AS 2419 1 1994 fire hydrant installations system design, i

1477 Unplasticized PVC UPVC pipes and fittings for pressure applications1477.1 Part 1: Pipes 1477.2 Part 2: Moulded fittings 1477.4 Part 4: Post-formed bends 1477.6 Part 6: Rubber ring j

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AS 2419.1—1994

Fire hydrant installations Part 1: System design, installation and commissioning

This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee FP/9, Fire Hydrant Installations.

It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 13 May 1994 andpublished on 18 July 1994

The following interests are represented on Committee FP/9:

Australian Fire Authorities CouncilAustralian Chamber of Commerce and IndustryAustralian Fire Protection Association

Australian Building Codes BoardAustralian Valve Manufactures AssociationCivil Aviation Authority

Commonwealth Fire BoardDepartment of Bush Fire Services, N.S.WDepartment of Defence, Australia

Fire Protection Industry Association of AustraliaInstitution of Engineers, Australia

Melbourne WaterWater Board, Sydney — Illawarra — Blue MountainsWestern Australia Fire Brigades Board

Review of Australian Standards To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject

to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary It is important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest ed ition, and any amendments thereto.

Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australian Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.

Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head office of Standards Australia, are welcomed Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

AS 2419.1—1994

Fire hydrant installations Part 1: System design, installation and commissioning

An Appendix setting out the reasoning and rationale behind the content of some of the moresignificant clauses in this Standard is provided The paragraph numbers in the Appendix relatedirectly to the clause numbers in the Standard, i.e Paragraph C2.1 relates to Clause 2.1.

The terms ‘normative’ and ‘informative’ have been used in this Standard to define the application

of the appendix to which they apply A ‘normative’ appendix is an integral part of a Standard,whereas an ‘informative’ appendix is only for information and guidance

 Copyright STANDARDS AUSTRALIA Users of Standards are reminded that copyright subsists in all Standards Australia publications and software Except where the Copyright Act allows and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Australia may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from Standards Australia Permission may be conditional on an appropriate royalty payment Requests for permission and information on commercial software royalties should be directed to the head office of Standards Australia.

Standards Australia will permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia.

Standards Australia will also permit the inclusion of its copyright material in computer software programs for no royalty payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.

Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the Standard is amended or revised The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified.

The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.

Page

FOREWORD 5

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL 1.1 SCOPE 6

1.2 NEW DESIGNS AND INNOVATIONS 6

1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS 6

1.4 DEFINITIONS 8

SECTION 2 BASIC REQUIREMENTS 2.1 PROVISION OF HYDRANTS WITHIN PROPERTIES 10

2.2 TYPE OF SYSTEM 10

2.3 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS 10

2.4 QUALIFIED PERSONNEL 10

SECTION 3 SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY 3.1 SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY 12

3.2 ACCEPTABLE SOURCE OF SUPPLY 12

3.3 OTHER ON-SITE WATER STORAGE 12

3.4 COMBINED SYSTEMS 12a SECTION 4 SYSTEM DESIGN 4.1 GENERAL 13

4.2 HYDRAULIC DESIGN 13

4.3 LOCATION OF HYDRANTS PROTECTING BUILDINGS 13

4.4 PIPEWORK DESIGN 15

4.5 REQUIRED SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 18

SECTION 5 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT 5.1 GENERAL 25

5.2 FIRE HOSE AND FITTINGS 25

5.3 CABINETS, ENCLOSURES OR RECESSES 25

5.4 PRESSURE GAUGES 27

5.5 PUMPED HYDRANT SYSTEMS 27

5.6 FIRE BRIGADE BOOSTER CONNECTION 29

5.7 BOOSTERS IN SERIES (RELAY) WITH PUMPS 31

5.8 INTERNAL BOOSTER CONNECTION FOR PORTABLE RELAY PUMPS 32

5.9 BACK-FLOW PREVENTION 32

SECTION 6 PIPING, VALVES, AND FITTINGS 6.1 GENERAL 34

6.2 PIPE AND PIPE FITTING SPECIFICATIONS 34

6.3 SYSTEM PROTECTION AND IDENTIFICATION 35

6.4 PIPE JOINTS AND GASKETS 35

6.5 VALVES 35

6.6 ORIFICE PLATE 37

6.7 STRAINERS 37

6.8 SUPPORT OF HYDRANT PIPEWORK 37

6.9 THRUST BLOCKS AND ANCHORS 40

6.10 PRESSURE GAUGES 40

AS 2419.1—1994 4

Page

SECTION 7 TESTING

7.1 GENERAL 43

7.2 HYDROSTATIC TESTS 43

7.3 COMMISSIONING TEST 43

7.4 SYSTEMS WHICH INCORPORATE A BOOSTER 43

7.5 SYSTEMS WITH BOOSTER IN SERIES (RELAY) 44

7.6 SYSTEMS WHICH INCORPORATE A PUMP 44

7.7 SYSTEMS WHICH INCORPORATE A TANK 44

7.8 RECORDING OF TEST RESULTS 44

APPENDICES A HYDRANT INSTALLATION WATER SUPPLY FLOW CHART 45

B SPECIAL HAZARDS 46

C GUIDE TO THE USE OF THIS STANDARD 48

D SYSTEM RESISTANCE CURVES FOR COMBINED HYDRANT AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 58

E WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY 59

The purpose of this Standard is to specify a hydrant system which is compatible with theneeds of today’s fire authorities to extinguish more efficiently the outbreak of fire withinpremises

The availability of hydrants is essential to fire protection Hydrants may be used to quell aninitial outbreak of fire, quench a dying fire controlled by an automatic protection system, orprovide the sole firefighting facility, e.g after other means have been unsuccessful

