1. An on-line home furnishing retailer recently purchased an existing warehouse building to serve as
a distribution facility. Products range from metal and wooden furniture frames to bedding and
cushions with foam cushioning to box springs to foam mattresses. The products are stored on
wooden pallets that are placed on double-row racks to a height of 25-ft. All products are placed
in a single-layer corrugated boxes. The owner wishes to have maximum flexibility in storing
products throughout the facility that has a ceiling height of 30-ft. There are no conditions that
would warrant other than a wet pipe system. Answer the following questions based on NFPA 13
and justify your response.
a. What commodity classification would you recommend for the facility considering the intent
of the owner?
b. If standard spray k-8.0 control-mode design density ceiling only sprinklers are proposed,
what is an acceptable minimum design density for the ceiling sprinklers?
c. What is an appropriate minimum design criteria if ceiling only K19.6 upright CMSA
sprinklers are proposed?
d. What is an appropriate minimum design criteria if ceiling only K16.8 upright ESFR
sprinklers are proposed?
2. Considering the sprinkler system design and installation process, answer the following questions:
a. Per the International Building Code, what is the difference between a “Construction
Document” and a “fire protection shop drawing”
b. As a licensed professional engineer, what does it mean to define “engineering
precedence”?
c. When it comes to designing fire protection systems, what are the two majors “design
options”?
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d. Describe the differences and list the level of information needed for each type of “design
option” noted in question 1c (with respect to the development of sprinkler system
Construction Documents)?
e. In terms of engineering business, what is the approximate percent of construction
allocated to engineering design for each of the design methods listed above
3. A 30-story high-rise building with two stairwells located in the northeast and southwest corners
will be fully protected with sprinklers and Class 1 standpipe outlets. System water flow will be
monitored electronically by a listed Central Station service. There is a basement in which the
municipal water supply will enter the building. Each story, including the basement, measures 12-
ft from top of floor slab to top of floor slab. Floor one and the basement have an area of 80,000
sq ft per floor, floors 2 through 10 have an area of 50,000 sq ft per floor, and floors 11 through 30
have an area of 30,000 sq ft per floor. The basement contains mechanical spaces for the building
and some tenant storage. Floors 1 through 10 contain offices and floors 11through 30 contain
residential apartments. Answer the following questions based on NFPA rules.
a. How many risers are required and where should they be located?
b. How many sprinkler systems are required and where should they be located?
c. What components should each sprinkler system contain?
d. What is an acceptable hydraulic design criteria for the sprinkler and standpipe systems?
e. What is the effect of elevation on system hydraulic demand?
f. Are hoses for fire protection service required to be installed in the building?
4. A wet-pipe fire sprinkler system is being planned for a facility used to store children’s hardcover
books in cardboard boxes on double row racks to a height of 18 ft under a ceiling of 22-ft. The
commodity will be placed on unreinforced high-density polyethylene pallets inside the warehouse
with any idle pallets stored outside. What is an appropriate classification of the commodity in
terms of sprinkler protection?
5. Figure A depicts the floor plan of a single-family dwelling. A sprinkler system is proposed.
Using only NFPA documents, determine an appropriate design area and the minimum operating
flow and pressure from each sprinkler in the system. Are sprinklers permitted to be omitted from
any compartments? If so which ones?
6. A sprinkler system consisting of extended coverage CMSA sprinklers is protecting rack storage
of Group A plastics to a height of 27-ft under a 31-ft high building. A 12-sprinkler design area
requires a demand of 1715 gpm at 102 psi at the base of the riser. What size tank and what size
centrifugal fire pump would you specify if the tank and pump serve the sprinkler system only.
7. What are minimum acceptable discharge criteria, hose stream allowances, and water supply
durations for the protection of the following facility using either CMDA sprinklers or K11.2
upright CMSA sprinklers? Assume a wet-pipe sprinkler system is being proposed and that the
facility is used for the palletized (not on racks) storage of disposable diapers comprising of plastic
and nonwoven fabric. The diapers are packaged in polyethylene plastic, placed on reinforced
polypropylene pallets and secured on the pallets by plastic straps. The pallet stacks will be
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positioned more than 8-inches apart. Palletized on-floor storage will not exceed 15-ft in height in
a 27-ft high building. Justify your responses and provide all appropriate references.
8. A team of researchers is proposing the use of an existing non-sprinklered building on their
corporate campus for bulk storage of tires. The building previously housed laboratory and R&D
spaces but has been vacated for the past several years. The building in question has three floors
with each floor measuring 15,000 ft^2 in area. Tires would be stored on the first floor and
encompass an area of about 10,000 ft^2 with maximum storage heights of 5 ft anticipated. Tires
would be stored on-floor on their side. Using the IBC, would sprinkler protection of the building
be required (assuming the change of use requires compliance with requirements for new
construction)? Regardless of if the building code requires sprinklers, what is an acceptable
sprinkler system discharge criteria for the first floor if the building owner chose to install CMDA
sprinklers?
9. A schematic floor plan representative of the sleeping floors of a newly proposed 25-story hotel
building of Type IB construction is shown in Figure B (Not drawn to scale). All interior walls
will consist of gypsum wallboard supported by metal studs. Linen closet spaces are as indicated.
Closet doors will be installed. A fire pump will be installed on the basement level. Each floor to
floor per story including the basement measure 12-ft. Answer the following questions and justify
your response.
a. Do the linen closets require sprinkler protection?
b. What type of sprinklers need to be installed in the guest rooms?
c. During installation of the sprinkler system, the building owner has decided that all closet
spaces need to be increased to 40 ft^2. Does this present any issues to the existing
design? Explain.
