Foundation's Report Evaluates 2.5-Inch Connections' Actual Flow
The Technical Committee for NFPA 14 added the requirement for one 2.5-inch inlet per every 250 gallons per minute (gpm) in 2007, "but this requirement lacks supporting scientific documentation, so there was a need to conduct flow testing to determine the amount of water that is possible to flow into an FDC inlet," according to NFPA.
A new report from NFPA's Fire Protection Research Foundation provides information, based on full-scale flow testing, of 2.5-inch fire department connections (FDCs), which are required on all standpipe systems according to NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, and for sprinkler systems according to NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.
An FDC is defined as "a connection through which the fire department can supplemental water into the sprinkler system, standpipe, or other system, furnishing water for fire extinguishment to supplement existing water supplies."
The Technical Committee for NFPA 14 added the requirement for one 2.5-inch inlet per every 250 gallons per minute (gpm) in 2007, "but this requirement lacks supporting scientific documentation, so there was a need to conduct flow testing to determine the amount of water that is possible to flow into an FDC inlet," according to NFPA, and thus the testing was conducted and the results published.
Titled "Fire Department Connection (FDC) Inlet Flow Assessment," it is authored by Y. Pock Utiskul, Ph.D., Neil P. Wu, P.E., and Elizabeth Keller, all with Exponent, Inc. The goal of the research project was to provide a technical basis to the NFPA 14 Technical Committee for a possible change to the standard.