Fire sprinkler system Research Paper

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Updated: Nov 26th, 2023

Background

The theatre Royal initiated the use of the fire sprinkler system in 1812. Sir Congreve invented the apparatus. The apparatus used were perforated pipes instead of the later designed sprinkler heads. The system was used in textile mills in New England for fire protection.

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These systems did not use an automatic mechanism. They had to be manually adjusted in case of fires. Pratt, in 1872, invented the first automated sprinkler system. His piano company was installed with the first automated fire sprinkler system. The glass disc sprinkler came about in the year 1890 and is in use until today.

In the early 1940’s, only commercial buildings utilized the fire sprinkler system. The system managed to become a mandatory feature in modern North American buildings as a requisition by the building codes with their enforcement. Outside North America, sprinklers are not a mandatory feature in occupancies that have few occupants.

Introduction

The fire sprinkler system is an active mechanism used to extinguish fires. It comprises of a network of piping used to distribute extinguishing agents to sprinklers. An extinguishing agent’s supply unit provides extinguishing agents at high pressure to the pipes. The sprinkles have valves that retain the water at high pressure within the system. When a fire erupts, a sensor triggered which activates the release of the valves. The system then, not so randomly sprays extinguishing agents at high pressure putting out the fire.

Wet pipe systems

Wet pipe system is the most commonly used fire sprinkler system. Their simplicity has optimized its use amongst the users of the systems. This makes it most reliable, with automated operating components that control the automated sprinklers and an automated check valve with an alarm. Finally, the high-pressured water is supplied into the piping system using an automated sequence.

Dry pipe systems

Dry pipe system is used in extremely cold atmosphere. The cold conditions may freeze the water in the pipeline system and makes the system malfunction.

The main areas that use this system include; parking buildings, unheated buildings and canopies. Coolers utilize this mechanism too. The system can boast being the second used fire sprinkler system. Air pressure keeps water away from the piping system. The air pressure in the pipes keeps the water away as it maintains below the water pressure. This means that when the pressure is decreased the valve open up and the water flows.

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When a fire erupts, that hold air in the pipes triggers, and the air expelled forcing the water into the pipeline system and out of the sprinklers. The system portrays a slight delay in the release of water during an emergency. Some individuals claim that the dry systems conserves water as it prevents water linkages. Its disadvantages include complexity, expensive, low flexibility to designs, higher corrosion and higher response time due to lack of a smoke detector (Hayden 71).

Deluge systems

Deluge system has open sprinklers connected to the piping system. The term open means the heat-sensing element of operation is unavailable. The special hazards prompt the use of this design. These special hazards include concerns of rapid-fire spread such as fuel fire.

It provides simultaneous water application over the hazard. Most common places for the installation of the deluge include egress paths for personnel to slow the spread of fire. Having open sprinkler orifices means, that water waits for the operation of the systems to occupy the system by use of a deluge valve. Alarm systems make the systems operate by triggering the deluge valve as the system lacks closed sprinklers head.

Pre-Action Systems

Pre-Action System works in areas where stakeholders do not desire accidental triggering of the system. Places with rare material, large databases and electronic conduits, use this system the most. The system consists of the dry, wet and deluge systems combined to suite their required anticipated response.

Single interlock utilizes the dry system coupled with a preceding fire detection unit. The early detection unit triggers the valves turning the dry system to wet instantly. The double interlock uses the deluge system that is fitted with automatic sprinklers.

Foam water sprinkler systems

Foam water sprinkler system is used in areas with highly flammable agents. Foam water sprinkler system works in airplane hangers and highly flammable industries. Water spray It is similar to the deluge system with a three dimensional nozzle designed for horizontal surfaces.

The trend of using the fire sprinkler system exclusively for commercial buildings is dying off. A system for homes and small occupancies is now cheaply available. The building codes initiated a wave of incentives that saw the fire suppression systems installed for additional protection. Homeowners could now take longer vacations away from home and chose different options for their household interior without fear of immense damage.

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The role of fire sprinklers has become a necessity to most Americans. Homes constructed using the building codes as the NFPA 5000 and IRC 2009 have utilized the fire sprinkler as a necessity. Integration of existing systems to the fire sprinkler system is necessary for the growth of the safety system.

Annually, more fire sprinkler systems placed in units in the United States of America. This number is greater than in any other place in the world. Its origin of reducing insurance premiums for properties forgotten, and today it is a basic for safety in the requirement for all constructions in the United States of America. Many buildings retrofitted with the system have increased the safety of the tenants (Ruegg and Fuller 67).

Objectives

  1. Ascertain the history of fire sprinkler system
  2. Portray the role of fire sprinkler system
  3. Establish the recommendations for improvement of fire sprinkler system

Significance of Study

This study is significant in identifying the growth and spread of fire sprinkler systems in North America and specifically the United States. The priority is the establishment and expansion of the system in the local authority codes and building codes of different states. The importance of the fire sprinkler system cannot be ignored. The study aims to elaborate its function and portray its importance in the life and asset saving perspective.

Literature review

The United States leads the world in deaths and losses due to fires. Switzerland has the lowest fire rates five times less than the United States. This has left the United States among the countries with high death rate associated with fires. The rate of deaths in the U.S., though high compared to Switzerland, has reduced drastically over the years. This reduction is associated with the use of smoke detectors in the households. The evolution of this device has also helped other nations in the world control fires (Mahoney 56).

The safety commission on consumer products gave disquieting statistics about the use of smoke detectors. It states that 90% of American homes have smoke detectors installed. Technological advancement has made the devices affordable, reliable and easily available. Maintenance is essential in proper function ability of any device.

The report states that 15% of fatal household fires had failing smoke detectors due to poor maintenance. Simple maintenance as change of batteries caused deaths due to fires in America (Mahoney 56). Worse still, in 20% of the fires the apparatus worked. In these cases, the victims died due to the slow response time, low alarm sound or late triggering of the device.

A baffling revelation on the fire sprinkler system has gotten the fire services mystified. The 82% decrease in fire deaths can be achieved by installing residential fire sprinkler systems together with the smoke detectors. According to past statistics, household fires annual kill an average of around 5,800 Americans.

The 82% reduction means that the figure reduces to 1000 yearly, saving around 4,800 individuals yearly. Many fatal fires in the United States occur in residential occupancies that would require the fire sprinkler system. Commercial structures fitted with the fire sprinkler system mainly because they want to save on insurance, which is purely monetary.

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The residential units require the systems mainly as a life saving apparatus as that is 71% of fire deaths occur. Cost is the major reason hindering homeowners install the device in the residence. Homebuilders claim that inflated housing cost chases away potential buyers; therefore, they opt to reduce on construction costs. The price reduction entails forgoing of certain features as the fire sprinkler system.

The government offers incentives to homebuilders through national building code models. The building codes makes construction of housing with fire sprinkler systems installed incur construction tradeoffs. These tradeoffs provide monetary savings to the constructor when building units with fire sprinkler systems.

States like Florida came up with legislation in 1993 that required all new buildings be raised three storey and above to be built with fire sprinkler systems installed. Developers took some time to adjust construction plans. They made their specifications to include fire sprinklers so that they could take full advantage of the building codes, and get tradeoffs (Jones 54).

In recent days, new statistics reveal that the death rate due to fires has reduced in the fire sprinkler fitted buildings. Hotels and motels fitted with fire sprinkler systems experienced 1.6 deaths per 1000 fires, while those without the fire sprinkler system experienced 9.1 deaths per 1000 fires (Mahoney 56).

The legislation has reduced fire deaths in three storey buildings and above and now the focus target is single and double family dwellings. The fire service aims at retrofitting fire sprinkler systems in homes. The increased cost of retrofitting compared to construction of new units with fitted systems makes this option unviable.

Statistics show that averages of 1.1 million homes are built every year. This means that if the government makes fire sprinkler systems affordable, over one million families will receive superior life-safety fire sprinkler systems each year (Jones 54). The fire sprinkler system manufacturers have utilized a large amount of money on new innovative, inventions of technological advances to make the installations of the fire sprinkler systems in one family residence affordable.

The new inventions led to quick response residential fire sprinkler systems that utilize minimum volume water; this is due to high pressure and small pipes. The small pipes reduce the cost of the system drastically. In some states, fire sprinkler system installers have reduced their cost of installation to about 0.85 dollars per square foot. This is about 1 percent increase to the total cost of construction of the units (Jones 48).

