The purpose of a sprinkler system is to provide early detection of a fire, control and extinguish the fire by discharging a predetermined amount of water onto the designated area within a specified time frame.
A sprinkler system consists of various components, including sprinkler heads, pipes, fittings and hangers, control valves, alarm bells, flow indicators, fire pumps, and other elements.
When the sprinkler system operates, it can also activate various emergency functions, such as alerting the building occupants.
In Turkey, the legal regulations regarding fire protection systems are defined in the "Regulation on the Protection of Buildings Against Fire." The regulation specifies the areas where sprinkler systems and their installation are mandatory and emphasizes the need for design to be compliant with the TS EN 12845 standard.
Additionally, according to our regulation, "In cases where there are no sufficient provisions in this Regulation and in the protection of areas such as subway, marina, helipad, tunnel, stadium, airport, where Turkish Standards are not available, European Standards shall be followed. In cases where neither Turkish nor European standards regulate certain aspects, internationally recognized standards can be used." This allows for the consideration of internationally accepted standards in sprinkler system design when deemed necessary.
As in many projects around the world, the widely accepted American NFPA 13 standard is frequently used in sprinkler system design in Turkey. The reliability, proven track record, and extensive test data of this standard can be seen as the main reasons for its adoption.
The most crucial step in sprinkler system design is determining the design density and the area of operation, in other words, establishing the design criteria. To determine the design criteria, the hazard classification of the protected area is determined first.
It is important to note that there are variations in building hazard classification and design criteria among different standards, as seen below.
