Codes, standards, product certifications, insurance requirements and building regulations all play a role in the design of the final installation that provides a vigilant “watch” over a building's structure and its occupants.
Architects, designers and the writers of specifications have a wide range of choices today when it comes to both the “skeletal” or heavy structure of modern buildings as well as the interior finishes. The trend towards the use of lighter weight and sustainable materials in recent years has prompted changes in the fire codes along with much discussion concerning various methodologies in both passive and active fire protection.
Because the occupants of a building always need easy and safe egress in the event of a fire, there is significant focus on these elements in the design and planning stages, whether the building is an office, hospital, school, restaurant or other public venue. The ability to move people quickly to a safe location is a primary concern to the safety engineer and building design teams. While this “passive” approach is important for obvious reasons, there are additional measures available for today's fire safety engineers to enhance the protection of the building and its occupants.
The use of “active” fire suppression methods has gained widespread interest in recent years, as a well-defined measure of proven life safety and property protection for a broad range of applications. For example, the use of fire sprinklers has achieved tremendous acceptance and popularity in both the ability to protect occupants as they exit a structure, but also to reduce fire damage and repair cost for a building owner.
Additionally, fire sprinklers serve specific purposes in controlling the spread of fire, while also enabling fire brigades to enter buildings under a reduced level of risk to their own safety. These are important benefits to all concerned, particularly the property insurer who will benefit from reduced damage and personal injury claims.
Insurance & Risk Management
The cost involved for insuring a building depends on various factors, such as the building usage, the known hazards or stored materials, occupancy rates and available means of egress, locations or proximity to local fire brigade responders, as well as the location of the basic water supply itself. For example, in many regions a multi-story concrete parking garage holding gasoline-filled automobiles is viewed very differently in terms of hazard classification as compared with a single story cement block school building. The building materials are quite similar; however the combustible storage classification is significantly different.
As insurance premiums continue to rise, owners and their developers are seeking enhanced fire safety methods that will reduce risk to the occupants and structure, while keeping their annual costs to an affordable level. Therefore they work closely together with their insurance representatives to attain the proper balance of “fire resistance” and passive / active fire protection.
Why Approvals are Necessary
While Victaulic is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of a wide range of active fire suppression systems and system components, the company views fire safety in a much greater perspective. This includes support and active participation on codes and standards committees in the UK, Europe and many other regions.
These fire code committees view life safety as the highest priority, and seek a broad range of expertise in advancing fire protection that will coincide with the changes in building codes. The interaction in these committees with manufacturers, designers, contractors and code officials provides a broad educational experience that enables companies to maintain a balanced perspective when contemplating a new product design or technical innovation.
Another factor that plays into these discussions throughout Europe is government mandated legislation, such as the recently adopted Construction Products Regulation (CPR) (No. 305/ 2011), which came into effect in July 2013. One of the most important elements of the CPR is that it establishes a “level playing field” for the manufacturers of active fire safety system components, by requiring “Declarations of Performance” that confirm compliance with the product testing requirements of specific Harmonized European Norms (hEN).
Where a hEN exists, products must also carry a CE mark to show they are in compliance with the appropriate Annex ZA, which lists the regulated requirements and clauses that must be met in order for the products to be placed on the market in Europe. The CE mark is not a quality mark, but shows that a product meets the minimum regulatory standards of health and safety as laid down in the regulation. Additionally, documented test data may be requested by other agencies or Notified Bodies that must also certify the products for installation in various types of construction.
Agency Requirements
The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) is the certification brand of BRE Global for fire and security products and services operated by BRE Global Limited, a wholly owned trading subsidiary of the BRE Trust (a registered research charity). Along with the Fire Protection Association (FPA), the LPCB plays a huge role in both the oversight of the standards development process and the way that active fire system products are tested and certified for installation in the UK.
Victaulic has worked closely with the LPCB for over 25 years and values the “LPCB” mark on hundreds of its products. It is a visual sign of regulatory excellence and an affirmation that the highest safety standards have been achieved which is sought after by the building industry.
The management and staff at LPCB/BRE are fully engaged in the planning and development of new test methods for a wide range of applications and real world conditions experienced in the field. The testing schemes are some of the most stringent in the industry and result in the screening of potentially inferior products from reaching the consumer.
The organisation also provides field surveys and inspections of system installations to ensure that LPCB certified products are being installed in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions and by certified contractors.
