Reliable sources
Cost pressures mean that only a small proportion of the UK building
stock is protected by sprinkler systems. Craig English and Sam Bennett
show how probabilistic design techniques can be used to assess the
benefi ts of sprinklers
S
prinkler systems are arguably the most in other fi re safety measures are granted when they
effective means of protecting buildings and are used. Unfortunately, the cost savings afforded by
their contents from fire. This, however, is reductions in other measures rarely equal the costs
not their only benefit: in attacking fires at of providing a life-safety sprinkler system; hence the
source, sprinklers also provide signifi cant life-safety vast majority of UK buildings tend to be constructed
and environmental benefi ts. Yet, despite these benefi ts, without them.
sprinklers are rarely provided in new buildings Risk-based modelling techniques can be used to
unless explicitly requested by fire safety guidance generate further reductions in passive fire-safety
documents. measures, and in doing so could signifi cantly change
In theory, if a sprinkler system works there should be the way developers, clients, architects and building
little or no need for passive fi re protection measures. control authorities think about sprinkler systems. In
However, historical concerns regarding the reliability this article Monte Carlo simulations are used as part of
Fire safety of sprinkler systems means only minimal reductions a probabilistic approach to justify bigger compartment
Jargon buster
Event tree analysis
Event trees are a
graphical representation
of a problem with
frequencies of
occurrence attached to
various branches.
Eurocodes
These are European-wide
standards for structural
design developed by the
European Committee for
Standardisation. They
have been adopted by
British Standards and
replace and supercede
the BS Design Code.
Fire compartment
A fi re compartment is an
area within a building,
which is completely
surrounded with fi re-
resistant construction.
Fire load
The sum of thermal
energies that are
released when all
combustible materials
(building contents and
construction elements)
in a space ignite.
Monte Carlo methods
These methods are a
class of computational
algorithms that rely
on repeated random
sampling to compute
their results.
50 CIBSE Journal March 2010 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEMar10 pp50-51,52,54 feature_fire.indd 50 2/25/10 5:38:45 PM
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