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...
Exterior Walls, Foam Insulating Materials, and Property Risk Considerations
Potential for irony exists when the scales tip from prudent efforts to conserve building energy with insulating materials only to discover they have become a fuel source for hostile fire. Since the...
Plastics In Construction
Plastics are increasingly being used in construction for their relatively low cost compared to other materials and as well as energy savings as an insulation material. Their use presents other...
Ammonia Refrigerated Warehouses
In our discussion of Ammonia refrigerated warehouses, we should begin with an understanding of what we are dealing with. ANSI/ASHRE-15 classifies Ammonia as a Group 2 Refrigerant - prominently a...
Building Safeguards During Construction
During the construction, alterations or demolition of a building, the potential risk from fire is usually greater than when the building is fully occupied and functional. As work progresses, the...
Engineering and Fire Testing Research versus Building Codes Requirements for Smoke and Heat Venting in Fully Sprinklered Warehouses
The fire protection engineering industry views smoke and heat venting in warehouse type occupancies as a waste of money and a hindrance to the performance of an automatic sprinkler system. Why do...
Commercial Cooking Equipment
The following summary provides guidance in assessing the thoroughness of inspection, maintenance and cleaning activities for equipment and systems related to commercial cooking equipment. Commercial...
Plastics
The 1946 film "It's A Wonderful Life" was one of the best movies ever made. It starred Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. A friend of George's was Sam Wainwright played by Frank Albertson. Sam was a...
Small Heavy Duty Mobile Equipment
Heavy Duty Mobile Equipment (HDME) is widely used in mining, lumbering, road building and plant construction. Most HDME has high-pressure hydraulic systems. Smaller equipment, such as logging...
Smoke Vents
Roof vents were originally used as an aid to fire fighting in unsprinklered buildings. When a fire occurs, the smoke and hot gases rise until they reach the ceiling. They then spread outward and down...
Cooling Towers
Cooling towers are very common in commercial/industrial occupancies. They may be used to for air conditioning needs or for process cooling for certain types of production equipment. Towers used for...
Fire Protection under Mezzanines
Mezzanines are commonly used to maximize building space and ergonomics in both production and storage areas. The need for automatic sprinkler protection beneath a mezzanine with a solid deck/floor is...