Fire Sprinkler Design

What is a Fire Protection Engineer?

Fire protection engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environment from destructive fire, which includes:

  • analysis of fire hazards
  • mitigation of fire damage by proper design, construction, arrangement, and use of buildings
  • materials, structures, industrial processes, and transportation systems
  • the design, installation and maintenance of fire detection and suppression and communication systems, and
  • post/fire investigation and analysis.
  • A fire protection engineer by education, training, and experience:
  • is familiar with the nature and characteristics of fire and the associated products of combustion
  • understands how fires originate, spread within and outside of buildings/structures, and can be detected, controlled, and/or extinguished, and
  • is able to anticipate the behavior of materials, structures, machines, apparatus, and processes as related to the protection of life and property from fire.

For more information on the role of the Fire Protection Engineer in the design of fire protection systems, see the SFPE Position Statement on The Engineer and the Technician: Designing Fire Protection Systems at www.sfpe.org.

Fire protection engineers exemplify the concept of "whole building design." Fire protection engineers design systems that, taken individually, could be considered mechanical (fire sprinklers, fire-fighter's standpipes, smoke control), electrical (fire alarm), architectural (means of egress design), or structural (fire resistance design).

When designed by fire protection engineers, these systems are coordinated into a comprehensive, fire and life safety strategy.

It is beneficial to involve fire protection engineers in a design at the earliest stages of planning, generally at the feasibility or concept design stage. The benefits of involving a fire protection engineer at this stage include:

  • Greater design flexibility
  • Innovation in design, construction, and materials
  • Equal or better fire safety
  • Maximization of cost/benefit

Conversely, if a fire protection engineer is not brought in to a project team until after problems are identified, delays can result as the fire protection engineer analyzes the problem and develops solutions. At this stage there may be reduced design flexibility available and resistance to change by team members from other disciplines, if portions of the project design have been completed and decisions approved. This is particularly true in cases where fire protection problems are not identified until plans are submitted for regulatory approval.

Additionally, fire protection engineers can ensure that security related provisions designed into a building do not diminish fire safety to occupants. For example, ensure that access control to a building does not also make it more difficult to quickly exit a building in the event of a fire or similar emergency.

Excerpt form http://www.wbdg.org/design/dd_fireprotecteng.php

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