A standpipe system is a fire safety mechanism that provides firefighters with immediate access to water during a fire event through fixed piping systems, functioning similarly to fire hydrants. Over its century-long history, these systems have evolved to serve high-rise buildings, public spaces, and various facilities, with specific installation and inspection standards outlined in NFPA codes. There are various types and classes of standpipe systems, classified by their operation (wet or dry) and hose connections, tailored to effectively deliver water to combat fires in different building structures.

1. “FIRE STANDPIPE SYSTEMS”

2. Standpipe Systems

3.  A standpipe system is a fire safety system which is
designed to provide rapid access to water in the event
that a fire breaks out.
 Standpipes are installed as stand-alone systems
which act like building specific fire hydrants,
providing fire protection which will be readily
available to fire fighters.
What is a Standpipe System

4. History
 Standpipe systems have been part of our
firefighting arsenal for more than 100 years.
 The basic concept of a standpipe system has not
changed extensively since the original NFPA standard
was adopted in 1915.
Standpipe System

5.  Systems are used in high-rise buildings, large
commercial, retail, and industrial buildings; places
of public assembly, and other areas where
advancing hoselines would be difficult due to the
building size.
 Tunnels, such as subways, and shopping malls
have a horizontal standpipe system.
 Underground buildings, heliports, marinas and
boat yards.
Installations Standpipe System

6.  Standpipes are one of the simplest and basic of
water delivery systems.
 Designed to deliver water for manual fire-fighting;
 via fixed piping system,
 will eliminate hose lays,
 and decrease time to deliver water on the fire.
Standpipe System

7.  Standpipes have several main components;
 Water Supplies;
 municipal or private water mains,
 gravity tanks,
 pressure tanks,
 fire pumps.
 Siamese connections,
 Risers,
 Cross connections,
 Valves,
 Hose outlets.
Standpipe System

9.  Systems are installed in accordance with NFPA 14
“Standard for the Installation of Standpipes and
Hose Systems” and any local adopted codes.
 Water supply must be established and maintained
for 30 minutes.
 System and appurtenances are subject to
acceptance tests.
 All new systems must be tested and approved
before allowing building occupancy.
Standpipe System

10.  System is subject to hydrostatic testing;
 for two hours at 200 psi, or
 where maximum pressure is 150 psi, tested
at 50 psi above highest pressure.
 System is subject to a flow test;
 2 ½” maximum flow of 250 gpm,
 1 ½” maximum flow of 100 gpm.
 max pressure at any point in the
system at any time not exceed 350 psi.
Standpipe System

11.  Systems are subjected to additional codes in
accordance with;
 NFPA 25 “Standard for the Inspection,
Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based
Fire Protection Systems”.
 NFPA 1962 “Standard for the Inspection,
Care, and Use of Fire Hose, Couplings, and
Nozzles and the Service Testing of Fire
Hose”.
Standpipe System

12.  NFPA 22 “Standard for Water Tanks for
Private Fire Protection”
 NFPA 72 “National Fire Alarm Code”
 State and Local codes.
Standpipe System

13. Types of Standpipe Systems

14. Types of Systems
 There are five types of systems. Basically, they are
either “wet” or “dry”.
 Automatic wet;
 water in pipe with a water supply.
 Automatic dry;
 air or nitrogen in pipe with a water supply.

15.  Semi-automatic dry;
 air in pipe, deluge valve with a water supply.
 Manual dry;
 air in pipe with no water supply.
 Manual wet;
 water in pipe with no water supply.
Note: Combinations systems consist of sprinkler
systems interconnected with a standpipe system,
most of these systems are “wet”.
Types of Systems

16. Classes of Systems

17. Classes of Systems
 A Class I System –
 2 ½” (65 mm) hose connection;
 used by personnel trained for heavy stream
operation,
 designed to deliver 500 gpm’s at 1st
riser and
250 gpm’s at each additional riser,
 flow to be residual 100 psi at highest hose
station, (pre 1993 systems residual 65 psi)
 bldgs not classified as High-Rise, system can
be auto wet, auto dry, manual wet or manual dry,
 high-rise system must be auto or semi-auto wet
except where subject to freezing.

