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Dodge Data & Analytics Predicts $713 Billion in 2017 Dodge Data & Analytics has released its 2017 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2017 will advance 5 percent to $713 billion, following gains of 11 …

What Sprinkler Contractor Owners Need to Know The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is an industry association that exists primarily to represent the interests of open shop fire sprinkler contractor owners. In context, it is important that each sprinkler contractor owner fully understand that the applicable building codes and their …

AHJ Helps Expand Sprinkler Protection in Rapid City On October 17, 2016, Timothy D. Behlings, division chief and fire marshal at the Rapid City, South Dakota Fire Department, received the “Fire Sprinklers Save Lives” award from AFSA Region 3 Director and Rapid Fire Protection Inc.’s Vice President Rod DiBona on …

Part 1: NFPA 13 Requirements The comedian Bill Engvall made the saying “Here is your sign” well known. When Bill said it, it was directed at someone who just said something that was obvious or just plain stupid. One story I remember Bill telling at a comedy show was about a gentleman who was …

AFSA Educates a New Generation On October 26, 2016, more than 1,500 high school students from 43 schools all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex converged on the west campus of North Lake College in Irving, Texas. They were there to attend the Build Your Future Career Day, an event organized …

Fluctuations Can Cause Problems Temperature fluctuations can wreak havoc on certain types of systems in certain configurations. The most susceptible type of system to temperature fluctuations are dry-type systems, specifically dry-type systems which utilize a direct differential style dry valve. By direct differential style dry valves, it is understood to …

In January 2017, American Automatic Sprinkler celebrated its golden anniversary. The Fort Worth, Texas-based fire sprinkler contractor founded by C.B. Hall, who served as AFSA’s second chairman from 1982 to 1983, has been actively involved in AFSA’s training and education initiatives since its founding in 1981. Haws & Garrett, a …

Wood Joist Versus Composite Wood Joist NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, allows the omission of sprinkler protection from some combustible, concealed spaces for both wood joist and combustible wood joist construction. (See section 8.15.1.2.) Historically, though, only the composite wood choice had to apply a 3,000 …

First Tunnel in Virginia Protected by Sprinklers In April of 2016, the Norfolk-Virginia Beach office of VSC Fire & Security, Inc. completed installing a fire suppression system in the new U.S. 58 Midtown tunnel that connects Norfolk, Virginia to Portsmouth, Virginia. The multimillion dollar project began construction in November of …

Nominations Sought for Prestigious Awards The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is accepting nominations for its top honors: the prestigious Henry S. Parmelee award, esteemed Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award, and the new yet highly regarded Young Professional of the Year award. The awards will be presented during …