informationand networking opportunities in thespecial hazards field.

Bob Moawad, chairman and CEO ofthe Edge Learning Institute, will be themeeting’s keynote speaker. Moawad isa tireless teacher, coach, leader, speaker,author, innovator, benefactor, visionaryand consultant. He has presented tonearly three million people worldwideand will discuss how attendees caneffectively shape their futures tocompete in an ever-changing businessenvironment.

The meeting also features a presen-tation on essence marketing by CharlesStuart. Nationally known for his workin strategic marketing concepts, Stuartconsults with dozens of companiesthroughout North America, helping

them achieve dramatically increasedprofits, long-term customer relation-ships and better marketing and salesteams.

Meeting visitors will also receiveupdates on the latest changes in stan-dards and regulations impacting thespecial hazards business around theworld. FSSA will host open forumswhere participants can discuss topicsimportant to their businesses. Timeallowed for this session has doubledthis year in response to memberrequests. Finally, there are a number ofconcurrent workshops from which tochoose on topics including NICET cer-tification, personnel issues, technicalissues and management.

The Hilton Marco Island Resort willhost the event. Complete details andregistration information are availableonline at www.fssa.net.

Technical Training SeminarDue to the events of September 11,FSSA rescheduled its September 14Technical Training Seminar forNovember 2-3, 2001. The TechnicalTraining Seminar is an excellentopportunity for both field and officepersonnel to receive training in a num-ber of areas. Topics to be covered atthe seminar include carbon dioxidesystems, NFPA standards 2001 and 72, inspection reports and licensing,clean agent applications, Halon and the Voluntary Code of Practice, NICET certification, cylinder safety,customer relations and FSSA’s new Pipe Design Handbook.

Again, complete details and registra-tion information can be found onlineat www.fssa.net.

Clean Agent Training VideosAvailableFSSA is now selling a four-tape videotraining series on clean agent suppres-sion systems. The tapes, produced byProtection Knowledge Concepts, Inc.,

are designed for anyone who designs,specifies, inspects, buys, approves ormaintains clean agent systems.

Unit one covers the basics of specialhazards fire suppression. It includesinformation on general building versusspecial hazards fire protection andanswers some basic questions aboutclean agent systems. What are they?Why are they used? Where are theyused?

The second tape addresses standardsand regulations. It covers Halon issue,NFPA standards for clean agents, theEPA SNAP list, NOAEL and LOAEL andalternative clean agents.

The third tape covers alternativeagents to Halon 1301. It addresses car-bon dioxide, INERGEN, FM-200 andFE-13 systems.

The fourth tape covers maintenanceand training issues. It addresses firedetection and alarm systems, basicmaintenance of clean agent systemsand personnel training.

This series is a must for anyoneinvolved with clean agent systems. Thecost for FSSA members is $299 per set.For non-members, the cost is $399 perset. To order your set of trainingvideos, visit the FSSA web site atwww.fssa.net or contact FSSA head-quarters at 410-931-8100.


29

FSSA Piping HandbookAvailableFSSA’s Technical Committee haspublished the group’s Pipe DesignHandbook for Use with Special Haz-ards Fire Suppression Systems. Thehandbook features new designguidelines for use with all types ofengineered special hazards systemswhere the Power Piping Code isspecified.

“This is the most comprehensivepiping handbook in the industry foruse with special hazards fire sup-pression systems,” says FSSA Techni-cal Director Charles Willms, P.E. “Itprovides guidance for conditions notspecified in NFPA standards.”

The handbook is currently avail-able in electronic form only. Toorder and download a copy, visitFSSA’s web site at www.fssa.net.

FSSA news

Visitors will receiveupdates on thelatest changes instandards andregulationsimpacting thespecial hazardsbusiness around theworld. FSSA willhost open forumswhere participantscan discuss topicsimportant to theirbusinesses.

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:30 am Page 29


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Traditional building materials areincreasingly being ousted byplastic replacements. But,

unknown to many, these plastics arehighly combustible and the major causeof numerous devastating fire losses.

In many of these incidents, the fireexposure from the building construc-tion was greater than the fire hazardassociated with the occupancy. It wasapparent that the hazard of using plas-tic materials in building constructionwas not always identified prior to theloss, or the potential severity quanti-fied, according to a study by industrialand commercial property insurer FMGlobal.

For several decades now, plasticmaterials have been replacing brick,wood, steel, concrete and glass inindustrial and commercial construc-tions. Rigid foam polyurethane was firstused to provide insulation beneathfloor slabs, replacing cork, nearly 50years ago. There are many benefits inusing plastic components as elementsof the building envelope, in buildingservices and in fitting out the

building for production:

● Plastics have a high strength-to-weight ratio

● do not corrode

● are water resistant

● are easy to clean and maintain

● have high thermal and electricalinsulating values

● are easy to fabricate and install.

A major disadvantage, however, isthat plastic materials are combustibleand, in some forms, can present asevere fire hazard. The level of fire haz-ard it represents is a function of itsheat release rate. As the heat releaserate increases, so does the fire hazard.The heat release rate of plastic materi-als, measured in kW/m2, can be threeto five times greater than a similararrangement of ordinary combustibleslike wood.

THE REAL COST OF PLASTICSDuring a recent 10-year period span-ning 1988-97, seventy large fire lossesfrom several countries were reported toFM Global in which plastics had beenused in the construction and were asignificant factor in the loss. The totalcost to industry was over £275m.

Inadequate sprinkler protection wasan important factor in the size of eachof these 70 losses. Either the neededprotection was lacking; or there was ashut-valve, or the flow and pressure ofthe water supply could not meet thesprinkler system design requirements. In66% of these losses, sprinkler pro-tection was lacking. The average lossfor incidents where sprinklers werelacking was £4.4m, compared to£474,000 in incidents where sprinklerswere effective.

During this period, 60% of the largelosses involving plastic, involved


31

Arecombustibleplasticslurking in theconstructionof yourfacility?


By PETER BATTRICK, Staff Engineer, Fire and Hazards Group, FM Global

In an increasingnumber of fires,

plastic constructionmaterials play a

major factor in theloss. Peter Battrickexamines the fire

hazards associatedwith plastic building

materials and thefire tests used to

evaluate these

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:31 am Page 31

exposed foam plastic insulation, andinsulated metal panels. In 24 of theselosses, polyurethane was involved; 14losses involved extruded and expandedpolystyrene; four involved polyisocya-nurate, and in the remaining 10, thetype of foam plastic was not identified.

The metal/mineral and food indus-tries saw the largest number of losses(see Table 2). While this industry typi-cally has facilities that contain fewcombustibles, there is often a hiddenfire exposure from the plastic insulationin the walls or roofs of buildings.

The largest number (37%) of theselosses where the probable cause wasidentified were caused by hot work likewelding, cutting and use of openflames. The second highest frequency(25%) was electrical causes.

Insulated metal panels for refriger-ated storage are often used in the foodindustry. Even with sprinkler protection,a fire may develop faster than thesprinklers can operate, or the fire couldspread into the panel, where the metalliner will shield it from the water.

Fires involving plastics used for pro-duction process equipment wereanalysed in another 10-year study forthe same period. Eighty-nine fires,

resulting in over £110m in losses,involved plastic ducts/hoods, tanks, andscrubbers.

FULL-SCALE FIRE TESTS Two factors have contributed to thesesevere losses: inadequate fire testing andsprinkler protection. Thirty years ofresearch and testing had made FM Globala strong advocate for the use of auto-matic sprinkler protection. Most of thedevelopment work on sprinklers has beento protect a building from fire that startswithin the combustibles in the occupancy.However, from the loss experience thequestion needs to be asked will thesesprinkler systems protect the building ifthe fire starts in the plastic construction?

And while each country has its owntraditional fire test to determine thereaction of a material to fire (for exam-ple, BS 476 in the UK, DIN 4102 inGermany, NF P92-501 in France, ASTME84 in the USA), FM Global and anumber of other approvals boards havefound that the results from these testsare not always indicative of how aplastic material behaves in a real fire.

The limitations of the small-scaletraditional fire test were recognised inthe early 1970s by an FM Global affili-ate, Factory Mutual Research, whichdeveloped a large-scale test, the cornertest. The objective of the corner test issimilar to the room test in LPC stan-dard 1181. This is to ensure a plasticwall or ceiling material does signifi-cantly contribute to fire propagationwithin a building. However no researchhas been conducted to correlate thetest results from these two test methods.

FM Global’s corner test evaluatesexposed foam plastic materials, rigidplastic liners, and insulated metal panelson walls, as well as ceilings. A plasticmaterial passes the test if a self-propagating fire does not reach the lim-its of the structure within 15 minutes.

In this test, 340kg of wood is arrangedas a 1.5m-high crib, in the corner of thestructure, 305mm from each wall – theequivalent of having a 1.5m-high stackof idle wood pallets in the corner of afactory. Temperatures produced by thisfire exposure can exceed 550°C at thecorner of the walls and ceiling, withflames attacking the ceiling.

FM Global Property Loss PreventionData Sheets permit a material that passesthe test to be used in a building up to9.1m high. For buildings with higher ceil-ings, the plastic is tested in a similar testrig but the height is increased to 15.2m.

Many corner fire tests have beenconducted at Factory Mutual Researchon materials such as glass reinforcedpolyester sheeting, exposed sprayapplied polyurethane, polystyrene,polyisocyanurate, and polyurethaneinsulated metal sandwich panels. Thistesting showed that sprinklers designed


3232

Figure 1: FactoryMutual ResearchBuilding CornerTest

Type of construction* Number of losses

Foam/exposed/sprayed-on coating 33

Insulated metal panel 19

GRP panels 11

Plastic rooflights 5

Plastic vapour barrier in concealed space 1

Plastic sheet covering walls and equipment 1

Total 70

Table 1: Fires by type of plastic construction (1988–97)

*These do not include plastics that are part of insulated steel deck roof construction



P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:31 am Page 32

for the occupancy are adequate, butthere are exceptions if the product hasnot been approved by Factory MutualResearch or constructed to FM GlobalLoss prevention standards. In suchcases it is necessary to install additionalprotection such as cover the wall andceiling with a thermal barrier.

In one of the most recent researchprogrammes a series of eight 7.6m highcorner tests were conducted on poly-styrene insulated metal sandwichpanels. Prior to this test series therecommendation was to cover thesepanels with a thermal barrier. The test-ing results showed that by eitherincreasing the sprinkler system perfor-mance, or providing an additional rowof sprinklers at the top of the wall,adequate protection can be providedwithout the need for a thermal barrier.

SMALL-SCALE TESTING Due, in part, to the expense of large-scale fire testing, scientists at FactoryMutual Research developed a reliablesmall-scale test for all plastic materials.They developed a test apparatus forevaluating the flammability of materi-als, the Factory Mutual Research 50kWScale Fire Propagation Apparatus (FPA)after many years of research.

Initially used purely for research pur-poses, it has recently been used in FactoryMutual Research’s product approvalsprogramme for testing thermoset plas-tics. The small-scale test results havebeen correlated with those from the full-scale corner test. Thus a new material or

product that satisfies the small-scaleflammability test criteria does not haveto be subjected to full-scale testing.

The Fire Propagation Apparatusessentially consists of two parts: thebottom portion is designed to recreatelarge-scale fire environments, throughthe use of radiant heaters; and a col-lection hood on top captures combus-tion products for sample analysis.Measurements in the apparatus aremade to determine:

● critical heat flux for ignition

● thermal response parameter

● chemical and convective heats ofcombustion

● effective heat of gasification.


33

Probable cause No. of losses Hot work 19 Electrical 13 Hot surface 6 Exposure Smoking 2 Gas burner flame 1 Miscellaneous spark 2 Spontaneous ignition 1 Incendiarism 2 Friction 2 Unknown/no data 18 Total 70

Table 2: Fire losses by probable cause


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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:31 am Page 33

This equipment has become animportant tool for future research andthe development of property loss pre-vention standards, particularly for con-struction materials. The FPA also hasbeen adopted by the American Societyfor Testing Materials as their standardASTM E 2058, and also by the NationalFire Protection Association as theirNFPA 287.

CONCLUSIONIt is easy to the laud the many advan-tages of plastic building componentsbut when weighing their cost benefits

it is important to remember theirpotential fire hazard. Ask if there is anon-combustible alternative beforechoosing a plastic material.

A reliable indication of how a plasticmaterial will behave in a real fire canonly be done in a large-scale test or,for a thermoset plastic, in the FactoryMutual Research Flammability Appara-tus. Ask for materials that have beenApproved by a recognized productcertification organisation like FactoryMutual Research when specifying new construction materials, These

materials will have undergone stringentperformance testing.

