In the design of a 30 storey office building having a 30,000sqft net lettable area with 4 basement carpark, 1

server room located at the 10th floor and TNB room located on ground floor. Describe in detail with calculation
on the fire protection given in the design of the said building.

The design of the fire protection system are divided into 2 main categories which are wet system and dry system.
During the initial planning and design, me as a professional engineer need to understands local code guidelines and
by-laws. The following are the local guidelines and by-laws required for the design of fire protection system:-

1) Uniform Building By-Law 1984

Automatic Sprinkler System

The initial design consideration of this 30 storey office building with basement carparks is to first determine the building
fire requirements and classification of hazard which is stated in UBBL 1984 – “Schedule Tenth” and “Annex B Table
B.1” of MS 1910:2017 where a general listing of building usage are presented to guide the design based on a table of
requirement of fire extinguishment, alarm system and hazard group.

After determining the hazard group of the building, the minimum water volume for pre-calculated sprinkler system
based on hazard group where Table 9 of MS 1910:2017 is being referred. From the table, the minimum water volume
can be determine based on the hazard group of the building and also building height. Both the sprinkler tank and pump
room will be located on the ground floor, first or second basement level referencing to UBBL 1984 clause 247-2, with
breeching inlet connected accessible from fire appliance access level.

Sprinkler pumps were sized in accordance to table 6 of MS 1910:2017. The sprinkler pumps serving the building
included a duty pump, a standby pump and a jockey pump. Jockey pump served as a part in the system to ensure that
the pressure within the piping system is maintained and minimum water losses in the system is replenished. Pumps
control panels were compartmented for each duty, standby and jockey pumps. During the setting of pumps pressure
switches, pressure setting for duty pump set was fixed at 80% of the system pressure, standby pump set was fixed at
60% of the system pressure and the “cut-in and cut-off” for the jockey pump sets were fixed at 90% and 110% of the
system pressure.

Sprinkler pump sets shall serve a maximum stage of 45m and another sets of pumps shall be install to serve the next
stage of maximum 45m. A maximum of 2 stages can be served from the main sprinkler tank. Since the building exceed
90m in height, a break tank shall be introduce having a minimum capacity as listed in table 11 of MS 1910: 2017.

Alarm control valve sets were design to serve the entire building. Alarm control valve sets also come with single and
duplicate alarm valve arrangement to comply with the property protection and life safety requirements. Carpark area
shall be installed with single alarm valve arrangement; office area shall be installed with a duplicated alarm valve.

Since each sprinkler point has a coverage area of 12 m2 the total number of sprinkler points that can be controlled by
each alarm valve set is limited to 10,000 sprinkler points which also stated clearly in MS 1910: 2017 under Annex G.
Each flow switches shall not exceed 1,000 points for carpark area (property protection) and flow switches for office
area (life safety) shall not exceed 200 points.

The sprinkler system in this project was designed based on a pre-calculated method where the size of pipes
downstream of a design point were determined from a table with pre-calculated pipe sizes that can serve a pre-
determined number of sprinklers. Class “B” black steel pipes were used as the sprinkler pipes for this project.

Standard response sprinklers were used carpark area. Cut-off sprinklers were provided between regions with and
without sprinkler protection such as, toilets and the entrance to a staircase. Sprinklers were also provided below
ductworks which exceeded 1.0 m in width for rectangular ductworks. Dual layers sprinklers were provided in regions
where the ceiling space had exceeded 0.8 m in depth.

Hose Reel System

Provision of hose reel will be design in accordance in UBBL 1984 – Tenth Schedule. The minimum required water
volume for hose reel system is 9.1 m³ (effective capacity) based on MS1489 Part 1. Both the tank and pump will be
place at roof level to reduce the pump capacity and using press steel tank as the tank material.

The hose reel system consisted, a duty and standby pumps which deliver water to the hose reels within the entire
building. These pumps were sized to cater and to suit for the simultaneous operation of 4 numbers hose reels while
maintaining a minimum pressure of 2 bars at the water discharge outlets. Besides that, the system designed must be
able to maintain the discharging of water up to 6 m of all areas that is required to be protected. A pressure reducing
valve is installed to set the pressure between 2 bars to 6 bars.

In order to determine the required hose reel quantity and location, hose reel should be installed at area at each floor
level together with the emergency escape routings or, beside an exit door or emergency fire staircase, either within
recessed closet or install at high level with the nozzle at 1.2m height from floor level. Each hose reel coverage for
protection is at a maximum floor area of 800 m where each hose reel is within the specified 30 m hose coverage from
another hose reel. Class “B” medium grade galvanised steel pipes were used as the material for the hose reel pipes in
this project.

Wet Riser

The design for wet riser system is based on the MS 1489 Part 2 where wet riser system is needed when the building
height is more than 30m.

The minimum water volume for wet riser system will be based on MS 1489 Part 2. Both the wet riser tank and pump
room will be located on the ground floor, first or second basement level referencing to UBBL 1984 clause 247-2, with
breeching inlet connected accessible from fire appliance access level. Wet Riser pump room shall also located not
more than 45m away from protected lobby area.

Wet riser pumps are sized in accordance to MS 1489 Part 2 where wet riser design to serve 2 firefighting jet for 45 min
at a rate of 1,500l/min at 4 bars each. The wet riser pumps serving the building included a duty pump, a standby pump
and a jockey pump. Jockey pump served as a part in the system to ensure that the pressure within the piping system
is maintained and minimum water losses in the system is replenished. Pumps control panels were compartmented for
each duty, standby and jockey pumps. During the setting of pumps pressure switches, pressure setting for duty pump
set was fixed at 80% of the system pressure, standby pump set was fixed at 60% of the system pressure and the “cut-
in and cut-off” for the jockey pump sets were fixed at 90% and 110% of the system pressure.
Wet riser pumps shall serve a maximum stage of 60m and another sets of pumps shall be install to serve another 60m.
A maximum of 2 stages can be served from the main wet riser tank. Since the building height is less then 120m, 2 sets
of wet riser pump is sufficient to cover for the building.

Each wet riser coverage for protection is within the specified 60 m hose coverage from another hose reel. Class “C”
medium grade galvanised steel pipes were used as the material for the hose reel pipes in this project.

Automatic Fire Alarm and Fire Detection System

Automatic fire alarm and fire detection system is design in accordance with UBBL 1984 and MS 1745. Fire alarm panel
will receive information from devices assign to detect and report during the occurrence of fire. The design of this building
will utilized a addressable fire alarm system and the main fire alarm panel (MFAP) will be installed in the fire control
room at ground floor area.

Addressable fire alarm control panel employ two signal line circuits usually referred as loops (Class ‘A) and are
comprised of a twisted pair circuit which both starts and returns to the same two terminals at the MFAP. These loops
are made out of PVC cables concealed in galvanised iron conduits. The design for each floor in this project fall under
a single fire alarm loop where the number of detectors and modules in each loop are limited to 250 modules.

Position of manual call point / break glass and alarm bell will be strategically places at all staircase and exit locations.
They will be located where the hose reels were located, which have the same requirements of hose reel of 30m.

Incoming power supply for the fire alarm system comes from three different sources which are the TNB mains supply,
secondary batteries and essential supply from the generator set. The secondary batteries were installed to provide
power supply in the eventuality where the generator set fails to activate. Sizing of the secondary batteries were based
on a duration of 72 hours for the full system operation of the fire alarm panel’s central controller as well as the devices
in the system.

Besides that, SPKA system (Sistem Pengawasan Kebaran Automatik) is required to be provided as the direct fire
safety link to the nearest local fire station.

In this project the fireman intercom system was installed together with the fire alarm panel located at the fire control
room at ground floor area. The fireman intercom system comprised of a main fireman intercom panel, remote fireman
intercom stations, remote telephone terminal units (RTTU) as well as visual and audio elements. The remote fireman
intercom stations were installed at the all fire lift lobbies and staircases, fire pump rooms, generator set rooms and the
lift motor rooms.

The remote fireman intercom stations were all connected to the RTTU which act as a distribution data gathering panel
before it links to the MFIP. Each main fire intercom panel had 2 buses where each bus can interface up to 32 RTTU
while each RTTU can interface up to a 10 remote fireman intercom stations. The system was designed in a manner
where the master handset in the fire control rooms is able to simultaneously communicate with a total of 3 number of
remote fireman intercom stations. Incoming supply for the fireman intercom system comes from the public mains
supply. In addition, a secondary power supply in the form of a battery pack is provided to the MFIP to ensure that the
system is able to sustain for a duration of 24 hours which includes 3 hours of continuous two way communication
between the master handset and the remote handsets.

Fixed CO2 Fire Extinguishing System

Carbon dioxide extinguishing system shall be designed according to UBBL under by-law 235 and MS 1590. Fixed CO2
extinguishing system will be design for unmanned electrical rooms such as transformer room and switch gear room
which belong to consumer in the case where sprinkler protection is not permitted due to the possibility of severe water
damage and electrical hazards. Besides that, NFPA 12 is used as a design guide basis for the fixed CO2 system.

This project system design was based on an extinguishing concentration of 50% and a total flooding principle, where
the volume of the extinguishing agent will be able to ensure rapid suppression of the fire within the protected areas. In
the event of fire, double-knock principles will be observed before the discharged of CO2 gas. The pipe works used in
the CO2 extinguishing system has to be of API Schedule 40 steel pipes

Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing System

FM-200 fire extinguishing system was also used as a clean agent fire extinguishing system in this project. Similar to
the fixed CO2 extinguishing system, it was used to address fire break-outs in electrical rooms. FM-200 clean agent will
be installed in all TNB HT & LV room and Sever room located at 10th floor. The system was designed based on a
protected area with the temperature of 20°C and a design concentration of 8.

In term of operation principle, the FM-200 extinguishing system is exactly similar to the fixed CO2 extinguishing system.
Similar to the fixed CO2 system, the pipe distributing the HFC-227ea extinguishing agent shall be API Schedule 40
steel pipes.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers were also installed in this project, there are two types of portable fire extinguishers which
are 9kg ABC dry powder extinguishers and 2kg CO2 extinguishers. All extinguishers are to comply with ‘MS 1539: Part
3. For general areas, 9kg ABC dry powder extinguishers were installed along the emergency escape routes, corridors,
staircases and lobbies. However, 2kg CO2 extinguishers were installed in all electrical rooms, pump rooms, lift motor
rooms, chiller plant room, AHU rooms and generator set rooms due to more suitable to extinguish the electrical fires.