FireDOC Search

Author
Nelson, H. E.
Title
Performance of Fire Protection Systems.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Sponsor
Department of the Interior, Reston, VA
Report
NIST SP 778; ICCSSC TR11, January 1990, 201 p.
Distribution
Available from Government Printing Office
Book or Conf
Performance of Structures During the Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 17, 1990, Lew, H. S., Editors, 6/1-3 p., 1990
Keywords
earthquakes | building codes | fire safety | damage | bridges (structures) | highways | structural engineering | housing | geology | lifelines | seismic | specifications | viaducts
Abstract
In general, private fire protection facilities survived the earthquake without interruption while public fire protection systems were severely interrupted. Private fire protection systems are limited to a single facility and mostly within buildings while public fire protection systems are external, community wide, and ofter underground. Several affected communities, including San Francisco, were left in a condition where it is doubtful that they could have halted a serious spreading fire. The absence of a serious spreading fire (other than the one in the Marina District of San Francisco) is believed to be a combination of factors including: [*] Prompt shut down of electric power (by the utilities); [*] Modern safeguards on burners and pilots on water heaters and other gas fired appliances in service at the time; [*] Warm weather (i.e. lack of use of heating equipment); [*] Absence of wind (a major fire spread factor if present); [*] High moisture content in ground and wild lands (relates to lack of significant wild fire problems); [*] The occurrence of modern earthquake with a short duration of strong ground shaking which caused limited damage on buildings and utility structures in the affected communities; [*] Good fortune.