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.
Wildfires
Wildfires have always been a concern in the United States. There have been recent wildfires in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida. Wildfires can cause ignition to a building by: flying...
Sprinkler System Design Data
There was a time when hydraulic design of automatic sprinkler systems was unusual. The process was cumbersome and time consuming even for the simplest of pipe arrangements. Access to computers...
Minimizing Business Interruption
When most companies think of a disaster recovery program, the first issue that comes to mind is EDP operations. Do we have backup data or hot sites available? Is replacement equipment readily...
Automatic Sprinkler Performance
The Effectiveness of Automatic Sprinklers Automatic sprinklers are the most effective fire protection in buildings overall available. Based on studies and loss experience, when sprinklers are...
ESFR Sprinkler Summary
A hot topic involved in sprinkler design and installation is ESFR (Early Suppression Fast-Response) sprinklers. ESFR sprinklers have many benefits when it comes to warehouses and other storage...
Heat Transfer Systems
Heat transfer systems are used widely throughout various industries. Their most common use is in chemical processes where temperature control is needed for large quantities of materials. The greatest...
Solving the Problem of Pressure Reducing Valve Testing
Pressure reducing valves (PRV) are frequently used in high rise buildings to keep the pressure on sprinkler systems below the allowable maximum, typically 175 psi, when the supply to the systems can...
Hydraulic Fluids - Part 2
While they can be found in various occupancies including plastic injection molding, petroleum based hydraulic fluids are often used in metal working facilities. In most metal working operations,...
Overview of of Codes, Standards and Regulations in CA, CT, MA, NJ, NY, NC and PA
In November 2002, Sprinkler Age magazine featured it's 15th annual legislative review for the United States and Canada. This summary of legislation and codes offers an overview of regulations...
Preventing Losses in the Furniture/Woodworking Industry
An occupancy with inherent hazards is wood processing. With flammable liquids, wood dust and heavy combustible loading it is imperative to adhere to strict property loss prevention standards. In a...
Changes to NFPA 13 Regarding Earthquake Protection
It is important to maintain sprinkler systems in service for fire protection following a major earthquake. Present standards for sprinkler system earthquake resistance are mostly satisfactory;...
Fire Protection for Air Preheaters
Although fires in air preheaters (ap's) of US power plants are infrequent, the result can be extensive damage and downtime of several months. Here, we consider steps that can be taken to minimize the...