Finally, be alert when evaluating thefire risk of existing buildings. There maybe more plastics hidden in the construc-tion than you think and the hazard maynot be adequately protected.


3434

Industry group Ducts/hoods Tanks Scrubbers

Metal/mineral 29 22 2

Chemical 5 1 –

Rubber 3 4 –

Food 3 1 1

Pulp and paper – – 1

Other 13 2 2

Total 53 30 6

Table 3: Plastic process equipment number of losses by industry groupArecombustibleplasticslurking in theconstructionof yourfacility?


Further information on FM Global data sheets is

available from

www.fmglobal.com/store


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:31 am Page 34

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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:31 am Page 35

Decades of experience,dedicated to firestoppingFirestopping has been the sole focus atNelson for nearly four decades. Since1965, Nelson Firestop Products havebeen used to offer protection againstfire, smoke, water and explosions in

military and commercial marine vessels,oil-rigs, production platforms, andmore recently, in commercial andindustrial buildings. All the while,Nelson has invested heavily in research,development and testing. In 1966,Nelson generated the first test to be

recognized by an independent labora-tory for through-penetration firestopsystem for Nelson’s MCTTM (Multi-Cable Transit) System.

Helping to increase fire safetythroughout the worldNelson Firestop Products offer the rightclass of protection for virtually anypenetration anywhere in the world. Avery extensive product line makes thispossible. Perhaps even more important-ly, Nelson offers the dedicated serviceand in-depth knowledge to recommendsystems, meet and exceed localrequirements, and oversee installationwherever the assignment takes us.

If you want to specify the bestfirestop solution for any given applica-tion in the U.S. or overseas, Nelson isthe company for a quick, accurateresponse. Products you can depend on.People you can depend on. Nelsonmakes it easy.

A wide range of firestop productsthat do more than stop fireNelson offers the industry’s largest andmost diverse firestop product line. Part-ly because there are so many types ofpenetrations to seal, and also becausefirestopping is a challenge that involvesmore than just fire.

Any properly designed and construct-ed fire barrier – whether it’s a wall or afloor – must prevent the migration ofnot just fire, but heat, smoke, water,gases and toxic fumes as well. Similarly,firestop seals installed in these barriersare required to perform the same func-tions. When a fire breaks out in an occu-pied building it is smoke, not fire, whichposes the bigger threat to its inhabitants.People who perish in fires generally diefrom smoke inhalation, not burns.


3636

A history of turning seconds into hours,when time means everythingNelson Firestop is a company uniquely equipped to specify firestopping solu-

tions for each and every penetration throughout the entire building. It is ahard-earned skill that deals with very high stakes. The fact is, a wrongly

chosen firestopping product may, to the untrained eye, appear sufficient on mostcounts. It may even comply with building and fire codes. However, just one incor-rect choice, or the right choice improperly installed, can spell the differencebetween minor damage and total disaster. To deal effectively with the complexity offirestop selection, the best and simplest path is to consult Nelson Firestop Products.

C O M P A N Y

Nelson Firesto

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:32 am Page 36

Nelson’s flexibility providesvapor-tight protectionRigid firestop products can, in somecases, provide adequate protection.However, if the seal is installed in abuilding subject to a great deal ofmovement, it may lose its bond andwill not afford any protection againstthe migration of smoke or toxic fumes.That is why the Nelson firestop familycontains many flexible formulations.“Soft” firestop material maintains amore reliable seal as buildings shift, oras wall and floor assemblies construct-ed of dissimilar materials expand at dif-ferent rates when exposed to the heatof fire.

Solutions for single and multiplepenetrationsNelson Firestop Products accommodatesingle penetrations, such as pipe andmultiple penetrations typically createdfor power and low-voltage cable.Because today’s power and communica-tions needs are subject to great varia-tion and frequent change, Nelson offersinnovative designs like Nelson’s Multi-Cable Transit (MCTTM) and Multi-PlugSystem (MPSTM) which can be easilycustomized to any installation, andsubsequently modified when necessary.

The same Nelson products that werecreated for the complex power and elec-tronic needs of naval command centreshave proven to be ideal for rapidlyevolving technologies of commercialand industrial work environments.

Solving the problem of waterSince water is often the means of stop-ping fire, it might not seem a potentialfirestopping problem, but it is. Water-soluble firestop seals installed in areassubject to high moisture or frequentspills can dissolve and become totallyineffective. Nelson Firestop Productsare made from water-insoluble com-pounds. Once installed, Nelson prod-ucts provide long-lasting firestopprotection when exposed to mist, spray,spills or even frequent hosedown.

Reducing the hidden costs ofinstallationThe cost of a firestop system is not justwhat you pay for the products, it alsoincludes the less obvious expense of laborfor installation. To keep labor to a mini-mum, Nelson products are designed forfast, easy installation. You do not needpersonnel with special skills or tools. Youcan even forego the extra steps andmaterial associated with damming.

Regardless of what Nelson FirestopProducts you use, installation is simpleand straightforward, for a lower totalinstalled cost.

The right combination of productsfor a great number of variablesBuilding movement and the presenceof water are two of many considera-tions critical to making the rightfirestop decision. One must also consid-er the dimensional changes that occurwhen any substance is placed in ornear fire. Walls and floors constructedof concrete will react differently whenexposed to heat than those constructedof metal studs and drywall. Some pen-etrating items will burn; others will betotally non-combustible, but will trans-fer heat freely. Still, other penetrationswill burn at a slower rate, but not sup-port combustion by themselves.

All of these factors and more must beconsidered when engineering a firestopsystem. That’s why our product line is soextensive and why people come to Nel-son as much for our advice, as for ourfirestop products. We are the companythat puts it all together, which meansless effort for you, and more peace ofmind.


37

P R O F I L E

top Products

For more information, please contact: Nelson Firestop ProductsP.O. Box 726TulsaOK 74101USATel: +1 918 627 5530Fax: +1 918 627 2941E-mail: [email protected]: www.nelsonfirestop.com

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:32 am Page 37

Automatic Fire Sprinklers as we knowthem were first developed in the UK byMajor Stewart Harrison around 1864.Like so many brilliant inventions it tookanother country, in this case the USA,to recognise the full potential of theinvention and develop a market forthem. Since then the USA has gone onto lead the world in the developmentof fire sprinkler technology and itcomes as no surprise that the majorityof fire sprinklers are now manufacturedover there. Conversely our BritishIndustry has declined to the point thatthere is now no British manufacturerthat actually makes fire sprinklers inthe UK.

To my mind it is somewhat of a pitythat the UK has fallen so far behind inthe use of yet another British inventionand one of the reasons for creating theRSA’s was to reverse this situation. It istherefore pleasing to see that interestin fire sprinklers has increased remark-ably since we started in 1998 – notonly in the life safety sector – but wehave a long way to go yet!

WALES

Earlier this year the RSA visited Neath& Port Talbot Council to bring them upto speed with residential sprinklers.Neath are very pro-active in the field offire safety and were the first Council inthe UK to adopt smoke alarms in alltheir social housing. Although smokealarms have been effective, the Councilcan see that they cannot save the dis-abled, the old and the young – the vul-nerable in our society who make up themajority of fire casualties. They aretherefore keen to be the first in the UK

to go to the next stage in fire protec-tion and install fire sprinklers in alltheir property.

The Welsh Assembly, through its Pat-tern Book, governs the design of allsocial housing in Wales. Initially NeathCouncil applied for a variation to thePattern Book for a pilot scheme. Thisled to a request from the Welsh Assem-bly for the RSA to make a presentationto their Housing Committee to explainthe concept of life safety fire sprinklers.Sir George Pigot and Roy Young dulymade a presentation in mid-June,which was very well received, and weretold unofficially that it was likely that apolicy of residential sprinklers would beadopted for all Council-owned socialhousing in Wales. Since then manyother Welsh Councils and the WelshFire Brigades have put their weightbehind the campaign and we are hope-ful that the Welsh Assembly will actsoon.

SCOTLAND

Many will have seen that MichaelMatheson MSP has prepared a Bill forScotland’s Parliament, which wouldmake the fitting of Residential Sprink-lers mandatory in all housing in Scot-land – both new and old. The RSAwarmly congratulates Mr Matheson onhis initiative, especially the fact that theBill targets the elderly, disabled andHMOs.

Scotland unfortunately has the high-est fire casualty rates in the UK, partic-ularly in the tenements that are afeature of the Glasgow area. AlthoughScotland has about 10% of the UKpopulation it has something like 17%of the UK fire deaths. Statistics showthat HMOs (such as the Glasgow tene-ments) account for nearly 35% of allfire deaths and 40% of all fire injuriesand that the majority of those casual-ties are the elderly or disabled – thevulnerable in our society. There istherefore an urgent need to providebetter fire protection in Scotland.Something fire sprinklers are speciallydesigned to do.

There are those who say that Scot-land cannot afford the cost ofinstalling fire sprinklers in all residentialproperties and it is worth looking atthis statement for a moment.

Firstly, if we can prevent people

being killed or horribly maimed by fire,should we really be counting the cost?How can you explain to someone thatthe reason their children are dead isbecause those responsible failed to putin a safety device because they“thought it was too expensive”.

Secondly, we know from statisticsthat certain types of property and cer-tain sections of the population are atincreased risk from fire. So where thevulnerable are housed in HMOs,especially those of more than 3 floorsin height, they have an unacceptablyhigh risk of being killed or injured in afire. All of these factors should show usthat it is these properties that weshould protect first. Once theseproperties have been protected alonger-term phased schedule can be setup to provide sprinkler protection toproperties at lesser risk, which in time will mean all properties will beprotected.

ENGLAND

So what progress is being made in Eng-land? So far the RSA is only aware of afew hundred residential sprinkler instal-lations, although it is believed thatthere is in fact many more as yet unre-ported. However, against a housingstock of about 20million this is hardlyimpressive – but it is still early days. . . .

Most of the English Fire Brigadesand many local Councils are nowspecifying residential sprinklers, espe-cially in higher risk premises. Evenbuilders and architects are expressinginterest and beginning to look atresidential sprinklers not just as a cost, but also as a saving. This isespecially true of Housing Associations,which have been quick to see thebenefits to both themselves and theirtenants.

Interest is such that the House ofCommons all-party Fire Safety Group isholding a seminar in the House onDecember 12th at which the RSA havebeen invited to speak. We also hope toperform a demonstration of the effec-tiveness of fire sprinklers in the fore-court of the House of Commons. Wehave no doubts that MPs will beimpressed by what they see, but if itdoes go wrong – perhaps we can finishoff what Guy Fawkes began all thoseyears ago. . . .


3838

The RSA FORUM The RSA FORUM

P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:32 am Page 38


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:32 am Page 39

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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:32 am Page 40

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P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:33 am Page 41


P. 1-42 13/10/06 11:33 am Page 42

The Insurance Companies soonrecognized their advantages, andwithin a short time began to

insist on the installation of fire sprink-ler systems in areas of high risk. Thusbegan a long association betweenInsurers and the Sprinkler Industry. As aresult fire sprinklers were developed pri-marily to protect property and their lifesaving abilities were largely ignoreduntil comparatively recently.

The record of fire sprinklers is unsur-passed in the safety field. In NewZealand, where all fires have had to bereported for over 100 years, recordsshow that sprinklers have been effectivein 99.7% of cases. There has neverbeen a multiple death in a fully sprin-klered building anywhere in the world.Indeed in the very few cases wherepeople have died despite there being an

operational fire sprinkler system, it hasbeen because of an explosion or similarevent.

Fire sprinklers have been continuous-ly developed throughout their historyand the modern residential fire sprink-ler is a highly sophisticated piece ofequipment. Its development started asa result of a report prepared in theUnited States by the Presidential Com-mission on Fire Prevention & Controlentitled America Burning. This report,published in 1973, highlighted thescale of the fire problem in the UnitedStates and in particular drew attentionto the fact that over 75% of all firedeaths and injuries occurred in thehome (a statistic which is equally truehere in the UK). They recommended thedevelopment of a residential firesprinkler system as a possible solution

and this prompted the NFPA to setabout developing a modification of itsStandard, NFPA 13 Standard for theInstallation of Sprinkler Systems, toproduce a reliable but inexpensive resi-dential system.

At its first meeting the NFPA estab-lished a philosophy based on the fol-lowing 5 guiding principles:-

1 COST is of major importance.They reasoned that a system that wasslightly less sophisticated, but thatcould be installed at a substantiallylower cost than a full NPFA 13 system,was necessary if wide-spread accep-tance of residential systems was to beachieved.

