Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations GregLocock on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

NFPA Standard on Water Supplies for urban areas Fire Fighting

Status
Not open for further replies.

waseem19

Civil/Environmental
Nov 23, 2002
82


Hi All,

I was looking for the NFPA code on Standard on Water Supplies for URBAN "cities" areas Fire Fighting but couldn't find one. there is NFPA 1142 which is for suburban and rural areas and there is NFPA 1141 which is Standard for Fire Protection in Planned Building Groups but when I read through it I noticed that the purpose of this code is for planned building groups in suburban and rural areas as well. so what is the standard for water supply system in the cities, metropolitans ?

thanks
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

RGasEng,

Thanks for your help, I was mainly looking to get standard to estimate the required flow at fire hydrants installed on the potable water network in a city. I have not read through yet but I think the NFPA codes I mentioned have that in them but they are not intended for cities.I ran a quick search nyc doc but unfortuanly nothing of that sort came up.

RGasEng or anybody else: do you know that such NFPA exist or no? if not , does everybody uses one of those two NFPA code 1141 and/or NFPA 1142 to estimate required fire hydrant flow whether it is in a city or rural area?

Regards.
 
The required fire flow is based on construction, occupancy, etc. Fire flow is fire flow no matter where the building is located. Use NFPA 1142 to calculate the flow. Insurance Services Office, ISO uses this to evaluate the fire departments for insurance ratings. Water supply is a 40% of the rating. They evaluate I think the 3rd largest structure in town and required fire flow is based on the water supply evaluation on this building.

I do not believe the water flows in ISO and NFPA 1142 are the same. ISO rating for the FD is used by insurance companies to determine part of the insurance premium. The ISO rate is on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the best, i.e. the most saved in insurance $$ for the occupants of the city/town. Most FD have a rating of 1-7 if they have a public water supply and 8-10 if they do not. Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Just a guess, but I would imagine that you are investigating the fire flow requirements for a development in a city. I would also guess that the local jurisdiction has adopted one of the following "fire codes" IFC (IBC) or NFPA 1 (UFC) and you should look in the appendix material of these standards for the required fire flows.

NPFA 1 is the closest thing I can think of for a NFPA standard on Fire Flows. But it may not be applicable depending upon your jurisdiction.
 

gouveia,

you are right, this a development in a city. but not in the states. I have never heard of IFC before. the city I'm working in is an old third world country city that has nothing like the develpment we are working on. the local authorities there don't have a clue on what standards or regulation they should use. they are asking us to set the standards for them.

thanks alot guys , that was very helpful.
 
Do they have an adopted building and fire code???? If so waht is it and what edtion/ year?????????
 
cdafd,

I wish they do!

regards.
 
Hello waseem19

Our Fire departments are required to use drop tanks and a pumper to regulate water pressure in urban areas, These pumpers can connect to hydrant and boost pressure or draw from a drop tank and create required pressure.

Sorry I donated my book to local library and can not look it up. If you need further explanation I will try to help.

Sincerely, Chuck

 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor