i
Automatic Sprinkler
Systems Handbook
Thirteenth Edition
Edited by
Matthew J. Klaus
Principal Fire Protection Engineer
National Fire Protection Association
NatioNal Fire ProtectioN associatioN
The leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical and related hazards With the complete text of the 2016 edition of NFPA® 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
Product Management: Debra Rose Cover Design: Cameron, Inc. Development and Production: Khela Thorne Interior Design: Cheryl Langway
Copyediting: Barbara Ingalls Composition: Cenveo, Inc.
Permissions: Josiane Domenici Manufacturing: Ellen Glisker Art Direction: Cheryl Langway Printing: Quad Graphics/Versailles
Copyright © 2015
National Fire Protection Association®
One Batterymarch Park
Quincy, Massachusetts 02169-7471 All rights reserved.
Important Notices and Disclaimers: Publication of this handbook is for the purpose of circulating information and opinion among those concerned for fire and electrical safety and related subjects. While every effort has been made to achieve a work of high quality, neither the NFPA® nor the contributors to this handbook guarantee or warrantee the accuracy or completeness of or assume any liability in connection with the information and opinions contained in this handbook. The NFPA and the contributors shall in no event be liable for any personal injury, property, or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential, or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance upon this handbook.
This handbook is published with the understanding that the NFPA and the contributors to this handbook are supplying information and opinion but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional services. If such services are required, the assistance of an ap-propriate professional should be sought.
NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems (“NFPA 13”), is, like all NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”), made available for use subject to Important Notices and Legal Disclaimers, which appear at the end of this handbook and can also be viewed at www.nfpa.org/disclaimers.
Notice Concerning Code Interpretations: This thirteenth edition of the Automatic Sprinkler Systems Handbook is based on the 2016 edi-tion of NFPA 13. All NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”) are developed in accordance with the published procedures of the NFPA by technical committees comprised of volunteers drawn from a broad array of relevant interests. The handbook contains the complete text of NFPA 13 and any applicable Formal Interpretations issued by the NFPA at the time of publication. This NFPA Standard is accompanied by explanatory commentary and other supplementary materials.
The commentary and supplementary materials in this handbook are not a part of the NFPA Standard and do not constitute Formal Inter-pretations of the NFPA (which can be obtained only through requests processed by the responsible technical committees in accordance with the published procedures of the NFPA). The commentary and supplementary materials, therefore, solely reflect the personal opinions of the editor or other contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the NFPA or its technical committees.
REMINDER: UPDATING OF NFPA STANDARDS
NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, like all NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”), may be amended from time to time through the issuance of Tentative Interim Amendments or corrected by Errata. An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists of the current edition of the document together with any Tentative Interim Amendment and any Errata then in effect. In order to determine whether an NFPA Standard has been amended through the issuance of Tentative Interim Amend-ments or corrected by Errata, visit the Document Information Pages on NFPA’s website. The Document Information Pages provide up-to-date, document specific information including any issued Tentative Interim Amendments and Errata. To access the Document Information Page for a specific NFPA Standard go to http://www.nfpa.org/document for a list of NFPA Standards, and click on the appropriate Standard number (e.g., NFPA 13). In addition to posting all existing Tentative Interim Amendments and Errata, the Document Information Page also includes the option to sign-up for an “Alert” feature to receive an email notification when new updates and other information are posted regarding the document.
The following are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association: National Fire Protection Association®
NFPA®
NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®
NFPA 72®
NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®
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NFPA No.: 13HB16
ISBN (book): 978-1455909322 ISBN (PDF): 978-1455909339 ISBN (e-book): 978-1455912865
Library of Congress Control No.: 2015948228 Printed in the United States of America
This handbook is dedicated to my parents, Jeffrey and Rachael Klaus. All of the great things in my life have come thanks to your guidance, sacrifice, and example. Thank you.
