NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 36
In Compliance
NFPA 13
Water-based
fire protection systems
Protecting valuable
cultural spaces with
preaction sprinkler systems
By Matt Klaus
f you're lucky enough to be
visiting historic Boston for
this year's NFPA Conference & Expo, I hope you
can take the opportunity
to visit some of the city's museums, art
galleries, and historic colonial structures.
While walking through these spaces and
I
36 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7
observing the magnificent artwork and
historical artifacts is fun for the patrons,
designing the systems to protect them
can be a significant challenge.
While there are exemptions for
historic structures to not require sprinkler systems, most museums and art
galleries are required by NFPA 909,
Protection of Cultural Resource Properties-Museums, Libraries, and Places of
Worship, to be protected by automatic
sprinkler systems or alternative fire
suppression systems. The code does
not specify exactly what type of system
needs to be installed; instead, it directs
the designer to NFPA 13, Installation of
Sprinkler Systems, to draft a code-compliant and functional system. In most
light-hazard occupancies, the designer
will go to work on a wet pipe sprinkler
system and call it a day. For spaces that
have historically significant artifacts or
priceless works of art, however, a wet
system may not be the best choice.
For situations like this where the
designer-or more likely the owner or
property underwriting firm-may be
concerned about an accidental discharge
of water, looking to a preaction system
may be the best course of action. A preaction system is a sprinkler system that
consists of air-filled piping connected
to the automatic sprinkler that is also
tied into an automatic detection system
located in the room being protected. In
order for water to be discharged from
the sprinklers, the detection system
must be activated and one or more of
the sprinklers must also reach its activation temperature.
The two most common types of preaction system are the double-interlock
GETT Y IMAGES
ART SPACE, PROTECTED SPACE
Visitors browse the distinctive winding
galleries in the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Museum in New York City.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017
Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Contents
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NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I2
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NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover4
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