Although hydrants are installed within properties for use by the fire authority, they may also

be used by trained personnel

An adequate source of water is a fundamental consideration in the design of a fire hydrantinstallation and may comprise water from more than one source A source based on a 4-hduration at the flow rates given in this Standard is regarded as the minimum safe quantity toenable fire brigades to extinguish a major fire and, if necessary, protect neighbouringproperties

Hydrant systems should also be regularly inspected, tested, and maintained to ensurecontinued readiness for use Where pump sets are installed, regular maintenance is essential.This Standard does not apply to (but may be referenced during design for) the protection offlammable and combustible liquid installations Refer to Appendix B, special hazards forgeneral guidance in such installations

AS 2419.1 — 1994 6

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard Fire hydrant installations

Part 1: System design, installation and commissioning

S E C T I O N 1 S C O P E A N D G E N E R A L

commissioning of fire hydrant systems within properties

Requirements for maintenance of fire hydrant installations are given in AS 1851.4

Comments to a particular Clause retain the clause number preceded by a ‘C’ i.e C1.12 is acomment relating to Clause 1.12

A ‘C’ Clause is informative and not normative

3 This Standard will be referenced in the Building Code of Australia by way of BCAAmendment 7 intended for publication in October 1994, therefore superseding the previouseditions of AS 2419.1 — 1988 and 1991 which will be withdrawn 12 months from the date ofpublication of this edition

Users are advised that when BCA Amendment 7 is issued, it will not necessarily be gazetted

in each State/Territory at the time of printing

of assembly, procedures and the like that do not comply with specific requirements of thisStandard, or are not mentioned in it, but give equivalent results to those specified are notnecessarily prohibited, but the specified approval remains the prerogative of the regulatoryauthority

Standard

AS

1074.1 Steel tubes and tubulars for ordinary service

1159 Polyethylene pipes for pressure applications

1221 Fire hose reels

1281 Cement mortar lining of steel pipes and fittings

1345 Identification of the contents of piping, conduits and ducts

1349 Bourdon tube pressure and vacuum gauges

1432 Copper tubes for plumbing, gasfitting and drainage applications

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1477 Unplasticized PVC (UPVC) pipes and fittings for pressure applications

1477.1 Part 1: Pipes

1477.2 Part 2: Moulded fittings

1477.4 Part 4: Post-formed bends

1477.6 Part 6: Rubber ring joints

1516 The cement mortar lining of pipelines in situ

1530 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures

1530.4 Part 4: Fire-resistance test of elements of building construction

1572 Copper and copper alloys — Seamless tubes for engineering purposes

1579 Arc welded steel pipes for fittings for water and waste water

1596 LP Gas — Storage and Handling

1670 Automatic fire detection and alarm systems — System design, installation, and

commissioning

1724 Cast grey iron pressure pipes and fittings with bolted gland joints

1769 Welded stainless steel tubes for plumbing applications

1851 Maintenance of fire protection equipment

1851.4 Part 4: Fire hydrant installations

1873 Explosive-powered hand-held fastening tools, fasteners and explosive charges

1940 The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids

2032 Code of practice for installation of UPVC pipe systems

2033 Installation of polyethylene pipe systems

2118 Automatic fire sprinkler system (known as SAA Code for Automatic Fire Sprinkler

Systems)

2129 Flanges for pipes, valves and fittings

2200 Design charts for water supply and sewerage

2280 Ductile iron pressure pipes and fittings

2312 Guide to the protection of iron and steel against exterior atmospheric corrosion

2419 Fire hydrant installations

2419.2 Part 2: Fire hydrant valves

2484 Fire Glossary of terms

2484.2 Part 2: Fire protection and Fire fighting equipment

2544 Grey iron pressure pipes and fittings

2638 Sluice valves for waterworks purposes

2792 Fire hose — Delivery layflat

2845 Water supply — Mechanical backflow prevention devices

2845.1 Part 1: Materials, design and performance requirements

2941 Fixed fire protection installations — Pumpsets systems

2977 Unplasticized PVC (UPVC) pipes for pressure applications — Compatible with cast

iron pipe outside diameters

2977.1 Part 1: Pipes

2977.2 Part 2: Post-formed bends

2977.3 Part 3: Rubber ring joints

3000 Electrical installations — Buildings, Structures and premises (known as the SAA

Wiring Rules)

AS 2419.1 — 1994 8

3500 National Plumbing and Drainage Code

3579 Cast iron wedge gate valves for general purposes

API

607 Fire test for soft-seated quarter-turn valves

BS

3059 Specification for steel boiler and superheater tubes

3059.2 Part 2: Carbon, alloy and austenitic stainless steel tubes with specified elevated

temperature properties

3604 Specification for steel pipes and tubes for pressure purposes:Ferritic alloy steel

with specified elevated temperature properties

3974 Specifications for pipe supports

3974.1 Part 1: Pipe hangers, slider and roller type supports

AS

4041 Pressure piping

4118 Fire sprinkler systems

4118.1.4 Part 1.4: Components — Valve monitors

Building Code of Australia4118.2.1 Part 2.1: Piping general

1.4 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Standard, the definitions given in AS 2484.2,

AS 3500 and those below apply

1.4.1 Approved and approval — approved by, or the approval of, a regulatory authority 1.4.2 Block plan — a plan of the risk clearly indicating the as-constructed location of all

mains, isolating valves and hydrants

1.4.3 Design pressure — the working pressure plus any increase in pressures incurred when

the hydrant is closed, e.g pump running in a no-flow condition

1.4.4 Fire brigade booster connection — a connecting device enabling the fire brigade to

pressurize or pump water into a fire hydrant system

1.4.5 Fire compartment — a volume which is enclosed by a fire-rated construction 1.4.6 Fire hydrant— an assembly installed in a water pipeline which provides a valved

outlet to permit a controlled supply of water to be taken from the pipeline for firefighting

