Parking Garage with Non-Sprinkled Dry System - Only FDCs

[John_187]

Hello,

There is a large parking garage, that is 3 stories. None of the garage is below grade and the entire garage is exposed to the outdoors. The desired route is to provide dry piping throughout that is routed to various FDCs.

Can someone point me in the direction of the applicable fire codes regulating this setup? I do not think NFPA 13 or 14 can be applied here.

Any information of flow per FDC, distance between each FDC, etc, etc?

Thanks

 

[cdafd]

In the USA?

So why can’t 14 be applied?

One system with multiple fdc’s???

Or multiple systems and multiple fdc’s???

There should be no problem with One system with multiple fdc’s....
No matter which FDC you pump into, it will feed the system.

Have you talked to the ahj, about what you want to do?

 

[John_187]

Thanks for reply. The FDCs in this case different in the sense that the hoses are connecting to them. So they are more like hose connections/cabinets than FDSc.

One system, multiple FDCs (hose connections). The building fire piping is all dry and the fire department has to open an valve (manually I think), in an underground vault to flood the system.

Do your thoughts change given this?

 

[PEDARRIN2]

I have done a few open parking garages with a dry standpipe system where the piping only has water in it when the fire department connects their pumper truck to the fire department connection (FDC)and connect their hoses to the 2.5" fire department valves (FDV) located in stairwells or out in the garage. The flows are the same as any standpipe system, basically 250 gpm per valve. The distance between valves is per code, which relies on hose lengths and spray distances.

I have never designed a system where the fire department opens a municipal valve to get water. Most pumper trucks can provide more pressure than municipal systems. I have designed systems where the fire department closes a floor control valve to turn off the sprinklers so the fire department can use their hoses. I have designed garages with dry sprinkler systems as well.