A Study on the Application of Hydraulic Calculations considering the Corrosion Coefficient of Steel Piping for Fire Protection

With the recent enlargement and complication of buildings, damage caused by the incidents of fires breaking out are escalating. Consequently, the use of sprinkler facilities is increasing among water-based fire extinguishing systems. Piping materials used in fire prevention systems include carbon steel (for general or pressure pipeline), CPVC, copper, and stainless-steel. Among these, the steel and CPVC pipes, which are commonly employed in fire prevention, were considered for testing the reliability of the water-based systems. This analysis was performed using the PIPENET software to perform hydraulic calculations in order to examine the flow and pressure at the terminal head when the corrosion coefficient was applied; this coefficient was applied considering the aging of pipes. Assuming a uniform pipe diameter in the steel pipes, the rated flow in the pump installed on the first floor of the basement was reduced by over 10% after 20 years had passed (C value of 90); moreover, the reduction in pressure and flow at its terminal head exceeded 30% and 16.5%, respectively. The results indicate that it is difficult to ensure the reliability of these fire prevention facilities. Furthermore, according to our estimation, considering 30 years had passed (C value of 80), the rated flow of the pump was reduced by over 15%, and the corresponding reduction in pressure and flow at its terminal head exceeded 42% and 24%, respectively.