1.4.7 Fire-resistance level (FRL) — the fire-resistance rating periods in minutes, determined

for —

(a) structural adequacy,

(b) integrity, and

(c) insulation,

expressed in that order, i.e FRL XX/ YY/ ZZ

1.4.8 High-rise installation — a fire hydrant installation in a building where the floor of the

topmost storey, excluding a storey containing only heating, ventilation, lifts, water tanks, orsimilar service equipment, is more than 25 m above the floor of the lowest storey providingegress by a normal route to a road or open area

1.4.9 Hydrant valve — a valve controlling flow of water from the fire hydrant outlet with

provision for attachment of a fire hose

1.4.10 Low-rise installation — a fire hydrant installation in a single or multistorey building

other than a high-rise structure

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1.4.11 Open yard — a designated area in industrial or commercial premises which may be

used for combustible storage or processing of any kind and having an area greater than

500 m2

NOTE: Refer to AS 1940 for areas used for bulk storage of flammable and combustible liquids

1.4.13 Regulatory authority — a Minister of the Crown, a government department or other

public authority having power to issue regulations, orders, or other instructions having theforce of law in respect of any subject covered by this Standard

NOTE: There may be one or more regulatory authorities for any particular installation, or even forsome aspect of it Fire authorities have the necessary expertise to assist the regulatory authority ininterpreting and applying the requirements of this Standard

1.4.14 Relay — a firefighting term to denote that pumps are connected in series.

1.4.15 Residual pressure — water pressure available at a hydrant outlet at a particular flow

rate

1.4.16 Suction connection — a large diameter connection often used on water supply tanks

where the residual pressure is within the range of 30 kPa and 150 kPa

1.4.17 Test pressure — not less than 1700 kPa or 1.5 times the design pressure, whichever

is the greater

1.4.18 Working pressure — the maximum pressure achieved within the system by the fire

authority, the system pumping equipment, or both, when the most hydraulically disadvantagedhydrant or hydrants are operated

NOTE: Operational pressure for fire authorities is synonymous with working pressure

AS 2419.1 — 1994 10

S E C T I O N 2 B A S I C R E Q U I R E M E N T S

provided within properties as required by the regulatory authority Such hydrants may berequired internally, externally, or on roofs For information on special hazards, see

Appendix B

hydrant system shall be a wet-pipe system having its supply valve open and water pressuremaintained at all times It shall be arranged so that the water supply is boosted by theoperation of devices, if required

specifications of the hydrant system to be forwarded to it for approval

Where a fire brigade booster connection is installed, a block plan shall be provided (seeFigure 2.1) It shall be fixed within or adjacent to the booster cabinet, enclosure or recesswhere it can be readily seen by firefighters and others responding to an alarm or at otherpositions as required by the regulatory authority

The block plan shall be in the form of a permanent diagram which is water-resistant andfade-resistant and shall consist of the following:

(a) A layout plan of the protected buildings or open yards and adjacent streets

(b) A diagram of water supplies showing —

(i) size and location of supply authorities mains (dimensioned);

(ii) valves and connections for non-industrial purposes;

(iii) location and capacities of water storage tanks;

(iv) location and duties of pumps;

(v) location and total number of hydrants;

(vi) location of booster connections;

(vii) location of isolating and non-return valves; and(viii) any connections to other installed fire protection systems

(c) The year of installation of the system, any major extensions thereto, and any unusualfeatures of the installation, and —

(i) the names of both the contractor who installed the system, and the organization

responsible for the maintenance of the system;

(ii) the operational discharge pressure of the system;

(iii) the height of the highest hydrant outlet above the lowest booster inlet

connection; and(iv) where the building or property incorporates hydrants not connected to the

booster, the clearly identified location and test pressures

FIGURE 2.1 TYPICAL BLOCK PLAN

AS 2419.1 — 1994 12

S E C T I O N 3 S O U R C E S O F W A T E R S U P P L Y

for a fire hydrant installation are acceptable either singly or in combinations:

(a) Town mains

(b) Private reservoirs or tanks

(c) Rivers, lakes, dams, bores, or seawater

NOTE: See Notes under Clause 3.3

water supply for a fire hydrant installation shall be not less than that necessary to satisfy theminimum flow rates specified in Clauses 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 as appropriate for a duration of notless than 4 h The total water supply may be provided from off-site or on-site sources or both

An on-site source shall be provided when required by Clause 3.3

If one or more private reservoirs or tanks provide a source of water supply, they shall be soarranged as to ensure that during any maintenance, at least 50% of the required volumeremains available for use

NOTE: See Notes under Clause 3.3

(a) the off-site source has insufficient capacity or is unable to achieve the required flowrates;

(b) the building has an effective height in excess of 25 m; or

(c) the regulatory authority requires the installation of a break tank

Where on-site storage is provided to satisfy Item (a), it shall have a capacity appropriate tothe circumstances

Where on-site storage is provided to only satisfy Items (b) or (c), or both, it shall be—(i) if located at roof top in a sprinklered building, not less than 25 m3; otherwise

(ii) not less than 25 m3 or that necessary to satisfy the minimum flow rates

On-site storage shall be arranged so that during any maintenance, at least 50% of the requiredvolume remains available for use

Where two flows are specified at different hydrant outlet pressures, the higher flow at thelower pressure shall be the basis for tank capacity calculations (i.e 10 L/s for each hydrantoutlet required flow)