Other states offer an even better deal of less than one percentile of the cost of construction. This is witnessed in Altamonte Springs in Florida. The cost of installation of the fire sprinkler system is about $ 0.38 per square foot. These prices are considered the optimum pricing because of the residential fire sprinkler market maximum development.

The realistic price of $1.00 per square foot is now realized in residential fire sprinkler market. These prices take in the fact that no government imposed taxes and impact fees are applicable to drive up the cost of installing the residential fire sprinkler system. This is a 2% increase in the total cost of construction appearing appropriate on the impact of residential installation of fire sprinklers in new residence (Mahoney 52).

Externalities that act as barriers in the installation of residential fire sprinkler systems includes; developer reliance on subcontractors for timely completion of new homes and reluctance in adding subcontractor to list of persons coordinated. They claim to add subcontractors exacerbate the gross situation in building (Jones 44).

Methodology

The production of this study required an elaborate evidence base. The material acquired from numerous sources. This ensures proper and correct supporting information to the research carried out. The collection of information interlinks for efficiency. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods assist in the generation of information.

Qualitative methods: These include literature reviews of documents with information that affects variety qualitative angles. Quantitative methods: These includes desk sorting of necessary reports and data acquired for a variety of aspects analyzed.

These methods limit unnecessary material to be used on the production of the final document in the study. It brings out a comprehensive and in-depth appeal to the document. The table below highlights the key analytical methods for each objective. The process requires careful consideration of data available.

NoObjectiveMethodology approaches
1Carry out a comprehensive and critical analysis of the fire sprinkler systemsReview and analysis data.

Literature reviews.

2Develop key conclusions on issues of implementing fire sprinkler systemsLiterature reviews.

Findings

The findings elaborate the implementation of fire sprinkler system in the United States began from the earlier years and has grown to a necessity. The Americans have changed the opinion of the system. They now believe that the system is not a means of reducing insurance premium. They have learned that the fire sprinkler unit is a life saving mechanism, and it can save cost of unwanted damages of irreplaceable property. This has led to an upsurge in the installation and retrofitting of the system in homes, in the United States.

The building codes as the NFPA 5000 and IRC 2009 have been introduced in states to make it mandatory for builders to incorporate the system in their construction. There about five times more fire sprinklers systems per capita installed in the United States compared to Europe annually. This tabulates to staggering 36 million fire sprinkler systems installed every year.

The effort of forecasting demand is carried out to develop reliable supporting statements on timing, pricing and future trends of purchasing. Customer purchasing trends are vital in ascertaining future demands on an intrinsic or extrinsic input. Intrinsic inputs determined by a database situation. This mode portrays little value in forecasting demand of residential fire sprinkler systems. There is little single-family home residential fire sprinkler data and market making it and unreliable database.

On the other hand, the market for mid-rise residential units and commercial buildings fire sprinkler systems is high. These markets do not depend on consumer demand but driven by governmental mandates.

The government is not seen to try creating a mandate for single-family housing fire sprinkler system installation; therefore, extrinsic inputs try to figure out the demand of the equipment by these families. A qualitative demand technique for forecasting monitors the market develops.

This type of quantitative analysis verifies the data obtained from the qualitative method. Many individuals believe that forecasting brings out wrong conclusions. This is because many factors come into play in every financial year and the forecasts do not incorporate all the factors. It is not possible to foresee the total number of new homes build that utilize the fire sprinkler system. The fete is virtually impossible, thus, for continued growth and improvement of the fire sprinkler system unrealistic forecast must be foregone.

Identity of new customers through the forecast method requires determination of factors that influence the customers’ trends. Wight stated that demand forecasting follows five steps.

The first step entails determination of the decision makers and internal customers. The objective of the forecast portrayed is an improvement of family safety with the community by generating market for residential fire sprinklers. The person who spends time and money for the procession of the cause is an external factor of the company.

Fire sprinkler systems manufacturers and installation contractors directly benefit from new markets created and the main monetary source fund the programs. The results of the demand forecast affect the monetary resources of the new market. The fire services provide effort and time on the demand forecasting process affecting the degree devotion to the market development. Effective demand forecast of household fire sprinklers encourages homebuilders on consumer demand.

