NFPA 20 presentation highlights standard’s changes

At the NFPA Conference and Expo, Milosh Puchovsky discussed NFPA 20-2016, and focused on fire pump installations in tall buildings.

By Amara Rozgus, Consulting-Specifying Engineer June 13, 2014

In an education session on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at the NFPA Conference and Expo, Milosh Puchovsky from Worcester Polytechnic Institute discussed “Fire Pump Installations for Tall Buildings.” He focused the discussion on NFPA 20-2016, which is available in first draft. NFPA 20: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection is only one standard engineers must consider, said Puchovsky. He also pointed to NFPA 13, 14, 20, 22, 25, and 5000.

Puchovsky’s discussion centered around tall buildings, and the variations that engineers must consider. He discussed pumps, break tanks, pressure releasing valves, variable speed drives, and pump rooms as a whole.

He stressed that the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and local fire department really define what engineers can specify in tall buildings, based on their ability to react to fire in high-rise structures.