Fire protection of an airport terminal building

[EloyRD]

Good day, community:

I'm part of a team that is designing a fire-protection system for an airport terminal building. Other parts of the fire-protection system (like hangars and maintenance workshops) are being taken care of by an independent system.

We are having issues in defining if it is a requirement by relevant NFPA standards (13, 14, 24, 415) that the fire pump is capable of simultaneously supplying water to the following systems:
- Sprinkler system (750 GPM)
- Fire hose cabinet system (500 GPM)
- Hydrants around the terminal building (1000 GPM)

There are no requirements in the local code besides designing according to NFPA and ICAO, and we think that the correct scenario is or simultaneous sprinkler and fire hose cabinets consumption or hydrant consumption.

I'd appreciate a nudge to check any relevant reference.
Regards.
Eloy RD

 

[cdafd]

Where are you getting the water from??

Storage, lake or city supplied mains??

If city supplied mains bad or good pressure/ gpm

 

[EloyRD]

Hi, @cdafd

Fire water is stored in an exclusive tank, an next to it there is a fire water pumping station.

 

[TravisMack]

If I understand what you are doing, these are each independently figured.

You will have site fire flow requirements. That is likely going to be the driving force for the size of your tank and your pump capacity.

The hose valve system may be the driving force on your pump pressures if this is to be a true standpipe system.

You then do the fire sprinkler system. Of course, whichever is most demanding will be the driving force, but above is what I have typically seen on projects.

Travis Mack
MFP Design, LLC

http://www.mfpdesign.com

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[ZDR1985]

From NFPA 415 (2016)

4.5.5 Water Supply. Water supply from public or private sources
shall be adequate to supply maximum calculated sprinkler
demand plus a minimum of 500 gpm (1893 L/min) for hose
streams. The supply shall be available at the rate specified for a
period of at least 1 hour.

 

[cdafd]

So they are going to rely on on pump to protect the entire complex??

And """Other parts of the fire-protection system (like hangars and maintenance workshops) are being taken care of by an independent system.""" are not using the same water supply as your system?

And might have a pump for the fire hydrant system and one for the sprinklers and standpipe?

 

[EloyRD]

@TravisMack
I believe that you are right. I've designed systems for buildings and shopping centers according to NFPA 13 and 14 as you describe.
But what confuses me is the private hydrants that are required by "NFPA 415 2.5.3: Fire hydrants shall be provided on both the ramp and street sides of airport terminal buildings. Such hydrants shall be located so that no portion of the terminal building is more than 500 ft (152.4 m) from a hydrant." So far, I'm opting for providing a fire pump that can supply water for sprinklers and fire hose cabinets or for the private hydrants.

Regards.

 

[EloyRD]

@cdafd

Actually, we are designing a new terminal for an existing airport. The current fire system is approved for the existent terminal, control tower, hangars and maintenance workshops; that system has its separate water storage and pumping system.

For the moment, I'm opting into proposing a fire pump that is capable of supplying water for sprinklers and fire hose cabinets or for the private hydrants, but won't be capable of supplying both requirements simultaneously. My senior believes that it is justifiable, due to the vents being different stages of the fire fighting.

Regards

 

[ZDR1985]

In my understanding the hose stream allowance is for combined inside and outside.

 

[chicopee]

The fire hydrant supply will be boosted by the fire department fire engine, therefore, there should not be any need to size the fire pump so as to boost the fire hydrants. With regard to ZDR1985 reply "... Water supply from public or private sources shall be adequate to supply maximum calculated sprinkler demand plus a minimum of 500 gpm (1893 L/min) for hose streams..." has no relation to the installation of a fire pump. With short hose connections within the terminal, these would be boosted again by the fire department pumper via the Siamese connections, so again there should be no need to increase the fire pump size for short hoses.