v
Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii About the Contributors xv About the Editor xxi PART 1
NFPA® 13, Standard for the Installation of
Sprinkler Systems, with Commentary 1
1
Administration 3 1.1 Scope 3 1.2 Purpose 4 1.3 Application 5 1.4 Retroactivity 6 1.5 Equivalency 7 1.6 Units and Symbols 7 1.7 New Technology 92
Referenced Publications 132.1 General 13
2.2 NFPA Publications 13 2.3 Other Publications 14
2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections 18
3
Definitions 213.1 General 21
3.2 NFPA Official Definitions 21 3.3 General Definitions 23
3.4 Sprinkler System Type Definitions 30 3.5 System Component Definitions 36 3.6 Sprinkler Definitions 39
3.7 Construction Definitions 49
3.8 Private Water Supply Piping Definitions 56 3.9 Storage Definitions 58
3.10 Marine Definitions 78
3.11 Hanging and Bracing Definitions 81
4
General Requirements 854.1 Level of Protection 85 4.2 Limited Area Systems 85 4.3 Owner’s Certificate 86 4.4 Additives 88
4.5 Air, Nitrogen, or Other Approved Gas 88 4.6 Support of Nonsprinkler System
Components 88
5
Classification of Occupancies and Commodities 915.1 Classification of Occupancies 91 5.2 Light Hazard Occupancies 93 5.3 Ordinary Hazard Occupancies 94 5.4 Extra Hazard Occupancies 98 5.5 Special Occupancy Hazards 99 5.6 Commodity Classification 99
6
System Components and Hardware 1336.1 General 133 6.2 Sprinklers 136
6.3 Aboveground Pipe and Tube 147 6.4 Fittings 155
6.5 Joining of Pipe and Fittings 159 6.6 Valves 167
6.7 Fire Department Connections 169 6.8 Waterflow Alarm Devices 172 6.9 Signs 174
7
System Requirements 1777.1 Wet Pipe Systems 177 7.2 Dry Pipe Systems 181 7.3 Preaction Systems and Deluge
Systems 197
7.4 Combined Dry Pipe and Preaction Systems for Piers, Terminals, and Wharves 205
7.5 Multi-Cycle Systems 208 7.6 Antifreeze Systems 209
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7.7 Outside Sprinklers for Protection Against Exposure Fires (Exposure Protection Sprinkler Systems) 219
7.8 Refrigerated Spaces 223
7.9 Commercial-Type Cooking Equipment and Ventilation 230
7.10 Additives and Coatings 234
8
Installation Requirements 2358.1 Basic Requirements 235
8.2 System Protection Area Limitations 239 8.3 Use of Sprinklers 242
8.4 Application of Sprinkler Types 252 8.5 Position, Location, Spacing, and Use of
Sprinklers 262
8.6 Standard Pendent and Upright Spray Sprinklers 274
8.7 Sidewall Standard Spray Sprinklers 299 8.8 Extended Coverage Upright and Pendent
Spray Sprinklers 310
8.9 Extended Coverage Sidewall Spray Sprinklers 320
8.10 Residential Sprinklers 328 8.11 CMSA Sprinklers 340
8.12 Early Suppression Fast-Response Sprinklers 348
8.13 In-Rack Sprinklers 355 8.14 Pilot Line Detectors 356 8.15 Special Situations 357 8.16 Piping Installation 392 8.17 System Attachments 416
8.18 Electrical Bonding and Grounding 434
9
Hanging, Bracing, and Restraint of System Piping 4419.1 Hangers 441
9.2 Installation of Pipe Hangers 461
9.3 Protection of Piping Against Damage Where Subject to Earthquakes 476
10
Underground Requirements 55510.1 Piping 555 10.2 Fittings 561
10.3 Connection of Pipe Fittings and Appurtenances 562
10.4 Protection of Private Fire Service Mains 564
10.5 Grounding and Bonding 570 10.6 Restraint 570
10.7 Steep Grades 580
10.8 Installation Requirements 581 10.9 Backfilling 582
10.10 Testing and Acceptance 583
11
Design Approaches 59111.1 General 591
11.2 Occupancy Hazard Fire Control Approach for Spray Sprinklers 597
11.3 Special Design Approaches 608
12
General Requirements for Storage 61312.1 General 616
12.2 Hose Connections 627
12.3 Adjacent Hazards or Design Methods 627 12.4 Wet Pipe Systems 630
12.5 Dry Pipe and Preaction Systems 631 12.6 Storage Applications 631
12.7 Discharge Considerations 638
12.8 Hose Stream Allowance and Water Supply Duration 642
12.9 Unsprinklered Combustible Concealed Spaces 644
12.10 Room Design Method 647
12.11 High-Expansion Foam Systems 648 12.12 Protection of Idle Pallets 649
13
Protection of Miscellaneous and Low-Piled Storage 65913.1 General 661 13.2 Design Basis 662 13.3 In-Rack Sprinklers 665
14
Protection for Palletized, Solid-Piled, Bin Box, Shelf, or Back-to-Back Shelf Storage of Class I through Class IV Commodities 66914.1 General 669
14.2 Control Mode Density/Area Sprinkler Protection Criteria for Palletized, Solid-Piled, Bin Box, Shelf, or Back-to-Back Shelf Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities 670
14.3 CMSA Sprinklers for Palletized or Solid-Piled Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities 679
14.4 Early Suppression Fast-Response (ESFR) Sprinklers for Palletized or Solid-Piled Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities 683
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14.5 Special Design for Palletized, Solid-Piled, Bin Box, or Shelf Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities 684
14.6 High-Expansion Foam — Reduction to Ceiling Density 685
15
Protection for Palletized, Solid-Piled, Bin Box, Shelf, or Back-to-Back Shelf Storage of Plastic and Rubber Commodities 69115.1 General 691
15.2 Control Mode Density/Area Sprinkler Protection Criteria for Palletized, Solid-Piled, Bin Box, Shelf, or Back-to-Back Shelf Storage of Plastic and Rubber Commodities 692 15.3 CMSA Sprinklers for Palletized or
Solid-Piled Storage of Group A Plastic Commodities 703
15.4 Early Suppression Fast-Response (ESFR) Sprinklers for Palletized or Solid-Piled Storage of Group A Plastic Commodities 705
15.5 High-Expansion Foam — Reduction in Ceiling Density 708
16
Protection of Rack Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities 70916.1 General 710
16.2 Protection Criteria for Rack Storage of Class I Through Class IV Commodities Stored Up to and Including 25 ft (7.6 m) in Height 731 16.3 Protection Criteria for Rack Storage of Class
I Through Class IV Commodities Stored Over 25 ft (7.6 m) in Height 760
17
Protection of Rack Storage of Plastic and Rubber Commodities 79317.1 General 793
