As the May/June 2023 issue of Sprinkler Age will be available at the NFPA Annual Conference and Expo® in Las Vegas, this column will serve a special purpose. In preparation for the 2023 NFPA Technical Meeting, AFSA has reviewed the posted Certified Amending Motions (CAM) for the relevant standards on …
Read More »Standpipes: Protecting Horizontal Pipe
What are Laterals? One of the aspects of NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, that has been regularly edited over the last several cycles of the standard is the protection of piping against fire damage. This article will look at these changes with a particular …
Read More »Here’s Your Sign, Part 2: NFPA 13D, 13R, 14 and 20 Requirements
In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the many signs that are required by NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. I tried to provide some of the reasons and history behind those requirements. In this follow-up article, I will extend the discussion to NFPA 13D, Standard …
Read More »Flow Testing Standpipes
Seeking Solutions in NFPA 25 to Unusual Challenges Inspection, testing and maintenance service providers face many challenges, which we in the “training community” often espouse in articles and live seminars. All too often, we focus on the obvious issues associated with liability, contractual structure and responsibilities to meet requirements of NFPA …
Read More »AHJ Perspective: Water, Water Everywhere
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, there is a line that reads, “Water, water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” If we were to write an epic poem about fighting fires in high-rise buildings, we might change the rhyme to read, “Water, water somewhere, and we need …
Read More »Questions on NFPA 14?
Informal Interpretations Offer Assistance on Standpipes The informal interpretations featured here address standpipes. AFSA’s informal interpretations are provided to AFSA members by Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services Roland Huggins, P.E. and Manager of Fire Protection Engineering Tom Wellen, P.E. These opinions are provided for the benefit of the requesting party, and are provided with the understanding that AFSA …
Read More »Leyton Appointed NFPA 14 Chairman
AFSA Representative Dedicates Time, Expertise on Technical Committee The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) serves its members in numerous ways: through training, education, technical representation, and social networking among others. A major workhorse for AFSA is serving on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committees to impact the standards-making process. NFPA technical committees keep codes and standards up to date. Numerous AFSA …
Read More »NFPA 14, 2016 Edition
The State of the Standard NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, has been radically revised since I first came onto the committee in the second half of the 2000 cycle. The 1996 edition contained less than one page of definitions, did not make specific provisions for high-rise buildings, and referred …
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