"In-rack" sprinkler design for warehouses could reduce fire-related costs, the leading cause of commercial property damage, by millions of dollars: FM Global
Almost three years of research by FM Global has culminated in the release of new fire protection guidelines for warehouse owners that the mutual insurance company reports could reduce fire-related costs by millions of dollars.
The new engineering-driven design standard for “in-rack” sprinklers offers warehouses more protection at less cost, notes a statement last week from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial and industrial property insurers.
“Fire is the leading cause of commercial property damage,” Ronnie Gibson, vice president and chief engineer at FM Global, says in the statement.
“Using current fire protection technology, the solution enables facility owners to use fewer sprinklers and lower-capacity water systems,” the statement adds.
By way of example, FM Global reports that for a 500,000-square foot (46,450-square metre) warehouse with an 80-foot (24-metre) ceiling height, contractor estimates show the cost of installing sprinklers, pumps and water tanks could fall from about US$4.3 million to as little as US$2.6 million.
In the event of a fire, the statement notes, warehouse owners would also likely sustain less water and smoke damage, because the fire would be controlled or suppressed more quickly.
Beyond cost savings, FM Global notes the new design is more environmentally friendly and would allow companies to protect their highest-hazard commodities, such as expanded plastic, using less than half the water volume previously needed. Businesses also may see a smaller environmental impact in smoke and water run-off, it adds.
In coming to the solution, FM Global’s research included extensive and advanced open-source computer fire modelling, water flow tests and large-scale fire tests at the company’s 1,600-acre (647 hectare) Research Campus in Rhode Island.
The detailed engineering guideline, Data Sheet 8-9, “Storage of Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Plastic Commodities,” is available online at FM Global’s website at no cost.