A construction company was working on a project, constructing inside and outside an existing warehouse of a logistics company, and contacted Elite Fire Protection to submit a quotation. Although an existing warehouse, once construction commenced, the insurance company requested a fire sprinkler system to be installed.
This logistics company provides its service throughout Southern Africa and has been developed for over 30 years. They offer an exclusive supply chain solution, specialising in client and fleet requirements. With a dedicated pool of vehicles and staff customized to the client’s operational needs, enabling the client to share the benefits of our procurement, maintenance, and risk management capacity.
A successfully installed fire protection system gives you peace of mind for insurance cover, but also the safety of your employees.
In this case study, we discuss the design, supply and installation of a fire protection system for a logistics company.
| Project | Fire Protection Systems |
| Size | 4000m2 |
| Scope | Design, Supply & Installation |
| Discipline | Fire Protection |
| Expected Completion | December 2023 |
PROJECT SCOPE
Design, Supply and Install:
- Fire Sprinkler System
- Fire Pump
- Water Storage Tanks
PROCESS OUTLINE
Fire Sprinkler System
Design:
One of the most important concepts in fire sprinkler design is the principle of design density. This particular system has a design density of 12.5mm/min over the design area, which is the starting point for fire sprinkler hydraulic calculation.
The density of application measured as millimetres per minute (mm/min) is the volume of water discharged over an area of 1m2 in 1 min.
Type of Fire Sprinkler System to be Installed:
The type of system being installed is a wet sprinkler system. As previously indicated in a blog published by Elite Fire Protection in May 2023, a wet pipe sprinkler system is a common type of system used in the commercial and industrial setting and often more cost-effective than other systems, while also easier to maintain.
Type of Sprinklers
There will be a total of 525 (five hundred and twenty-five) 93o conventional sprinklers installed at roof and 68 (sixty-eight) white pendent 68o with white rosettes.
One 150mm size ICV will be installed, which controls the flow of water to the fire sprinkler system.
Fire Pump
Diesel driven pump set with a duty of 6100L/min @800kPa. Diesel pumps are required when it is the one and only primary pump on the fire sprinkler system.
Fire pumps provide fire sprinklers throughout a facility with adequate water supply during a fire, and where incorrectly sized can result in not enough pressure or flow being created, which can cause several problems.
Water Storage Tanks
Even though water supply can come from municipal water installations, an independent water tank is more reliable as it quickly supplies automated sprinkler systems with water to contain or suppress fire while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
In this contract, two cylindrical tanks each with a dimension of 9.2m (D)X 5.7m (H) and a total effective capacity of 550 000L, will be installed.
Challenges
Working in an operating warehouse where stock will need to be moved around. No other challenges are foreseen at this time.