2 LIFE SAFETY is the primary goalof a residential fire sprinkler system,with property protection a secondarygoal.

3 SYSTEM DESIGN should besuch that a fire could be controlled forsufficient time to enable people toescape, i.e. it should operate for at least10 minutes whilst sounding an alarm.


43

The Development of Residential Fire Sprinklers

FIRE SPRINKLERS were invented in the UK byMajor Harrison in 1864, but like so many of thebrilliant things invented in this country, they were

left to be developed abroad by Henry Parmelee inthe USA.

By Sir George Pigot of the Residential Sprinkler Association

Pic: Residential Sprinkler Association

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:03 pm Page 43

4 PIPING arrangements, com-ponents, and hangers must be compat-ible with residential constructiontechniques.

5 STRATEGIC COVERAGE allow-ing the omission of sprinklers in areasof low historical incidence of firedeaths (such as roof spaces and thelike) was permissible, thus saving con-siderable cost.

Considerable experimental work wascarried out in the 1970’s and early1980’s to establish the most effectivespray patterns, droplet sizes and flowrates for residential sprinkler heads. Ithad long been recognised that a fasterresponse to a fire would mean that thesprinkler system would be dealing witha smaller fire. A smaller fire is not onlyeasier to control and extinguish, itrequires considerably less water to doso. Therefore a major part of this workwas to also develop a faster actingsprinkler and modern residential headsoperate at least five times fasterthan their industrial counterparts.

It was also established thatwall wetting would be of vitalimportance to prevent “flashover”.Flashover is the point at which thetemperature in the room has risen tothe point that anything not alreadyalight will spontaneously ignite.This not only uses up all theremaining oxygen, italso raises the tem-perature in the roomwell past a surviv-able level. Flashover inan unprotected modernliving room usually occurswithin 2-3 minutes of the first flamesbeing visible.

In the 15-20 years since these exper-iments were conducted sprinkler manu-facturers have continued to developresidential sprinkler heads, which areever more economical in their use ofwater to achieve the same result, andwhich are also more aesthetically pleas-ing. Indeed residential sprinklers can besupplied in almost any colour or finishand there are now heads which areconcealed behind a temperature sensi-tive plate, and which are thereforealmost invisible and virtually immuneto tampering or vandalism.

So effective are residential sprinklersthat over the past 25 years many areas

of the USA have introduced lawsrequiring their installation. In generalall high-rise building must besprinklered and it is very unusual tofind places such as hotels that are notfully protected by sprinklers. The USGovernment is fully supportive of firesprinklers and insists that, where Gov-ernment employees need to stay awayfrom home overnight they must stay insprinklered hotels or they will not havetheir expenses reimbursed. So success-ful has this been that the Marriotthotel chain amongst others has nowsprinkler protected all it hotels world-wide to ensure they can cater for USGovernment officials traveling abroad.

Several parts of the USA have evengone further and now require sprinklersin ALL properties both residential andindustrial. Perhaps the best known is inScottsdale, Arizona, which has now hadthis requirement for over 10 years. Dur-ing this time there have been no deathsin sprinklered homes, both injuries andproperty damage has been reduced by

80% and environmental damagedreduced by an estimated 95%.Vancouver in western Canadaadopted a similar policy in the

early 1990s and their recent interimreport shows much the same picture.

In the mid-1980s the US FireAdministration joined forces with the

NFPA and others to form Oper-ation Life Safety with

the object of furtherpromoting residentialfire safety. OLS hascollected some 600

voluntary reports onresidential sprinkler activa-

tions since 1983 and in none ofthese was there a fatality. Residentialfire sprinklers really do save lives.


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Residential sprinklers can be supplied inalmost any colour or finish and thereare now heads which are concealedbehind a temperature sensitive plate,and which are therefore almost invisibleand virtually immune to tampering orvandalism.

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:04 pm Page 44

Enquiries: fax +44(0) 1306 711107

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:04 pm Page 45

Not only do sprinkler systems providea very high level of protection there are a number of areas in which theircost of installation can be directlymitigated.

● Building trade-offs. The require-ments for and specifications of firedoors and fire retardant materialscan be reduced. Also the length andnumber of escape routes can bereduced and provision for access byfire engines lessened allowing higherhousing densities to be employed.

● Arson. Arson now accounts forabout 50% of all dwelling fires andthis proportion has increased steadily

over the past decade or more.Although fire sprinklers cannotprevent arson as such, they willminimise the damage caused andeliminate the risk to life.

● Vandalism. Vandalism is a growingproblem and is manifested both interms of direct damage done as wellas potential damage when safetyequipment is made inoperative.


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When you’re looking for adependable residential sprinkler, it’s easy to overlook Viking’s newMirage Concealed ResidentialSprinkler. Because not only does theMirage Concealed have the industry’s smallestcoverplate – a mere 23/4” (70mm) – but it’s alsoavailable in any colour to match any decor. So itprovides plenty of protection without a lot of detection.

Even though they’re hard to see, MirageConcealed sprinklers aren’t hard to install. Their1/2” (12.7)mm adjustable covers mean you don’tneed to cut a perfect drop to get a flush fit. Andtheir friction fit covers are designed for push-on,pull-off installation ease.

Despite their good looks, Mirage Concealedsprinklers don’t overlook safety. With 18’x18’(5.48m sq) coverage, competitive flows, and coverdrop and sprinkler fuse temperatures of 135° and140°F (60ºc) respectively, they give your customerswhat they want most in a fire protection system:peace of mind.

So if you’re looking for a residential sprinkler thatgives you nearly invisible protection, don’t settle foranything less than Viking’s new Mirage ConcealedResidential Sprinkler. It could be the best residentialfire protection you’ve never seen.

For details, call your local Viking outlet or visit us at www.vikingcorp.com

Worldwide Fire Protectionwww.vikingcorp.com

UK: +44-(0)1427-875999

A good residential sprinkler is hard to find.

Enquiries: www.vikingcorp.com

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:04 pm Page 46

● Insurance. Although there is nogeneral policy insurance companieswill give discounts for sprinkleredproperties, which is typically around15% of the building and contentspremium.

● Rates. The RSA would argue that thefitting of sprinklers reduces thatproperty’s liability for local emergencyservices and as such should berecognised and encouraged by arebate of Rates.

There are other less obvious benefitsfor fire sprinklers, which are usuallyonly appreciated after a fire.

● Consequential Loss and Incon-venience. Buildings that sustain afire are usually uninhabitable after-wards and most are demolished. Onthe other hand a room protected by a fire sprinkler can usually beback in use within a few hours andthe rest of the building is oftenunaffected.

● Loss of Income and Cost of Re-housing. A direct result of this is thatlandlords and mortgage companies donot experience a reduction in incomeand there are no costs of re-housing.Where property is demolished andrebuilt the landlord will be withoutincome for many months at a time ofmajor expenditure.

● Demand on the Fire Service. Wherefire sprinklers are fitted Fire Brigadesneed employ fewer resources infighting the fire and know that theirmen will be less likely to suffer injury.

● National Health Service. By re-ducing injuries to both victims andfire fighters the cost to the NationalHealth will be considerably reduced. In 1997 18,600 people required an average of 4 days in-patienttreatment and considerable con-valescence afterwards. Which leadsto:

● Social Services. Fire injuries areprobably the most difficult to treatand result in the longest time offwork – if indeed a return is possible.Although external burns are the mostobvious injuries it is lung damagefrom hot smoke and fumes which isoften the most incapacitating injuryand which may well prevent a returnto work ever being possible.


47

It is a sobering thought that in 1997 72,000people in the UK thought that their home wouldn’tcatch fire – but each and every one of them had tocall the Fire Brigade. In total 730 people lost theirlives and another 18,600 were injured due to fire.

The time has come for the UK to recognize thesignificant contribution Fire Sprinklers can make tolife safety and begin to catch up with the rest ofthe world. How much longer do we need to waitbefore we start to eliminate the terrible toll firewreaks in our society?

With mounting flexibility, and a NEMA 6P rating, our outside switches

can take the heat (and cold) and still perform heroically. Day in and

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:05 pm Page 48

SMOKE DETECTIONThe most commonly used detectors aresmoke detectors. These range fromconventional spot detectors to state-of-the-art air sampling detectors thatare up to 1,000 times more sensitivethan their conventional counterparts.

The two technologies used in smokedetection are photoelectric and ioniza-tion. Ionization smoke detectors oper-ate using a small radioactive elementinside an open smoke chamber. Theradioactive element ionizes the airinside of the chamber, causing ions togravitate toward oppositely chargedplates at each end of the chamber.When a quantity of smoke enters thechamber, the conductive properties ofthe air change, reducing the number ofions that are able to reach the chargedplates. When the supervisory currentreaches a certain level, the detectorgoes into alarm.

Ionization detectors work particularlywell in situations where fast flamingfires might develop. Their photoelectriccounterparts are better at detecting

smoldering fires. Photoelectric detectorsuse light rather than radioactive materialto detect smoke. An infrared lightsource on one end of the chambertravels along a narrow channel. As longas there is no smoke inside the chamberto diffuse the light, a photocell at theother end of another channel, situatedat an angle from the light path, will

remain dark. When enough smokeenters the chamber, the infrared light,which is then diffused, scatters andtravels down the alternate channel untilit reaches the photocell at the otherend. The detector will go into alarmwhen enough of the light is made tostrike the sensor. Some smoke detectorscombine both photoelectric and ioniza-tion technology. Some feature thermaldetection technology as well. All ofthese detectors are available in conven-tional and addressable models.


49

Pic: Fire Suppression Systems Association

Detectors Raise the Alarm for

Special Hazards


Special HazardsBy Mitch Lebovic, CAETHE FIRST STEP in extinguishing a fire is detecting fire. The

faster the detection, the faster the fire can be put out – withless damage. Special hazards applications use four types of

detectors – smoke, heat, flame and gas detectors.

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:05 pm Page 49

“Conventional detectors are notautomatically adjustable,” says GeorgeKrabbe, chairman of the board ofAutomatic Fire Controls in South Hol-land, Ill. “Their sensitivity is set at acertain level and stays there. Address-able detectors can be adjusted by thecontrol panel to limit false alarms.”

“Another advantage of addressabledetectors is that the control panel cantell you which detector went intoalarm,” he continues. “With conven-tional detectors, you’ll know whichzone goes into alarm, but you can’t tellwhich detector until you physically lookat them. With addressable detectors,the panel will tell you it was number25, which is located in the computerroom sub-floor. There is a lot moreinformation which allows the operatorto respond quickly and intelligently.”Laser spot detectors provide moresensitive smoke detection.

“The laser detectors work on the sameprinciple as the photoelectric devices,”says Bill MacDonald, director of market-ing for Notifier, Inc. in Northford, Conn.“They are light sensitive, but the lightsource is a laser diode rather than a lightemitting diode. Because the light sourceis much more intense, the receiver is alot more sensitive.”

MacDonald continues to say thatlaser detectors work in conjunctionwith very sophisticated algorithms toprevent false alarms. These highly sen-sitive detectors can tell the differencebetween dust and smoke.

For applications that require detect-ing smoke at its earliest stage, air sam-pling is the answer. Instead of passivelydetecting smoke or heat in their imme-diate area, air-sampling detectorsactively pull room air through anddetect the presence of particles that arecreated in the very early stages of com-bustion. “The big advantage of air

sampling is that the unit has a fan,”says Krabbe. “It doesn’t need a thermallift to bring the smoke to the detector.Air sampling draws in air constantly,samples it and returns it.”

Air sampling detectors can detectparticles of combustion at levels ofobscuration as low as .003 percent perfoot, which is up to 1,000 times moresensitive than conventional smokedetectors. However, they lack the pin-point annunciation of an addressablespot detector. They operate by using aseries of pipes up to 100 feet long. Thepipes have holes in them at pre-determined intervals. The fan draws airin through the holes and back to thedetector. Some detectors can tell thecontrol panel, which pipe the smoke,comes from, but not which hole in thepipe. “The extreme sensitivity of laserair sampling units allows them to over-come dilution caused by high air flow,”adds MacDonald.

“They are typically used wherecritical equipment is involved liketelecommunications or computer tech-

nology. This equipment is more suscep-tible to smoke than normal equipment.Smoke is also much harder to detectbecause of the high airflow generatedto cool the equipment. That’s whenvery early warning is important.”

Krabbe suggests that this extremesensitivity can save not only time, butalso money when it comes to extin-guishing a fire.

“We don’t often use air samplingdetection to release the agent,” he says.“Because these detectors are so sensi-tive, they’ll detect smoke at a pointwhere turning off a switch or using aportable extinguisher can solve theproblem. If that’s the case, you don’twant to dump $30,000 worth ofagent.” Air sampling is also a moreexpensive technology. “A laser airsampling detector will cost between$3,000 and $4,000 whereas spot detec-tors will cost between $20 and $60,”says Krabbe. “But each air samplingunit can take the place of 20 to 30spot detectors because of the pipingnetwork.”