18.  A Class I System - 2 ½” hose connection.
 No Hose, designed for FD Use.
 No pressure
reducing valve
present.

19.  Class I Systems

20.  A Class II System –
 1 ½” (40mm) hose station;
 used by building occupants/FD,
 100 gpm’s at 100 psi, (65 psi for pre-1993
systems) residual outlet pressure,
 auto wet system unless subject to freezing,
 auto dry or semi-auto dry allowed where fire
brigade trained to operate w/o FD intervention.
Classes of System

21.  Class II Systems

22.  A Class II System -
 in the corridor,
 accessible to the occupants,
 not more than 100 feet of 1 ½” (40 mm) hose and
30 foot stream,
 1” (25.4 mm) hose permitted in light hazard
occupancies,
 reduced water supply.
Classes of System

23. Class II Locations
Classes of System
100 feet of hose and
a 30 foot stream
Additional
standpipes
required

24.  A Class III System –
 2 ½” (65 mm) hose connection and a 1 ½” (40 mm)
hose station. (features of both Class I and II);
 auto wet system unless subject to freezing,
 auto dry or semi-auto dry allowed where fire
brigade trained to operate w/o FD intervention,
 not more than 100 ft. of 1 ½” (40 mm) hose,
Classes of System

25.  Class III System

26. Class I and III locations -
 Class III system;
 highest/lowest floor level >30’ of FD vehicle
access, (2010 NYSFC)
 Class I system;
 in every required stairway, (2010 NYSFC)
 intermediate floor landing, unless approved by local
CEO, (2010 NYSFC)
 each side of a horizontal exit,
 at entrance to grade level passageways,
 at the roof or highest landing based on slope,
 any area greater than 150 feet in un-sprinklered or
200 feet sprinklered building.
Classes of System

27. Horizontal
Exit
If more than
150 feet un-sprinklered
200 sprinklered
If stair goes to the roof and
the roof is 4:12 or less a hose
connection on the roof or top
landing is required
Located at intermediate
landings
Class I location
Classes of System

28.  fire codes now require
Class I standpipe hose
station outlets at the highest
intermediate landing
between floor levels in every
required exit stairway as the
picture illustrates.
Classes of System

29.  A Class III System –
 1 ½″ hose connection
2 ½″ hose connection

30.  Horizontal Exit -
 The horizontal exit must have a minimum 2-hour
fire resistance rating, and the openings in it must be
rated at least 1-1/2-hours.
 Providing standpipe hose outlets on both sides of the
horizontal exit gives firefighters a refuge while fighting
a fire on the opposite side of the fire barrier.

31. Fire Department Connections

32.  Fire Department Connections -
 allows FD to pump supplemental water for
automatic systems and primary water for manual
systems,
 shall be visible and recognizable,
 located and arranged so that hose lines can be
attached without interference,
 min size of fittings 2 ½” (65 mm) (FCNYS),
 have a sign with at least 1” letters that read
“STANDPIPE”,
 shall not be less than 18” or more than 48” above
grade.

33.  No shut off valves between the
FD connection and the system
allowed.

34. Pressure Regulating Devices

35.  Pressure-Regulating Device; a device designed for
the purpose of reducing, regulating, controlling, or
restricting water pressure, static and residual.
 Pressure-Restricting Device; a valve or device
designed for the purpose of reducing the downstream
water pressure under flowing (residual) conditions
only.
 Definition of Pressure Devices -
Pressure Regulating Devices

36.  Residual Pressure –
 pressure acting on a point in the system with a
flow being delivered,
 where the residual pressure at an 1 ½” (40 mm)
outlet on a hose connection exceeds 100 psi (6.9
bar), a pressure regulating device shall be provided
to limit the residual pressure at the flow to 100
psi. (6.9 bar)
Pressure Regulating Devices

37.  Static Pressure –
 pressure acting on a point in the system with no
flow being delivered,
 where static pressure at a hose connection
exceeds 175 psi (12.1 bar), a pressure regulating
device provided to limit static and residual
pressure at the outlet of the hose connection to
100 psi (6.9 bar) for 1 ½” (40 mm) hose and 175 psi
(12.1 bar) for other hose connections.
Pressure Regulating Devices

38.  Pressure Regulating Devices -
 NFPA 14 stipulates the maximum pressure at any
point in the system at any time shall not exceed 350
psi. (24 bar) (2413 kPa),
 critical components in the systems are valves
categorized as pressure-regulating devices;
 they must be properly set and installed so that
proper pressure is maintained at the hose outlet,
 improperly set valves can result in inadequate
streams or an uncontrollable amount of pressure,
 there are two methods of setting outlet pressure:
field set and factory set.

