In the January/February 2019 edition of Sprinkler Age — an American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) publication — Henderson Engineers fire protection specialists Chris Culp and Bob Renton discussed dry pipe sprinkler systems and the importance of their accuracy. The duo noted that a variety of factors have contributed to the increased implementation of these systems.

Henderson’s fire and life safety group has performed multiple forensic investigations that identified installations that do not comply with NFPA 13 requirements as the root cause that led to pipe failures and subsequent property damage. According to Culp and Renton, if these installation inconsistencies are not identified during the initial inspection and commissioning process, it’s unlikely that they will be corrected prior to a system malfunction.

The article goes into further detail about standards, installation parameters, accuracy, and includes a case study. Culp and Renton summarized that a properly designed and installed suppression system that adheres to NFPA 13 significantly improves the occupants’ chance of surviving a fire. Installers may benefit from the use of more accurate measuring tools to minimize their financial exposure after projects have been installed. Many times, the difference between proper performance and unnecessary loss is simply a matter of small details.