4/29/2014

2014NFPAConference&Expo TheSituation
NFPA13definesaslopedceilingasone
ModelingStorageOccupancies wheretheslopeexceeds2in12(9.5)(See
UnderSlopedCeilings Section3.3.5.3)
Presentedby:
y
NFPA13requires30%increasetothedesign
KennethE.Isman NFSA areaforslopedceilings(SeeSection11.2.3.2.4)
LightHazard
VictoriaB.Valentine NFSA OrdinaryHazard
ExtraHazard
AndreMarshal CSS

NoahRyder CSS
2

TheSituation TheSituation
NFPA13hasnocriteriafordealingwithstorage NFPA13doesnottellyouwhattodointhis
underslopedceiling circumstance
12.1.2CeilingSlope.Thesprinklersystem NFPA13tellsyouwhatnottodo(dontuse
criteriaspecifiedinChapter12andChapters14 thecriteriainthestoragechapters)
through20areintendedtoapplytobuildings
withceilingslopesnotexceeding2in12
(16.7%)unlessmodifiedbyaspecificsectionin
Chapter12andChapters14through20.

3 4

TheConcerns Concerns(ElevationView)
Howmanysprinklerswillopenifthereisa
fire?
Wherewillthosesprinklersbethatwillopen?
Willthosesprinklersbeoverthefireandhavean
effectonthefire?
Willthosesprinklersberemotefromthefire
takingwaterfromthesupply,butnothelpingwith
firecontrol?

5 6

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Concerns(PlanView) OptionsNowAvailable
1. Dontdesignstoragebuildingswithaceiling
slopegreaterthan2in12
2. Installadropceilingundertheslopedceiling
Open Sprinklerbelowdropceilingtoprotectstorage
sprinklersat Sprinklerabovedropceilingifneededtoprotect
kl b d l f d d
peakremote concealedspace
Howbigwill fromfire Makesureceilingissubstantialandstaysinplace
thisfirebe earlyinfire
whenclosest 3. Hireafireprotectionengineerwhocananalyze
sprinklers thesituationanddevelopreasonableanswersto
open? thequestionsaskedonearlierslides
7 8

PotentialProcedureforFPEAnalysis
1. Modelspecificsituationtosee:
a) Howmanysprinklerswillopen
b) Whichsprinklerstheywillbe
c) Heatreleaserateoffirewhensprinklersoverfire
open
2. Reviewexistingfireteststoseeifdischarge
criteriaexistsforafirewiththeheatrelease
instep1(c)whensprinklersopen
9 10
PotentialProcedureforFPEAnalysis
3. Fromdischargecriteriainstep2,determine
necessarypressureatsprinklers
4. Dividethepressureinstep3bythecosineof
theangleoftheslope
pp y y
5. Applyasafetyfactortothenumberof
sprinklersthatwerecalculatedtobeopenin
step1(a)
6. Applyasafetyfactortotheshapeofthe
designareacalculatedinstep1(b)
7. Answerstosteps4,5and6constitute
dischargecriteriaforthatspecificsituation

Step1Modeling Overview
NFSAhiredCustomSpraySolutionstomodela Objectiveofstudy
seriesofconditions Geometryandslopesofinterest
Firedefinition
Sprinklercharacteristics
Suppressionoff
pp
Potentialeffects
Modelcharacteristics
Resultsofanalysis
Conclusions
FutureWork

11

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ObjectiveofStudy Geometry

Doesaslopedceilingsignificantlyaffectthe
activationofthesprinklersintheregionofthe
fireandifsoatwhatslopedoesthisbeginto
occur?

36mx50mfootprint

Geometry Sprinklers&Commodity
13Rowsofsprinklers,longitudinalspacing
constant,latitudespacingadjustedbasedon
slope
7rowsofcommodities
CommoditiesmimicPlasticCommodityHRR
C diti i i Pl ti C dit HRR
curvefromFMRC840056report

Fire
HRRcurvetakenfrom
freeburn firetestof
plasticcommodities
Firelocatedbetween
HRR(kkW)
SprinklerCharacteristics
Genericuprightstandardresponsesprinkler
30000
RTIsof100and300examined
25000
Activationtemperature74 C
20000
Nowaterflowing(i.e.nosuppression

commodities and
commoditiesand 15000
centeredon4sprinklers occurring)
10000
atgroundlevel
5000

0
0 100
Time(s)

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Model Results2:12
Q*andD*analysisdonetoaidingridsizing
GridResolution0.10mcubes
Slopes
2:12
4:12
6:12
Prescribedfiregrowthrate
Ramp
Firearea,1m2

Results2:12 2:12Results,RTIComparison

Activation RTI=100 RTI=300

Order Time(s) HRR
01 96.9s 5738
02 100.3s 7337
03 101.5s 7348
04 103 2 s
103.2s 7329
05 107.8s 7899
06 108.9s 9076
07 113.1s 9649
08 117.0s 10540
09 117.1s 10540
10 118.2s 11044
11 119.7s 10644

Results6:12 Results6:12
Activation
Order Time(s) HRR(kW)
01 97.3 4801.98
02 98.2 7552.75
03 113.2 8630.82
04 115.1 10036.67
05 119.5 10328.14
06 120.9 11514.61
07 122.5 11827.58
08 123.8 14077.64
09 126.5 12881.48
10 134.6 14697.90
11 135.3 14890.81
12 135.5 14201.05
13 136.2 15623.09
14 136.6 15073.80
15 137.4 15718.76
16 139.7 15776.78
17 142.8 20151.83
18 144.2 22334.08
19 145.0 22820.93
20 145.5 23639.38
21 145.8 22068.50

4

6:12Results,RTIComparison
RTI=100 RTI=300
Conclusions
SlopedceilingrequirementsinNFPA13may
beabletoberevised
Individualsprinklerresponsecharacteristics
maybeimportant
NextStepsinPotentialDischargeCriteria
Determination
Lookatheatreleaseratesoffirewhenallfour
sprinklersaroundfireareopen
Arethesecomparabletofiresizeunderflat
ceilingsituations?
Ifso,youhaveyourdischargecriteria
If so you have your discharge criteria
Ifnot,needtodomorework
4/29/2014
Conclusions
Slopedceilingupto4:12minimaltono
changeinactivationorderforgivenscenario
6:12stillproducesreasonableresults,firsttwo
sprinklerstoactivatearearoundfireandnext
three are adjacent or around it
threeareadjacentoraroundit
RTIhasasignificantimpactonsprinkler
activationtime,activationorderforsame
scenarioisslightlyaltered
FutureWorkforModeling
Evaluateimpactof:
X,YFirelocationonactivation
ZFirelocation(i.e.initialheight)onactivation
Ceilingheightvs.commoditystorageheight
Suppressiononsprinkleractivation
Suppression on sprinkler activation
Genericsprinklerspraycharacteristics
Manufacturer/Modelspecificsprinklercharacteristics
2014NFPAConference&Expo
ThankYou
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badgeatthebackoftheroombeforeleaving
Evaluation: Completethesessionevaluationonthemobile
app. (Todownload,searchyourappstorefor
NFPA2014C&E.)
Handouts: Handoutswillbeavailableviathemobileapp
oratnfpa.org/conference
Recordings: Audiorecordingswillbeavailable.Toorder,
seeFleetwoodMediaProductions(atBreakers
Registrationdesk)orvisitnfpa.org/conference
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