39. Standpipe Pressure
Regulating Valve
Outlet Reducer
(restricting device)

40. Pressure
Regulating
Valves

41. Tab restricts how
far valve opens
 Pressure
Regulating Valves,
Non-Removable
Tab moved for FD
use
 Must be bypassed
for FD use

43.  Fire extinguisher
type pin, remove for
FD use
 Some
may require
tools to
adjust for
greater
flow.

44.  Pilot operated valves-
Restrict pressure under
flow and static
conditions
 In one survey by
a large US city,
75% failed to
deliver a fire stream
!!

45. Diaphragm
pushes valve
closed if inlet
pressure
rises
Factory set
spring sets
maximum size
of valve
opening

46. Water Supplies

47. Standpipe System Water Supplies
 Acceptable water supplies include;
 public or private water mains,
 gravity tanks,
 fire pumps,
 and pressure tanks.

48. Water Supplies
Municipal or Private
Water Supply
Gravity Tanks
Fire Pump
Pressure Tank

49.  Public/Private Water Mains
Water Supplies

50.  Water Mains –
 most prevalent connection for standpipe system,
 might supply adequate water for high-rise
buildings, might not supply adequate pressure for
buildings higher than 10 stories,
 overcoming the pressure loss in 100’ of height
requires 43.3 psi, high-rise buildings often require
fire pumps or gravity tanks,
Water Supplies

51.  Gravity Tanks -
 Tank materials limited to:
 steel, wood, concrete, coated fabrics and fiberglass
reinforced plastic.
 Standard sizes:
 wood – 5,000 to 100,000 gals,
 steel – 5,000 to 500,000 gals,
 factory coated/bolted steel – 4,000 to 500,000 gals,
 pre-stressed concrete - 10,000 to 1,000,000 gals,
 reinforced concrete - 10,000 to 500,000 gals.
Water Supplies

52.  Gravity Tanks –
 of adequate capacity and elevation make a good
primary supply,
 may be located on top of a building or on a tall
tower,
 water is distributed throughout system by pull of
gravity.
Water Supplies

53. Water Supplies
Gravity Tank

54.  Fire Pumps -
 designed to draw water from a supply source,
 water then pumped into the system under
pressure,
 with a good water supply can pump into
system for a long time,
 sometimes extra pumps are installed in high-
rise buildings.
Water Supplies

55.  Fire Pumps –
 supply the pressure needed to ensure adequate
water volume at efficient pressure,
 two types of pumps, Automatic and Manual,
 automatic pump usually arranged with the
controller on a pressure drop or waterflow in the
standpipe,
Water Supplies

56.  Building fire pumps are designed to produce a
limited pressure at the top floor outlets.

57.  Pressure Tanks -
 often used where there is enough water but the
water pressure is too low,
 may be used in tall buildings that need extra
pressure to supply the highest hoselines,
 important limitation is the small amount of water
that can stored in tanks,
 tank supply may be used while automatic fire
pumps begin to increase supply pressure,
 may be used as primary or secondary water
supply.
Water Supplies

58.  Pressure Tanks -
 are enclosed water tanks of limited size,
 air pressure within the tank provides velocity for
discharging water from the tank,
 normally 2/3 filled with water, charged with a min
75 psi.,
 usually housed in an enclosed heated structure,
 may be located anywhere in the building or outside
the building,
 max capacity of pressure tanks is typically 9,000
gallons.
Water Supplies

