11/27/2015

ESFRSprinklersThePerfectSolutionToWarehousingUpdated

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ESFRSprinklersThePerfectSolutionToWarehouseFireProtection?
(Updated)
July11th,2012

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ExplorewithusinthisextendedandupdatedarticlethedosanddontsofESFRsprinklersystems.Weaddeda
sectiononthechangesofthemostrecent2010editionofFM89byFMGlobal,andaFAQontheinstanceswhereinrack
sprinklersarerequiredwhenthebuildingisequippedwithanESFRsystem.
(updatestotheoriginalarticleareshowninitalics)
AdditionalinformationonsprinklerapplicationissuescanbefoundinthearticleSprinklerProtectionSimplified.
ESFR(EarlySuppression,FastResponse)sprinklersystems,havebeenrightfullytoutedasoneofthebestsolutionsandbest
investmentsinwarehousestorage.ButareESFRsystemsanallinclusivesolutiontowarehouseprotection?Isitthemiraclecure
toallwarehousingproblems?
Notexactly.Theresagamutofproblemsthatmayarisefromabusinessownerunknowinglymovingintoabuildingequippedwith
anESFRsystem.Letsdiscussthesepotentialpitfallsinmoredetailbygivingsomespecificexamples.
BackgroundHistory
Inthe1980s,earlysuppression,fastresponse(ESFR)sprinklersystemsweredevelopedasanalternativetoinracksystems.They
weredesignedtoactuallysuppressorextinguishthefire,whileconventionalsprinklerscanonlycontrolfires,thereforeeliminating
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theneedforextinguishmentbyfirefighters.
Howdotheywork?ESFRsprinklersaredesignedtorelease23timestheamountofwaterofconventionalsprinklerheadsandto
emitlargerdropletsofwater,whichinturnhaveagreatermomentumthandropletsemittedfromconventionalheads.Asaresult
morewaterandagreatershareofthewaterreachesthefireallowingtheflamestobeextinguished.
Application
Ingeneral,ESFRsystemscanbeusedinwarehouseswithstoragethatdonotexceed40feetinoverallheight,andwithaceiling
heightoflessthan45feet.Andtherearesprinklersystemprotectionschemesthatwillallowstorageabovethoseheights.These
mayincludeinracksprinklersoracombinationofESFRwithinracksprinklers.
ESFRsystemsaredesignedtoprotectawidearrayofcommodities.Thisprovidesmoreflexibilityinwarehouseoperationswhen
comparedtocontrolmode(conventional)sprinklersystems,whicharedesignedtoprotectonlythecommoditiesthatwerestoredat
thetimeofsysteminstallation.Ifthestoragesituationrequiresinracksprinklerstobeinstalledtotheexistingcontrolmode
systemsofawarehousebuilding,oftenbuildingownersprefertochangeovertoESFR,simplybecausethenthereisnoneedto
worryaboutdamaginginracksprinklerheadsduringnormalstorageoperations.Additionallyinracksprinklershavetobe
removedandsometimesreplacedwitheachnewtenant,sincethetenantsowntheracks.ThereforeconvertingtoanESFRsystemis
attimesmorecosteffectiveinthelongrun.
HerearesomecommonquestionsaskedaboutESFRsystems:
Question: Cansmoke&heatventsbeinstalledinbuildingsequippedwithESFRsystems?
Yes.InthemostrecenteditionofNFPA13,the2010Edition,Section12.1.1.2statesEarlysuppressionfastresponse
(ESFR)sprinklersshallnotbeusedinbuildingswithautomaticheatorsmokeventsunlesstheventsuseahigh
Answer: temperaturerated,standardresponseoperatingmechanism.However,jurisdictionswheretheInternationalFireCode
havebeenadopted,unlesslocalamendmentsareusedtochangetheregulations,prescribethatsmokeandheatventsare
notrequiredinbuildingsequippedwithanESFRsystem.

Question: CandraftcurtainsbeinstalledinbuildingsequippedwithanESFRsystem?
No.Draftcurtains/curtainboardscaninterferewiththewayhotairmovesattheceiling(calledceilingjets),whichis
howmostsprinklersincludingESFRheadsactuate/open.ThischangecanresultinfailuresoftheESFRsystem.It
needstobeemphasizedthatsprinklersystemsarethemostcriticalmeansofprotectingawarehouse.Ifthesprinklerin
Answer: awarehousefails,ittypicallyresultsinacatastrophicfailureoftheentirefireprotectionsystem.Thereforeensuring
propersprinklersystemfunctionshouldbeofhighestprioritywhencomparedtootherprotectionsystemssuchasdraft
curtains.IfESFRsprinklersareusednexttoconventionalsprinklers,2footcurtainboardsarerequiredtoseparatethe
ESFRsystemsfromtheconventionalsprinklersystems.