NOTES: The following Notes apply to Clauses 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3

1 This Standard recognizes that the capacity of the water source may from time to time fall belowthat required for the 4 h duration for short periods, i.e to recover from an abnormal excessivedemand, and that interruptions to the supply will occur at times of maintenance or repair Atsuch times, it would be expected that the local fire brigade would be notified so that it may takeprecautionary action as deemed appropriate

2 If there is absolutely no water in the area then an on-site 4 h supply will be required If water

is available elsewhere off-site but is not connected to the site and it will take say, 1 h for thefire brigade to set up equipment to pump the water from that source to the site, then an on-sitesupply having a capacity of only 1 h will be required, provided the off-site source has thecapacity to supply the required flow rate continuously for a period of 3 h, to make up a total

of 4 h water supply

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3 Where the town mains cannot meet hydrant system flow requirements, pumps or on-site storage,

or both will be required Consult the local fire authority in such instances

Where the town mains are capable of providing make-up supply to the on-site storage, thecapacity of the on-site storage will be such that a 4 h supply is available based on thedifference in flow rate between the hydrant system required flow rate and the make-up flowrate

4 Tanks also act as a break in supply to provide microbiological separation between the hydrantsystem and the water supply

(a) Where a fire hydrant system is part of a combined hydrant and sprinkler system, thesource of water supply shall additionally cater for the flow rate requirements of thesprinkler system —

(i) for the duration specified in AS 2118; and(ii) at the required flow rate determined by the sprinkler hazard

(b) Where fire hose reels, monitors or other such firefighting devices are installed, exceptwhere such equipment comprises of fire hose reels in accordance with AS 1221, thewater supply for this equipment must be additional to the fire hydrant requirements.For the purpose of this Clause, the required sprinkler flow rate is the flow rate determinedfor the most hydraulically advantaged part of the sprinkler system

NOTE: The method for determining system resistance curves, and thus the required capacities, isoutlined in Appendix D

13 AS 2419.1—1994

S E C T I O N 4 S Y S T E M D E S I G N

of buildings, plant or open yard is governed by such factors as occupancy, character andconstruction of buildings, fire risk of any plant, exterior exposures and accessibility Firehydrants shall be installed in positions in accordance with this Section Where possible,external hydrants shall be used to achieve total coverage

NOTES:

1 Provision should be made during hydrant installation for the disposal of water from flow

tests (see Section 7)

2 Adequate provision should be considered by the designer to flush the system with fresh

water to inhibit marine growth

3 General guidance for fire hydrant installations in special hazards is given in Appendix B

Where a hydrant is likely to be used as a supply source for pumping equipment of the localfire authority, access and hard-standing areas for the authority vehicles shall be providedwithin 20 m of the hydrant (see Figure 4.1(a) and (b))

out to demonstrate that, when the specified number of hydrants are discharging, in accordancewith Clauses 4.5.1 and 4.5.2, the residual pressure at each hydrant is within a range suitablefor the fire authority equipment to which it is to be connected (see Clause 4.5.3)

The water flow velocity in pipework shall not exceed 4 m/s

The total hydraulic loss due to friction between any installed booster connection and the mosthydraulically disadvantaged hydrant must not exceed 150 kPa when the required number ofhydrants are discharging in accordance with Clauses 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 For the purpose of thisClause, the hydraulic losses through the booster inlet connection and the hydrant valve may

be ignored

NOTE: For guidance on requirements for States and Territories within Australia, see Appendix E

4.3.1.1 General The number of fire hydrants required to provide protection to a buildingshall be determined in accordance with Clauses 4.3.1.2, 4.3.1.3 and 4.3.1.4

The distance from a hydrant to the nominated point is taken as the most direct laid-on-ground

or floor route when the storey to be protected provides horizontal access to the hydrant Inother cases, the distance is measured along the path followed by the stairway or ramp For

a stairway, the path is taken as a line along the nosings of the treads at the outer perimeter

of the stair enclosure

The location of internal walls, partitions, doorways, storage racking, stored goods and anyother obstructions which could restrict normal hose coverage throughout the building or area

to be protected shall be considered when determining the number of hydrants to providecoverage

provided that all points on the floor are within reach of a 10 m hose stream issuing from anozzle at the end of 60 m length of hose laid on ground or floor and connected to either ahydrant outlet in a fire hydrant installation which incorporates a fire brigade boosterconnection or to a delivery outlet on a fire authority pump appliance (See Figure 4.1.)

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For multistorey buildings, external hydrants may be used provided that all points on theground floor, one storey below and any number of storeys above the level of the externalhydrant is within reach of a 10 m hose stream, issuing from a nozzle at the end of a 60 mlength of hose laid on the ground or floor, connected to a hydrant outlet in a fire hydrantinstallation which incorporates a fire brigade booster connection or to a delivery outlet on afire authority pump appliance, except that not more than 30 m of hose shall be laid within

a stairway (see Figure 4.1(d))

A minimum length of 1 m of hose shall extend into the area to which the external hydrant

is providing coverage Each external hydrant, including one used as a feed hydrant to a fireauthority pump appliance and one used as a delivery hydrant for connection of hose andnozzle, shall have two outlets, each individually valve controlled

Hydrants that are installed on towns mains may be considered as external hydrants providedthat such hydrants comply with the requirements for flow, pressure and other provisions ofthis Standard

NOTE: Towns mains hydrants would normally only be suitable as feed hydrants to a fire authoritypump appliance as they would not be provided with a fire booster connection and if of the upstandtype, would be expected to have two outlets

