The LWF Blog
Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Sprinkler Protection – Part 219
January 28, 2025 10:31 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 218, LWF talked about fire engineering using sprinkler systems. In part 219, we continue to look at the principles of fire engineering and sprinkler systems.
The use of performance-based measures alongside a sprinkler system for a building may be unsuitable in situations where the premises may be used in a different way in the future. In a simple building, where flexibility may be required for usage in the future, fire safety solutions based on prescriptive guidance may be the most appropriate choice.
In situations where bespoke and/or non-standard sprinkler designs are used, or where system features do not meet the objectives in the adopted design code, there is a necessity to take into account their full impact on system performance including speed of reaction to fire and ability to limit and suppress fire growth.
It may be that a fire engineered solution is necessary, because the type of risk falls outside the scope of the guidance in the rules, or a novel design or technique is employed. In such situations, it is important that the objectives of a standard system in terms of response time and water spray performance should be equalled or surpassed if a suitable level of control is to be achieved.
Sprinkler protection has the ability to increase the fire-resistance of glazed areas in a fire situation, by ensuring the range of sprinkler heads includes areas of glazing. The sprinklers will help to avoid the glass heating up too quickly and failing. Where sprinklers are positioned within 600 mm of glazing, good spray distribution over the glass can be anticipated.
External drencher systems are sometimes used to protect buildings from the effects of a fire in a neighbouring building. The use of sprinkler systems to protect glazing and external edifices is not common in the UK, although it is more widely adopted in Australasia and Hong Kong. There are also sprinkler systems designed to discharge water onto glazed assemblies and for external protection in the US, regulated by NFPA guidance.
In part 220 of LWF’s series on fire engineering we will continue to talk about sprinklers and drenchers being used for windows and external edifices. 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.