17.2 Protection Criteria for Rack Storage of Group A Plastic Commodities Stored Up to and Including 25 ft (7.6 m) in Height 812 17.3 Protection Criteria for Rack Storage of Group
A Plastic Commodities Stored Over 25 ft (7.6 m) in Height 844
18
Protection of Rubber Tire Storage 86918.1 General 869
18.2 Columns Within Rubber Tire Storage 870 18.3 Water Supplies 871
18.4 Ceiling Systems 871
18.5 In-Rack Sprinkler System Requirements for Protection of Rubber Tires 875
18.6 Reduced-Discharge Density 876
19
Protection of Roll Paper 87719.1 Protection of Roll Paper Storage 878
20
Special Designs of Storage Protection 88720.1 General 887
20.2 Plastic Motor Vehicle Components 887 20.3 Sprinkler Design Criteria for Storage
and Display of Class I Through Class IV Commodities, Cartoned Nonexpanded Group A Plastics and Nonexpanded Exposed Group A Plastics in Retail Stores 888
20.4 Protection of Baled Cotton Storage 897 20.5 Sprinkler Protection of Carton Records
Storage with Catwalk Access 898
20.6 Compact Storage of Commodities Consisting of Paper Files, Magazines, Books, and Similar Documents in Folders and Miscellaneous Supplies with No More Than 5 Percent Plastics Up to 8 ft (2.44 m) High 903 20.7 Protection of High Bay Records Storage 906
21
Alternative Sprinkler System Designs for Chapters 12 Through 20 90921.1 General 910
21.2 Sprinkler Design Criteria for Palletized and Solid-Piled, Storage of Class I Through Class IV and Plastic Commodities 912
21.3 Sprinkler Protection Criteria for Open-Frame Rack Storage of Class I Through Class IV and Plastic Commodities 915
21.4 Hose Stream Allowance and Water Supply Duration 920
21.5 Minimum Obstruction Criteria 921
22
Special Occupancy Requirements 92322.1 General 923
22.2 Flammable and Combustible Liquids 924 22.3 Aerosol Products 926
22.4 Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials 928
22.5 Solvent Extraction Plants [NFPA 36] 931 22.6 Installation and Use of Stationary Combustion
Engines and Gas Turbines 931 22.7 Nitrate Film 932
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22.8 Laboratories Using Chemicals 936 22.9 Oxygen-Fuel Gas Systems for Welding,
Cutting, and Allied Processes 936 22.10 Acetylene Cylinder Charging Plants 937 22.11 Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids
Code 937
22.12 Utility LP-Gas Plants 938
22.13 Production, Storage, and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) 938 22.14 Protection of Information Technology
Equipment 938
22.15 Standard on Incinerators, and Waste and Linen Handling Systems and Equipment 939
22.16 Standard for Ovens and Furnaces 944 22.17 Health Care Facilities Code, Class A
Hyperbaric Chambers 944
22.18 Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems 945
22.19 Motion Picture and Television Production Studio Soundstages, Approved Production Facilities, and Production Locations 946 22.20 Animal Housing Facilities 947
22.21 Water Cooling Towers 947
22.22 Standard for the Construction and Fire Protection of Marine Terminals, Piers, and Wharves 957
22.23 Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities 959
22.24 Aircraft Hangars 961
22.25 Airport Terminal Buildings, Fueling Ramp Drainage, and Loading Walkways 961 22.26 Aircraft Engine Test Facilities 961 22.27 Advanced Light Water Reactor Electric
Generating Plants 962
22.28 Light Water Nuclear Power Plants 966 22.29 Hydroelectric Generating Plants
[NFPA 851] 966
22.30 Code for the Protection of Cultural Resource Properties — Museums, Libraries, and Places of Worship [NFPA 909] 967 22.31 National Electrical Code 969 22.32 Fire Protection of Telecommunication
Facilities 970
22.33 Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists, and Noncombustible Particulate Solids 970
22.34 Hypobaric Facilities 970 22.35 Coal Mines 971
22.36 Metal/Nonmetal Mining and Metal Mineral Processing Facilities 973
22.37 Hazardous Materials Code 976
23
Plans and Calculations 98123.1 Working Plans 981
23.2 Water Supply Information 991 23.3 Hydraulic Calculation Forms 993 23.4 Hydraulic Calculation Procedures 1007 23.5 Deluge Systems 1039
23.6 Exposure Protection Sprinkler Systems 1040 23.7 Pipe Schedules 1041
24
Water Supplies 1065 24.1 General 1065 24.2 Types 107025
Systems Acceptance 108125.1 Approval of Sprinkler Systems and Private Fire Service Mains 1081
25.2 Acceptance Requirements 1085 25.3 Circulating Closed Loop Systems 1093 25.4 Instructions 1093
25.5 Hydraulic Design Information Sign 1093 25.6 General Information Sign 1094
26
Marine Systems 109726.1 General 1097
26.2 System Components, Hardware, and Use 1102
26.3 System Requirements 1106 26.4 Installation Requirements 1106 26.5 Design Approaches 1110 26.6 Plans and Calculations 1111 26.7 Water Supplies 1111 26.8 System Acceptance 1116
26.9 System Instructions and Maintenance 1117
27
System Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance 111927.1 General 1119
27.2 Inactive Sprinkler Systems Abandoned in Place 1120
Annexes
A Explanatory Material 1123
B Miscellaneous Topics 1125
C Explanation of Test Data and Procedures for Rack Storage 1129
D Sprinkler System Information from the 2012 Edition of the Life Safety Code 1131
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with SEI/ASCE 7 1141
F Informational References 1151
PART 2
Supplements 1159
1 Evolution of Storage Sprinkler Standards 1161
2 Step-by-Step Hydraulic Calculations for a Fire Sprinkler System 1169
3 The European Experience with Fire Sprinklers 1195
4 Technical/Substantive Changes from the 2013 Edition to the 2016 Edition of NFPA 13 1205
NFPA 13 Index 1211
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Preface
The first automatic fire extinguishing system on record was patented in England in 1723 and con-sisted of a cask of water, a chamber of gunpowder, and a system of fuses. In about 1852, the perfo-rated pipe system represented the first form of a sprinkler system used in the United States. In 1874, Henry S. Parmelee of New Haven, Connecticut, patented the first practical automatic sprinkler.
