Sub-divided commercial properties
Part 1
Last month we were called to investigate the fitness for purpose of the fire protection equipment – wet side – in a property our client has owned for several years.
Image 1 sprinkler valve manifold
The building had originally been built half a century ago as an East-West running warehouse. Over the years a number of substantial extensions had been added at each end. A sprinkler isolation manifold was required and was added to, as can be seen – Image 1. Our client\’s property looks like it was part of the original build.
About a decade ago the entire building was sub-divided and sold-off as separate compartments, isolated by closing off doorways in the existing North-South walls, and adding new walls where required. This happened a couple of years before our client bought in.
Image 2 – the hydrant and sprinkler mains run overhead
The original building featured a 200 NB hydrant ring main and 150 NB sprinkler supply – both lines run East -West inside the North and South building walls, just under the roof line – Image 2. As each major extension was built, it appears the ring main piping had also been extended, to the East or the West as required. Today, these ring mains are common to all the new owners.
Our initial area of focus was investigation of the adequacy of this protective equipment for our client\’s ongoing business. It also quickly became apparent that routine servicing and testing of this equipment would need to involve all the current owners.
No drawings & drawing conflicts
Disappointingly but not unusually, there are no available drawings of where these lines run, how they connect to the mains supply or interconnect to the hydrant branches or sprinkler water distribution lines. Concerningly there are at least two versions of the block drawings for the sprinkler isolation valve manifold – and they are not in agreement. This means that time and water could be wasted trying to establish partial isolation during a fire event.
Look out for Sub-divided commercial properties – Part 2