4.3.1.3 Internal hydrants Internal hydrants shall be provided to protect the whole building

or those parts of the building not protected by external hydrants

The number of internal hydrants shall be determined so that all points on a floor are withinreach of a 10 m hose stream issuing from a nozzle at the end of a 30 m length of hose laid

on the floor and connected to the hydrant outlet

Irrespective of the number of hydrants needed to provide coverage, a hydrant outlet shall belocated in each fire-isolated exit at each storey, except that hydrant outlets need not beprovided at ground level and one storey below ground level if coverage is provided byexternal hydrants

4.3.1.4 Roof hydrants Where a roof of a building having a rise in storeys of more than sixprovides access for use by building occupants, other than for maintenance purposes only, roofhydrants shall be so located that every part of the roof set aside for use by occupants iswithin reach of a hose stream in accordance with the requirements for internal hydrants

4.3.1.5 Hydrant location Hydrants shall be accessible to fire brigade personnel and belocated as follows:

(a) External hydrants shall be located as follows:

(i) In a position providing pedestrian access for fire personnel to the building.(ii) Where used as a feed hydrant, be within 20 m of a fire authority pump

appliance sited on a hardstand, road or the like to which the appliance hasaccess (see Figure 4.1)

(iii) Where used as a delivery hydrant to which a fire hose and attached nozzle are

to be connected, be within 40 m of a hardstand, road or the like to which a fireauthority pump appliance has access (see Figure 4.1)

(iv) At least 10 m from the building, unless protected by a construction having a

FRL of not less than 90/90/90 extending at least 2 m each side of the hydrantoutlet, and whichever is the lesser, 3 m from the ground level adjacent to thehydrant outlet or the height of the building

NOTE: The 10 m clearance distance required from a wall of a building is intended toprovide access to the hydrant under radiant heat from the fire and give a degree ofprotection in the event of structural collapse

(v) Where they are not obstructed by parking or loading and unloading of vehicles

and are protected from mechanical damage where necessary

AS 2419.1—1994 14a

(b) Internal hydrants shall be located as follows:

(i) Where a required fire-isolated exit(s) is provided, in that exit(s)

(ii) Where a required non fire-isolated exit(s) is provided, within 4 m of that exit(s)

Hydrants may be located at the lower level of a non fire-isolated exit providedcoverage of the upper level is achieved

NOTE: Hydrant outlets need not be located within 4 m of each non fire-isolated exit providedcoverage can be achieved by hydrants located elsewhere, e.g within a fire-isolated exit.Where a hydrant outlet is needed at only one or some of the non fire-isolated exits, the exit(s)selected for location should be the main or most commonly used exit(s)

(c) The regulatory authority shall determine the location of a hydrant(s) where—

(i) floor coverage is not able to be achieved by locating hydrants in accordance

with Clause 4.3.1.5(a) and (b); or(ii) internal walls, partitions, doorways or other obstructions could restrict the

passage of hose throughout the building

NOTE: In most instances the location of internal hydrants in accordance with (b) and (c) willprovide coverage as the travel distances used in the BCA to determine exit locations are consistentwith a length of hose plus hose stream nominated in this Standard However, in some instancescoverage may not be achieved because of the building design or provision and arrangement ofinternal walls, partitions, doors or other obstructions

4.3.2 Open yard protection Hydrants shall be provided and located so that every part ofall storage, production equipment and plant in the protected area is within reach of a 10 mhose stream issuing from a nozzle at the end of a 60 m length of hose connected to a hydrantoutlet

Where any part of the hydrant main is situated above ground and within 150 m of anystructure, in the protected area, hydrants shall be placed not more than 60 m apart to affordprotection and to ensure the integrity of the main

Suitable additional provisions shall be made if special problems of firefighting could arisebecause of the nature or quantity of materials stored, displayed or used in a yard

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4.4 PIPEWORK DESIGN

4.4.1 Fire mains The nominal size of a fire main shall comply with the requirements forpressure, flow and velocity as further specified in Section 4 In any case, they shall havenominal diameters of not less than —

(a) 100 mm;

(b) 80 mm for any pipe connecting a single hydrant outlet to a fire main not exceeding

10 m hydraulic equivalent length

practicable (see Section 6) Where it is not possible to install pipework underground,provision shall be made to protect the pipework from mechanical damage and, if necessary,from freezing

Provision shall also be made to protect the pipework and any supporting structure fromdamage by fire

4.4.3 Internal pipework Internal above-ground pipework in a building shall be permittedonly if one of the following conditions is met:

(a) The building is protected throughout by an automatic fire sprinkler system complyingwith AS 2118

(b) Pipework is supported from masonry or concrete load-bearing elements of construction.Where wall elements rely upon other elements for stability, all elements shall have aFRL of not less than 60/-/-

(c) Pipework is supported from the underside of a fire resistant floor, roof element or roofsystem having a FRL of not less than 60/–/–

(d) Pipework is installed in an enclosed shaft, the shaft and any shaft-supporting structurehaving a FRL of not less than -/60/60

(e) Pipework is supported, protected, or isolated in any manner which does not impair theoverall firefighting efficiency of the system and complies with the requirements of theregulatory authority

Where the pipework is exposed to fire in a building that is not protected by sprinklers, thenthe pipe supports shall have a FRL of not less than 60/–/–, while maintaining a pipe-supporttemperature of not less than 500°C when tested in accordance with AS 1530.4

Where the pipework is of copper and may be exposed to fire in a building that is notprotected by sprinklers, then the pipework shall be protected using materials which willprovide a FRL of not less than -/60/60 or be located in a floor or ceiling system that achieves

a resistance to the incipient spread of fire of not less than 60 min

Exposed internal pipework shall also be protected from mechanical damage where appropriate(see Section 6)

