BLD61304

BUILDING SERVICES TECHNOLOGY

FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM (PART 1)

FIRE TRIANGLE

Three factors are required to start a fire:

 Fuel

 Oxygen
 Heat
TYPES OF FIRES

Fires Are Classified

by the type FUEL
they burn.

The 4 Types are

 A
 B
 C
 D
CLASS A FIRES (CARBONACEOUS)

Wood,
Paper,
Plastic,
Rags, etc
Combustible
Material burn and
ash is left behind
CLASS B FIRES (OIL)

Gasoline,
Oil,
Grease,
Paint, etc
Water not to be
used as oil is lighter
and will float
CLASS C FIRES - ELECTRICAL FIRES AND
GASES UNDER FIRE
Office Equipment,
Motors,
Switchgear,
Heaters,
Gases

ELECTRICITY ITSELF DOES NOT BURN.

IT PROVIDES THE IGNITION TO START A FIRE
CLASS D FIRES - METALS

 Potassium
 Sodium
 Aluminium
 Magnesium
FIRE SPREAD
 FIRE SPREAD
• FIRE SPREADS QUICKLY &
GEOMETRICALLY

• RELEASED HEAT INCREASES

TEMPERATURE IN THE VICINITY

• HIGH TEMPERATURE CAUSES

SELF IGNITION IN OTHER FUELS
FIRE SPREAD

The heat liberated by the fire also causes the

surrounding materials to warm up. The heat transfer
is accomplished by three means, usually
simultaneously:
 CONDUCTION
 CONVECTION

 RADIATION
CONDUCTION
 Direct thermal energy transfer due to
contact.
 Materials conduct heat at varying rates.
Metals are very good conductors while
concrete and plastics are very poor
conductors, hence good insulators.
 Nevertheless, a fire in one sidewall of a
compartment will result in the transfer of
heat to the other side of the wall.
CONVECTION
 Heat transfer
. through a liquid or gas
 Caused by density difference of the hot
molecules compared to the cold ones (eg. boiling
water)
 Hot air, gases expand and rise.
 Convection normally determines the general
direction of the firespread.
 Convection causes fires to rise as heat rises
RADIATION
 Electromagnetic wave transfer of heat to
an object.
 Waves travel in all directions from the fire
and may be reflected or absorbed by a
surface.
 Absorbed heat raises the temperature of the
material beyond its ignition point, causing
it to ignite.
FIRE PROTECTION METHOD
FIRE PROTECTION METHOD
 Active method
 require mechanical, electric or electronic activation.
 It is the manual or automatic fire protection systems such as fire
alarms, detectors (heat & smoke) wet & dry risers, hosereels, CO2
fixed installation.
 Passive method
 an integral component of the structural fire protection and fire
safety in a building.
 It attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-
resistant walls, floors, and doors (amongst other examples).
 Passive systems must comply with the associated listing and
approval of use in order to provide the effectiveness expected by
building codes.
ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION
METHODS OF FIRE EXTINGUISHMENT

 Starvation - Remove one of the three: fuel or oxygen or

heat
 Cooling - Water in contact with fire vaporizes & this
vapour displaces the oxygen. The vaporization of water
also absorb heat & cool the room & its objects thus
preventing one of the means that fire can grow.
 Smothering - When water turn into steam (liquid to vapour)
as it meets the fire, its volumetric pressure increase about
1000 times. This saturated steam displaces an equal amount
of air surrounding fire. This will reduce the volume of air
(oxygen) available to sustain the combustion.
ACTIVE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Portable fire extinguishers are;

 Intended for initial outbreak of fire
 To prevent escalation into full scale fire
 Not used for large fire
 Should be selected for the type of fire anticipated
 Located close to the proximity of fire hazard
 Minimal gross weight, so that can be carried by one person
ACTIVE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
Design Requirement :
 Uniform Building By Law, 1984 – Fire extinguishers are described under By Law 227
 Portable fire extinguishers should be designed, tested, installed and maintained in
accordance to;
MS1539 : Specification for Portable Fire Extinguishers
Part 1: Construction & Test Methodology
Part 3: Selection & Application – Code of Practice
Part 4: Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers – Code of Practice

Location of Fire Extinguishers

 At conspicuous location where it is easily spotted
 Near room exits, corridors, stairways, lobbies and landings
 Within recessed closets if sited along protected corridor to prevent obstruction
 Not more than 20m from a potential fire hazard
 Not at a location where fire might prevent access to it
EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT
GENERAL
 Every building shall be served by at least 1 hydrant
located not more than 91.5 m from the nearest point of
fire brigade access.
 Consists of a system of pipe-work connected directly
to the water supply mains to provide water to each and
every hydrant outlet and intended for the firemen to
fight fire.
 Water is discharged into the fire engine from which it
is then pumped and sprayed over the fire.
 Where water supply is not adequate,
EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT
EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT
HYDRANT OUTLET
 Not more than 30 m away from the breeching inlet for the
building.
 Not less than 6 m from the building.
 Spaced not more than 90 m apart along access road .
 Minimum width of access road is 6 m
 Capable of withstanding a load of 26 tons
30m

6m 6m
EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT

90m
HOSE REEL
GENERAL
 Intended for occupant to use during early stages of fire.
 Comprises of hose reel pumps, fire storage (hose reel) tank, hose reels, pipe
works and valves.
 Must be sited in position where they can be used without exposing user to
danger from fire, e.g. staircase.
 Are placed such that all areas are within 30 m hose coverage from each hose
 One hose reel for every 800 m2 of floor space
 Basic requirements:
 Hose must be able to discharge 0.4 l/s of water at a distance of 6.00 m
from nozzle end.
 Pressure required at the highest point must not be less than 200 kPa.

