The Necessity Of A Sprinkler System In Construction Projects

As everyone is aware, many commercial buildings are equipped with professional sprinkler systems. In reality, most structures of a certain building type or specific business type, according to regulations, must have a water spray system installed. Let’s explore the reasons why the sprinkler system is so important in construction projects.

Why is a fire sprinkler system important?

Understanding the significance of a sprinkler system will enable you to grasp why proper maintenance and inspection are necessary. It will also ensure that your water spray system is properly installed, primed, and ready for operation when needed.

So, why should you care about the water spray system in your business premises? Here are four main reasons why these fire safety systems are extremely crucial:

Life Protection:

Above all, safeguarding lives must always be the top priority in any situation. When it comes to fire safety systems, nothing protects lives more than a properly maintained automatic water spray system.

Statistics show that the number of casualties in a building with a well-maintained, fully operational automatic water spray system is very low.

The Importance of Sprinkler Systems

Halving Losses:

The aftermath of a fire can devastate businesses, but water spray nozzles have significantly improved everything. It has been found that, when combined with early fire/occupant safety alert systems, automatic fire sprinklers have the potential to reduce property damage, injuries, and deaths by over 50%.

Fire Alert

Fire Alert:

Smoke detectors, heat detectors, and flame detectors can all alert occupants in a building to a fire emergency, but they cannot prevent the situation. Immediately after the automatic water sprinkler head reaches a specific temperature, it will open and start extinguishing the flames with water, continuing until the fire department shuts off the water supply.

This can completely extinguish the flames before they have a chance to spread or significantly slow down the spread of fire, providing firefighters with crucial moments to save property and lives. In both cases, it increases safety while reducing property damage.

Requirements for Fire Sprinkler Systems in Commercial Buildings:

One of the most widely used standards for fire sprinkler systems in commercial buildings is NFPA 13, the Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. This national standard establishes procedures and conditions for installing sprinkler systems, providing builders, owners, and managers with a consistent standard to meet or exceed fire safety requirements.

Requirements for Sprinkler Systems

Some key requirements for fire sprinkler systems in commercial buildings include:

• Fire sprinkler systems must be installed throughout the entire building and designed to provide maximum coverage.
• Water spray systems must be installed in townhouses with more than two dwelling units per building.
• Buildings taller than 16 meters must have an automatic water sprinkler system installed throughout the entire building.
• Fire pumps should be installed to increase water pressure in the sprinkler system when water is supplied from an open water tank or when the city water system lacks sufficient pressure to supply enough water to the sprinkler heads. Whenever possible, fire pumps should be located in separate buildings. If the pumps are located in the same building, they must be in a fire-resistant room with an exterior entrance. Pump room entrances should be clearly marked for easy access.
• Water supply control valves must be easily accessible for easy operation. Valves located in stairwells must be protected and easily accessible in case of a fire. Valves must be identified and clearly marked, with exterior indicators indicating the valve’s location within the building. Valves must be labeled with information indicating the areas or positions they cover.
• Self-preserved facilities must have automatic water spray nozzles installed throughout the facility, except for single-story facilities without interior corridors and with one-hour fire barriers.

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