C. J. H. Woodbury of the Boston Manufacturers Mutual Fire Insurance Company and F. E. Cabot of the Boston Board of Fire Underwriters completed a study on the performance of sprinklers for the Factory Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1884. This study was the basis for the first set of rules for the installation of automatic sprinkler systems that were developed by John Wormald of the Mutual Fire Insurance Corporation of Manchester, England, in 1885. In 1887, similar rules were prepared in the United States by the Factory Improvement Com-mittee of the New England Insurance Exchange.
By 1895, the commercial growth and development of sprinkler systems were so rapid that a number of different installation rules had been adopted by various insurance organizations. Within a few hundred miles of Boston, Massachusetts, nine radically different standards for the size of piping and sprinkler spacing were being used. This problem led to the creation of NFPA 13 and the formation of the National Fire Protection Association in 1896.
In many respects, the issues that led to the development of the first edition of NFPA 13 are relevant today. The unprecedented development of sprinkler system products, design tech-niques, and installation practices over the past several years is offering numerous options for effective system design. While this increased flexibility provides numerous advantages, it also requires more diligence by those designing, installing, and approving sprinkler systems as the rules for various system components become less uniform.
As has been the case for more than 100 years, the intent of NFPA 13 is to provide a means for analyzing sprinkler system information and presenting it in a form that will lead to effec-tive system designs and installations. This task continues to become increasingly demanding as scientific and other discoveries generate information at an increasingly accelerated rate. In response to these challenges, in 1997 NFPA expanded the scope of NFPA 13 so that it became the most comprehensive document addressing sprinkler systems.
NFPA 13 addresses sprinkler system installations for all types of facilities regardless of the type of fire hazards present. NFPA 13 contains sprinkler system design and installation information from more than 40 NFPA codes and standards.
This handbook provides the users of NFPA 13 with background information on the work done by the technical committees during the standard development meetings. The information is intended to address why the provisions are included and how compliance can be achieved. The handbook includes commentary from contractors, designers, insurance representatives, AHJs, and subject matter experts, covering a broad spectrum of topics and industry perspec-tive. The information in this handbook can be useful in communicating and resolving design and installation issues, leading to properly designed and installed systems. Additionally, the valuable commentary provided in this handbook helps get projects completed more efficiently and ultimately will make sure that the systems provide the level of life safety and property protection intended by the standard.
The revision cycle that generated the 2016 edition of NFPA 13 was one of many “firsts.” This will be the first edition to address exposed, expanded plastic protection. This is the first edi-tion to see a secedi-tion that allows the omission of sprinklers above cloud ceilings. This is also the first edition developed under NFPA’s digital submission process. While all of these firsts will no doubt lead to a better standard and better fire protection, in my opinion, there are two things that have been around for more than a century that make this standard great: the process and the people. The NFPA 13 technical committees consist of more than 150 people whose dedication to life safety and property protection have kept this document up to speed with the latest technology and information, which has undoubtedly saved more lives than we realize. Buoyed by a process that allows anyone and everyone a fair say in the development of the standard, I have no doubt that these committees will continue to push the envelope and save more lives and property going forward. This handbook and the commentary in it are a testament to the dedication and leadership of the committee members who selflessly work to help people they will never meet. Many of those committee members who helped develop the standard also contributed to the development of this handbook, and I would like to recognize them for their efforts: Wes Baker, Tracey Bellamy, Jim Biggins, Cecil Bilbo, Alan Brinson, Bob Caputo, John Denhardt, John Deutsch, James Golinveaux, Roland Huggins, Ken Isman, David Lowrey, Ernie Rodriguez, Pete Schwab, and George Stanley.
Since this handbook is not a “start-from-scratch document,” but rather a fluid, living col-lection of technical expertise, I would be remiss if I did not thank the previous editors of the handbook who have put their own touches on this book over the years: Robert Hodnett, John Bouchard, Milosh Puchovsky, Robert Solomon, Chris Dubay, and Jim Lake.
Producing this handbook has taken a tremendous amount of effort on the part of a number of people on the NFPA staff as well. Specifically, Debra Rose, senior product manager, and Khela Thorne, development and production editor, whose dedication and hard work on this project have kept it moving forward through thick and thin. Also a special thanks to Barbara Ingalls, copy editor; Josiane Domenici, permissions editor; and Cheryl Langway, art director, for their guidance and expertise throughout the project. Also I’d like to give a shout out to the NFPA “systems” department: Rich Bielen, Elena Carroll (known to committee members sim-ply as “Carol”), Barry Chase, Chad Duffy, Audrey Goldstein, Jon Hart, and Jacqueline Wilmot. Their efforts in keeping the sprinkler project running on a hundred different levels (developing seminars, answering advisory calls, balloting, being the first to spot chocolate chip cookies on the “free table,” and so on) are greatly appreciated. Also, to the 2015 NFPA intern class who assisted throughout the production of this document: John Caliri, Blake Cornachini, Sean Gillis, Jonathan Mirabito, and Thomas Washburn.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my family. Thank you to my wife, Lisa, for her patience, understanding, and support over the last decade as my work has dragged me all around the world. To my children, Olivia, Mackenzie, Riley, and Elena, who provide me with strength, purpose, and an unspoken reminder of why I do what I do for a living.
