Rural Multi-family residential fire sprinkler system

[multifamily]

I am working on finding the most appropriate fire sprinkler system for a rural 21 residential apartment building complex located in Virginia. The complex is composed of three buildings with square footages of 1200, 2400, and 12400. The complex is not served by municipal water. The closest fire station is just under a mile from the project site. My research of the IFC and discussions with the local building official have led me to believe that I will need a very large holding tank in conjunction with a pump and automatic generator to satisfy the requirements and may be cost prohibitive. Can anyone provide any advice and or proper design criteria to follow by which discover an efficient system? Thanks.

 

[stookeyfpe]

How are the building's supplied with drinking water? What's the available potable water flow rate?

 

[multifamily]

The buildings will be serviced by a series of wells. We have yet to determine what the available flow rate will be from those wells.

 

[cdafd]

what is pushing the requirement for sprinklers

1. is it a code issue

2. does the owner want to put them in even though not required.

3. if code requirement is it because of so many units in a building

4 if number three would it be cheaper to do one or two fire walls to subdivide the building below what kicks in the sprinklers

 

[multifamily]

It simply a requirement of the owner and the financing groups to have the building equipped with automatic sprinklers.

 

[stookeyfpe]

An interesting conondrum - developers now know the liability of fire protection of multi-family dwelling tenants.

So is the question concerning the ability of the domestic water supply from a well delivering fire protection and potable water based on the required demand? Or is the question specific to the NFPA 13R sprinkler system and potable water supplies?

 

[multifamily]

From talking with the building official, the question is not as much a flow issue (which can be proved after the wells are drilled). The issue Is one of capacity and how can you prove that the flow rate can be maintained without some measured vessel. ie: a tank and how large a tank

 

[stookeyfpe]

Your sprinkler demand would be based on NFPA 13R. This isn't that complex of a problem to resolve.

Your real issue is fire flow.