New Design Considerations

for
Fire Pump Installations
Milosh Puchovsky, PE, FSFPE
Professor of Practice
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dept. of Fire Protection Engineering

Agenda

Very Tall Buildings

Redundancy
Fire Pump Access
Water Supply
Pressure Control
Testing & Piping Arrangements

Should all high rise buildings be

considered the same way?

Very Tall Buildings

What about buildings beyond the pumping
capability of the fire department?

Very Tall Buildings

Not connected to a specific height.

Very Tall Buildings

Where primary water
supply is from tanks,
how many tanks
should be provided?

Very Tall Buildings

Total volume of all tanks or compartments
to be sufficient for the full fire protection
demand.
Each individual tank or compartment to be
sized so that at least 50% of the fire
protection demand is stored with any one
compartment or tank out of service. (20:5.6.1)

Very Tall Buildings

Automatic & manual refill valves sized and
arranged to independently supply the
system fire protection demand for each
water tank or compartment. (20:5.6.1)

Very Tall Buildings

Should redundant fire pumps be provided?
Under what conditions?

Very Tall Buildings

Fire pumps serving zones that are partially or wholly
beyond the pumping capability of the fire department
apparatus to be provided with one of the following:
(1) A fully independent and automatic backup fire pump
unit(s) arranged so that all zones can be maintained in
full service with any one pump unit out of service.
(2) An auxiliary means that is capable of providing the full
fire protection demand and that is acceptable to the
AHJ, i.e. gravity fed standpipe systems. (20:5.6.2)

Auxiliary Power for Pumps in

High Rise Buildings
Where electric motors are used, and the
height of the structure is beyond the
pumping capability of the fire department
apparatus, an alternate source of power to
be provided. (20:9.3)
Alternate source not required where the
following are provided:
Back up engine driven pump
Back-up motor driven pump on independent
power source

Terminology
On-Site Standby Generator. A facility
producing electric power on site as the
alternate supply of electric power. It differs
from an on-site power production facility, in
that it is not constantly producing power.
(20:3.35)

Pump Room Access in High

Rise Buildings
Considerations to be addressed with the
Fire Department (20:5.3)
Access directly from outside
Locations above and below grade (protected
passageways)
Discharge of pump equipment (packing
glands, relief valves, etc.)

Pressure Fluctuations Water

Supply

Confirmation of Water Supply

Water flow tests to be completed not more
than 12 months prior to the submission of
working plans
Acceptance Testing. Unadjusted fire
pump discharge flows and pressures to
meet or exceed the system demand.
Comparison with shop curves still
required.

Low Suction Throttling Devices

Friction loss through a low suctionthrottling valve in the fully open position
must be taken into account during design.

System Overpressures

System Overpressures

System Overpressure
Variable Speed Control

Acceptance Testing
Where variable speed pressure limiting
control is employed, fire pump
performance to be tested at: churn, 25%,
50%, 75%,100%,125% and 150% of rated
pump capacity.

Pressure Relief Valve Discharge

Back to Suction
Relief valves only
permitted to
address
abnormal
conditions.
Discharge
permitted to be
piped back to
suction.
Concerns for diesel engine driven pumps that incorporate
heat exchanger cooling for the engine.

Flow
Meters &
Testing
Devices
Where a
installed in a
looped
arrangement
for flow
testing, an
alternate
means of
measuring
flow to be
provided.

Break Tank Sizing

Series Fire Pump Arrangement

Should all pumps
comprising a series
fire pump installation
be located in the
same fire pump
room?

Final Remarks
Given the same conditions, will a fire behave
differently based on it geographic location?

Thank You