4.4.4 System reliability

4.4.4.1 General Hydrants shall be connected to a ring main to achieve system reliabilitywhere any of the following conditions apply to the building(s) to be protected:

(a) Requires full perimeter vehicular access for fire authority appliances

(b) Has an effective height of more than 25 m

(c) Requires more than 12 hydrants

4.4.4.2 Ring main Where a ring main is installed, it shall comply with the following:

(a) Each ring or pressure zone shall be able to be isolated in 25% increments, whilstmaintaining not less than 50% of the hydrants required to protect each firecompartment

AS 2419.1—1994 16

(b) In high-rise installation, the interconnection of the two ring main risers shall be located atnot more than 50 m intervals and within pressure zone limitations operated by the firebrigade (see Figure 4.2(b))

(c) Risers shall be installed in separate fire-isolated shafts or fire-isolated stairs

(d) Risers in high-rise installations feeding the same zone of protection shall not be located inthe same shaft

(e) In high-rise installations, duplicate incoming supplies, connecting the source to the verticalrisers shall be protected from mechanical damage unless separate routes with 10 mminimum clearance are used

(f) All ring main isolating valves shall be located to permit ready access by fire brigadepersonnel in an emergency

NOTE: Refer to Appendix E for selection guidance on minimum grade of water supplies for firefighting

considered to be accessible under fire conditions

(iii) On branches supplying more than one hydrant, adjacent to the tapping in the ring

main

(iv) On branches supplying a sub-ring main, adjacent to the tapping in the ring main.(v) On the ring main, remote from the source of supply

(vi) On any interconnection within the ring main, on the cross-connecting pipe adjacent

to the ring main, and on the ring main on each side of the cross-connecting pipe.(b) Mains supplied from each end by separate sources On mains supplied by separate sourcesfrom each end, isolating valves shall be located as follows:

(i) At the point of connection with each source

(ii) At a point between the sources to minimize the number of hydrants out of

commission if the isolating valve is closed

For hydrant systems in which water is drawn from more than one source, e.g from townwater mains and any water storage system, there shall be no physical interconnectionbetween the town water supply and other sources Any variation to the above shall besubject to approval by the water supply authority

(c) High-rise installations Provision shall be made for individual rising mains to be isolated

in high-rise installations

(d) High-rise installations with combined systems In high-rise installations with combinedsystems, isolating valves shall be provided to allow hydrant or sprinkler pipework on anyfloor to be shut down separately for repairs, alteration, testing or maintenance, withoutaffecting the protection afforded to the remainder of the building

(e) Monitoring of isolating valves Isolating valves for high-rise installations shall becontinuously monitored Isolating valves for low-rise installations shall be eithercontinuously monitored or of the indicating type, and shall be locked in the normaloperating position Monitoring shall consist of a supervisory circuit connected to an alarmpanel

4.4.6 Test facility Provision shall be made for disposing of test water to a suitable drain forthe purpose of flow testing as required by Section 7 and AS 1851.4

If such a provision cannot readily be accomplished from hydrant outlets, a permanent testconnection shall be provided, together with the means for disposing of test water to a suitabledrain

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(a) Hydrant adjacent to building

(b) Hydrant remote from building

(c) Hydrant adjacent and within 60 m of the building where a fire brigade booster connection is fittedFIGURE 4.1 (in part) EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT LOCATION, FIRE APPLIANCE

HARD STAND AND ACCESS

AS 2419.1—1994 18

(d) Hose in stairway

FIGURE 4.1 (in part) EXTERNAL FIRE HYDRANT LOCATION, FIRE APPLIANCE

HARD STAND AND ACCESS

4.5.1 General Fire hydrant systems shall be designed for the simultaneous operation ofthe required number of most hydraulically disadvantaged hydrants in accordance withTables 4.1 or 4.2, whichever is the greater

The outlet of each required hydrant must be capable of discharging not less than 10 L/s whilemaintaining an outlet pressure in accordance with Clause 4.5.3

Where more than one building or fire compartment on a site is provided with a hydrantservice, the minimum flow rate for the hydrant service must be not less than that required forthe building or fire compartment having the largest area

4.5.2 Protected open yards For a protected open yard, the number of hydrants required

to operate simultaneously is given in Table 4.2

4.5.3.1 Pressure at operating hydrants Water supply to a fire hydrant installation shall becapable of maintaining sufficient residual pressure, measured at the hydrant outlet, whenflowing at 10 L/s, whilst the required number of hydrants are simultaneously operating toovercome the pressure losses of the equipment likely to be connected by the local fireauthority

NOTE: Recommended minimum residual pressures are given in Table E2

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(a) Low-rise installations

(b) High-rise installations

FIGURE 4.2 TYPICAL LOCATION OF ISOLATING VALVES ON RING MAIN

m 2

Number of valve-controlled outlets to discharge

Minimum total flow L/s

One additional outlet of 10 L/s for each additional 5 000 m 2 or part thereof

NOTE: Refer to Notes after Table 4.2.

Minimum total flow

10 20 30 40 NOTES:

1 Hydrant outlets specified in Tables 4.1 and 4.2 refer to the outlet of a hydrant valve (landing valves) in accordance with AS 2419.2, fire brigade standpipe or other controlling device approved by the regulatory authority.

2 Where only one external hydrant with two valve-controlled outlets is installed and Table 4.1 or 4.2 requires a flow of 20 L/s, then a flow of 10 L/s from each of the two outlets will be necessary.