Matt Klaus
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About the Contributors
Weston C. Baker Jr. (Chapter 5)
Wes Baker is assistant vice president, senior engineering techni-cal specialist in the Engineering Standards division at FM Global. Wes was named the 2011 William M. Carey award recipient by the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) for his technical paper “Storage Sprinkler Design Criteria” — the concept behind the recent release of FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 8-9, Stor-age of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities. He is a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and an NFPA member serv-ing on the NFPA 13 Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Installation Criteria and the Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria. Wes has been with FM Global for 30 years and is currently responsible for data sheets related to the protection of storage as well as the installation guidelines for sprinklers that are used for storage protection.
Tracey D. Bellamy, PE, CFPS (Chapter 21 and Storage Flow Charts)
Tracey Bellamy is the chief engineering officer with Telgian Corpo-ration. He holds B.S. and M.Eng degrees in civil engineering from the University of South Carolina-Columbia and an advanced gradu-ate certificgradu-ate in fire protection engineering from Worcester Poly-technic Institute. Tracey has more than 25 years of experience in fire protection engineering, with a diverse range of job assignments that includes working as an AHJ with the South Carolina State Fire Marshal, supporting facility operations and construction at a Department of Energy facility, and overseeing fire protection engineering operations for Telgian Corporation. He holds professional registration as both a fire protection and civil engineer with licenses in 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Dis-trict of Columbia and is also a certified fire protection spe cialist. Tracey is an NFPA member and currently serves on multiple NFPA technical committees, including those responsible for NFPA 13, NFPA 15, NFPA 16, NFPA 25, NFPA 30, NFPA 30B, NFPA 101, and NFPA 5000.
James Biggins (Chapter 10)
Jim Biggins is a managing consultant in the Chicago office of Global Risk Consultants, Corp., an unbundled loss prevention engineering and consulting company in Clark, New Jersey. Jim obtained his B.S. degree in fire protection and safety engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Illinois and a member of NFPA and SFPE. Jim currently serves on several NFPA committees and is chair of the Technical Committee on Hanging and Bracing of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. He is the former chair of the Technical Committee on Pri-vate Water Supply Piping Systems.
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Cecil Bilbo, Jr. (Supplement 2)
Cecil Bilbo is president of the Academy of Fire Sprinkler Technol-ogy in Champaign, Illinois. In 2009, he started the first educational program that leads to a degree specifically for those who layout and detail fire sprinkler systems. Cecil is an original member of the NFPA 3 Technical Committee on Commissioning Fire Protection Systems. He is a principal member of the NFPA 14 Technical Committee on Standpipes and the NFPA 4 Technical Committee on Commission-ing and Integrated TestCommission-ing. He also represents the Academy of Fire Sprinkler Technology, Inc. on the Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Installation Criteria for NFPA 13. Cecil is a member of the Building Commissioning Association’s Professional Development Committee and is a contributing author to the NFSA’s Layout, Detail and Calculation of Fire Sprinkler
Systems.
Alan Brinson (Supplement 3)
Alan Brinson is the executive director of the European Fire Sprinkler Network. On graduating from Cambridge University, Alan joined Shell as a research process engineer, moving to Procter & Gamble before joining Tyco in 1992. While with Tyco, he held a series of European fire protection business and product management roles, culminating in responsibility for the European sprinkler components business. In 2003, Alan left Tyco and set up the European Fire Sprin-kler Network. For the past 12 years he has led and participated in successful sprinkler campaigns in many European countries, work-ing with EFSN members, fire chiefs, and officials to ensure that new buildings are fitted with sprinklers. Alan is an active participant in research to analyze the economic and environmental benefits of sprinklers to society. He is also a member of fire safety standards and regulatory committees for BSI, CEN, and NFPA. Alan is a chartered chemical engineer.
Bob Caputo, CFPS, CET (Chapter 8, NFPA 13 Lesson Special Feature)
Bob Caputo, executive vice president of the compliance solutions division at Telgian Corporation, is chairman of the NFPA 16 Techni-cal Committee on Foam-Water Sprinklers and a member of multiple NFPA committees, including those responsible for NFPA 13 and NFPA 25. Bob is a contributor to the 2013 edition of the NFPA 13 handbook, the 2014 edition of the NFPA 25 handbook, and the NFPA Inspection Manual. A senior member of NFPA and AFSA faculties, Bob has written and presented seminars throughout the world on fire protection and life safety systems. He is a regular speaker at the NFPA and the AFSA annual conven-tions and is the author of the AFSA Project Management Tools program. He was named San Diego County “Fire Prevention Officer of the Year” in 1994 and Fire Protection Contractor magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 1997. Bob attended the University of Albuquerque and is a U.S. Navy veteran.
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John August Denhardt, PE (Chapters 23–25)
John Denhardt is the quality control manager for Strickland Fire Protection of College Park, Maryland. He has a B.S. degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland, is NICET-certified in Level III Automatic Sprinkler System Layout and Inspec-tion and Level III Testing of Water-Based Systems, and is a registered professional engineer in numerous states. John has been a member of the NFPA 13 Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria since 1998. He is also a fellow of the SFPE and a member of the NFPA and AFSA.