The second Wight’s step identifies sources that bring about the best data input. Third step selects appropriate techniques of forecasting. The fourth Wight’s step of demand forecasting process applies the selected forecasting techniques. Wight’s fifth step of demand forecasting involves improvement and monitoring of the process of forecasting.

Discussion and Conclusion

The fire sprinkler system is a quick response fire fighting apparatus. The society has learnt that the gadget assist preserve their irreplaceable properties like photo albums in their homes. It also assists in saving lives as it is an instant fire fighting mechanism.

Building codes initiated to assist citizens emphasize the importance of the fire sprinkler system and compel builders to install the gadgets in the new buildings they erect. They also compel residence of areas they govern to adjust and retrofit their existing structures with the fire sprinkler system. This is a life saving system, and there is no way around it.

The integration of existing infrastructure around the homes with the fire sprinkler system is necessary for its growth. The infrastructure as water systems integration requirements for the connection to the residential fire sprinkler system is significant to price, design, operation and maintenance.

The United States record on losses of lives and commodities due to fires mystified many. The opposition to the devices is uncalled for because lives are important than economic constraints and misunderstanding of operations. The homebuilder could go around other amenities and install the fire sprinkler systems.

Building codes have given constructors incentives that make installing the fire sprinkler system cheaper to include in the construction that to construct without. This brings about general acceptance of the built in fire sprinkler systems. The new fire system technology uncovered the answer to reduction of fatal fires. The discovery of the mechanism has brought about ideas that consolidate to save lives. The installation of fire sprinkler systems in new homes for single families is the way forward in spreading use of the system (Cote 42).

Once the new home market is flooded, the fire sprinkler system will have to subsidies their cost of retrofitting in order to venture in the remaining market of retrofit. This would be the only viable market available for the fitters. The society must overcome the myths spread about the fire sprinkler systems and accept that it saves lives. An intense program to market the fire sprinkler system would assist the government assist its residence it overcoming the myths.

The identification of marketing models that pretest is vital for the future of the fire sprinkler system installation. These models prove valuable for industries; its value in new market is tied to a network of assumptions that invalidate virtually unproven efforts. In is essential the potential $2.5 billion be achieved in the single-family residential fire sprinkler market.

Changes in sprinklers have increased their demand in the market. It led to drastic growth in the market due to widespread acceptance of more aesthetically appealing sprinklers of the fire sprinkler system. Protection in residence and office environments would be impossible without the enhancement of the fire sprinkler system.

The appearance changes accompanied by system installation changes and acceptable materials have contributed to cost reduction bringing up an economic system installation. This lowered the resistance of individuals to the new system installations.

Recommendation

This report presents changes in key indicators that will be useful in planning and designing options in the improvement of the fire sprinkler system. This requires that the data be fed into the government management cycle.

The stakeholders find it beneficial to disseminate the results for all concerned parties, including the residents, decision makers in government and humanitarian agencies, and the stakeholders affected by the findings obtained. This survey results reveal the urgency for, immediate strict, interventions in most areas to avoid further deterioration.

There are bits of the results that require more investigation as the scope of the perception assessments is not suited to investigate the underlying causes or they have not been conclusive.

The recommendation for action states that participation of all stakeholders who use or protect resources and their state is required, and further attention is required to improve the fire sprinkler systems in the area, particularly the home owners, who are often excluded from decision-making. The government needs to develop and mobilize human resources to advancements in knowledge of fire sprinkler systems.

Limitations

The study has numerous limitations due to the material available on the subject. The study is not random. The data collected base its facts on literature produced by others and not direct reporting by people with the fire sprinkler system in their homes. Direct reporting produces first hand verifiable data of the system. The research limits to previously undertaken research material. This limits the angles the researcher might want to take. The results cannot be accurate as the sample size came from resources.

Works Cited

Cote, Arthur E. Operation of Fire Protection Systems. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2003. Print.

Hayden, Jack J. Fire sprinkler systems. London: Construction Specification Institute, 1985. Print.

Jones, Maurice. Fire Protection Systems. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.

Mahoney, Gene. Fire Department Interview Tactics. New York: Thomson, Delmar, 2006. Print.

Ruegg, Rosalie and Fuller Sieglinde K. A benefit-cost model of residential fire sprinkler systems. New York: National Bureau of Standards, 1984. Print.

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