THERMAL DETECTION

Thermal or heat detectors monitor thetemperature of the air surrounding theunit. Fixed temperature detectors signalthe controller when the temperaturereaches a preset level. Rate-of-risedetectors look for rapid increases intemperature and report them to thecontrolling unit. Both methods aresometimes combined in one unit.

Linear heat detection is also used inmany industrial applications. A linearheat detector is a wire made up of two


5050



Special Hazards


Special Hazards

“The big advantage of airsampling is that the unit has afan. It doesn’t need a thermal liftto bring the smoke to thedetector. Air sampling draws inair constantly, samples it andreturns it.”

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:05 pm Page 50


51

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:05 pm Page 51

conductors, each coated with a heatsensitive material. When the tempera-ture reaches the level at which theinsulation was designed to melt, theconductors push through the insulationand close the circuit. “Linear heatdetectors also have the ability to tellyou how many feet down the wire theoverheat has taken place,” saysMacDonald. “The big applications forthis type of detection are high rackstorage, conveyor systems and cableprotection.”

FLAME DETECTION

Industries involved in manufacturing,processing, storing or transportation offlammable material are constantly inneed of reliable and fast response firedetection systems. Optical flame detec-tors are powerful tools in this case, dueto their ability of remote detection of asmall fire from a long distance. Flamedetectors use optical sensors working atspecific spectral ranges that recordincoming radiation at selected wave-lengths. They use either ultravioletsensors, infrared sensors or a combina-tion of both to achieve this purpose.

“Optical detection can be limited

because it’s line of sight,” warnsKrabbe. “You have to make sure you’rein an area where you’re not going tohave a smoldering type of fire with alot of smoke. That will obscure the firefrom the detector. You also don’t wantanything to stick to the lens of thedetector. You must make sure that thecone of vision from the detector is notobscured in any way.”

GAS DETECTION

Gas detectors can also be integratedinto a special hazards suppression sys-tem. These detectors continuouslymonitor hazardous and toxic gases orvapors in low parts per million concen-trations. They are highly sensitive, solow ppm readings can be measuredwith confidence. They provide a fastresponse for real time readings.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

The right choice in detection technol-ogy depends largely upon the hazard tobe protected. “You need to be sureyou’re putting in the right detector for the application,” says MacDonald.“You need to be sensitive to potentialfalse alarm sources. For example, youwouldn’t want to put an ionizationdetector near cooking, and you don’twant traditional smoke detectors inplaces where there is a lot of dust.”

“Consider the environment,” agreesKrabbe. “You won’t want smoke detec-tors in harsh environments. If the envi-ronment is cold, a build-up of ice andmoisture will cause the detector to gointo alarm. In that situation, you’dprobably want a thermal detector.”

Krabbe continues to say that thenecessary response time is a factor inchoosing the proper detection solution.“If detection can wait a minute or two,you can go with thermal detectors,” hesays. “But if it needs to be immediate,you need to go to the other extreme. IfI had a clean room worth millions ofdollars where a few specks of combus-tion products could put me out ofbusiness, then I’d certainly invest insensitive smoke detection.”

PROPER INSTALLATION

The installation of detection units willvary by application. However, properinstallation is always guided by appro-priate standards. In the United States,the National Fire Protection Associ-ation’s Standard 72, the National FireAlarm Code, should be used for guid-ance. In Europe, ISO 7240 covers firedetection and alarm systems.

“Make sure to check for otherrequirements from local authoritieshaving jurisdiction or insurance compa-nies,” says Krabbe. “They may havesome specific requirements on howdetectors are sequenced, how they aregrouped or how they are selected. Thatis important along with the regularstandards.”


5252

Mitch Lebovic, CAE isdirector of communications

for the Fire SuppressionSystems Association. You canlearn more about FSSA and

its programs online atwww.fssa.net.


Special Hazards


Special Hazards

“Consider the environment. Youwon’t want smoke detectors in harshenvironments. If the environment iscold, a build-up of ice and moisturewill cause the detector to go intoalarm. In that situation, you’dprobably want a thermal detector.”


P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:05 pm Page 52


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Response and sensitivity test AutroSafe SelfVerify not only tests whether a detector is capable of giving alarm, it alsoverifies on a daily basis the sensitivity ofeach individual detector using a calibratedsignal.The system ensures that eachdetector will always respond at the correctalarm level.

Optimal round-the-clock detectionThis new technology represents the safestand most reliable fire alarm system ever

developed – a system that ensures optimal detection 24 hours a day!

A new dimension infire protectionA new dimension infire protection

Time consuming inspectionsare a thing of the pastUp to now, fire alarm systems havedepended on manual inspection and testing, something which hasresulted in a variety of problems.For example, the detectors may have been out of reach; serviceengineers may not have been allowed access to certain areas; orthe detectors may not have beeninstalled in accordance with thediagram….

AutroSafe SelfVerify solves all these main-tenance problems.Time-consuming, difficult and costly manual inspections are no longernecessary.The system does the job for you.

We've called the technology "SelfVerify" because thesystem verifies itself.

AutroSafe SelfVerify -the only fire alarm system that checks itself!

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:06 pm Page 54

The Wirsbo Fire ProtectionSystem, Europe’s mosttechnologically advanced

domestic sprinkler system, hasbeen devised for new-buildapplications. Until now, thecosts associated with such sys-tems have been prohibitive forsuppliers and customers alike.Unlike commercial specifiers, the averagehouseholder has rarely been able to justi-fy the purchase in terms of reducedinsurance premiums. Cost-effective, fireengineered solutions can now beachieved to meet current building regula-tions.

The Wirsbo Fire Protection System,with integrated audible alarm, isdesigned to contain a fire in the roomof origin for up to 10 minutes to allowtime for the Fire Service to arrive.

Key to the system is the incorporationof Wirsbo’s PEX pipe, a revolutionarycross-linked polyethylene tubing withthermal memory. Irrefutably reliable(Wirsbo PEX is the most thoroughlytested plastic piping in the world), theflexible tubing is easy to install.Plumbers already favour its properties

for under-floor and radiator heatingsystems. However, it is ideal for thenew-build sprinkler market, where easeof installation is of prime concern to thehouse builder in terms of time, priceand minimal disruption.

Wirsbo PEX is already used extensivelyin domestic sprinkler systems in the US.Conforming to NFPA13D, it is thebenchmark for worldwide domesticsprinkler systems with full WRASapproval. The UL listed Wirsbo tubingalso carries a 25 year guarantee.

There are environmental and legisla-tive reasons for taking notice of the sys-tem, too. Current sprinkler systems mayrely on segregated water which stag-nates over time and is potentially harm-ful. This integrated system utilisesenvironmentally-conscious flow-throughtechnology, dependent upon a revolu-tionary multi-port sprinkler fitting. Thisensures the water feeding the sprinklerheads is constantly of drinking quality,putting it leagues ahead of the compe-tition and in line with water supply reg-ulations due to be enforced in 2002.

Several UK projects are already under-way. In Lancaster, developers BarnfieldConstruction have commissioned Home-safe to install the integrated fire defencesystem in 18 new-build homes. The four

storey dwellings, designed with open-plan staircases, have met with planningapproval due to the incorporation ofthis unique fire engineered solution.

In Cowie, Stirling, Homesafe installedthe pioneering system into a localauthority house, to demonstrate theunique properties of the freshwater sys-tem. The council then arranged for a

live fire test, which tookplace earlier this year, amplydemonstrating its reliability.

The system was show-cased at the Ideal HomeShow in Glasgow lastmonth, where visitors to themain exhibition house wereinvited to find the unobtru-sive sprinkler heads.

Wherever the Wirsbo Fire ProtectionSystem is placed, householders may beconfident that each installed solutionhas been hydraulically engineered anddesigned. The number of sprinkler headsrequired varies according to the specificsize and layout of the property.

The system also incorporates thepatented Homesafe Alarm. This soundsprior to, but without delaying, sprinkleractivation, ensuring occupants are alert-ed to a fire hazard as soon as possible.High quality approved components fromEspa UK and Tyco also ensure systemreliability.

Homesafe founder Bill Butler is talkingto academic institutions and professionaltrade bodies to promote best practicewithin the industry. Hand in hand withhis endeavours for the Wirsbo Fire Pro-tection System to do well is his determi-nation that the industry gets it right.

To date, there have been no fire-related deaths worldwide in anydwelling with working sprinklersinstalled.

For further information on any aspect of the Wirsbo Fire Protection System, please contact Homesafe on telephonenumber ++44 (0)1706 831007, fax++44 (0)1706 222315, or email us [email protected].


55

WWIIRRSSBBOO//HOMESAFE

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AN AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE domestic fire protectionsystem has finally reached UK homes, due to

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:08 pm Page 55

Characterization Teststo satisfy the EssentialRequirements of theCPD

The aim of the CPD is to set up aHarmonised European market forconstruction products. In order for

this to be achieved, it has been neces-sary to develop a unique system of test-ing and classifying products for theirperformance in everyday use as well asin fire situations. The testing andapproval system is intended to satisfythe wider European need, to removetechnical barriers to trade withinEurope. Under the auspices of the CPD,the European Commission issued man-dates to initiate the development ofEuropean Technical Specificationsdetailing the minimum essential Health& Safety requirements for products.

In many cases, the mandatoryrequirements for complying with therequirements are some time off, how-ever, for Building Hardware, we are with-in months of seeing the first productson the market with all of the require-ments met and with products appropri-ately marked. For Building Hardware,the importance of the essential require-ments is only really highlighted whenthe items are used in connection with afire scenario, be it a fire resistingdoorset or an escape door in the case ofa fire. For example, is it really that criti-cal that the door closer works adequatelyon a non-fire resisting doorset? The

main purpose of the non-fire doorset isgenerally for provision of privacy andthat is not a consideration under anyessential requirement. However, once anitem of building hardware is used inconjunction with a fire resisting doorsetthe importance of the doorset as awhole, including the item of hardware,is raised significantly. The result is thatthe second essential requirement underthe CPD, Safety in the Case of Fire,needs to be addressed. This is also trueof items of hardware that are fitted todoorsets used as final exit doors for thepurpose of escape in the event of a fireas these serve an essential function ofsafety in the case of a fire. All thismeans that the requirements writtenwithin the relevant product standardswill have to be complied with in orderfor the product to be placed on theEuropean market should the item ofhardware require to be used on a firedoor or a fire escape door.

The process for attesting conformity

of the products is becoming clearer tothe industry as the relevant bodies begindiscussions with the trade associationsand individual manufacturers. It is clearthat greater emphasis is placed on the‘product’ as a consequence of the devel-opment of the Product Standards. It isfrom the requirements within the prod-uct standards, which have interpretedthe mandates in an Annex (Annex Z),that the need for the testing is deter-mined. They will vary from productgroup to product group but are generallysimilar for most critical elements ofBuilding Hardware such as hinges,closers, exit devices etc. The type oftests required on each product will alsobe dictated by the intended end use forthat product.

Within the new, harmonised, system,there was a need to provide identicaltest methods across the whole ofEurope and move away from differentNational test methods. In doing so,there are inevitably some changes to


5656

CHANGES FOR BUILDING

HARDWARE

New test methods and product standards have been developedto European legislation and products will be required to meet thedesignated minimum level of performance in order to carry theCE mark. This article addresses these issues with respect tobuilding hardware. CHRIS MILES gives an overview of theproduct characterisation tests required to satisfy the essentialrequirements of the Construction Products Directive (CPD), andlooks at aspects of attestation of conformity with respect to CEmarking of building hardware.

CHANGES FOR BUILDING

HARDWARETesting and Certification for

Building HardwareTesting and Certification for

Building Hardware

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test regimes previously used in the UK.Many of the major changes in the test-ing regime for fire resistance havealready been well documented inadvance of the change from BS 476:Part 20, to BS EN 1363-1. It is nowaccepted that conducting European fireresistance tests will provide a basis formutual acceptance of test results fromall laboratories across Europe. This hasto be a big advantage to any manufac-turer that currently sells across Nationalboundaries within Europe. However, theneed to provide for commonalitybetween test methods has resulted insome changes, which, in some countries,may have a detrimental effect on theperformance of some products. One areaof particular concern for building hard-ware is timber-based doorsets. Thechanges in the test methods are likely toaffect timber materials and products,which can be exploited by a higher fur-nace pressure, more so than other prod-ucts. This is particularly true whenelements of metal are placed in the sus-ceptible areas such as the leaf or frameedge.