John O. Deutsch (Chapter 9)
John Deutsch is the fire sprinkler design manager for VFS Fire & Security Services with 29 years of experience in the sprinkler indus-try. He has a varied background, using the NFPA 13 standard from both the design and enforcement perspectives. Prior to his current position, he worked at Hydratec developing software, at Allan Auto-matic Sprinkler of So. Cal. as lead designer, and for the city of Brea, California as a plan checker and inspector. John has served as a member of the Technical Committee on Hanging and Bracing of Water-Based Fire Protec-tion Systems for the past 3 cycles of NFPA 13 and has been indirectly involved with standard development for over 20 years.
James Golinveaux (Supplement 1, NFPA 13 Lesson Special Feature)
James Golinveaux, a senior fellow of water suppression products for Tyco Fire Protection Products, has 33 years of experience in the fire protection industry, including both contracting and manufacturing. His current role applies his experience globally in the fire protec-tion industry to develop advancements in water-based fire protecprotec-tion devices and systems. James holds 12 U.S. patent families in auto-matic sprinkler technologies, is a member of the NFPA Standards Council, and is the 2014 recipient of the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s Henry S. Parmelee Award. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees for the Fire Protection Research Foundation and has served on other boards and councils, includ-ing those of the Factory Mutual Advisory, AFSA, NFSA, the International Fire Sprinkler Association, and the Fire Sprinkler Association of Brazil. In addition to his past work on the
Automatic Sprinkler Systems Handbook, James was a subject matter expert for the past two editions of the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook and a contributor for the 2013 edition of the
Automatic Sprinkler Systems for Residential Occupancies Handbook. He has also served on the NFPA 13 Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria for the past 18 years and has chaired the storage task group for the last 13 years. Additionally, he is a member of the technical committees responsible for NFPA 88A, NFPA 101, and NFPA 5000.
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Roland Huggins (Chapters 4 and 6)
Roland Huggins is the vice president of engineering and technical services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association. He is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served from 1976 to 1980. He obtained his B.S. degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland and is a registered professional engineer. Roland is a member of multiple NFPA technical committees, including those responsible for NFPA 13, NFPA 25, and NFPA 101. In addition, he served on the NFPA Standards Council from 2007 to 2012 and par-ticipated in the editing of the Fire Protection Handbook. He has been instrumental in expanding the use of fire modeling to support changes to NFPA 13. He is also active in the NFPA Research Foundation and UL Standard Technical Panels.
Kenneth E. Isman (Designer’s Corner Special Feature)
Ken Isman is a clinical professor in the Department of Fire Protec-tion Engineering at the University of Maryland. Prior to starting his career in academia, he was on the staff of the National Fire Sprin-kler Association for 28 years where he rose to the position of vice president of engineering. He holds a B.S. degree in fire protection engineering and an M.S. degree in management, both from the Uni-versity of Maryland, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Connecticut. He has served on more than 12 NFPA techni-cal committees, including the Correlating Committee on Automatic Sprinklers, the Technical Committee on Residential Sprinkler Sys-tems, the Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Installation Criteria, and the Technical Committee on Fire Pumps. He also served as a member of the NFPA Standards Council from 2000 to 2006.
Amanda Kimball (FPRF Special Feature)
Amanda Kimball is a senior project manager at the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association, where she is responsible for projects relating to sup-pression, fire alarm, and building life safety. She holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering and an M.S. degree in fire protection engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She is a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and is active in the New England chap-ter. She is also a member of the Salamander Honorary Fire Protection Engineering Society. Amanda’s professional background includes fire protection engineering consulting with experience in building code life safety analyses, design of fire protection systems, and fire and egress modeling of buildings and subway stations. She is a registered professional fire protection engineer in the state of Massachusetts.
Stephan L. Laforest, CET (Artwork)
Stephan Laforest is the president of Summit Sprinkler Design Ser-vices, Inc. of Milton, Vermont. He has been involved in fire sprinkler system contracting since 1997, after graduating from the Fire Protec-tion Engineering Technology Program at Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Stephan has experience in design, estimating, and project management. His past projects include residential high-rise towers, casinos, large storage and warehouse facilities, custom homes, apartment complexes and retail occupancies.
Automatic Sprinkler Systems Handbook 2016
About the Contributors
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David Lowrey (NFPA 13 Lesson Special Feature)
David Lowrey serves as Chief Fire Marshal with the City of Boulder Fire Rescue in Boulder, Colorado, and has been with Boulder Fire Rescue for 19 years. Prior to his appointment to the position of Fire Marshal, he served for eight years as the department’s fire protec-tion engineer. He oversees the Community Risk Reducprotec-tion division, including code enforcement, building construction, life safety educa-tion, and fire investigations. David has extensive experience in plan review as well as inspecting and acceptance testing of fire protection systems. He currently serves as a principal member on the NFPA 13 Technical Committee on Sprinkler System Installation Criteria and the NFPA 13 Correlating Committee on Automatic Sprinkler Systems. He is the current chair of the NFPA 72 Technical Committee on Notification Appliances for Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems and an alternate on technical committees responsible for NFPA 3 and NFPA 4. David holds a B.S degree in fire protection and safety engineering technology from Oklahoma State University.