Where more than one hydrant, each with two valve-controlled outlets is installed and a flow of 20 L/s is required, then 10 L/s from one outlet on each of the two most hydraulically disadvantaged hydrants must be achieved As the number of

disadvantaged hydrants (where installed) which need to flow simultaneously will increase.

3 Where 20 L/s is required for internal hydrants, then two hydrants each with a single outlet must be provided unless the regulatory authority approves of a hydrant with two valve-controlled outlets.

4 Hydrant flow is based on fire compartment area or the entire building floor area.

The entire building floor area only applies in uncompartmented buildings In compartmented buildings the largest fire compartment must be used to determine the required flow.

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4.5.3.2 System pressure boosting If the acceptable source of supply cannot comply withthe minimum pressure requirements in Clause 4.5.3.1, means for increasing the pressureavailable from the source of supply shall be provided by one of the following:

(a) Installed pumps with suction connected direct to approved sources of supply to befound in —

(i) town mains;

NOTE: Installation of in-line booster pumps is subject to approval by the local water supplyauthority

(ii) private reservoirs or tanks; or(iii) rivers, lakes, bores, or seawater

(b) Installed pumps with suction connected to a suction tank filled from an acceptablesource of supply, e.g town mains

(c) Elevated storages filled from an acceptable source of supply, e.g town mains withsufficient pressure to fill the tank during periods of low town consumption

Where the means for increasing pressure is by use of installed pumps with suction tanks as

in Item (b) above, or with elevated storages as in Item (c), the capacity of each tank shall be

in accordance with Clause 4.5.4 For Item (b) or Item (c), a fire brigade booster connectionshall be installed in the hydrant system to enable the fire brigade to provide a 4-h flow bypumping from the acceptable source into the hydrant system

21 AS 2419.1—1994

4.5.3.3 Design pressure Calculations of residual pressure shall be based on design pressureavailable to the property from the source of supply The available pressure in a town mainshall be included in flow rates determined in accordance with Clause 4.5.1

Where the acceptable source of supply is a town main, design pressure shall be the greater

of the pressure in the town main at the connection point to the hydrant installation pipeworkwhich the local water supply authority —

(a) considers can be maintained for 95% of the time; or

(b) approves as a minimum agreed pressure obtained or calculated from its records

In the absence of confirmation by the local water supply authority and in the absence

of satisfactory records, 67% of maximum static pressure for major metropolitan areas,

or 50% of maximum static pressure for country areas, may be considered as anacceptable basis for calculation

Calculation of maximum residual pressure shall be based on the maximum pressure availablefrom the source of supply

hydrant installation, it shall comply with the requirements of Clause 4.5.4.2 or Clause 4.5.4.3,respectively

Provision shall be made for the fire brigade to draw water from any storage tank Thearrangements of these connections shall be in accordance with Clauses 5.3.2, 5.3.3and 5.6.3(f)(ii)

4.5.4.2 Pump suction tanks Tanks shall be constructed from concrete, steel, fibreglass orother suitable material Any liner shall be integral or bonded to the tank to preventseparation The effective capacity of pump suction tanks shall be determined using theprinciples given in Figure 4.3 If there is an automatic inflow which can be relied upon at alltimes, a smaller capacity may be permitted, provided that the rate of inflow enables the pump

to operate at full capacity for not less than the period necessary

The water supply to suction tanks shall be capable of completely refilling the tank within thefollowing times:

(a) Single tanks

(i) Capacity less than 500 000 L to be refilled in 6 h.(ii) Larger capacities to be refilled in 24 h.(b) Where more than one tank is provided, 50% of the capacity of each tank is to berefilled in 24 h

4.5.4.3 Reliable automatic water The reliability of all make-up water to tanks shall beachieved by town mains, gravity or pumps complying with AS 2941 and provision shall bemade for measuring the rate of inflow of make-up water

Water to any tank from town mains shall comply with the water supply authority in regard

to air gap requirements

4.5.5 Effective capacity of storage The effective depth of storage shall be taken as themeasurement between the normal water level in the tank or reservoir and the low water level

X shown in Figure 4.3 Low water level X is taken to be the lowest level before a vortex iscreated causing the pump to draw air The effective depth is then multiplied by the averagesurface area of the storage to obtain the effective capacity

Where the suction pipe is taken from the side of the storage, as shown in Figure 4.3(c) and(d), the clearance between the base of the storage and the lowest part of the pump suctionpipe shall be not less than dimension B as given in the Figure

Where a suction pipe draws from a sump in the base of a storage, the sump length shall benot less than the dimensions indicated in Figure 4.3(b), (d) and (f) In addition, the sumpwidth shall be not less than 3.6D, where D is the nominal diameter of the suction pipe Thepoint of entry shall be located centrally across the width of the sump

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4.5.6 Vortex inhibitors Where an approved vortex inhibitor is installed, the followingvariations to the dimensions given in Clause 4.5.5 shall apply:

(a) Dimension A in Figure 4.3 may be disregarded and low water level X may be taken asthe level at which vortexing commences

(b) Dimension B in Figure 4.3 may be taken from the base of the tank to the level at whichvortexing commences in Figure 4.3(a) Figure 4.3(c) is unlikely to be appropriate toarrangements employing a vortex inhibitor

Where a vortex inhibitor in the form of a flat circular plate at the suction inlet is used it shall

be designed as shown in Figure 4.4 and to the following

formulae:-Hm = 0.5d where d > 150 mm, nominal bore

or 0.75d where d = 150 mm or less, nominal bore

D =where

Hm = Minimum clearance under plate (mm)

Ha = Actual clearance under plate (mm)

d = Nominal diameter of suction pipe

D = Minimum diameter of plate (mm)

