CON 371 Chapter 9

Name the four types of media used in fire suppression systems?The four media types are:•

(a) water, • (b) foam, • (c) chemical and • (d) halogenated gas.

What are the three classes of fire hazard?

(a)light hazard (b) ordinary hazard(c) extra hazard.

What are the codes governing fire protection in the United States?

- the International Fire Code. - NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)

What are the Two primary objectives of building fire protection systems?

-to save life - to protect property.

Should smoke control be considered in fire protection system planning?

Absolutely. In fact statistics indicate that most loss of life from fires in buildings is due to smoke. First of all, smoke can spread out to great distances from the origin of a fire, and heavy and toxic smoke released from synthetic materials in buildings is increasingly difficult to handle. To be effective, the building HVAC system must be interfaced with the fire protection system. A closer coordination between the architect, HVAC, structural and fire protection engineers are essential for a successful fire protection plan.

What are the four classes of fire according to NFPA?

Class A - ordinary combustibles• Class B - flammable liquids• Class C - electrical equipment• Class D - combustible metals

Name the operating sequence of a well-planned fire protection system?

Detection,Signaling,Suppression

What are the classes of flame spread rating (FSR)?

Flame spread rating (FSR) is a relative value determined by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM). A higher number indicates a higher flame spread property. Materials with a rating of 200 shall not be used in any buildings for human occupancy.

What are the fire hazard classes of office buildings, laboratories, and production facilities?

Offices - normally classified as light hazard Laboratories / Research - normally classified as ordinary hazard Production facilities - likely classified as extra hazard.

What is smoke developed rating (SDR)?

Smoke developed rating (SDR) is a numerical value developed by ASTM to compare the rate of smoke generation of materials by using asbestos cement as zero and red oak as 100. A SDR of 50 is considered safe for most building occupancies and a rating of 450 is prohibited in any building.

What is the minimum pressure required for a sprinkler head during its rated flow?

The minimum pressure at a sprinkler head shall be between 15 to 30 psig.

Name the various detection devices in a fire protection system?•

Thermal detectors - fixed temperature, rate-of-rise, and combination types,• Smoke detectors - photoelectric, ionization types,• Flame detectors - for space and equipment Flow detectors - for water, fluid, air and gas.

Automatic sprinkler systems can be divided into two major classes - wet and dry. Some of the popular systems include:•

Wet pipe system is the basic sprinkler system to be used in all buildings. The system is filled with water under pressure. When any one of the sprinkler heads is opened due to the sense of heat, water will be discharged into the space immediately• Antifreeze system is used in spaces, which is subject to freezing.• Circulating closed-loop system is a wet pipe system, which allows the water to be used for HVAC purposes, but not to interfere with the fire protection operations.• Preaction system is a dry-pipe system filled with air and having a supplementary detection system in the same area. Activation of the supplementary detection system will allow water into the system.• Deluge system is a dry pipe system with open sprinkler heads. When the control valve is opened either manually or automatically, water will be discharged from all sprinkler heads

What is the maximum distance to exit for a hospital protected with sprinklers? Not protected with sprinklers?

the maximum distance to exit should not exceed- 200 ft. with sprinklers- 150 ft not protected with sprinklers