Ernesto Rodriguez Jr, P.E., CFPS (NFPA 13 Lesson Special Feature)
Ernesto (Ernie) Rodriguez graduated with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Miami in 1989. He began his career with Factory Mutual Engineering Association as a loss control engineer. He is currently vice president of engineering for Wigin-ton Fire Protection Engineering, where he has been employed since 1998. He has been a licensed fire protection professional engineer since 1997. He has nearly 25 years of experience in fire protection consulting and design, specializing in the protection of high rack storage, aircraft hangar, and cold storage occupancies.
Peter T. Schwab (Chapter 7)
Pete Schwab is the vice president of engineering technologies and purchasing at Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers. He currently holds fire protection contractor licenses for Wayne Automatic in Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. He has been actively employed in the fire sprinkler industry since 1987 and has been with Wayne Automatic since 1990. He has experience as an installer, design technician, manager, and in his present role as vice president. He is NICET-certified in Level IV Water-Based Systems Layout, Level III Special Hazards Suppression Systems, and Level II Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems. He serves on multiple NFPA technical committees responsible for the following NFPA docu-ments: NFPA 13D & NFPA 13R, (Residential Sprinkler Systems) NFPA 13 (Sprinkler Sys-tem Installation Criteria, Sprinkler SysSys-tem Discharge Criteria, and Hanging and Bracing of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems); NFPA 14 (Standpipes); and NFPA 24 and NFPA 291 (Private Water Supply Piping Systems). He also serves on the Florida Building and Fire Code Technical Advisory Committee and is the chairman of the Orange County Fire and Life Safety Code Board of Adjustments and Appeals. Currently, he is the contractor at large representative (principal member) on the National Fire Sprinkler Association’s Engineering and Standards Committee.
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George W. Stanley, CFPS, SET (NFPA 13 Lesson Special Feature)
George Stanley began his career in the fire sprinkler industry in 1973 as a pipefitter. He is currently Sr. Vice President of Wiginton Fire Protection Engineering, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Wiginton Corporation, where he is responsible for the overall management of design. He is also a certified fire protection specialist and is NICET-certified as a Level IV Senior Engineering Technician and a Level II Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems Technician. George is a member of the NFPA Discharge Committee, NFPA Residential Committee, NFSA E & S Committee, Society of Fire Protection Engineers and Past President of Academy of Construc-tion Trades.
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About the Editor
Matthew J. Klaus
Matt Klaus is a principal fire protection engineer at the National Fire Protection Association, where he is responsible for NFPA documents addressing commissioning, integrated system testing, and automatic sprinkler systems. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering and an M.S. in fire protection engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is a member of the Salamander Honorary Fire Protection Engineer-ing Society. Matt has extensive fire protection engineerEngineer-ing consultEngineer-ing experience as a project manager for projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as for projects across the United States. He has also designed and commissioned various fire protection systems, including smoke control systems, suppression systems, and fire alarm systems. His project work includes the use of fire and egress modeling software for engineering analyses of roadway tunnels, rail systems, football stadiums, high-rise buildings, shopping malls, and transportation hubs.
Part 1 of this handbook includes the complete text and figures of the 2016 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for
the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. The text, tables, and figures from the standard are printed in black and
are the official requirements of NFPA 13. Line drawings and photographs from the standard are labeled as “Figures,” followed by the paragraph number to which they refer.
An asterisk (*) following a standard paragraph number indicates that advisory annex material pertain-ing to that paragraph appears in Annex A. Paragraphs that begin with the letter A are extracted from Annex A of the standard. Although printed in black, this nonmandatory material is purely explanatory in nature. For ease of use, this handbook places Annex A material immediately after the standard paragraph to which it refers. Additionally, material from Annex C of the standard is also placed immediately after the standard paragraph to which it refers.
In addition to standard text and annexes, Part 1 includes explanatory commentary that provides the history and other background information for specific paragraphs in the standard. This insightful commen-tary takes the reader behind the scenes, into the reasons underlying the requirements.
Commentary text, captions, and tables are shown in blue font to clarify identification of commentary material. So that the reader can easily distinguish between line drawings and photographs of the standard and those of the commentary, line drawings, graphs, and photographs in the commentary are labeled as “Exhibits.”
This edition of the handbook includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) feature that is based on the most commonly asked questions of the NFPA 13 staff. Another feature included in the handbook is Ask the AHJ, which are questions that authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) often have to answer. New to the 2016 edition of this handbook are several features providing an in-depth look at various topics relating to sprinkler system design and installation, including Designer’s Corner and NFPA 13 Lessons at the end of some chapters. Also included in this edition are the following other new features:
• Research Notes spotlight material based on research in the field
• Historical Notes review some of the background behind material in the handbook • Closer Looks takes a deeper look at some topics covered in the handbook
NFPA 13 is intentionally set up with two ideas in mind. First, the information is presented in the basic order in which decisions need to be made to design a sprinkler system. Second, within each chapter, information is provided on the most common items first followed by less common items in descending order. In an effort to help guide the reader through the extensive material in this handbook, the following table is also provided as a road map for where to turn for the information needed.
PART 1
NFPA® 13,
Standard for the Installation
of Sprinkler Systems,
with Commentary
2016 Automatic Sprinkler Systems Handbook 2
NFPA 13 Chapter What Information Is Covered?
Chapters 1–4 Provides the administrative details, reference standards, definitions, and broad general concepts for using the standard.