Importance of Selecting Proven Products
It is in the specification and installation of the fire protection system that the building owner and their insurance underwriter have the greatest influence with the construction manager and fire systems contractor to ensure the best products are selected for their property and its occupants.
There can be serious consequences, such as system malfunctions, if engineers and installers select fire protection products that:
Do not comply with the design and installation requirements of codes such as the LPCB sprinkler rules.
Are not third-party approved.
Do not carry the CE mark to the relevant harmonized European norms.
The use of potentially inferior products, which are not proven fit for purpose for each building application, can be avoided by ensuring that the products also carry the LPCB certification mark and are installed by approved contractors. This will in turn reduce the risk of reputational damage and financial liability to those who choose to use them, as well as improving the safety of building occupants.
The Role of the Manufacturer
When a reputable company starts out with a new product concept, there are many hours of development time dedicated to research and design validation.
Ideally product designers are very knowledgeable about the end application and they systematically build-in the performance requirements up front. They would then conduct a series of trial tests to verify the intended ratings are achieved consistently and repeatedly. The trials would include a series of tests that fully duplicate that of the certifying laboratories like LPCB, and it is not unusual to have each test in the agency qualification standard replicated several times throughout the course of the product development process.
Once all certification criteria have been satisfied, then additional product samples are prepared for the agency's laboratory. Appropriately, the more critical the component, the greater the testing scrutiny will be. Obviously, this can be a very time-consuming and costly process, however a company such as Victaulic typically view this as a necessary investment and an obligation to its customers as a major supplier of active fire safety products in the industry. Ensuring a client is working with the best possible products, made to exacting standards, using the best quality materials and workmanship is an important responsibility.
The Testing Process
Performance qualification of active fire suppression systems and components is among the most stringent of all industries. While fire suppression systems sit quietly for months and years in a static condition behind walls and ceilings, they must work flawlessly and immediately in a real-life fire event.
This is where the agency testing process is a key element in determining whether these products can meet the required performance criteria set out in the relevant LPCB and EN Standards. For example, fire sprinklers undergo more than 40 individual qualification tests including (but not limited to) response time/activation temperatures, water distribution, flow coefficient (K-factor), frame and deflector strength, glass bulb loading, vibration, water hammer and many more.
Similar products are also subjected to temperature extremes, highly corrosive environmental exposure, pressure and bending stresses, as well as seal integrity and durability of coatings. Each test is designed to replicate known field conditions that occur routinely in typical installations and under various environmental extremes. All system components, from the pipe joining products to the valves, alarm systems and sprinklers themselves, undergo significant evaluations to ensure complete continuity and functionality when called upon in a real emergency.
Social Responsibility
When a fire event is reported by the local media involving the loss of life, it is normal for the individuals and neighbouring communities that are directly impacted to ask “what can be done to prevent this from happening again?” The answer is; “many things can and are being done.” From fire research to independent laboratory testing, the development of new innovations and fire safety technologies is a rapidly growing and competitive industry.
Each year, thousands of representatives from various interest groups, including manufacturers, property insurers, contractors, code officials, regulatory bodies, building owners and others, gather in committees and trade forums to discuss the latest developments in fire safety technology and witness demonstrations that are changing the way we look at these issues.
The global marketplace and electronic media have accelerated the sharing of information and have also helped to educate all consumers of what is available to them along with a financial analysis.
Designs for Life
While retro-fitting an existing building with an active fire suppression system can come with challenges, manufacturers and installation contractors are constantly working together to share ideas and help innovate new solutions together. This is a well refined process where solving a contractor's installation difficulties is as equally important as developing the latest new series of products or systems. Through such collaborations, contractors become more aware of their responsibility to seek a best-practices approach and are given new opportunities to provide feedback on new products and installation remedies that can greatly improve the consistency and operational reliability of their installations.
As a result, installers gain a much better understanding of the reasons to use agency-tested and certified products as a means of ensuring proper protection for the owner, as well as reduced or eliminated liability for themselves.
For new construction, there is no adequate justification for omitting some combination of passive and active fire systems to protect life safety and ensure that the building is preserved for many generations to come. When the structure is wide open with clear access for running pipe work, wiring and other components, there is a tremendous logistical and financial advantage to install active fire protection products.
The ease of installation and placement of active components make this the perfect time to be “building in” the life safety components that will be there to protect the workmanship of the other trades as well as the furnishings and the lives of occupants.