10. Given the information on the hydraulic calculation form shown in Figure C, determine the
nominal size of the steel pipe between sprinklers 3 and 4 if the water supply has been analyzed
and it has been determined that the friction loss in the pipe is to be maintained at or less than 0.25
psi per linear foot? Use schedule 40 black steel pipe with a C-factor of 120. Show all work.
11. A sprinkler system with control mode design area ceiling sprinklers and in-rack sprinklers is
protecting a storage warehouse for Group A plastics stored up to 20-ft in height. A separate cross
main will be used to supply the in-rack sprinklers. The cross main for the in-rack sprinklers will
be connected to the main riser for the ceiling system at the base of the riser through a manifold
arrangement. The sprinkler demand for the in-rack system was calculated to be 286 gpm at 54 psi
at the base of the riser. The sprinkler demand for the overhead system has been calculated to be
1124 gpm at 63 psi at the base of the riser. A 2000 sq ft design area was used for the overhead
system. What is the total flow demand of the overall sprinkler system at the manifold?
12. Determine the size and shape of the design area (provide a diagram), and the pressure and flow
demand at the most remote sprinkler for a system that is designed for an OH1 occupancy with a
design density of 0.15 gpm over 1500 ft2
. The system is a tree system with 7 sprinklers on the
branch lines on each side of the cross main. Sprinklers are spaced 10-ft apart along the branch
line and branch lines are spaced 10-ft apart. The system utilizes quick response k-5.6 sprinklers
under an 18-ft ceiling. Show all work.
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13. A sprinkler system consisting of K-16.8 upright control mode sprinklers is being considered with
a proposed layout as shown in Figure D. The design density for the sprinklers is 0.8 gpm/ft2 over
2000 ft2
. Each sprinkler is spaced 8-ft apart along the branch line and branch lines are spaced 10-
ft apart. Sprinklers are located directly on the branch line (there are no sprigs or riser nipples). No
inside hose stations are proposed. The pipe material is schedule 40 black steel on a wet pipe
system. Nominal pipe dimensions are as follows: branch lines – 2-inch, riser nipples – 2-inch,
cross main – 3-inch, riser – 4-inch. Tees connect the riser nipples to the cross main and branch
lines. A swing check valve and a gate valve are installed on the system riser as shown. Calculate
the demand for the most remote branch line at the connection to the cross main at the base of the
riser nipple. Conduct manual calculations using the appropriate hydraulic forms. Provide a
diagram indicating the system design area and clearly indicate the flow and pressure requirements
at the hydraulically most remote sprinkler. Comment on your results.
14. An ESFR sprinkler system is proposed for a distribution warehouse storing stuffed toys
consisting of unexpanded synthetic plastic materials. The toys are packaged in single-layer
corrugated boxes, which are placed on wooden pallets in open shelved double row racks to a
height of 30 ft. 6-ft wide aisles separate the double–row racks. The ceiling height is 35 ft. A
ceiling only sprinkler system with k-25.2 pendant ESFR sprinklers will be used. Each sprinkler is
spaced 8-ft apart along the branch line and branch lines are spaced 10-ft apart as indicated in
Figure D. Sprinklers are located directly on the branch line. (Note that the sprinklers in Figure D
are shown as upright. They should be pendant.) No inside hose stations are proposed. The pipe
material is schedule 40 black steel on a wet pipe system. Nominal dimension of the piping is as
follows: 3-inch branch lines, 3-inch riser nipple, 6-inch cross main, 6-inch riser. A swing check
valve and a gate valve are installed on the system riser as shown. The water supply for the
sprinkler system will consist of a dedicated suction tank and fire pump. Calculate the system
demand at the base of the riser using manual calculations and the appropriate forms. Provide a
diagram indicating your design area, and clearly indicate the flow and pressure requirements at
the hydraulically most remote sprinkler, and at the intersection of the cross main and branch lines
in your design area.
15. If a sprinkler system demand is 800 gpm at 58 psi, what minimum size horizontal split-case pump
will deliver the necessary flow and pressure, if the water supply provides a static pressure of 81
psi, and a residual pressure of 25 psi when 710 gallons are flowing? Plot your results including
the water supply, the pump curve and the combined pump curve.
16. A nominal 1-1/4 inch pipe is connected to a nominal 1-inch pipe via a tee as shown in Figure E.
Pipe material is schedule 40 black steel with a C-factor of 120. All three sprinklers have a Kfactor of 8.0. What is the flow and pressure demand into the tee if all three sprinklers are
discharging water, and require a minimum operating pressure of 15 psi?
17. A 750 gpm pump is being considered to boost the pressure of the water supply from a public
water main. The pump will be located at an elevation 50-ft above the point where the pressure
hydrant in the water supply was measured. The flow test of the water supply results in a static
pressure of 59 psi and a residual pressure of 22psi when 1250 gpm is flowing. The underground
portion of the suction pipe is 8-inch lined ductile iron with an actual internal diameter of 7.98
inches and has an equivalent length of 275 ft, which accounts for fittings and valves. The
aboveground portion of the suction pipe is 8-inch schedule 40 steel pipe with a total equivalent
length of 12-ft, which accounts for fittings and valves. What will the suction pressure be at the
pump when 1210 gpm is flowing through the pump?