Chapter 5 Provides requirements on the classification of the hazard or storage commodity, which is critical because all other decisions stem from this one.
Chapter 6 Provides rules on the type of equipment that can be used in sprinkler systems (organized in the chapter with the most common to the least common components in the system): fire sprinklers, pipe, valves, and connections. Chapter 7 Provides detailed information on how each type of system is supposed to perform for the following systems (organized in the chapter in descending order of system popularity): wet pipe, dry pipe, preaction, and deluge. Chapter 8 Provides installation rules for components as follows:
• Basic installation rules for all systems (Sections 8.1 and 8.2) • Specific list of rules for fire sprinklers (Sections 8.3 to 8.15) • Rules for installing pipe, valves, and connections • Rules for all sprinklers (Section 8.5)
• Rules applying to standard spray sprinklers (Sections 8.6 and 8.7) • Rules applying to extended coverage sprinklers (Sections 8.8 and 8.9) • Rules applying to residential sprinklers (Section 8.10)
• Rules applying to special sprinklers designed to protect storage occupancies (Sections 8.11 and 8.12) Chapter 9 Provides all the requirements needed on hanging and bracing, including material and installation requirements. Chapter 10 Provides all the requirements needed on underground piping, including material and installation requirements. Chapter 11 Answers these questions for light, ordinary, and extra hazard occupancies:
1. How much water is needed to get out of the sprinklers in order to control or suppress the fire? 2. How many sprinklers are likely to open?
Chapters 12–21 Answers the questions listed for Chapter 11 for a wide variety of storage commodities and arrangements.
Chapter 22 Lists all of the information regarding sprinkler systems from many other NFPA documents that are more occupancy specific than NFPA 13 and puts them in a single place for the sprinkler system designer.
Chapter 23 Explains how to document design decisions, prove that pipe sizes will work, and calculate the size of the water supply.
Chapter 24 Covers what acceptable water supplies can be used to meet the demand calculated in Chapter 23.
Chapter 25 Provides procedures for initial system (acceptance) tests that are to be done after a system has been designed, calculated, and installed, but prior to final system approval.
Chapter 26 Provides specific requirements that apply only to the design and calculation of sprinkler systems going onto ships and boats.
Chapter 27 Provides requirements for periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance of sprinkler systems.
3
Chapter 1 of NFPA® 13 provides administrative requirements for installing sprinkler systems, offers guidance on the application of the standard, and explains how units are expressed throughout the document. The chapter consists of seven subject areas: scope, purpose, application, retroactivity, equivalency, units and symbols, and new technology, which provide the user with the foundation-al assumptions, principles, and information for the proper use and application of the requirements within this standard.
1.1* Scope
Multiple paragraphs and tables in Annex A were revised by tentative interim amendments (TIAs).
A.1.1 This standard provides a range of sprinkler system approaches, design development
alternatives, and component options that are all acceptable. Building owners and their desig-nated representatives are advised to carefully evaluate proposed selections for appropriateness and preference.
The scope of NFPA 13 states that the standard includes the minimum requirements for design and instal-lation of sprinkler systems employing automatic or open sprinklers that discharge water to suppress or control a fire. The phrase minimum requirements does not mean that the criteria is marginally acceptable, but rather it defines what is required for a reasonable level of protection.
1
Administration
CHAPTER
does my building require a sprin-kler system?
NFPA 13 is an installation standard and does not specify the build-ings or structures that require sprinkler systems. NFPA 13 speci-fies how to properly design and install a sprinkler system using the proper components after it has been determined that a sprinkler system is required. The admin-istrative authority for requiring sprinklers within buildings rests with any of the following: the lo-cal building code, NFPA 5000®, NFPA 101®, International Building
Code, or insurance regulations
that typically specify the buildings and structures that require sprin-kler systems. Where the building code does not require a sprinkler system but one is installed vol-untarily, the requirements of this standard still apply to the portion of the building being protected.
FAQ
Why are some fire protection concepts not required by NFPA 13 even though they would be helpful for responding personnel? Examples include smaller area zone control valves and fire department connec-tions sized such that the full system demand can be supplied through the fire department connection. The scope and purpose of this standard is to provide the minimum requirements in order to achieve a rea-sonable level of protection. As more features are required of the fire sprinkler system, the system becomes more complex and generally the cost of the system increases. Therefore, not all features are included in the requirements because they provide a baseline coverage that goes beyond the minimum requirements. For example, although fire sprinkler system failures are rare, the most likely reason for failure is a shut control valve. Instead of referencing NFPA 25 for future maintenance requirements, the standard could hypotheti-cally require the owner to have a fire watch in the valve room 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, to ensure that no one shuts the valve when it is not supposed to be shut. Therefore, NFPA 13 allows for the sealing of the valve in a secure area, along with periodic checks under the requirements of NFPA 25, to help prevent the shutting of a control valve. If owners or tenants want a higher degree of protection, there is nothing pro-hibiting them from doing so. However, the authority having jurisdiction should not impose requirements beyond those specified in NFPA 13 unless they have been formally adopted in the jurisdiction.
ASK THE AHJ
?
1.1.1 This standard shall provide the minimum requirements for the design and installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems and exposure protection sprinkler systems covered within this standard.
Technical Changes
See Supplement 4 for a summary of the significant technical changes to NFPA 13. For a complete record of all changes made during the code revision process, along with the full committee statements explaining the changes, consult the NFPA 13 document page at www.nfpa.org for archived revision information.