59. Water
Supplies
Sectional
View of
Pressure
tank

60. Pressure Hydraulics

61.  Pressure –
 pressure is a measure of force acting over an area,
 measured in terms of “feet of head” or “pounds
per square inch”,
 a column of water 12” high and 1” sq.,
weighs .434 pounds per sq. inch, no matter what area
of the container.
Hydraulics

62.  one cubic foot of water totals 1728 cubic
inches,
 there are 144 sq, inch columns of water in a
cubic foot, each weighing .434 lbs,
 e.g. 144 x .434 = 62,496 lbs, ( one
cubic foot = 62.5 lbs.,
 one gallon of water contains 231
cubic inches,
 divide 231 cubic inches into 1728 cubic
inches = 7.481 gals in one cubic foot of water.
Hydraulics

63.  if the total weight of a cubic foot of water is 62.5
lbs, divide that by 7.481 gals = 8.35 lbs per gal.
 what does all this mean?
 delivering 250 gpm to an upper floor of a
building through the standpipe system will require
lifting more than a ton of water per minute from the
street to the fire floor.
Hydraulics

64. Standpipe Operations

65. Standpipe Operations
 Supplying the system;
 through the fire dept connection and/or floor
outlets,
 use 2 ½” or larger diameter hose,
 when possible, supplied by two different
pumpers,
 when possible, supply two independent FD
connections,
 if building is equipped with a sprinkler and a
standpipe, first supply line to feed the standpipe.

66. Standpipe Operations
 Operating from;
 bring your standpipe kit,
 bring 200’ of 2 ½” hose with smooth bore or
combination nozzle,
 DO NOT use constant pressure (automatic type)
spray nozzles, many require 100 psi at the nozzle
inlet,
 stretch from the intermediate floor level landing
or the floor below the fire floor,
 flush system before hookup,
 bleed the nozzle before entry into fire area.

67. DCC FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
NFPA 14
CLASS OUTLETS PRE-1993
STATS
POST 1993
STATS
1 2 ½
500 GPM’s
@ 65 psi
residual
500 GPM’s
@ 100 psi
residual
2 1 ½
60 gpm’s
@ 65 psi
residual
100GPM’s
@ 65 psi
residual
3 BOTH 500 GPM
@ 65 PSI
500 GPM’s
@ 100 psi
PERMITS LONGER HOSE STRETCHES

68. Standpipe Operations
 Standpipe Kit (sample);
 metal or plastic tool box or soft-sided bag,
 an additional controlling nozzle,
 one 2 ½” - 30ₒ
or 45ₒ
elbow,
 one 2 ½” in-line pressure gauge,
 2 hose straps, a pair of vise grips, a shove knife,
 2 wooden chocks, 2 latch straps,
 18 - 20” pipe wrench, 2 operating wheels,
 a wire brush, a plumbers strap,
 a 2 ½” adapter, pipe thread to local FD threads,
 a 2 ½” cap, 2 spanner wrenches.

69. It Should be Noted
 NFPA 14 Standard on standpipe systems went
through a reorganization process in 1993,
 Prior to this change, systems installed pre-1993, only
65 psi (residual) needed to be provided at the most
remote floor outlet, but you could expect pressures
closer to 40 psi (residual) in older systems,
 Several high-rise fires with inadequate water pressure
contributed to loss of life and large property damage, (One
Meridian Plaza, Philadelphia, PA, First Interstate Bank, Los Angeles, CA)
 Expect residual pressures (100 psi or 65 psi) only in a
system that operates properly, is well designed and
properly maintained.

70. One Meridian Plaza, February 23, 1991

71. Summary
 Not all communities have high-rise buildings or
standpipe systems, but you may be called via mutual aid,
 Learn about the systems in your response area,
 Does the system have PRV’s? Re-moveable?
Adjustable? Pressure setting? (pre-1993, 65 psi; post-1993, 100
psi)
 If possible, remove the pressure restricting valve,
 DO NOT use a constant pressure (auto) type nozzle,
 DO NOT put your hands in FD connections,
 DO NOT use the occupant hose unless to save lives.

72. Prepared by Thomas Bartsch
Chief Fire Inspector (ret.)
A special thank you to David K. Walsh, Program Chair,
Dutchess Community College Fire Science Program
for his contribution in the preparation of this presentation.