Watermist systems for fire protection in domestic and residential buildings DG 534

BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries.

Watermist systems for fire protection in domestic and residential buildings: An introduction (DG 534) was published by BRE on 10 September 2014. It was written by Corinne Williams.

A form of watermist was first used for the protection of assets from fire in industrial applications in the 1930’s. More recently they have been used for the protection of spaces on board ships and for industrial and commercial applications. Watermist fire protection systems are now being considered for installation as fire protection measures in domestic and residential buildings in the UK. They can be considered a ’green’ alternative to automatic sprinkler systems because of their potential to reduce water consumption, although they are seen as a novel technology in the market.

Watermist fire protection systems are sensitive to small design changes and so successful implementation requires in-depth knowledge of the system and its intended application from watermist suppliers and approving bodies.

This 12 page digest provides an introduction to watermist systems in domestic and residential buildings for designers, specifiers, authorities such as building control bodies, fire safety officers and insurers, clients, developers, fire safety managers and non-specialists. It covers the general background, reasons for choosing watermist systems, current UK standards, how watermist systems work, issues to be considered during specification, design, installation and ongoing maintenance, the use of independent third-party approved suppliers, and products.

The contents of the digest include:

• Introduction.
• Description of domestic and residential watermist systems and how they work.
• Standards.
• System fire performance tests.
• Planning and specification.
• Design, installation and commissioning.
• Ongoing maintenance, system continuity and documentation.
• Alternative suppression systems.
• Use of independent third-party approved suppliers and products.
• Conclusions.
• References.
• Further information.

--BRE Group

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