Question: CanESFRsystemsprotectalltypesofrackstorage?
No.ESFRcannotbeappliedtorackswithsolidshelving,exceptasspecifiedforhighbayrecordstorageasindicatedin
NFPA13,Section20.7.Furthermore,ESFRsystemscannotbeappliedtoopentopcontainers.However,sincethe
concernwithopentopcontainersrelatestothesecontainersretainingthewater(likeareservoir)andnotallowingthe
watertoflowdowntothelowestlevelsofarack,thereisnoharmifopentopcontainersareusedinthelowestlevelof
therack(atornearthefloor).
Themostrecent2010editionofFM89byFMGlobalstates:

Answer:

Opentop,fivesidednoncombustiblecontainersdonotneedspecialconsiderationwhen:
1)Theyarelocatedonthetoptierofthestoragerackandallstoragelocatedbelowthemisalsoin
noncombustiblecontainers,or
2)Theyarealllocatedonthebottomtierofthestoragerack,or
3)Theyareprovidedwitheitherwiremeshsidingorlargeuniformopeningsalongthebottomperimeterof
eachcontainer,suchthatallwaterthatentersthecontainerwillleavethecontaineratthesameflowrate
anddischargeevenlyintothefluespaces.Forthisoptiontoapply,storagewithinthecontainercannotbe
waterabsorbentnorbecapableofblockinganyofthecontainerholes,or
4)Theyareintermixedwithstorageincombustiblecontainers,theyarenotlocatedonthetoptierofthe
storagerackandtheydonotextendintothetransversefluespaces.
Opentop,fivesided,combustiblecontainersdonotneedspecialconsiderationwhen:
1)Theyarealllocatedonthebottomtieroftherackstorage,or
2)Theyarenotlocatedonthetoptierofthestoragerackandtheydonotextendintothetransverse
fluespaces,or

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3)Theyareprovidedwitheitherwiremeshsidingorlargeuniformopeningsalongthebottomperimeterof
eachcontainer,suchthatallwaterthatentersthecontainerwillleavethecontaineratthesameflowrate
anddischargeevenlyintothefluespaces.Forthisoptiontoapply,storagewithinthecontainercannotbe
waterabsorbentnorbecapableofblockinganyofthecontainerholes,or
4)Thestorageracksareequippedwithflatordomedshapedfixedinplacelidsthatareprovideddirectly
abovetheopentopcontainersandwillpreventwaterfromenteringtheopentopcontainer,aswellas
distributewaterequallyintoallfluespaces(thisonlyappliesforpalletloadsthatarefixedinplacewithin
arackstructure).

Question: OnceanESFRsystemisinstalled,cananybusinessmoveinandstorehowevertheywant?
No.Forexample,withoneexception(NFPA13,Table15.4.1),ESFRsystemscannotbeappliedtostorageofexposed
(uncartoned)expandedGroupAPlastics.AlsoeachtypeofESFRheadcanprotectadifferentsetofcommodities.For
example,K25ESFRcannotprotectcartonedexpandedplastics(suchasproductsthathave>25%byvolumeoffoam
packaginginacardboardbox).Additionallymostfurniturewarehousesrunintodifficultiesinprotectingproductswith
Answer:
anESFRsystem,becauseoftheirrackstorageofexposedexpandedplastics.Exposedexpandedincludeproductssuch
asmattresses,pillows,syntheticfoampackaging(nonstarchbased),etc.Forbuildingownersorinwarehouses,where
thetypesofstoragefluctuates,thebestreturnforyourESFRdollaristheK17ESFRhead,whichprotectsalarge
varietyofproducts,butstillrequirescomparativelylowwaterpressures.

Question: Arethereinstanceswhereinracksprinklersarerequired,evenwhenthebuildingisequippedwithanESFRsystem?
Yes.TherearemanyinstanceswhereinracksprinklersarerequiredwithanESFRsystem.Forexampleincaseswhere
exposedexpandedGroupAPlastics(e.g.mattresses)onracksareproposed,theprotectionoftheseproductsare
outsidethescopeofNFPA13.FMGlobaldoesrequireinracksforprotectionoftheseproductsinmostcaseseven
withanESFR*systemattheceiling.AdditionallycloseattentionmustbepaidtotheESFRtablesinNFPA13,
especiallyTables16.2.3.1,16.3.3.1,17.2.3.1,17.3.3.1andforceilingsgreaterthan40feet.ManyoftheESFRoptions
Answer: inthattablerequireinracksprinklers.
*NOTE:FMGlobalnolongerusesthetermESFRhoweverESFRsprinklersareviewedassimplyK16.8,K25.2,
etc.sprinklerswhenapplyingprotectiontablesinDataSheet89.Thereforeifabusinessownerismovingintoa
buildingthatisequippedwithanESFR,andexposedexpandedGroupAPlasticsisplannedforrackstorage,theK
Factoroftheheadwillbeusedtodeterminewhetherinracksarerequired.

