Monthly Technical Articles
Explore our collection of articles written by engineers, for engineers. Categorized based on the COPE approach to assessing risk within a facility, the archives below contain essential information for the development of engineers in our field.
Flood Mitigation
We occasionally see on TV news where buildings are inundated or submerged in flood water after heavy rain, typhoons or hurricanes. Many people believe it never happens to their own buildings. But is...
Choosing Structural Systems for Earthquakes
Several factors come into play when it comes to designing earthquake protection for a building. These include site selection, building type and the particular building code used. This month, we will...
Handling Flammable Liquids
Using flammable liquids presents some unique and difficult fire protection challenges. Depending on the specific material, there is the possibility of generating vapors which can easily ignite - or...
Protection Against Exterior Fire Exposure
When it comes to determining the adequacy of fire protection for your building, it is also necessary to consider the potential fire exposure that may exist from an adjacent building and/or adjacent...
Property Loss Prevention in Glass Manufacturing Plants
There are various types of glass manufacturing plants, and the processes and associated hazards differ significantly. One thing they have in common is that business interruption potential is higher...
FM Approvals RoofNav Tool
Choosing the correct roofing system for your facility may not be easy. There are many factors that should be taken into consideration based on the geographic location and other conditions of your...
Managing Your ESFR Sprinkler System
Early Suppression Fast-Response (ESFR) sprinklers are now commonly referred to as Suppression Mode Sprinklers. This is due to the fact that they are designed to actually extinguish a fire rather than...
Legislative Review
In the November 2007, Sprinkler Age magazine featured its Annual Legislative Review for the United States and Canada. This summary of legislation and codes offers an overview of regulations affecting...
Fire Protection System Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
The National Fire Codes (NFPA 25) and the GM Global (FM) Data Sheets (2-81) have both had substantial fire protection system updates in 2007. This would be an opportune time to see if your program...
Seismic Considerations for Flammable Gas Piping
In our July 2006 article, we described methods for lowering the risk of a fire after an earthquake. One portion of the article discussed ways to protect piping used to transfer flammable liquids and...
Recall Program for Globe Model "J" Dry Sprinklers
In June 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Globe Fire Sprinkler Corporation of Standish, MI announced a nationwide recall of up to 300,000 Model J Series dry fire sprinklers...
NFPA 25 vs. VdS CEA Guidelines for Sprinkler Systems
The standard commonly used in the United States for sprinkler system testing and maintenance is NFPA 25, "Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection...