Project Description
Elite Fire Protection was requested by the client to provide a quotation based on the report received from ASIB when they occupied a new building. The client is largely based in South Africa and offers a wide range of affordable and comprehensive insurance, investment, and corporate solutions as well as financial advice. They were founded in 1845 and until 2018 employed 31 000 people.
Elite Fire Protection was responsible for the design, supply, fabrication, installation and required corrections for their fire protection system in order to bring their new facility’s system up to ASIB 12th edition regulation standard, as part of the insurance requirements was to obtain ASIB clearance.
A 6-hour testing was carried out by ASIB to prove that the duties were sufficient (flows and pressures) to feed the sprinkler system. Based on the hydraulic calculations submitted to ASIB and the 6-hourly tests performed, the pumps passed ASIB compliance leaving both the client and risk assessors satisfied.
| Project | Fire Protection Systems |
| Size | 25,000m2 |
| Year of completion | 2022 |
| Scope | Design, supply, fabrication & installation of fire protection system |
| Discipline | Fire Protection |
Project Scope
Fire Protection System:
- Designs: Hydrant & sprinkler drawing to show valve connection to pumphouse
- Water Supplies: Installation of direct reading flow measuring device
- Pump Room corrections
- Sprinkler System: Installation (and repositioning) of additional fire sprinklers
Process Outline
Designs
The ASIB inspection determined that the block plans the previous owners obtained were not correct. Information was not accurate, but it could also not be determined where the valve chambers were feeding from. Elite Fire Protection did the designs for the hydrant and sprinkler system to demonstrate which valve chambers were feeding from the pump house and which ones were feeding from municipality supply. Hydraulic calculations were carried out and block plans were updated accordingly.
Water Supplies
At the time, the tank was missing a direct reading flow measuring device and was installed as required. Water supply testing assembly must be installed downstream from the isolating valve to periodically test the flows of the town main. With municipal water supplies continuously reducing, it was essential to establish that the tank can be refilled as required within a 36-hour period.
Pump Room Corrections
There were quite a few pump room requirements needed to correct issues noted during the inspection which Elite Fire subsequently attended to and corrected:
• Signage
• Labels within the pump room not available or labelled incorrectly
• No mechanical ventilation installed
• Incorrect suction pressure gauge installed
• Incorrect size of bolts for flanges
• Incorrect sprinkler heads installed
• Pump service due
• Pump cooling line incorrectly aligned and supported
• Diesel tank not bunded as per ASIB requirements
• Pump siren test alarm failing
• Incorrect gauge cocks installed
• Sprinkler spare box quantities insufficient and incorrect
*list of corrections continues beyond that already mentioned above
Sprinkler System: Installation (and repositioning) of additional fire sprinklers
The building was installed with fire sprinklers, although it was found upon inspection that some were either incorrect temperature sprinklers, obstructed, distances incorrect (too close together or out of effective working distances) or found to be “plugged”.
Fire sprinklers were repositioned, and additional ones installed where required to correct them according to the findings.
Challenges
Fire sprinklers could only be repositioned or installed over weekends as the building was already occupied. However, all pump room work could be attended to during the week since it was located in the basement.
