Broward County Fire Sprinkler Design Engineers

Fire protection systems are designed to prevent fires from happening, extinguish fires when they do happen, and prevent fires from spreading in larger buildings or in high-rise buildings. Fire protection systems are essential to protect safety of occupants, to protect property, and to reduce the risk of deadly fires. There are many different types of fire protection systems, with fire sprinklers being one of the most common types of fire protection systems. Yet even the best designed fire sprinkler system works in concert with a properly functioning fire detection system. The Broward County, Florida fire sprinkler design engineers and fire alarm design engineers at Boukzam PE Consulting, Inc. can help you create a comprehensive fire protection system for your condo or high rise building that works.

Let’s take a closer look at the different types of fire protection systems available.

• Fire Sprinkler Systems. When a fire is detected, a fire sprinkler system will release water automatically. There are four main types of fire sprinkler systems: wet, dry, preaction, and deluge systems. Wet pipe fire sprinkler systems are the most common fire sprinkler systems. The pipes in this system are constantly full of water. When heat levels rise to a specific temperature, a glass bulb in the system shatters, freeing the water which is then released by the sprinkler. In a wet pipe sprinkler system, only sprinklers near the source of heat will operate when temperatures reach the breaking point for the glass in the system. Of all the different types of fire sprinkler systems available, wet pipe sprinkler systems are considered the most effective, and are also generally the most cost-effective solution. Yet, a wet pipe sprinkler system may not be appropriate in some buildings. For example, buildings that might be subject to highly fluctuating hot or cold temperature extremes may not benefit from a wet pipe fire sprinkler system. If the pipes are frozen, a wet pipe system won’t work in the event of a fire. A dry pipe sprinkler system functions similarly to a wet pipe system. The main difference is that the pipe isn’t always full of water. Instead, pressure changes caused when the glass bulb breaks due to temperature changes as a result of a fire release the water. Dry pipe sprinklers are not as effective as wet pipe systems because there is a delay between when the system is activated and when water gets delivered to extinguish the fire. Dry pipe systems might be a good idea for buildings where there is a risk of freezing. Preaction systems are more complicated than dry or wet pipe sprinkler systems and require that the sprinkler system work in concert with fire detection systems. Deluge systems, like preaction systems, rely on fire detection systems. In deluge systems, when fire is detected in one area, all sprinklers go off at the same time. Deluge systems are often used in areas where there is a high fire hazard.
• Fire Detection Systems. Fire detection systems use heat sensors, heat detectors, and smoke detectors to detect fires and to alert occupants when there is a fire. Fire detection systems may also include manual alarms that can be pulled by the occupants themselves when they detect a fire.
• Fire Extinguishers. Fire extinguishers can be installed throughout a building or in areas of higher risk to give occupants the ability to extinguish fires themselves. For example, HOAs might require that each condo owner have a fire extinguisher in their home.
• Fire Doors and Firewalls. Building design can also act to suppress the spread of fires. Fire doors and firewalls can use fire-resistant materials to prevent the spread of a fire from one area of a building to another.
• Fire-Resistant Materials. Buildings can be constructed with fire-resistant materials to suppress the spread of fire.
• Chemical Foam Suppression Systems. In kitchens where there is greater risk of fire, chemical suppression systems can prevent fires that happen in these environments. These systems might be installed in cooking canopies. These systems can cost more than other types of fire suppression systems, but they can be highly effective in extinguishing fires and in preventing the spread of fires. For commercial kitchens or restaurants, these kinds of fire suppression systems might be required or desirable for liability and insurance purposes.

These are just some of the fire prevention systems that you can use in a high rise or building to prevent the spread of fires, prevent fires from happening entirely, and to extinguish a fire. Fire prevention systems often involve fire sprinklers used in concert with fire detection systems. Boukzam PE Consulting, Inc. are fire sprinkler design engineers and fire alarm design engineers who can help you with your fire alarm plans. Whether you are a contractor, investor, or architect looking to create a building with a robust fire safety plan, are an HOA or condo association looking to bring your condo into compliance with new fire safety laws in Broward County, Florida, or are a building owner or condo association facing your milestone safety inspections and want to make sure your fire protection systems are up to date, the Broward County fire sprinkler design engineers and fire alarm design engineers at Boukzam PE Consulting, Inc. are here to help.