System Design & Engineering
The design of any fire-protection system is an exact science that takes into account a building’s use, occupancy, footprint, and even its other installed systems.
Planning for fire protection involves an integrated approach in which system designers need to analyze building components as a total package. In most cases, the analysis needs to go beyond basic code compliance and the owner’s minimum legal responsibilities for providing protection.
Code Compliance
Code compliance is the first objective in any design. Codes are legal minimum requirements; you have to meet the minimum with any design.
The Basics
In the design process, these typical fire-protection system goals are on the table for consideration:
- Saving lives.
- Saving property.
- Preserving business continuity.
It all depends on how a building is used and occupied. A warehouse or storage facility, for example, will have different fire-protection requirements than a multi-tenant office building.
While no standard fire-protection design blueprint exists for any two buildings, the systems found in any building typically include these basic components
- Detection.
- Alarms and notification.
- Suppression.