9.6.5.2. |
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Intent: |
To reduce the time interval before the fire department can apply water to a fire, this Article requires that all highrise residential buildings be provided with a standpipe system.
If a standpipe system does not exist then a system meeting lesser requirements than the Building Code may be installed. If a hose standpipe already exists in a building, it may be deemed to be satisfactory if it meets minimum hosestream flow and pressure requirements. Sentence (4) applies to standpipe systems with two pressure zones, one located above another, such that the pump in the upper zone is fed with a boosted water supply from the pump in the lower zone. It is considered unlikely that fire departments would have mobile pumping equipment with sufficient boosting capacity to supply the hose stations in the upper zone. This would be critical if a power failure causes the two standpipe booster pumps to be inoperative, leaving the hose stations in the upper zone without an adequate water supply. An emergency power supply would help ensure that the standpipe booster pumps remain operative during a fire.
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Other Resources: |
NFPA 14, "Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems", OBC 3.2.7.9., NBC 3.2.5.
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Application:
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| Q1: | Where a new standpipe and hose system is being installed in an existing highrise residential building, is there a requirement for hose cabinets in the corridors with both a 65 mm and 38 mm hose valve as per the Building Code? | |
| A1: | No. Clauses 9.6.5.2.(2)(a), (b) and (c) allow new systems to be installed in existing buildings with 38 mm capped hose valves located in the corridors so that any point on a floor area can be reached by 30 m of hose plus 3 m of hose stream from at least one hose valve. In addition, there must be at least one 65 mm capped hose valve on each storey. This 65 mm hose valve may be located in the stairwell. |
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| Q2: | For a new standpipe and hose system in existing buildings up to 84 m in height, are booster pumps needed for both the 38 mm and 65 mm hose stream standpipe requirements? Is it the same for buildings over 84 m in height? | |
| A2: | For buildings up to 84 m in height, booster pumps are required to provide a water supply only for 38 mm hose connections. Fire department pumper connections are provided to allow the fire department to supply the 65 mm hose connections. For buildings over 84 m in height, booster pumps would be required to supply water requirements for the two most remote 65 mm hose outlets being flowed simultaneously. |
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| Q3: | If 38 mm hose valves are provided on all levels (including basement parking garages) in an existing 12 storey building and 65 mm hose valves are provided only on the top six floors, would 65 mm hose valves be required on all remaining floor levels? | |
| A3: | If Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3) is satisfied by minimum flow rates and pressure at the two highest and most remote hose stations then no further upgrades are needed. |
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| Q4: | Is a standpipe system required to be extended into an existing sprinklered parking garage in a 9.6 building? | |
| A4: | Generally, sprinklers by themselves will not extinguish a fire within a car, but will usually confine the fire spread until the fire department arrives. The confining of the fire spread will, in many cases, allow the fire department sufficient time to set up an outside hose line or extend a hose line from basement corridors to extinguish the blaze. Where this is the case, the Chief Fire Official may accept such a situation under the authority of Article 9.1.2.4.
Where the Fire Department considers the time required to extend extra lengths of hoseline to be excessive, the Chief Fire Official has the authority to require that the owner extend the standpipe system into the parking garage in compliance with Article 9.6.5.2. |
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| Q5: | Can a dry standpipe system be fed from a dry sprinkler system? | |
| A5: | This question deals with dry standpipe systems that feed hose connections in unheated areas. NFPA 13, which deals with sprinkler installations, only allows a dry standpipe system to be connected to a wet pipe system. A dry pipe valve or deluge valve would maintain the standpipe dry until actuated by a manual release device or air pressure loss. The connection to a wet pipe could be anywhere on a wet sprinkler system or could be upstream of the dry pipe valve on a dry sprinkler system. |
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| Q6: | For existing standpipe systems, is there a requirement to have 65 mm hose valves, 38 mm hose cabinets, hoses and a full time connection to a pressurized water supply providing minimum flow rates, pressure and duration as described in Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3)? | |
| A6: | Sentence 9.6.5.2.(1) requires a standpipe system in accordance with the 1990 Building Code which has more stringent water supply requirements than the 1975 and 1983 Building Codes. Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3) was included in the Fire Code so that standpipe systems installed under the 1975 and 1983 Building Codes would not be in violation of the Fire Code.
The intention of this Sentence was to only "grandfather" the volume and pressure requirements of the water supply. It was expected that the necessary flow and pressure would be provided by a permanent connection to a water supply and that these systems would meet most of the other 1990 Building Code requirements for standpipe systems. Minor deviations could be accepted under Article 9.1.2.4. At the very least there should be hose cabinets located in the corridors so that any point on the floor area can be reached by 30 m of hose plus 3 m of hose stream from at least one hose cabinet. |
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| Q7: | If a fire department can't ensure that mobile pumper trucks will arrive in the initial stages of search and rescue, shouldn't existing building standpipe systems be charged to provide an adequate water supply so that "first arrival" fire fighters can use the 38 mm hose valves and/or on-site hoses to assist with their fire rescue operations? | |
| A7: | The intent of Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3) is that an adequate water supply is available for the standpipe and hose system when the fire department begins fire suppression and search and rescue operations. If the fire department does not believe that they can rely on their mobile pumper truck to be available to hook up to the fire department pumper connection during the initial stages of fire suppression and search and rescue, then an adequate on-site water supply should be provided. This on-site water supply should provide the minimum flow, pressure and duration requirements in Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3). |
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| Q8: | If an existing standpipe and hose system has a booster pump which does not provide adequate water flow and pressure as per Sentence 9.6.5.2.(3), should this pump be upgraded? | |
| A8: | If the fire department feels that they would have to rely on this booster pump to adequately charge the building hose standpipe for fire suppression and fire and rescue operations, then the pump should be upgraded. If the fire department feels that their mobile pumper will be available to provide adequate flow and pressure, then the existing booster pump may be considered acceptable. |
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| Q9: | In the case where an existing highrise building has a hose standpipe system (with siamese pumper connection) that is fed by a single "high pressure" booster pump, and the fire department does not have mobile pumping equipment that has sufficient boosting capacity to provide adequate water to the upper floors, would an emergency power supply be required for the standpipe booster pump? | |
| A9: | An emergency power supply would only be required for the pump where standpipe systems have two pressure zones, one located above the other. |
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| Q10: | An existing highrise building has a "two pressure zone" standpipe system (one zone located above the other) and each zone is provided with its own booster pump and siamese pumper connection. As well, the building has a roof-top water reservoir providing adequate flow and pressure by gravity feed for all standpipe hoses, for a minimum 30 minutes duration. Do the standpipe booster pumps require emergency power supply?
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| A10: | Since the roof-top reservoir provides adequate flow, pressure and duration for the hose standpipe system in both zones, this may be considered the primary hose standpipe water supply. For this reason, the standpipe booster pumps would not require emergency power supplies. |
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| Q11: | In an existing highrise building with an existing "two pressure zone" standpipe system, the booster pump in the upper zone has a diesel drive and the lower zone has an electric pump. Both zones are provided with siamese pumper connections but the fire department does not have mobile pumping equipment to provide adequate coverage of the upper zone. Would the electric booster pump in the lower zone require an emergency power supply? | |
| A11: | The electric booster pump would not require an emergency power supply as the fire department should be capable of boosting the water supply for the lower zone through the fire department pumper connection. The diesel drive pump would not require a back-up power supply as they are not subject to electric power failures and are therefore considered more reliable. |
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