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) piping can-
not be routed where you show it, an installer can correct that
without much fanfare. But rerouting the big cross-main pipe
is a different matter altogether. Not only is it expensive and
time-consuming, and not only does it affect all other down-
stream piping, but it can halt the installation completely while
the installers scratch their heads and attempt to achieve an en-
gineering solution on the job. This wastes time and time is
money.
Again, the cross-main location and elevation is the rst
thing that you lay out. The elevation must be low enough to
cross below structural beams, which usually means: lower
than the branch-lines. Naturally, the cross-main should be
hung high enough so as not to interfere with future building
operations. The system pipe elevations should be designed so
that all or most of the system can be drained when necessary
at the base of the system riser.
When steel bar-joists support the roof of the structure,
the direction of the branch-line runs are always perpendic-
ular to the joists, for ease of pipe hanging. Hence, to feed
the branch-lines, the cross-main must run parallel to the
joists.
1
ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOURE HANGING
THE PIPE TO!
Specically, for optimum cost efciency, the main should
be routed beneath a single joist, hung from one side of that
joist or the other.
2
Look at the HVAC (Mechanical) drawings
to make absolutely certain that the joist location that you
select has the least chance of obstructional interference. And
dont select a joist (obviously) that rests directly above a
column, or the pipe will be run smack into a structural column
or I-beam. In order to avoid ductwork, it may be necessary
to offset the main once, or several times, or even change
elevation. Offsets, though, shall be minimized to reduce labor
andmaterial installationcost. Varyingdepths of I-beams must
be checked (on the steel drawings),
3
but the highest priority
consideration must be that there is reasonable space available
for the piping to t where it is shown. This space includes
space above the pipe as well: for example, there may be space
available to run pipe below some ductwork, but then it is
economically impractical to hang the pipe.
* * *
On concealed jobs (where all piping is concealed above
a drywall or drop-ceiling), the main piping must be hung at a
low elevation, beneath all other mechanical tradework. Many
designers routinely set cross-main elevations at 7
to 9
(pipe
centerline) above the highest drop-ceiling height in these
instances. This is done because it is generally observed that
the sprinkler trade, being the last of the mechanical trades to
man a job, hang their pipe on concealed jobs below all
the ductwork, storm piping, electrical cable trays, and the
like; but also that the main must lay high enough to avoid
hindrances such as ceiling speakers and recessed lighting
xtures. On tight jobs, where space available above ceiling
is at the bare minimum, it may be necessary to run the main
at an even lower elevation, being careful to route this pipe to
avoid hitting all the recessed lights.
* * *
Before you lay out your branch-lines and x their ele-
vation, you need to spot all the sprinkler-head locations.
The information youll need for this task is detailed more
thoroughly in Chapter 10, and requires knowledge of spac-
ing limitations. As previously mentioned, our example job
is of a glass-door manufacturer, an ordinary hazard occu-
pancy. The maximum head spacing for this tenant would be
130 sq. ft. The sprinklers must be positioned high enough
to fuse from a collection of heat, so factory and warehouse
sprinkler branch-line piping always run high, through the bar
joists. The pipe will run through either an A or V space
in these joists (Note Figure B-2 on page 151). To avoid run-
ning into joist bracing material, your safe bet is to space the
sprinkler lines an even number apart from one another (i.e.,
10
, 12
, or 14
maximum.
6
Once you have determined the distance frombranch-line to
branch-line, you can set the number of sprinklers on a line. In
the Figure A-2 example, the branch-lines are spaced 12
apart,
andthe sprinkler-heads are 10
10
74
74
area. Twelve sprinklers would not be enough (for
any ordinary hazard occupancy). If sixteen sprinklers were to
be designed, the heads would be spaced 9
3
apart, center-to-
center, giving you a coverage per sprinkler of (12
)
111sq. ft. But under normal circumstances a contractor would
much prefer to install fourteen sprinklers in this area rather
than sixteen, for the same reason that one would only install
one unit heater (and not two or three) in a room if just one
could adequately do the job.
* * *
To set the elevation of the piping, we need to collect the
following facts: the building in Figure A-2 has a at roof,
5
the underside of which is 15
high. Its bar joists are all 6
apart and 20
deep. The supporting I-beams all have a depth
of 24
.
We have an obligation to keep our cross-main as high as
it can reasonably be situated, to maintain clearance for the
building owner. Our main piping would be safely installed at a
centerline elevation 6
below the bottom of the solid I-beam.
This would translate to an elevation of (15
24
)
12
10
) 14
.
Attention must always be given to the HVAC contractor, the
no. 1 suspect in all sprinkler installation cases of conict.
If his large airhandling equipment is to be installed on the
roof, we must be careful to avoid running sprinkler piping
below that area or areas. A basic goal of the sprinkler de-
signer is to avoid situations where eld labor must cut pre-
fabricated piping because it will not t where it is intended
to go.
Referring again to the example sketched in Figure A-2, the
re sprinkler branch-lines couldbe placed11
6
apart inorder
to reduce the overall sprinkler head spacing to (11
10
)
121.7 sq. ft. It may even be that this arrangement will work
well for installation, and the piping may be hung in that
fashion without eld adjustment. In fact, the only eld ad-
justment necessary for a branch-line obstruction, consisting
of steel bar-joist bracing in this case, would be to lengthen or
shorten the riser nipple (fed by the cross-main) to an eleva-
tion without obstruction for the line path. But our job is not to
take chances. Running the lines 11
of a joist
web, which is a code violation as well as a sprinkler spray
discharge interference. Making use again of the information
derived from Figure B-2, I would recommend the 12
0
spac-
ing to reduce your odds of running into structural members.
CITATIONS
1. Bruce A. Edwards, Fire Sprinkler Plan Review Process, Fire
Protection Contractor, Feb. 1995, p. 13.
2. Michael A. Crowley, Meeting Hospital Fire Codes: Mission
Impossible? Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Feb. 1995, p. 57.
3. Sprinkler System Guide, Viking Fire Protection Associates In-
corporated, Hastings, Michigan, 1981, p. 10.
ENDNOTES
1
As a general rule, 1 1/2
to 3