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It is unreasonable to ask a builder to install sprinklers in an area where tenants are not yet paying. It is a very simple matter to install a basic, exposed-pipe sprinkler system with 1-in. outlets leading to each head, instead of having the head mounted in the fitting directly with its 1/2-in. th...

It is unreasonable to ask a builder to install sprinklers in an area where tenants are not yet paying. It is a very simple matter to install a basic, exposed-pipe sprinkler system with 1-in. outlets leading to each head, instead of having the head mounted in the fitting directly with its 1/2-in. thread. This is what is going to be installed later, anyway, when a hung ceiling is installed. All that is necessary is a slightly more conservative estimate of spacing when designing the initial layout. At one high-rise building in which I was responsible for the design, a basic loop was installed with the sprinkler lines spaced only 10 ft apart (100 sq ft per head). This seemingly excessive spacing was soon accounted for as the occupancies began constructing partition Although the movie "The Towering Inferno" may have overdramatized the fire, it accurately depicted the foolishness of allowing the occupancy of areas above the location where all fire protection and building features have been installed and tested. The only way to prevent the actual occurrence of such a catastrophe is through a combination of proper engineering of the structure and its protection systems, enforcement of the applicable codes with an eye toward fire prevention and extinguishment, and education of the owners and occupants of the buildings about the proper actions to take in the event of fire.