Design of a sprinkler installation

What does a sprinkler system look like?

Since the granting of the first patent for a sprinkler in 1885, millions of sprinkler installations all over the world protect buildings against the most wide ranging fire risks. Whether warehouses, shopping malls, airport hangars or industrial plants, a specific solutions can always be found with a wet, dry, preaction or deluge system.

Building blocks of a sprinkler system

A sprinkler installation consists of the following basic components:
 - Sprinkler heads
 - Supply pipes (above or below ground)
 - Sprinkler pipes
 - Pump systems (fire pumps, pressure regulator pumps)
 - Water reserve (such as above-ground storage tank)

The universal structure of an installation is always as follows: a network of pipes connects the water supply (water tank) with the sprinkler heads, which are distributed over the area to be protected according to specific rules. In the event of a fire, one or more of these sprinkler heads located above the heat produced by the fire will open and extinguish and/or control the fire. The structure of such an installation is regulated in Europe by the C.E.A. standard (others are: N.F.P.A., F.M., …).

Functions of the system:

- carry out the required extinguishing action automatically and immediately when a fire starts.
- extinguish the fire and/or keep it under control, with the least possible waste of water.
- report the fire via audiovisual means. 

A sprinkler installation is always ready to intervene whenever needed, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the whole year round, without interruption. The delay between the start of a fire and the triggering of the sprinkler installation will be determined according to the nature, content and environment of the goods to be protected.

When the extinguishing system is actually activated, all the required authorities and persons are notified. During extinguishing, the use of water will also protect the surrounding areas by absorbing heat. 

Relatively new sprinklers, such as Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR), are also used successfully. These unique sprinkler heads combine high water volume and high flow rate with fast detection, whereby it is often possible to avoid the use of "in-rack" sprinklers.

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