The LWF Blog

Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Foam Fire Suppression Systems – Part 291

June 15, 2026 8:33 am

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 290, LWF talked about foam fire suppression with modern foam concentrates and premix foams. In part 291, we discuss the documentation necessary for a foam fire suppression system.

Contracts for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of foam fire suppression systems should include comprehensive documentation to ensure the system is in line with current standards, like BS EN 13565-2 Fixed firefighting systems. Foam systems – Design, construction and maintenance a standard used in the UK and Europe.

The documentation should provide a clear description of the system and a breakdown of the procedures required for testing, inspection and ongoing maintenance. On a basic level, the instructions should cover the following:

• Foam solution application rate
• Time to achieve effective discharge
• Proportioning accuracy of the foam concentrate
• Foam expansion and drainage times
• Other performance metrics required by system design or standard

A breakdown of the required documentation is as follows:

System Drawings

• Scaled plan and sectional views showing the hazard area and foam system layout
• Locations of foam storage, proportioning equipment, pumps, pipes, valves, supports and discharge devices
• Isometric drawings of agent distribution piping, illustrating pipe lengths and diameters, elevations, node references and details for hydraulic verification

Hydraulic and Flow Data

• Flow calculations confirming system performance
• Pipe and nozzle sizes, discharge device ratings and operating pressures
• Design flow rates and application densities for each protected hazard

Site and Ownership Info

• Name and contact information for the owner and occupier
• Facility location and protected hazard area(s)
• Details of hazard construction and construction features of protected areas

Foam Concentrate details

• Manufacturer, type and quantity supplied
• Proportioning concentration (percentage of concentrate to be mixed with water)
• Storage requirements, shelf life and handling instructions

Foam Physical Properties

• Approved data for pH, specific gravity, sediment content, refractive index and any other relevant quality indicators
• Acceptable tolerances for verification during maintenance and testing

Water and Foam Supply

• Sources, available flow, pressure and duration
• Foam supply arrangements and capacities
• Design assumptions used for hydraulic calculations

Discharge Devices

• Description and identification of all nozzles or foam applicators
• Manufacturer, model, performance data and orifice size or code where applicable

Piping, Fittings and Valves

• Materials specifications and pressure ratings
• Details of all fittings, valves, supports and corrosion protection
• Installation requirements and any special considerations

The documentation should also include detailed information on testing, inspection and maintenance of the system. The tests and ongoing maintenance provisions are designed to ensure the system continues to operate as intended for the duration of its service life.

All documents should be provided in both hard copy and electronic format and updated to reflect modifications during installation, commissioning and operation.

In part 292 of LWF’s series on fire engineering we will begin to discuss Water Mist Systems. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.

Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients since 1986 to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact the LWF office on 0800 410 1130.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.