fire industry today Steve Weyel
While smoke and fire protective curtain assemblies have been used extensively in Europe since the 1980s, they are still relatively new to North America.
Recently, test standards and codes have been developed so that additional compliant applications are available for North American markets. However, evolving standards and codes have left some designers and code officials confused and uncertain as to which standards and codes apply to fire and smoke protective curtains.
The Curtains
Fire and smoke protective curtains are designed and tested to limit the movement of heat and smoke generated by a fire. They can help contain heat and smoke within a specific volume or channel it in accordance with the design intent. Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies can be used for specific applications or as part of an engineered smoke control system. These curtains create a nonstructural barrier between interior portions of a building.
Comprising a flexible fire-resistant fabric mounted into a head box, these products can be installed above an opening or above the opening within the ceiling. In the event of a fire, the curtain is electrically actuated and descends upon receiving a signal from a fire-detection-initiating device. Curtains are available in large sizes to accommodate virtually any opening and can be weighted to assist deployment as well as limit deflection caused by air movement. While curtains are not replacements for fire door assemblies, they offer interior design flexibility and provide an additional layer of fire protection that can be concealed from view.
Architects, engineers, specifiers, plan reviewers, construction project managers, and code officials should be aware of the test standards and codes that apply to fire curtains. Understanding these codes and standards is necessary to determine appropriate uses for specific applications.
Codes and Standards
Test standards from Underwriters Laboratories that apply to smoke and fire protective curtains include UL 10D, UL 1784, and UL 864. UL 10D and UL 1784 were recently introduced to the United States. In 2014, UL 10D was approved and evaluates fire protective curtain assemblies intended to provide supplemental, passive fire protection as part of an engineered fire protection system. UL 1784 tests assemblies for air leakage of door assemblies and other protectives. UL 864 addresses requirements for control units and accessories for fire alarm systems.
National Protection Association (NFPA) 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, regulates the installation and maintenance of assemblies and devices used to protect openings in walls, floors, and ceilings against the spread of fire within or into buildings. The 2016 edition of NFPA 80 added a new definition for fire protective curtain assemblies. NFPA 80, Section 21.1.1, clarifies that the current generation of curtain assemblies is not to be confused with fabric fire safety curtains, which are specifically intended for protection of proscenium openings. Fabric fire safety curtain assemblies are part of the passive fire-resistive separation between the stage and the audience seating area. They are intended to provide at least 20 minutes of protection so the audienc
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Posted: Apr 3, 2018
fire industry today Steve Weyel
While smoke and fire protective curtain assemblies have been used extensively in Europe since the 1980s, they are still relatively new to North America.
Recently, test standards and codes have been developed so that additional compliant applications are available for North American markets. However, evolving standards and codes have left some designers and code officials confused and uncertain as to which standards and codes apply to fire and smoke protective curtains.
The Curtains
Fire and smoke protective curtains are designed and tested to limit the movement of heat and smoke generated by a fire. They can help contain heat and smoke within a specific volume or channel it in accordance with the design intent. Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies can be used for specific applications or as part of an engineered smoke control system. These curtains create a nonstructural barrier between interior portions of a building.
Comprising a flexible fire-resistant fabric mounted into a head box, these products can be installed above an opening or above the opening within the ceiling. In the event of a fire, the curtain is electrically actuated and descends upon receiving a signal from a fire-detection-initiating device. Curtains are available in large sizes to accommodate virtually any opening and can be weighted to assist deployment as well as limit deflection caused by air movement. While curtains are not replacements for fire door assemblies, they offer interior design flexibility and provide an additional layer of fire protection that can be concealed from view.
Architects, engineers, specifiers, plan reviewers, construction project managers, and code officials should be aware of the test standards and codes that apply to fire curtains. Understanding these codes and standards is necessary to determine appropriate uses for specific applications.
Codes and Standards
Test standards from Underwriters Laboratories that apply to smoke and fire protective curtains include UL 10D, UL 1784, and UL 864. UL 10D and UL 1784 were recently introduced to the United States. In 2014, UL 10D was approved and evaluates fire protective curtain assemblies intended to provide supplemental, passive fire protection as part of an engineered fire protection system. UL 1784 tests assemblies for air leakage of door assemblies and other protectives. UL 864 addresses requirements for control units and accessories for fire alarm systems.
National Protection Association (NFPA) 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, regulates the installation and maintenance of assemblies and devices used to protect openings in walls, floors, and ceilings against the spread of fire within or into buildings. The 2016 edition of NFPA 80 added a new definition for fire protective curtain assemblies. NFPA 80, Section 21.1.1, clarifies that the current generation of curtain assemblies is not to be confused with fabric fire safety curtains, which are specifically intended for protection of proscenium openings. Fabric fire safety curtain assemblies are part of the passive fire-resistive separation between the stage and the audience seating area. They are intended to provide at least 20 minutes of protection so the audienc
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Posted: Apr 3, 2018
By Alan M. Petrillo
Rear-mount, side-mount, and top-mount pumps, along with the type and shape of a pumper’s water tank and placement of its handlines, all can affect the size, capacity, and ergonomics of a hosebed.
