The LWF Blog
Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Sprinkler Protection – Part 216
January 6, 2025 11:01 amLWF’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 215, LWF talked about sprinkler system protection and reliability, including why less than 100% effective can still be acceptable in terms of fire safety. In part 216, we review the benefits of sprinklers.
The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) produced a report in 2006 called ‘Use and Benefits of Incorporating Sprinklers in Buildings and Structures’ (PDF) which gives detail on the potential for using sprinkler systems alongside other fire safety systems. The resulting design may be one which can allow concessions in structural fire protection measures or an increase in compartment sizes where desirable. Although the data was compiled with the UK in mind, the resulting guidance is applicable internationally.
Some of the potential concessions that may be possible, if sprinklers are a part of the fire safety provision are:
Means of Escape – Sprinkler systems are designed to slow the growth rate of fire (fire suppression) and also reduce the mass smoke flow. This may allow increased time to effect a safe evacuation from a building and therefore, allow an increase in the distance to be travelled to a final exit. Smoke detection as the method of detection for a fire alarm system might mean that the evacuation process was already underway prior to sprinkler activation, and so this point would only be relevant if the sprinkler system were the means of detection.
Compartmentation – When a sprinkler system is installed and operational, the chances of a fire becoming a large fire are significantly reduced. The people inside the building are less likely to be threatened by the fire and people who have to enter the building after fire detection (i.e. firefighters) are in less danger. As the fire is controlled by the sprinklers, the chances of fire spread to adjacent buildings is reduced. When compared to a similar, non-sprinklered building, the compartment size may be larger.
A fire-engineered fire safety design would incorporate data on test fires to prove the provision is suitable and satisfy the requirements of authorities having jurisdiction.
In part 217 of LWF’s series on fire engineering we will continue to look at the potential concessions possible when sprinklers are included in the fire safety design of a building. 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.