Q = Maximum flow rate (intersection of square law curveand effective pump curve) L/min

The plate shall not be less than 10 mm thick and be effectively protected from corrosion

NOTE: Vortex inhibitors are not suitable for use in sumps

applicable, differing intake design may be accepted after approval by the regulatory authority

23 AS 2419.1—1994

NOTE: The minimum sump width is 3.6D (see Clause 4.5.5).

millimetres Nominal diameter of

suction pipe Dimension A Dimension B

65 80 100 150 200 250

250 310 370 500 620 750

80 80 100 100 150 150FIGURE 4.3 VERTICAL CROSS-SECTIONS SHOWING EFFECTIVE

CAPACITY OF STORAGE

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(a) Side entry

(b) Bottom entry

FIGURE 4.4 VORTEX PLATE SIZE AND LOCATION

comply with AS 2792 Fire hose fittings shall be approved by the regulatory authority.

Where fire hose is supplied, provision shall be made for it to be stored adjacent to the firehydrant in an approved manner, e.g on bollard boards or in cradles, and in a suitable cabinetdepending on location, e.g in a weatherproof enclosure for external locations

sufficient size to house all equipment and of a design that facilitates access to, and handling

of, the equipment They shall be used to contain firefighting equipment only Where fire hosereels complying with AS 1221 are installed in conjunction with a fire hydrant, they shall beenclosed in the same cabinet where practical

5.3.2 Accessibility Hydrants shall be installed so that —

(a) the centre-line of the hydrant outlet shall be not less than 750 mm, or not more than

1200 mm from the ground, floor or platform

(b) the valve outlet is—

(i) at right angles to the face of the wall, if any, immediately behind; and(ii) is horizontal or sloping, not more than 35° below the horizontal (see

Figure 5.1)

(c) they are in a position where they have sufficient clearance to be easily accessible foroperation of the valve and connection of the hose (see Clause 5.3.3)

clearance around the valve handwheel

Hydrant valves shall be installed with a clearance around the outlet of not less than 300 mmthrough an arc of 225° from the direction of approach to facilitate hose coupling (seeFigure 5.1)

Where an opening device other than a handwheel is used, sufficient clearance shall beprovided for its use (see Figure 5.1)

shall be of weatherproof design and fitted with hinges of stainless steel or copper alloy

The words ‘FIRE HYDRANT’ in letters of a contrasting colour to that of the background andnot less than 75 mm high shall be on each external cabinet Where a fire hose reel is enclosed

in the same cabinet, the words shall be ‘FIRE HYDRANT — HOSE REEL’

The doors should be secured shut by means of a lock, operable by a square taper or other keycarried by the local fire authority

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5.3.5 Internal cabinets Cabinets for internal fire hydrants shall have the words ‘FIREHYDRANT’ or ‘FIRE HYDRANT — HOSE REEL’, as applicable, on the doors in letters notless than 50 mm high and of contrasting colour to that of the background.

DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRESFIGURE 5.1 TYPICAL HYDRANT LOCATION AND CLEARANCE

5.3.6 Doors Doors of cabinets and enclosures shall be fitted so that when open they donot encroach on exits or inhibit access to other firefighting equipment Fitted with a handle,the door or doors shall be —

(a) a lift-off panel no larger than 1500 mm high by 1200 mm wide, weighing not morethan 50 kg and fitted with not less than two D-handles near the top of the panel; or(b) side-hung swing doors with each door fitted with hinges of stainless steel or copperalloy and a device capable of securing the door in not less than a 90° open position

5.3.7 Fire brigade booster enclosure Except where permitted by the regulatory authority,every fire brigade booster connection shall be installed in an enclosure or recess (seeFigure 5.2) which shall —

(a) be of sufficient size to contain all necessary equipment;

(b) permit ease of operation of the equipment;

27 AS 2419.1—1994

(c) have any attached door —

(i) comply with Clauses 5.3.4 or 5.3.6;

(ii) fitted with an approved lock, if required; and(iii) with a sign affixed to or painted on it complying with the requirements of

Clause 5.6.8;

(d) have a block plan of the system (see Clause 2.3); and

(e) provide for drainage of water from within cabinets, enclosures or recesses and shall bemade as follows:

(i) Metal cabinets remote from the building shall be mounted on legs to provide

not less than 50 mm space between the bottom edge of the cabinet and thefinished surface level

(ii) All other cabinets, enclosures or recesses shall have a sloping floor of not less

than 75 mm from the rear of the cabinet, enclosure or recess to weep holes(where provided) at the front

5.4.1 Pressure gauges Installed within a fire hydrant or fire main system, pressure gaugesshall —

(a) comply with AS 1349;

(b) have a full scale reading of not less than 25% greater than the system hydrostatic testpressure which occurred at the point where the gauge is located;

(c) be fitted with a gauge cock to permit removal, servicing or testing of the gauge; and(d) have a dial face of not less than 65 mm diameter

or vandalism, or both, where appropriate, shall be installed within a fire hydrant system asfollows:

(a) For all installations —

(i) on the suction and delivery side of any booster pump;

(ii) adjacent to any fire brigade booster connection (to indicate mains or installation

(c) For high-rise installations —

(i) at the hydrant with the least hydraulic head in any pressure zone; and(ii) immediately upstream and downstream of any pressure-reducing valve

5.5.2 Controllers In addition to the requirements of AS 2941, the following provisionsshall apply:

(a) Manual stop facilities remote from the controller shall not be provided withoutregulatory authority approval

(b) Other modes of pump starting may be approved by the regulatory authority

(c) The requirements for automatic pump start may be waived by the regulatory authoritysubject to its evaluation and approval

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