Those elements, along with a fire department’s preferences for how it plans to handle fire attack and water supply, result in a wide array of hosebeds used by departments around the country. But, one trend stands out when manufacturers talk about hosebed configurations, and that is the movement toward lower hosebeds.
1 Pierce Manufacturing built this low hosebed configuration with two outer wall preconnects on the left side of the rig. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)
Hosebed Height
“We are seeing, from a safety standpoint, more customers worried about bringing the hosebed down lower,” says Ken Sebo, pumper products manager for Pierce Manufacturing Inc. “Many fire departments want what is called the ‘New York style’ hosebed where it sits on top of the back end of an L-shaped water tank, which is lower than the elevated front part of the tank.”
2 This unusual hosebed configuration built by Pierce Manufacturing features two hydraulically driven reels to lay and pick up supply lines.
Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, agrees. “No one wants to be climbing up on the back of their apparatus,” he points out. “By pushing a major portion of the water tank toward the front of the vehicle, you have the opportunity to build a massive hosebed that’s low to the ground.” However, Messmer notes, “You can’t do that on a pumper-rescue because the department usually wants maximum compartment space, meaning full-height and full-depth compartments, so the water tank becomes tall and skinny in between the frame rails.”
Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company has been seeing more low hosebeds “where the water tank is completely in front of the hosebed. That’s especially popular in big cities, but you can’t have large water tanks with a configuration like that. However, big cities have hydrant systems so they can rely less on a vehicle’s water tank.”
Posted: Apr 3, 2018
By Alan M. Petrillo
Rear-mount, side-mount, and top-mount pumps, along with the type and shape of a pumper’s water tank and placement of its handlines, all can affect the size, capacity, and ergonomics of a hosebed.
Those elements, along with a fire department’s preferences for how it plans to handle fire attack and water supply, result in a wide array of hosebeds used by departments around the country. But, one trend stands out when manufacturers talk about hosebed configurations, and that is the movement toward lower hosebeds.
1 Pierce Manufacturing built this low hosebed configuration with two outer wall preconnects on the left side of the rig. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)
Hosebed Height
“We are seeing, from a safety standpoint, more customers worried about bringing the hosebed down lower,” says Ken Sebo, pumper products manager for Pierce Manufacturing Inc. “Many fire departments want what is called the ‘New York style’ hosebed where it sits on top of the back end of an L-shaped water tank, which is lower than the elevated front part of the tank.”
2 This unusual hosebed configuration built by Pierce Manufacturing features two hydraulically driven reels to lay and pick up supply lines.
Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, agrees. “No one wants to be climbing up on the back of their apparatus,” he points out. “By pushing a major portion of the water tank toward the front of the vehicle, you have the opportunity to build a massive hosebed that’s low to the ground.” However, Messmer notes, “You can’t do that on a pumper-rescue because the department usually wants maximum compartment space, meaning full-height and full-depth compartments, so the water tank becomes tall and skinny in between the frame rails.”
Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company has been seeing more low hosebeds “where the water tank is completely in front of the hosebed. That’s especially popular in big cities, but you can’t have large water tanks with a configuration like that. However, big cities have hydrant systems so they can rely less on a vehicle’s water tank.”
Posted: Apr 3, 2018
By Alan M. Petrillo
Rear-mount, side-mount, and top-mount pumps, along with the type and shape of a pumper’s water tank and placement of its handlines, all can affect the size, capacity, and ergonomics of a hosebed.
Those elements, along with a fire department’s preferences for how it plans to handle fire attack and water supply, result in a wide array of hosebeds used by departments around the country. But, one trend stands out when manufacturers talk about hosebed configurations, and that is the movement toward lower hosebeds.
1 Pierce Manufacturing built this low hosebed configuration with two outer wall preconnects on the left side of the rig. (Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing Inc.)
Hosebed Height
“We are seeing, from a safety standpoint, more customers worried about bringing the hosebed down lower,” says Ken Sebo, pumper products manager for Pierce Manufacturing Inc. “Many fire departments want what is called the ‘New York style’ hosebed where it sits on top of the back end of an L-shaped water tank, which is lower than the elevated front part of the tank.”
2 This unusual hosebed configuration built by Pierce Manufacturing features two hydraulically driven reels to lay and pick up supply lines.
Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, agrees. “No one wants to be climbing up on the back of their apparatus,” he points out. “By pushing a major portion of the water tank toward the front of the vehicle, you have the opportunity to build a massive hosebed that’s low to the ground.” However, Messmer notes, “You can’t do that on a pumper-rescue because the department usually wants maximum compartment space, meaning full-height and full-depth compartments, so the water tank becomes tall and skinny in between the frame rails.”
Grady North, product manager for E-ONE, says his company has been seeing more low hosebeds “where the water tank is completely in front of the hosebed. That’s especially popular in big cities, but you can’t have large water tanks with a configuration like that. However, big cities have hydrant systems so they can rely less on a vehicle’s water tank.”