 For building < 15 m high, a bore pipe of 50 mm is required as the main

pipe & 64 mm bore pipe for building > 15 m high.
HOSE REEL
 Fixed to building structure either by fixed / swinging type.
 Water supplied from a designated water tank (16 m3) located
either at roof level / ground level. If the tank is at ground level, it
must be equipped with 2 pumps – operational (duty) and standby,
to pump the water up.
 Rubber hoses are typically 30 m in length and 25 mm in diameter.
 Pipe work for hose reel is generally 50 mm diameter and the feed
to hose reel should not be less than 25 mm diameter.
 Pipe works shall be galvanised steel medium grade (Class B) for
above ground piping.
 Pipe works shall be galvanised steel heavy grade (Class C) for
underground pipes.
 Pipes shall be painted with primer and finished with red paint or
hose reel pipes may be identified with red bands painted at elbows
HOSE REEL
Hose reel - Discharge Flow-rate and Throw Length

0.4 l/s or 30 l/min

6 metres
HOSE REEL
Hose reel System Installation
HOSE REEL
Hosereel Tank
 Tank can be made of pressed steel, fibreglass reinforced polyester
(FRP) or concrete.
 Tank should be compartmented.
 Level indicator provided.
 External surface should be painted red or a red band of minimum
200 mm should be painted.
DRY RISER
GENERAL
 Internal fire hydrant for firemen to use.
 Basically, it is a straight vertical pipe (riser pipe) fixed to the highest point
in the building & accessible at every floor level through a landing valve.
 Required when topmost floor of building is higher than 18.3 m and lower
than 30.5 m above the fire appliance access level.
 Dry risers are normally dry and depend on fire engine to pump water into
the system.
 Canvas hose with nozzle is also provided on each floor which can be
connected to the landing valve.
 Breeching inlet at the ground level are provided for firemen to pump
water into it.
 Riser should be sited so that no part on the floor is > 61 m from the
landing valve.
DRY RISER
Dry Riser Installation

Required when the

top most floor is
between 18.3m to
30.5m
DRY RISER
Disadvantage: Limited amount of water supplied from the tank of
the fire brigade
DRY RISER
LANDING VALVE
 Provided on each floor.
 Located within fire access lobbies, protected staircase or
protected lobbies.
 Installed not more than 0.75 m above floor level.
 Fire hose shall not be less than 38 mm diameter, 30 m length and
65 mm dia. quick coupling and nozzle.
DRY RISER
BREECHING INLET

2-Way Breeching Inlet For 100 mm diameter

pipe

4-Way Breeching Inlet For 150 mm diameter

pipe
DRY RISER
BREECHING INLET
 Installed at the bottom of the riser.
 Where enclosed in a metal box, the door should be glazed with
wired glass and it shall be marked “Dry Riser Inlet”.
 A drain shall be provided at the bottom to drain the system after
use.
 Located not more than 18 m from fire appliance access road and
not more than 30 m from the nearest fire hydrant.
DRY RISER
BREECHING INLET