Question: AresprinklersystemsrequiredbelowcatwalksiftheoverheadsystemisESFR?
InthepastFMGlobalDataSheetswereusedasalternativemeansofprotection/criteriatoNFPA13.Thiswas
acceptabletomostjurisdictions.ThepreviouseditionsofFMGlobalDatasheet22didnotrequiresprinklersbelow
catwalksifthecatwalksystemwasgreaterthan70%openandnomorethan10feetwide.Thisallowancewasspecific
toESFRsystems.However,withthereleaseofthenewFMGlobalDataSheets89,thetermESFRhasbeen
completelyeliminated.Thenewrequirementsforsprinklersbelowwalkwayshavebeenmodifiedtoamoregeneric
Answer:
requirementthatappliestoalltypesofsprinklersystems.SeeFMGlobal20fortheallowancesforlocationswhere
sprinklersneednotbeinstalledbelowwalkways.Inallcases,sprinklersarerequiredbelowopengridsiftheopengrid
depthisgreaterthan1/2inch.Inotherwords,FM20,Section2.2.1.4.3Exceptions13applytoopengridsifthegrid
is1/41/2inchdeep.Thereforeinmostcasessincewalkwaysareapproximately3/41inchdeep,sprinklerswillbe
requiredbelowwalkways.

Question: WhatarecommonmisunderstandingsseeninapplicationofESFRs?
Someofthecriticalpiecesofinformationthatisoftenmiscommunicatedbetweenbusinessowners,realtors,andfire
departmentswilloftenresultintheincorrectapplicationofESFRsystems.Letslistsomeofthem:
Commodity:Tobusinessowners,thecommodityistheproductthattheyareselling(i.e.thevaluablegoods).Tothe
firedepartmentandwhatisneededtodetermineprotection,acommodityiswhatcanburninthewarehouse.This
includes,product(i.e.thevaluablegoods),thepackaging(foam/expandedplastics,etc.)andthepallet(plasticversus
standardwood,etc.).
Answer:

Clearance:Tobusinessownersandrealtors,clearancedefineshowhightheycanphysicallystore.Clearancesare
typicallyareconsideredthedistancefromthefloortobottomofroofstructuressuchastrusses,etc.Tothefire
departmentsandcodeusers,clearancesareshortforsprinklerclearancesusuallytermedtodescribethedistance
betweenthetopofthestoragetothesprinklerdeflector.

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CeilingHeights:Tobusinessownersandrealtorsceilingheightsareagainusedtodefinehowhightheycanphysically
store.Thereforetheyconsiderthismeasurementdistancebelowtherooftrussesandinmostcasesatlowestpointofthe
roof(ifsloped).Forthefiredepartment,ceilingheights,whendeterminingtypesanddesignsofsprinklerprotection,is
givenbythemeasurementfromfloortothebottomoftheroofdeckatthehighestpoint.IncorrectselectionofESFR
typesandpressurescanresultfromthesetypesofmisunderstandings.
Conclusion
WhileESFRsystemsmaysolvemanyofthemorechallengingproblemsinwarehouseprotectionagainstfires,ensuringthatthe
correcttypeofESFRisusedinvolvesfullunderstandingofthecommodityandmethodsofstorageinthewarehouse.Careful
considerationmustalsobegivenonthelongtermuseandrangeofflexibilityexpectedbytheownerofthebuilding.
Fullcommunicationbetweenthefiredepartmentandbusinessownerisnecessarytoensuretheterminologiesusedbyeachsideis
understoodbytheotherparty,asthatcanresultintheincorrectESFRtypesand/orpressures.
AfinalconsiderationastowhetheradditionalESFRheadsshouldberequiredbelowcatwalksmeritsadditionaltesting.
Disclaimer:Thecontentpresentedisforgeneralinformationpurposesonlyanddoesnotconstituteadvice.Readersshouldnotact
uponthisarticlescontentorinformationwithoutfirstseekingappropriateprofessionaladvice.

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