PRODUCT STANDARDSA completely new aspect of the Euro-pean system is the existence of “har-monised” product standards. In order toprovide a consistent approach to theattestation of conformity for the hun-dreds of products sold within Europe,product standards were developed whichgive the characteristics and requirementsfor each product type. These har-monised product standards will also, intheir Annex Z, give the level of attesta-tion for a particular use.

As a result of the numerous variationswithin each product standard, spacedoes not allow each requirement foreach type of product to be listed here.However, typical and common require-ments taken from the documents arelisted as examples.

Particular scenarios for mechanicaltesting of Building Hardware, in addi-tion to any fire test requirements are:

● Certain design requirements

● Corrosion resistance

● Performance requirements such as:– release forces and abuse resistance

for exit devices– efficiency, temperature dependency

for door closers– static load and endurance for

hinges.

The above list is definitely notexhaustive and will include other moreproduct specific requirements once theproduct standards are looked at in moredetail.

The above tests will provide a classifi-cation code, which will contain a mini-mum of 6 digits signifying each of thedifferent aspects. An example is shownbelow:

This classification code will vary inthe numbers of boxes, and consequentlyin the number of digits, from producttype to product type. Aside from thewhole aspect of issuing classifications,which make it easier to translate a codeproduced in UK into Germany forinstance, the code is important for anumber of reasons. Firstly, it enables theuser to easily identify the products thatare suited to the performance of thedoorset. This is true for all the hardwareitems being used on the doorset. There-fore, it also enables a whole suite ofproducts to be used, which are compat-ible, for instance, there is no point usinga closer which is suitable for 200,000cycles if the hinge will cease workingafter 50,000 cycles. Additionally, thecode identifies the ability of the item tobe used on a fire-resisting door. This isprovided by the 4th digit, which can be

a 0 or a 1, the latter designating thatthe “intended use” may be on a fireresisting doorset.

FIRE TESTINGThere is currently no European widesmall scale test method for evaluatinghardware when they are to be used onfire resisting doorsets which means thatall type tests will have to be conductedas part of a full scale fire test specimen.There is a draft small-scale methodunder development but there is as yetno anticipated date for formal consulta-tion to be started let alone for a draft tobe available for public comment. Thismeans that the scope of the hardwarewill be determined by the fire tests thatare conducted on the actual elements ofhardware. For example, if the item ofhardware was fire tested on a steeldoorset, it is probably not appropriate tofit it onto a timber doorset or vice versa.The examples that could be used areendless but it is important to rememberthat the document that is provided atthe end of the process may, and prob-ably will, be used across many countrieswithin Europe. Therefore, it is essentialthat the same system for interpretingthe test evidence is also used to ensureacceptability across National boundaries.This means that the scope of acceptabil-ity of the hardware will need to beclosely ‘policed’ so that its appropriate-ness to particular doorsets is clear. Thisarea is still in need of some develop-ment by sector groups under the EU‘umbrella’ but what is clear is that thescope of applicability will be controlledby a third party and not by the manu-facturer as currently happens for themajority of products in the UK. This is


57

Pic: Warrington Fire Research Group


3 7 6 1 1 3

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as a result of the importance of the fireaspects of the doorset. The Annex Z ofthe product standards gives clearinstruction that building hardware usedon fire resisting or fire escape doors issystem 1 attestation and as such therewill be an implicit need for the wholeoperation to be overseen by a certifica-tion body, such as Warrington Certifica-tion Limited. If the hardware has nointended use on a fire resisting doorsetor an escape door then it will be outsidethe scope of the Mandate, and conse-quently compliance with any productstandards will remain voluntary.

NOTIFIED BODIES It is clear then, that the method ofproof of compliance – that is, the levelof attestation of conformity – with therequirements of the European technicalspecification will be high. Fire doors andassociated hardware, having been desig-nated a System 1 level of attestation,have the highest level required for anyof the product groups. What does thismean in practice? Essentially it meansthat these products will have to be thesubject of independent third party certi-fication provided by bodies such asWarrington Certification who are ‘noti-fied’ or ‘designated’ for the purpose.Testing and classification procedures areaspects of attestation of conformity thatare the responsibility of Notified Bodies.These include test laboratories, certifica-tion bodies and inspection bodies,which have been notified by the Mem-ber State to the Commission. Notifica-tion is the process whereby a memberstate recognises an approval body’scapabilities and credentials to performvarious tasks as part of the attestationprocess and ‘notifies’ the EuropeanCommission to that effect. The Group ofNotified Bodies was established toensure mutual confidence and trans-parency of information relating to attes-tation of conformity across theCommunity.

THE PROCESS OF CERTIFICATIONThe two main elements of certificationare initial type testing and factory pro-duction control. Within this there aretasks defined for the manufacturer andthe certification body.

The manufacturer is required to oper-ate the factory production control sys-tem and to conduct appropriate sampletesting as part of the quality plan.

The certification body is responsiblefor conducting initial type tests on theproduct, for conducting an initialinspection of the factory and of the fac-tory production control, and also forcontinuous surveillance, assessment and

approval of factory production control.All aspects of the performance and

manufacture have to be verified by the notified certification body, beforethe product can legally be placed on themarket.

Although the factory production con-trol system does not have to be to ISO9000, for those companies who have itthere should be few surprises exceptthat the factory production control willneed to be more product-orientated andaddress more specifically those para-meters, which will affect performance ofthe product.

The most significant change underthe CPD is that for fire doors and fireescape doors at the System 1 level ofattestation is that the certification bodyis obliged to take responsibility for veri-fying compliance with all EssentialRequirements. For building hardware, itwill be necessary to conduct initial typetests for mechanical and fire require-ments and to provide certification fromthose tests. Warrington Fire ResearchGroup are in the ideal position to assistmanufacturers in obtaining the CE markas within the WFR Group, WarringtonAPT and Warrington Certification areleaders in the field of hardware testingand certification. To assist manufactur-ers further Warrington Certification haverecently launched the ACE Programmewhich will ‘hold the manufacturer’shand’ through the whole process, auto-matically informing them of the stepsnecessary to be able to CE mark on theappropriate dates.

A manufacturer, having satisfied thecertification body that his product con-forms to the requirements of the prod-uct standard, is then able to affix the CE mark to his product. There are,

inevitably, rules governing the use ofthe mark but essentially the mark meansit can be legally placed on the Europeanmarket and the accompanying docu-mentation will specify the performance,the field of application and any limita-tions on use. It is important to reflecton the status of the CE mark and itslimitations. It is not a quality mark. Itsimply shows that a product has met theminimum requirements established forit, and that it is deemed fit to be placedon the European market and complieswith the minimum regulatory require-ments of Member States. Although fourMember States, including the UK, havedeclared that they will not make CEmarking for construction productsmandatory. However, this is largely aca-demic since there still remains an oblig-ation on manufacturers to comply withthe requirements of the CPD and ofcourse the logical and simplest way todo that is to comply with the require-ments for, and to apply the CE mark!That aside it is considered that manu-facturers will find that the market willdemand CE marking. Certainly productsmanufactured in States requiring CEmarking will be so marked and thus maybe expected to have the edge over prod-ucts without the mark.


5858


The good news for a significantnumber of UK building hardwaremanufacturers, who have sub-scribed on a voluntary basis tothird party product certificationsuch as CERTIFIRE, is that they willbe in a position to apply the CEMark as soon as the product stan-dards become available.

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:09 pm Page 58


59

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:09 pm Page 59

RegulationsThe need for fire-resis-tant glass in facades iswell recognised in nationalregulations around theworld, to varying degreesdepending on fire history.The most pertinentexample of this is Japan,where the almost totaldestruction of a city inthe prefecture of Akita in1978 led the authoritiesto focus on stopping firespread from one buildingto another. The high pre-mium on space in Japanand the closeness ofbuildings means that there is widespreaduse of fire-resistant glass in facades. Asimilar danger is recognised across bothEurope and the USA, where the focus ison providing protected access and exitways and limiting fire movement alongthe outside within the building of fire ori-gin, as well as preventing fire spread frombuilding to building.

Common applications for fire-resistantglass in facades are, for example, wheretwo buildings are close together (eg 3mapart), either side of an internal re-entrantcorner to prevent fire jumping across thecorner, where glazing adjoins an externalescape route (eg along a flat roof or bythe side of an escape ladder), where the

building adjoins a pedestrian pathway atground level, and on adjacent floor levelsto prevent fire movement up the facadeby progressive fire break out and break inthrough the glazing. Whether the glazingremains intact or not can be a dominantfcator determining the rate of fire spreadand the fierceness of the fire, determinedby the supply of fresh oxygen or not.

Demands on Fire-Resistant Glass Facades

However, fire-resistant glass facades arenot straightforward, and there are some

special demands. Mostimportantly, the fire-resistant glass must beinstalled in an appropri-ate fire rated externalframing system. It isn’t aquestion of just using aninternal system. Mostcertainly not. The fram-ing system must be espe-cially designed with therequirements of externalglazing in mind, ofcourse tightness againstrainwater. This meanspaying attention to thenormal requirements forexternal frames in addi-tion to fire performance,most importantly that

the frame should be drained and venti-lated against condensation. Other designparameters, such as wind, or snow, load-ing may also be important. Compared tointernal systems, the number of approvedexternal systems are far fewer and thechoice more limited. The installationmust also be installed only by specialistfacade system or glazing companies whocan demonstrate the necessary experi-ence. The overall glazing specificationalso has to be taken account of – andthere are a number of multifunctionalcombinations that may be required, to beintegrated within the glazing withoutimpairing its fire resistant function.

It isn’t just the individual glazing


6060

Pic: PILKINGTON

Fire-Resistant Glazing forBuildingFacades

Fire-Resistant Glazing forBuildingFacades

By Mike Wood of PILKINGTON, Germany

GLASS IS, OF COURSE, an automatic choice forbuilding facades. We use it primarily to let light inand to give us a view on the outside world whilstkeeping the weather out. Glass is used because ofthe dramatic visual effects it can give to a building,frequently a distinctive stylish signature or an eye-catching aesthetic impact. Further benefits are tolimit heat loss, to maximise overall heat gain in

winter or to control solar heating and the sun’s glareat times of high solar intensity. We might also thinkabout acoustic insulation or security against breakin. Rarely does fire protection come first to mind.

And yet there isn’t one of us who hasn’t consideredthe potentially horrific effects of fire in our high

density, high rise urban centres.

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:09 pm Page 60

element that has to be considered either.The whole facade is a major linked con-struction. The fire-resistant glazed facadetherefore has to take into account expan-sion allowances and the mechanicalstability of long runs of vertical and hori-zontal metal framing members underprospective fire conditions. The weight ofthe facade elements and structural load-ings may also be important. The linkagebetween individual fire-resistant moduleshas to be considered, particularly withregard to fire stopping, and there is alsothe question of flat or inclined glazedroofs to be decided, which may requirespecial fire tests to be carried out. Theprovision of fire-resistant glazing facadestherefore becomes more of an engineer-ing question than is the case for internalfire-resistant partitions and doors.

TestingThe standard fire tests carried outaccording to national standards do nottest whole facade systems. The scalerequired is too large and the cost toohigh for routine tests. Yet, how can wecheck that the extrapolation from singleglazed element tests to the whole facadesystem is predictable, safe and reliable?PILKINGTON has taken the opportunity tocarry out a large scale fire simulation trialon a rig developed at the former LPC lab-oratory in Borehamwood, UK. No othersystem or manufacturer was tested. TheLPC had carried out a programme of 19tests on standard non-fire resistant glassfacades in response to a major concernfrom insurance companies on the risingcosts of property damage, due to bothfire and associated water damage. Thesetests highlighted the curtainwall as apoint of weakness. The results showedthat standard annealed glass in insulatingglass units cracked within 6 to 13 min-utes of ignition of the test fire. They also

showed that toughened glass, for exam-ple in spandrel panels, shattered explo-sively. The effects in terms of firebreakout were dramatic.

Full Scale Facade TestAt the end of the LPC programme,PILKINGTON sponsored a test on a com-mercially available fire-resistant facadesystem.

The test rig was 7.4m high by 6mwide, simulating two floors of a buildingwith two rooms, one above the other,each sized 6m x 4m x 3.3m high. The rigwas totally glazed along the front face,installed in the same way as it would beon a real building. The test glazingincluded PILKINGTON Pyrodur as the innerpanel of a double glazed unit, with an


61

Pic: PILKINGTON Pic: PILKINGTON

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:09 pm Page 61

outer panel of standard float glass. Fire-rated toughened spandrels were installedin the non-vision areas. Individual panesizes were 1.8m by 1.5m.