30 m

18 m
DRY RISER

If highest landing valve

is 22.875 m above the
breeching inlet, use 150
mm diameter riser and if
lower, use 100 mm
diameter riser.
WET RISER
GENERAL
• Similar to dry riser, but it is constantly filled with water. Water supply
shall be capable of maintaining a running pressure of 410 kPa at the
highest landing valve and give a flow rate of 2.3 l/s.
• Required when topmost floor of building is >30.5 m but < 70.5 m above
the fire appliance access level.
• Consists of an operational (duty) and a standby pump discharging into a
150 mm diameter pipe.
• Breeching inlet at the ground level are provided for firemen to pump
water into it.
• A suction tank is located at Ground Level with minimum capacity of
45.50 m3 and equipped with 2 pump sets (operational & standby).
• Landing valve of 64 mm diameter must be provided at every 930 m2 of
floor area.
• Air release valve to automatically open to release air and closes when
the riser is full of water.
WET RISER
Wet Riser Installation
WET RISER
WET RISER
WET RISER TANK
 Sized for a minimum capacity of 45,500 litres.
 Can be made of pressed steel, fibre reinforced polyester (FRP) or
concrete.
 External tank shall be painted red or a red band of minimum 200
mm shall be painted for indication of fire tank.
 Tanks can be located on the ground, first or second basement.
 Have to be a separate tank, but can be combined with the hosereel
tank.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
GENERAL
 Purpose is to detect, control, extinguish a fire and warn the
occupants of the occurrence of fire.
 An automatic fire suppression system which uses a range
of designed pipe work fixed inside building and water as
the fire fighting agent.
 Comprises fire pumps, water storage tanks, control valve
sets, sprinkler heads, flow switches, pipework and valves.
 Sprinkler head as fire detector and discharge point of
water.
 When building height exceeds 45 m, multiple stages of
sprinkler have to be installed.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
 SPRINKLER SYSTEM
BASIC COMPONENTS
Range of pipe work
Sprinkler head
Pumps
Control valve
Water storage tank
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
OCCUPANCY HAZARD GROUP
Sprinkler systems are designed based on the hazard classification in
BS EN 12845
 Light Hazard – Non-industrial occupancies with low quantity and
combustibility content. Eg apartments, schools, hospitals.
 Ordinary Hazard – for commercial and industrial occupancies
handling and storing ordinary combustible materials.
 OH Group I for offices, restaurants and hotels.
 OH Group II for laundries, bakeries and tobacco factories.
 OH Group III for carparks, departmental stores, large retail
shops and cinemas, clothing and paint factories.
 OH Group III (special) for match factories, film and
television studios.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
OCCUPANCY HAZARD GROUP
 High Hazard – for commercial and industrial occupancies having
abnormal fire loads covering process hazards, high piled storage
hazards and oil and flammable liquid hazards and further grouped
as:
 Process risk (clothing, rubber, wood wool).
 High piled storage risk (4 categories).
 Category I (carpet and textile piled above 4 m high).
 Category II (furniture factory piled above 3 m high).
 Category III (rubber, wax coated paper piled above 2 m
high).
 Category IV (foam, plastics piled above 1.2 m high).
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
PIPE WORK
 Galvanised mild steel pipe – Medium grade in accordance to BS 1387

SPRINKLER PUMP
 Draws water from the storage tank to feed the sprinkler network.

 Two sets of pumps, one duty and standby are required.

 Jockey pump is installed to maintain a uniform or relatively high

pressure in a fire protection piping system.
 Standby pump shall be powered from emergency generator or diesel
engine driven.
 The size of the pumps (nominal pressure and flow requirement)
depend on the height of the topmost and bottommost sprinkler head
and the hazard group.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
CONTROL VALVES
 Valves shall be located in a safe and enclosed position on the exterior
wall and shall be readily accessible to the Fire Authority.
 Valves shall be used to prove the quantity and delivery pressure of the
sprinkler water.
 All sprinkler systems shall be electrically connected to the nearest fire
station to provide immediate and automatic activation of the alarm when
activated.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
SPRINKLER TANK
The sprinkler storage tank not depended on inflow shall have a
minimum effective capacity according to the hazard classification
and height of the lowest and highest sprinkler.

Sprinkler tank can be of

 Pressed steel
 Fibre reinforced polyesther (FRP)
 Concrete
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
HOW SPRINKLERS WORK
1. The typical sprinkler head consists of a plug held in place by a glass
bulb filled with a glycerin-based liquid that expands when heated.
2. This liquid is designed to expand and break the tube at a certain
temperature. The most common are designed to break at 155oF
(Fahrenheit) (68.3oC). In the average sized room, a 5 mm diameter
bulb will usually break in about one to one and a half minutes from
contact with a heat source.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
3. The plug is forced out by the pressurized water behind it and
deflected away by a beveled edge. The water sprays over the
deflector plate which is designed to distribute it in an even pattern.
Water will continue to flow until the main valve is shut off.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
WET SYSTEM

Constantly filled with pressurised water, normally used in building with no risk of
freezing (liquid to solid).
When any sprinkler head is activated by fire, the water will flow out from the
sprinkler head causing a drop in water pressure in the pipe work. This will
automatically activate the alarm, pumps and the whole system.

DRY SYSTEM

Similar to wet system, but the pipe work is filled with pressurised air, normally
used in building with risk of freezing.
When any sprinkler head is activated by fire, air pressure in the pipe work will
drop. This will automatically activate the alarm, pumps which will pump water to
the whole system.
AUTOMATIC CO2 SYSTEM
GENERAL
 Purpose is to protect electrical equipment (TNB gears) – suitable for transformer
rooms, computer room, textile machineries.
 Consists of CO2 cylinders, steel pipings, discharge nozzles, heat and/or smoke
detectors and a control panel.
 Gas is dry, non-conductive, heavier than air so it flows around obstacle.

 Works on “double-knock” system.

 Activates audio and visual alarm before discharging the gas.

SYSTEM OPERATION
 Quantity of extinguishing agent should be sufficient to ensure rapid extinction of
fire.
 The protected area shall be flooded with CO2 with a time delay of 30 seconds to
60 seconds (maximum).
 Duration for discharge of fire shall not exceed 1 minute except for deep seated
fires (built up heat in structure) where the discharge shall not exceed 7 minutes.
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