54/Plumbing Engineer February 2020
Testing fire protection systems following their instal- lation is of utmost importance. This month Scott Futrell, president of Futrell Fire Consult & Design Inc., joins this column to take a closer look at acceptance test- ing and the numerous requirements that are part of the process. He shows examples of what can happen if the proper testing is not completed and some common modes of failure. There is a focus on dry pipe sprinkler systems, but many of the items draw attention to the detail of acceptance testing needed in fire protection systems in general.
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cceptance testing of fire and life safety systems, if not done properly and thoroughly, can have disastrous implications. Fire protection engineers, and the engineers in other disciplines who specify fire and life safety systems, should be at the forefront and actively involved in the acceptance testing of these systems. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers can lead by example because fire protection engineers understand the implications of improper design; incorrect installa- tion; lack of oversight; incomplete inspection; minimal, or lack of, inspection, testing and maintenance; and sys- tem modifications that are not properly evaluated. This column is not written only for the engineers, contractors and inspectors in cities with tall buildings in this country or other countries. It also is written for every Jane and Joe in small communities, towns and cities that have one or thousands of fire protection systems. The farther we get from the cities with the tallest buildings, the less oversight there may be of fire protection system design through acceptance testing. This is not true of every community, of course, but there are some large communities where it is not very good either. Writing only one column about acceptance testing of fire and life safety systems is not an easy task because of the numerous types of systems, variety of stakeholders, level of understanding of the readers, and the multitude of possible goals or outcomes. I hope your takeaway from this column can be extrapolated to the need for accurate and thorough acceptance testing of all fire and life safety systems. I realize the need to remind many of you that accep- tance testing of fire and life safety systems may be the last operational test of the system and alarms before there is an event requiring the system (i.e., fire) to func- tion as intended. The comparison must be made to heat- ing, cooling and plumbing systems that are used every day; if they don't work properly, someone complains. Fire protection systems are not actively or frequently operated. The actual acceptance testing of clean agent systems, water mist systems, fire suppression systems, fire sprin- kler systems, fire alarm systems, explosion suppression systems, passive fire protection systems, smoke control and others all have their specific standards. We also need to consider the reason for the systems. Are they intended or required for property protection, life safety, business interruption, firefighter safety or any combination of these? Acceptance Testing Considerations Is the acceptance testing assuming the systems are designed and installed correctly? Does the acceptance testing include a thorough inspec- tion and review of the design and installation? What is the level of competency of the: Specifying engineer? Designer?Installer? Reviewer? Inspector(s)? Does the acceptance testing include commissioning? If so, there are many levels of commissioning from watching a few things happen to full compliance with the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) NFPA 3, Standard for Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. Observing several tests (e.g., hydrostatic and trip test- ing of dry pipe systems) is a basic level of the "normal" acceptance testing as opposed to coordinating between trades or even completing the requirements of full com- missioning. A separate column could be written on each of the different types of fire protection systems. However, this column will focus on the acceptance testing of fire sprin- kler systems and, specifically, dry pipe systems. The basis is the NFPA standard, NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, 2019 edition. We will start by discussing the underground water main supply that is frequently connected to fire sprinkler systems. How many specifying engineers know what acceptance testing is required for underground mains feeding sprinkler systems? Very few. Writing under- ground water main specifications that stop 5 feet from the building and then start up with another specification to go the last 5 feet plus up through the floor tells me they don't know. We are concerned about the installation of the under-
Acceptance Testing of Fire and Life Safety Systems
FPE Corner
By Scott Futrell
Considering the effects when testing is not done correctly.
SFPE News Employers and job seekers, SFPE has refreshed and updated its jobs board (www.jobs.sfpe.org). This is the best place for fire protection professionals to be informed on available job opportunities. New resources have been added, including resume assistance, interview preparation and navigating the digital world for job opportunities. On the employer side, don't forget that Corporate 100 membership gets you resource discounts, which includes job postings.
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