The fire was lit in the centre of thebottom floor, using a timber and plasticcrib of calorific value of 15MJ/kg to givea relatively steady heat release rate of3MW. This was specifically chosen toreproducibly simulate the possible fireload in a typical office environment. Fireplume temperatures quickly rose to 800°Cin three minutes, providing a high ele-ment of thermal shock right at the start,reaching a peak of 900°C after 35 min-utes. The test was allowed to run for aslong as it took the fire to burn itself out,around 45 minutes.

Within five minutes of ignition, theintumescent interlayer of the glazing inthe fire chamber started to foam at atemperature around 120°C to provide anopaque heat and flame barrier. The intu-mescence proceeded quickly and evenlyacross the glass face, being completewithin only a few minutes. Once the ini-tial foaming had taken place, the glassremained unchanged for the remainder ofthe test. The effect was to totally blockout the fire and heat as seen from theoutside.

An important consideration in facadesituations is radiant heat, which can atrelatively low intensity levels (eg 15 to20kW/m2) cause ignition of combustiblematerials, as well as serious burns evenfor those wearing protective clothing. Themeasured radiant heat in the large scalefacade test on the outer surface of theglazing was never more than 1kW/m2.Furthermore, the temperature of the out-side of the glazing took more than 35minutes to rise above 100°C. Such a highlevel of performance restricting heattransfer through the facade, in additionto the prevention of external flaming, isof particular importance in protectingfirefighters working on the outside, aswell as restricting spread of fire.

During the full time of the test, the PILK-INGTON PyrodurTM glass units remainedunbroken and the fire was totally con-

tained within the room of origin. The visionareas and spandrel panels remainedintact, as did the steel framing members.There was no fire breakout through thefacade.


6262

Pic: PILKINGTON

Fire-ResistantGlazing for BuildingFacades

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Quality Fire Resistance Testing

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:09 pm Page 62


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The adoption of codes and stan-dards in the fire protection indus-try, as well as increased public

awareness of safety practices, haveresulted in substantial reductions in lossof life and property damage due to theeffects of fire. When it comes to specialhazards systems, two sets of standardsare of global significance – thosecreated by the International StandardsOrganization (ISO) and the National Fire

Protection Association (NFPA).This article will outline both ISO and

NFPA standards that apply to cleanagent, foam, carbon dioxide and dryand wet chemical suppression systems.For details on the standards, visit theorganizations’ web sites at www.iso.organd www.nfpa.org.

HALON SYSTEMSISO 7201-1 provides specifications forHalon 1301 and Halon 1211 installa-tions. ISO 7201-2 provides a code ofpractice for safe handling and transferprocedures of Halon 1301 and 1211. Inthe United States, NFPA 12A is thetechnical standard that covers design-ing, installing, testing, inspecting,approving, listing, operating, main-


6464

By MITCH LEBOVIC, CAE

Standards for SSppeecciiaall HHaazzaarrddssSSuupppprreessssiioonn SSyysstteemmss

Enquiries: www.thefireshop.com

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:10 pm Page 64

taining, decommissioning, and remov-ing halogenated agent extinguishingsystems.

Because Halon was found to be apotential ozone depleter, there are alsoguidelines for proper handling and dis-posal of the agent. Two excellentsources of information are the HalonAlternatives Research Corporation(www.harc.org) and the Halon UsersNational Consortium (www.hunc.org).

HALON ALTERNATIVES

With the ban on Halon manufacturecame the development of environmen-tally-friendly alternative clean agents. Aseparate set of standards applies tothese agents. From ISO, standard14520 applies to gaseous fire extin-guishing systems. ISO 14520 is com-prised of 14 parts. Part one coversgeneral requirements and Parts twothrough 14 cover agent-specificrequirements. The agents are catego-rized into two distinct classes, halocar-bon and inert. Halocarbon agents actlargely by heat absorption, althoughhaving some chemical effect on theflame combustion reactions. Inertagents contain reactive gases that actprimarily by oxygen depletion.

From NFPA, standard 2001 addressesthe design, installation, testing, in-spection, operation, and maintenanceof the new gaseous agent fire suppres-sion systems. It also specifies com-ponents for clean agent systems,including agent supply, distributionand detection, actuation and controlsystems. Information and minimumrequirements are included for 11 cleanagents.

The most notable difference betweenISO 14520 and NFPA 2001 is a changein the safety factor used in calculatingthe design concentration of extinguish-ing agents in air. Traditionally, thedesign concentration was 1.2 times theCup Burner value but a more rigorousapproach has been taken in that thesafety factor has been increased to 1.3times the maximum concentrationrequired to extinguish fires.

Many years’ experience has shownthat a factor of 1.2 was adequate andNFPA 2001 retains a factor of 1.2 forClass A and C risks. The EuropeanCommunity felt that a higher factorwas more appropriate for new installa-tions. However, unless specificallyrequired by the user, existing systemsare considered perfectly adequate anddo not need to be modified.

CARBON DIOXIDE

NFPA 12 provides minimum require-ments for installation and maintenanceof carbon dioxide extinguishing sys-tems. The standard is prepared for theuse and guidance of those who pur-chase, design, install, test, inspect,approve, list, operate or maintaincarbon dioxide fire extinguishing sys-tem equipment. It covers total floodingsystems, local application systems, handhose line systems, standpipe systems,and mobile supplies.

FOAM

ISO 7203-1 provides specifications for low expansion foam concentrates


65


Enquiries: www.thefireshop.com

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:10 pm Page 65

for top application to water-immiscibleliquids. ISO 7203-3 covers specifica-tions for medium and high expansionfoam concentrates for top applicationto water-immiscible liquids.

In the United States, NFPA 11 coversthe characteristics of foam-producingmaterials used for fire protection andthe requirements for the design, instal-lation, operation, testing, and mainte-nance of equipment and systems. Alsocovered are flammable and combustibleliquid hazards and local areas withinbuildings, and storage tanks and indoorand outdoor processing areas. NFPA11A outlines the minimum requirementsfor the installation, design, operation,testing, and maintenance of mediumand high expansion foam systems.

DRY AND WET CHEMICAL

ISO 7202 covers powdered fire extin-guishing media. In the United States,NFPA 17 provides minimum require-ments for dry chemical extinguishingsystems, plus discussion of total flood-ing, local application, hand hose lines,and engineered and pre-engineeredextinguishing systems. NFPA 17A appliesto the design, installation, operation,testing, and maintenance of wet chemi-cal extinguishing systems. It includesminimum requirements for restaurantand institutional hoods, plenums, ducts,and associated cooking appliances.

APPLICATION STANDARDS

In addition to the installation standards

mentioned above, some countries haveapplication standards as well. For exam-ple, NFPA 75 is the United States’ stan-dard for the protection of electroniccomputer/data processing equipment.

“If you were putting a clean agentsystem into a United States computerroom, you would look at NFPA 75 forguidance on protecting the roomitself,” says George Krabbe, chairman ofthe board of Automatic Fire Controls inSouth Holland, Ill. and a member ofthe NFPA 75 committee. “Then, youwould look at NFPA 2001 which is theclean agent standard. You would alsohave to look at the NFPA 72 series fordetection standards.”

Krabbe adds that an applicationstandard such as NFPA 75 rarelyrequires a specific type of fire protec-tion. It simply outlines availableoptions and references appropriateinstallation standards.

Beyond application standards, Krabbesays that local electrical and buildingcodes must be followed. In many cases,those local codes refer back to nationalstandards. But, in cases where theydon’t, it’s always the more stringentcode that must be followed.

DETECTION STANDARDS

As Krabbe mentioned, anyone installinga special hazards system will also needto be informed of standards relating tofire detection. ISO 7240 is the interna-tional standard on fire detection andalarm systems.

NFPA 72, also known as the NationalFire Alarm Code, deals with the appli-cation, installation, performance, andmaintenance of protective signalingsystems and their components. This is acomprehensive guide to the design,installation, maintenance, testing, anduse of fire alarm system. In the UnitedStates, designers, installers, authoritieshaving jurisdiction and maintenancepersonnel depend on the Code as asource for safety guidelines, up-to-datetechnology and industry practices.

GLOBAL STANDARDS

There are many standard-making bodiesbeyond ISO and NFPA. In many cases,the standards adopted by these organi-zations mirror the ISO standards. Inother cases, the standards are unique.Wherever you install a special hazardssystem, check with both national andlocal governments to determine applic-able codes and standards. Here are afew national organizations that producefire protection standards.


6666




EuropeGreat BritainBritish Standards Institutewww.bsi-global.com

FranceAssociation Francaise deNormalizationwww.afnor.fr

GermanyVdS Schadenverhutungwww.vds.de

NorwayDet Norske Veritaswww.dnv.com

AustraliaFire Protection Association ofAustraliawww.fpaa.com.au

SSL Australiawww.sslaustralia.com.au

AsiaChinaTenjuin Fire Institute

KoreaKorean Fire Equipment InspectionCorporation

Hong KongHK Fire Serviceswww.info.gov.hk/hkfsd

MalaysiaBOMBAwww.bomba.gov.my

P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:10 pm Page 66


67

ARGON FIRESUPPRESSION SYSTEMS

Clean, Clear and Colorless, Argon inert gas (IG-01) Halon 1301 Alternative, fire suppression systems for occupied spaces

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P. 43-80 13/10/06 12:11 pm Page 67

Halon clean agent fire protection

As the original clean fire-extinguishing agents, Halon 1211 and Halon 1301 were widely used in a variety of appli-

cations due to a number of features, whichmade them extremely valuable to end-users.First, Halons were particularly effective as fireextinguishing agents because they acteddirectly on the chemical mechanism of thefire. This feature made them effective at rela-tively low concentrations – they did not needto “smother” the fire, which would requirehigher concentrations. This both reduced thecost of the hardware and agent needed toprotect an enclosure and increased the levelof safety for people that could be exposed todischarges of these agents.

Secondly, compared to other extinguish-ing agents, Halon products were gaseous,highly efficient and electrically non-conductive products, which left no residue.There was no consequential or downtimeassociated with post-fire clean up. They hadlow levels of toxicity and were also effectiveon class A, B and C rated fires making themapplicable to numerous applications

Halon 1211, the “old” streaming agentHalon 1211, also known as BCF, was the pri-mary clean agent used in portable fire extin-guishers. This agent is delivered as a streamof droplets aimed at the source of the fire.

Unfortunately, despite all of the societalbenefits of superior fire protection, Halonswere found to have a significant, detrimentalimpact on the earth’s ozone layer. The Mon-treal Protocol, an internationally adoptedenvironmental initiative to phase-out the pro-duction of ozone depleting chemicals, man-dated a ban on Halon production after 1993.

The ban on Halons left the fire protectionindustry with the daunting task of develop-ing replacement extinguishing agents. As aleader in the area of industrial safety,

DuPont is continuously evaluating newproducts and new applications for “old”products to improve the level of industrialsafety around the world. Consistent with thismission, the DuPont Fire Extinguishantsbusiness worked aggressively to developnew, non-ozone depleting, clean fire extin-guishing agents designed to replace the“old” extinguishing agents, like Halon 1211.

DuPont™ FE-36™, the “new” streamingagentFrom the earliest development work, it wasclear that finding a “perfect” replacement forthe Halon products was going to be a signif-icant challenge. This was particularly true forHalon 1211, where its cost, toxicity and effi-ciency made finding a “look-a-like” replace-ment very difficult. Resulting from this R&Deffort, DuPont developed many of the lead-ing clean fire-extinguishing agents usedglobally today. For example, DuPont devel-oped the technology for the use of HFC-236fa as the leading global replacement forHalon 1211. HFC-236fa (hexafluoropropane)is commonly referred to in the market asDuPont™ FE-36™, a trademark of DuPont.

FE-36™ is the clean streaming agent thatcomes closest to matching Halon 1211 in itsproperties and performance, with the addedadvantage that it is a non-ozone depletingsubstance. FE-36™ is environmentally

acceptable, safe for assets and safe forpeople. FE-36™ is as close to a perfectreplacement for Halon 1211 in portableapplications as you can get.

FE-36™ versus CO2As a first reaction to the ban and phase outof Halon 1211, many end-users of portablefire extinguishers turned to Carbon Dioxide(CO2) as an immediate solution to theirproblems. Unlike FE-36™, CO2 has no directeffect on the chemical mechanism of thefire. It works by smothering and, to a limit-ed extent, cooling the fire. Because FE-36™interacts with the chemical reaction thatoccurs in a fire, it is a more effective fireextinguishant than CO2.

FE-36™ is rated for class A, B and C firesversus CO2, which is only rated for class B andC fires. FE-36™ is effective on class A firesbecause as a streaming agent it can wet theburning material thus reducing the possibilityof re-ignition. With FE-36™, the risk of choos-ing the wrong extinguisher is eliminated. SinceCO2 is not rated for class A fires, which mostapplications are classified as, a dry chemicalunit needs to be located at the fire extinguish-er station, which can cause confusion. Anexample of the cost of using the wrong agentin a fire situation is the fire that destroyed theNational Weather Service supercomputerlocated in Maryland, USA, in September 1999.In order to meet code, a CO2 and dry chemicalextinguisher were located near the supercom-puter. When an electrical fire broke out nearthe supercomputer, the dry chemical fire extin-guisher was chosen inadvertently and as aresult, the computer was destroyed. The costof the computer was US$45 million.

FE-36™ is a more effective fire extinguis-hant than CO2 requiring less agent and, asa consequence FE-36™ fire extinguishers fora given rating are smaller and substantiallylighter than CO2 ones. This can make themmore manageable and easier to use. FE-36™protects sensitive and valuable assets. It isrelatively gentle compared to CO2 in itsapplication and has no adverse effect ondelicate materials such as fabrics, paint,electronic circuits, magnetic storage materi-als. With FE-36™ there is no thermal shock,unlike CO2, which discharges from the noz-zle at temperatures as low as –50°C.

FE-36™ – Your SolutionA number of companies have already decid-ed that the savings resulting from the use ofother agents, such as CO2 extinguishers, isnot worth the risk to protect valuable assets.This is the reason why FE-36‘ portableextinguishers are selected as the most suit-able option to protect high-value assets likecomputer rooms, telecommunications facil-ities, process control rooms, museums, etc.

FE-36™ is environmentally acceptable, safefor people and safe for assets. Portable fireextinguishers containing DuPont™ FE-36™and certified by EN3 and UL are commerciallyavailable from several manufacturers. Protectwhat matters most with DuPont™ FE-36™.

DuPont de Nemours International S.A.Dupont Fire Extinguishants1218 Le Grand-SaconnexGeneva, SwitzerlandTEL: +41 22 717 5111FAX: + 41 22 717 6169www.dupont.com/fire


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P R O D U C T P R O F I L E

DDUUPPOONNTT FE-36™

DUPONT’S NEWSTREAMINGAGENT, FE-36™ – THESOLUTION YOUHAVE BEENLOOKING FOR

DUPONT’S NEWSTREAMINGAGENT, FE-36™ – THESOLUTION YOUHAVE BEENLOOKING FOR

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Danfoss pumps for water mist systems

LOOKING FOR QUICKFIRE SUPPRESSIONWITH MINIMAL WATERDAMAGE? GO FORHIGH PRESSUREWATER MISTSYSTEMS. DANFOSSPUMPS DELIVER THEWATER PRESSURE.

One of the worlds most advanced microbiological laboratories, KarolinskaInstitute in Sweden, relies on a high pressure water mist system for firesuppression. And Nessie® pumps from Danfoss deliver the water pressure.

Using high pressure water mist meets some very significant require-ments, like being harmless to people and environment, extinguishing firevery quickly with minimum amount of water causing only little or no waterdamage, and being a lightweight and space saving system.

The areas using water mist systems are rapidly expanding. From themarine and offshore sectors where they have increased safety onboard tosegments like tunnels, computer rooms, in machinery spaces and fastresponse vehicles.

To get the best results using a minimum amount of water, the dropsizes should be smaller than 50 micron, but not larger than 200 micron. Toget this and still have a reasonable reach, a high pressure system is theoptimum solution.

Danfoss pumps Nessie® radial high pressure piston pumps from Danfoss are more and moreoften used because of their low weight, high efficiency and ability to gen-erate uniform pressure without pressure peaks. Furthermore, these pumpsare maintenance free in operation.

Combined with the nozzle inserts and the valve programme, a one-stopsupplier of components for designing and building water mist systems,Danfoss is a preferred component sub-supplier for high pressure water mistsystem suppliers around the world. On request we can also deliver custom-made ready-to-use pump units.

Founded in 1933 in Denmark, Danfoss is today a truly global companywith sales companies and representatives in more than 100 countries and20000 employees.

BEAM DETECTOR PUTS CONTROLS WITHIN EASYREACH

An optical beam smoke detector from FireFighting Enterprises allows the user tocarry out basic control functions from aconvenient location at floor level. FireRay2000 comprises an infrared transmitter, areceiver and a compact, wall-mountedcontroller. Unlike detectors with built-incontrol electronics, the separate controllerallows adjustment of sensitivity levels,

and checking of alarm and fault status, without the need to climb up toceiling level or go to the building’s main fire control panel.

Two versions of the controller are available. The standard FireRay 2000unit operates a single beam detector, while for larger installations, themulti-channel FireRay MW version can control up to four devices.

With a single detector able to protect an area of up to 1500 m2, FireRay2000 is suitable for installation in most buildings with large interior spacesand high ceilings. Typical applications include commercial premises such aswarehouses, factories and malls. In addition, because one device protectsan area that would require up to 15 point detectors, the beam detector isideal for historical buildings where delicate plasterwork makes extensivecabling undesirable.

A drift compensation feature ensures that gradual reduction in signalstrength (caused by either a build-up of dust or slight movement of thebuilding) does not result in an unwanted alarm. Also, the detector is ableto “ignore” momentary blockage of the beam by insects or birds, whilecontinuous obstruction by an opaque obstacle will cause it to register afault at the controller.

Suitable for supply voltages between 12 and 24 V DC, FireRay 2000 hasa low current consumption, making it easy to integrate into detection and

alarm systems. In its quiescent state, the controller draws 8 mA at 24 V DCper channel, while the transmitter draws 5 mA at 24 V DC. The receiver ispowered by the controller

Fogtec water mist systems are an efficient and environmentallyfriendly alternative to Halon, deluge and gas extinguishing systems for theprotection of accommodation and machinery areas on offshore platforms.

Particularly gas turbines represent one of the largest risks on offshoreplatforms, which can ideally be protected with a Fogtec water mist system.

Because there is no other extinguishing agent having the same coolingability like water, Fogtec systems use high pressure water mist to generate adroplet size distribution giving the optimal combination of a large reactionsurface for the heat transfer and the minimum size for sufficient momen-tum of the droplets.

Numerous tests have proven, that water mist generated by Fogtec sys-tems can reduce the temperature during liquid fuel fires much faster andmore efficiently than most conventional systems because of the compara-tively poor cooling properties of gas and deluge systems.

The water mist leads to an immediate drop in temperature in case offire and protects nearby objects and people from radiant heat. Pure water isno danger to people and can be activated immediately after detection ofthe fire. The smoke scrubbing effect of Fogtec systems, thus binding ofsmoke particles and washing of water soluble gases, considerably reducesemissions compared to deluge and gas extinguishing systems. Fogtec hassuccessfully undergone approval testing the system for gas turbine protec-tion according to FM standards.

LPCB APPROVAL FOR LPG ARGONLPG’s ARGON Fixed Fire Fighting Com-ponents have been approved by LPCB.

The extinguishing agent used in LPGARGON systems is Argon, an inert gas thatis found in the atmosphere and so it isreadily available and easy to refill, unlikeblended mixtures. LPG Argon fire extin-guishing systems are based on the prin-ciple of reducing the oxygen concentrationin the protected hazard, suppressing fire by suffocation.

THE NATURAL EXTINGUISHANT● Naturally occurring gas● Zero Ozone Depletion Potential● Zero Global Warming Potential● Safe for using in occupied areas● Doesn’t leave residues● No ice formation● Low refill costs (it isn’t blended mixture)

LPG’s Argon system has been developed through a continuous R&Dprogramme carried out in its own testing laboratory including combustionchambers. Both the required hardware and software have been develop inaccordance with International Standards, holding at present VdS and LPCBapprovals.

Since 1985, LPG has been researching, designing, manufacturing andsupplying a wide range of fixed fire extinguishing systems to protect lifeand property. Among LPG’s most important products are the total floodingsystems based on gaseous extinguishing agents such as FM-200TM, FE-13TM LPCB, CNPP and VNIPO approved, CO2 VdS and VNIPO approved,ARGON LPCB, VdS and VNIPO approved, and also WATER MIST systems.The Company currently has ISO 9001 Quality Certification by the GermanTÜV and ISO 9002 by LPCB of the United Kingdom.

LPG has also developed a weighing system, which simplifies the processof controlling the extinguishing agent charge in the cylinders. This systemis approved by VNIPO.

Product Update ● Product Update ● Product Update

For more information, please contact: Danfoss A/S, Fax: +45 7445 3831 E-mail: [email protected].

For more information, please contact : Fogtec Brandschutz Gmbh & Co KG

Fax +49 221 96 223 30 E-Mail: [email protected]

For more information, please call: Fire Fighting Enterprises Limited

Fax +44 (0) 1438 722136 E-mail [email protected]

For more information, please contact: LPG Técnicas en Extinción de Incendios, S.A.Fax: +34 93 473 7492 E-mail: [email protected]

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SensaSensa’s Linear HeatDetection Systemuses fibre optic Dis-tributed TemperatureSensing (DTS) tech-nology. This systemis ideally suited forfire detection andenvironmental moni-toring in tunnels and

other high risk areas. Sensa’s Systems provide real-time temperature data,which can link into the tunnel or building management and control systemto maximise safety, optimise tunnel and asset availability and provide con-dition monitoring for power cables in ducts and tunnels.

These systems offer high integrity, with multiple detection zones andalarm levels over the single length of optical fibre sensor. Hot spots andbreaks are detected to within 0.5 m over a single sensor loop, up to 8 kmlong. Fast polling times provide fast system response to alarm conditions,and continuous temperature profile information permits easy assessment offire development.

Sensa’s range of Linear Heat Detection systems can cover various dis-tances of up to 8 km from one optoelectronics unit. Protective optionsincluding stainless steel SensorTube are available. The sensing elementcontains no electronic components and is therefore ideal for harsh environ-ments, and is economical to maintain.

The system can output to relays, Modbus and PC visualisation concur-rently. Tunnel operators, power utilities, constructors and engineers canbenefit from Sensa’s Linear Heat Detection Systems.

SUPERINTENSIVE FOAM FLOODINGA revolution in tank fire extinguishment

Foam is the most suitableagent to extinguish firesin a storage tank con-taining flammable liquids.Foam application ratesare traditionally NFPA-11based and are typically4.1 l/min/m2 for fixedsystems, 6.5 l/min/m2 formonitor application, and12.2 l/min/m2 for rimseal areas.

It is known that doubling or tripling the standard foam application rateresults in a very high success rate of extinguishment.

Using conventional methods to achieve such a high application raterequires a lot of foam generators, many foam pourers, high water pumpingrate and very high foam proportioning capacity. This means there are costimplications that prohibit the selection of such a system.

Superintensive Foam Flooding ● IFEX Engineering Co. in Hungary developed a revolutionary new extin-

guishing concept, using 5-10 times higher foam solution intensity, thanthe traditional recommendations prescribe. That is the SuperintensiveFoam Flooding (SFF).

● It uses extremely high foam flow rates, which is provided by the newfoam application device, called Continuous Linear Nozzle (CLN).

● The feeding of the CLN requires a high performance foam supply sys-tem. The most suitable foam supply system is the Self Expanding Foamsystem (SEF). There are two alternatives: the fixed SEF foam supply sys-tem or the mobile SEF foam supply system.

● One of the advantages of the Self Expanding Foam concept is, that ithas no release rate limitations. By combining the SEF method with thenewly developed high capacity CLN, it is easy to achive the applicationrates of 20-30 l/min/m2.

● The result of this combination is a highly efficient system. Tests carriedout on a 500m2 gasoline tank on fire repeatedly resulted in extinguish-ment in less than 30 seconds. The reliability of the system is very high,the valve is the only moving part.

● The SEF storage vessel can be fixed, located near to the hydrocarbontank, or mobile and carried by a truck.

Advantages of the SEF system over conventional systems● Requires considerably lower capital investment.● Requires considerable lower operating costs.● The system is fully autonomous and does not require water system

backup.

● It does not require external energy sources like fire truck or electric pump. ● Is so simple that making mistakes under stressful fire conditions is

unlikely.● Its simplicity eliminates the need for specialists to operate and maintain

the system.● Uses a perfectly proportioned foam, mixed under calm and controlled

conditions.● The foam is stored under pressure; no pump or other pressure raising

source is required.● The pressure of the container determines the expansion; no aspirating

device is required.● Produces optimum quality foam at all flow rates. ● Its flow rate is virtually unlimited; pumps, proportioners and aspirating

devices are not there. ● Very high foam producing rates can be easily achieved at modest cost.● Has only a few key elements requiring regular inspection.

DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRONIC DATAPROCESSING PROTECTIONProtection of High Value Assets andData is vital to modern day companies,many companies have moved frommanpower to machine power relyingheavily on the technology to assist intheir day-to-day operations.

Normal protection of this equipment would entail a complicated systemdesign along with a considerable cost to the user for the installation ofsuch a system; large applications also involve considerable system down-time and clean up operations in the event of a false activation or real fireactivation affecting only one part of the area.

With this in mind redetec™ was developed by Tailored Fire Products toprovide a cost effective solution to protection of this essential equipment.

redetec™ is a compact unit for use in 19” equipment racks; the unit isgenerally located at the top of the cabinet which affords greater protectionof the equipment situated below. Within the redetec™ unit is a choice ofdetection, an array of control features and a choice of extinguishing agent –all situated within the aesthetically pleasing 2U (88mm) high control panel.

AdvantagesOne of the major advantages of redetec™ is its simplicity, once the type ofunit has been decided it is simply matter of plugging it into the mains supplyand the cabinet is protected. Of course the redetec™ comes complete with24hr battery back up as standard and is packed with many more features.

The unit has an array of remote outputs and inputs for communicationto other monitoring equipment.

The amount of extinguishing agent required to suppress a fire within acabinet is minimal which allows the agent to be mounted within the con-trol panel, this of course comes as standard.

ApplicationsThere are many applications for redetec™ which range from a single officewith a small server to a large EDP room with hundreds of cabinets.

Types of Extinguishing AgentAt the moment redetec™ can utilise both Pyrogen® and FM200® redetec™ is a trademark of tailored fire productsFM200®™ is a registered trademark of Great Lakes Chemical CorporationPyrogen®™ is a registered trademark of Pyrogen Ltd

2ND INTERNATIONAL WATER MIST CONFERENCEIN AMSTERDAMAfter the first successful annual conference in April this year in Vienna,Austria, the venue and date for the 2002 symposium have been determinedrecently. This event to be organized by the IWMA is, hence, the 2ndInternational Water Mist Conference. The conference is scheduled for April10-12 and will be held in cooperation with independent institutions whoare members of the IWMA. They are going to provide the necessaryscientific support for the symposium. The Parkhotel in Amsterdam, TheNetherlands, was chosen as next year’s location.

Product Update ● Product Update ● Product Update

For more information, please contact: Sensa, Fax: +44(0)2380 275305 E-mail: [email protected]

For more information, please contact: T F E X Engineering Co.

Fax: + 361 249 2114 E-mail: [email protected]

For more information, please contact Tailored Fire ProductsFax: +44 (0)1204 380 474 E-mail: [email protected]

For more information, please contact IWMAFax: +49 39 202 85 250 E-mail: [email protected]

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SharpEye™ FlameDETECTORS

The SharpEye Flame Detectors incorporate advanced optical spectralanalysis of flames and are contained in rugged, explosion-proof aluminumor stainless steel housings. SharpEye Flame Detectors operate reliablyin the harsh conditions of offshore drilling and production platforms,FPSO vessels, fuel loading facilities, LNG and LPG plants, oil refineries,aircraft hangars, paint spray booths, gas turbine power stations, chemicaland petrochemical plants.The SharpEye Flame Detectors are approved by internationallyaccepted Standards Institutes such as FM (Factory Mutual), CENELEC(Europe), CSA (Canada), SAA (Australia). These detectors employthe latest UV (Ultra Violet), IR (Infrared), UV/IR (Ultra Violet &Infrared), IR3 (Triple IR multi-spectrum detection) and the new uniqueCCTV flame detection technologies.SharpEye offers an unmatched performance and reliability range ofproducts including theworld's fastest UV/IRflame detector (under 2milliseconds) with thegreatest immunity tofalse alarms, as well asthe world’s leading TripleIR ( IR3) patentedtechnology that enablesthe detection of smallfires at long distancesw h i l e p r o v i d i n genhanced immunity tofalse alarms.

SHARPEYE UNMATCHEDPERFORMANCE AND QUALITY

SHARPEYE RANGEOF FLAME DETECTORS

IR Optical Flame Detectors

UV Optical Flame Detectors

UV/IR Optical Flame Detectors

Ultra Fast UV/IR Optical Flame Detectors

Military UV/IR Optical Flame Detectors

IR3 Optical Flame Detectors

Fast IR3 Optical Flame Detectors

CCTV Flame Detector

• Oil and gas production, processing, transportation and storage areas• Fuel loading terminals• Aircraft hangars• Nuclear power stations• Chemical production, processing, transportation and storage areas• Warehouses and storage facilities• Waste disposal facilities• Ammunition work stations• Polymers, paper, timber, semiconductor industries• Ammonia and urea industries• Various unmanned indoor and outdoor high-risk areas

TYPICAL FLAME DETECTION APPLICATIONS

The entire range of SharpEyeexplosion-proof flame detectorscovers offshore installations

SafEye Optical Open Path (Line-of-Sight) Gas Detectors are installed

on numerous FPSO vessels andoffshore platforms in the UK and

Norwegian sectors of the North Sea

Propane storage facilitiesprotected by SafEye Open Path

Gas Detection Systems

SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) advancedflame detectors are installed inindustrial indoor and outdoorapplications such as aircraft hangars,petrochemical plants, automotiveindustries and power generationfacilities

Oil and GasAPPLICATIONS

SharpEye Flame Detectors and SafEyeOpen Path Gas Detector Perimeter

(fence line) Monitoring Systems protecta typical petrochemical plant

SafEye™ Gas DetectionSYSTEMS

The SafEye range of "line-of-sight" optical gas detectors features anew generation of Open Path IR and UV detection. Open pathspectroscopy offers unprecedented reliability in real-time monitoringof gaseous emissions over large areas, rendering it the acceptedtechnology for industrial and environmental applications. The systemsprovide exceptional detection capability of gas/vapor concentrationsranging from as low as Parts Per Million (PPM) levels to Lower ExplosiveLimit (LEL) levels in a wide range of hazardous conditions and ambientair monitoring.The SafEye system employs a unique flash light source coupled withoptical detectors and mathematical algorithms to spectrally analyze anair path ranging from 2 ft. to 450 ft. (0.6m - 140m) with high detectionsensitivity in both UV and IR spectral bands. The system is compatiblewith a wide range of control systems providing multiple outputs (drycontacts, 4-20 mA, RS-485).The open path line-of-sight gas detection system can monitor andtransmit an alarm signal prior to occurrence of fire or an explosion,identify the chemical family concerned and activate preventativesystems.The SafEye gas detection system can serve as a process controlcomponent in the chemical and petrochemical industries, or as a safetysystem in commercial and industrial applications.

SAFEYE OPTICAL OPEN PATHGAS MONITORING SYSTEMS

• Oil and gas industry - offshore and onshore platforms, refineries,storage facilities and pipelines

• Petrochemical, pharmaceutical, chemical process, storage andproduction areas

• Waste treatment and disposal sites• Hazardous materials loading docks, transportation and shipping

depots and warehouses• Compressors, turbines and pumping stations• Paint spray booths in automotive manufacturing• Fuel and gas storage loading and distribution

terminals, LNG - LPG systems and natural gas busgarages

• Process control applications including:- Gas monitoring in chemical processes- Desulfurization process (H2S)- Monitoring toxic and flammable gases in

air-ducts and air-intakes

TYPICAL GAS DETECTION APPLICATIONS

IndustrialAPPLICATIONS

SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) FlameDetectors and SafEye Open Path

Gas Detectors protect El Paso,Texas Gas Storage Tank Farms

SafEye Duct Gas Detectors protectBP installations in Prudhoe Bay,Alaska, where temperatures canreach -40˚F (-40˚C)

SharpEye and SafEye Detectors workin difficult environmental conditions

and incorporate sophisticatedalgorithms and logic to prevent false

alarms, providing fast and accuratedetection over great distances

SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) FlameDetectors and SafEye Open Path Gas

Detectors protect Brevik ChemicalWaste Treatment Plant in Norway

135 SharpEye Triple IR (IR3) FlameDetectors and 110 SafEye Open PathGas Detection Systems protectETAP (Eastern Trough Area Project),North Sea, UK, one of the world'slargest and most modern offshore oilproduction platforms

Military VehicleSYSTEMS

The Military S.A.F.E. Vehicle Automatic Fire and ExplosionDetection and Suppression System was developed toaddress the United States’ and other leading armies’

requirements for crew survivability and safety, vehiclesurvivability as well as system survivability in all operating

conditions. The systems are designed to meet strict militarystandards and specifications.

Internationally, more than 50 types of armored vehicles includingMain Battle Tanks (Leopard C1, M48, M60, T62, T72, AMX 30,Kurrassier), Armored Personnel Carriers (M113, BMR, VEC), ArmoredFighting Vehicles (Pizarro, Leonidas), Artillery vehicles (M109, M110,FAASV, CPV) and special purpose vehicles (Engineering, Recovery,Bridge Launching) have been integrated with over 9,000 S.A.F.E.systems to date. These systems were thoroughly tested, were approvedby several NATO and other leading armies. These systems are wellproven and have an excellent track record of performance andreliability.

Use of the S.A.F.E. system results in a substantial increase in crewand vehicle survival, reduced vehicle loss, increased capability andimproved morale among the troops.

The system protects against combat-initiated and slow-growth firesfeaturing high-speed optical detection in less than 3 milliseconds,explosion suppression within 150 milliseconds, multiple ultra fastextinguishing agent discharge and dispersion. Control electronicsprovide system activation logic, self and built-in test capabilities,system monitoring and communication with vehicle electronics.System components are robust, comply with the latest Mil-Specs andprovide for a highly reliable free of false alarm system.

Spectrex has accumulated worldwide experience in armored vehicleprojects involving all stages from assistance in prototype integrationthrough supervision of serial production and installation, andprovision of documentation, Integrated Logistic Support andafter sales services.

Military SystemsAPPLICATIONS

Engine Compartment Systememploys state-of-the-artdischarge and dispersiontechnologies

S.A.F.E. Systems incorporateoptical flame detectors, controlelectronics, rapid dischargecyl inders and f ie ld testequipment

Military Systems protect both crewand engine compartments of wheeled

and tracked armored personnelcarriers and fighting vehicles

Integrated damage control systemincorporates sensing of fire, heat,

smoke, flooding and status indicationsfrom auxiliary systems

Crew Compartment Systemincorporates environmentally

acceptable extinguishing agents

Spectrex Inc.218 Little Falls RoadCedar Grove, NJ 07009 USATel: 1 (973) 239-8398Fax: 1 (973) 239 7614E-mail: [email protected]: www.spectrex-inc.com

Enquiries: www.secutech.com

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AIK FLAMMADUR Gmbh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13ALARMCOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48AMERICAN PACIFIC CORP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7AUTRONICA FIRE & SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54BAVARIA EGYPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21BST BRANDSCHUTZTECHNIK DOPFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13CAFCO INTERNATIONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20CHEMGUARD, INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30CONTROL FIRE SYSTEMS LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67CONTROL LOGIC S.R.L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35DÄTWYLER INC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10DANFOSS A/S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26DETECTOR ELECTRONICS CORP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2DR. STHAMER HAMBURG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27EDWARDS INTERNATIONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51EDWARDS MANUFACTURING, INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33ESSEX FLUID CONTROLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8FIRE FIGHTING ENTERPRISES LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53FIREMAIN ENGINEERING LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28FIRE & SAFETY TAIPEI 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79FLAMRO BRANDSCHUTZ GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62FOGTEC GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13FS-WORLD.COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBCFURNACE CONSTRUCTION LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL CORPORATION . . .IFC & 40-41WIRSBO/HOMESAFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39IFEX ENGINEERING LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26KILSEN S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53LEIGH’S PAINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5LPG TECNICAS EN EXTINCION DE INCENDIOS S.A. . . .63MACRON SAFETY SYSTEMS (UK) LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . .61MATRE MASKIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25MORLEY-IAS FIRE SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) . .IBCNELSON FIRSTOP PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9NOTIFIER FIRE SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59NOVEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45OCV CONTROL VALVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5OGGIONI S.A.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6PILKINGTON DEUTSCHLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19POTTER ELECTRIC SIGNAL COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . .47PROTEC FIRE DETECTION (EXPORT) LTD . . . . . . . . . . .16RELIABLE AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CO. INC. . . . . . . . .42RIGAMONTI GHISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34SAVAL B.V. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25SENSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59SVENSKA SKUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22TAILORED FIRE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15THE FIRE SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64-65VIKING CORPORATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46WARRINGTON FIRE RESEARCH CENTRE . . . . . . . . . . . .13

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