- Author
- Tamim, A. S.
- Title
- Cost-Benefit Analysis of Residential Sprinkler Systems in Single Family Dwellings.
- Coporate
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA
- Report
- Thesis, December 1992, 305 p.
- Keywords
- sprinkler systems | cost benefit analysis | residential buildings | scenarios | risk assessment | fire losses | fire science | fire severity | single family dwellings | residential sprinklers
- Identifiers
- Residential Sprinkler Systems (RSS); Cost-Benefit (CB) model; National Fire Incidents Reporting System (NFIRS)
- Abstract
- This thesis presents the residential sprinkler systems (RSS) as a potential cost-effective solution to the residential fire problem in the US. A specific application scenario is defined for a large development of single family homes. This application scenario considers forgoing incremental municipal fire protection costs for the new development by installing RSS in all the homes while taking advantage of economies of scale in pricing RSS. This approach evaluates costs and benefits of the different groups affected by the RSS. These groups are: the city, the insurance companies, the RSS installers/manufacturers, the developers, and the homeowner. In order to generate a valid cost-benefit (CB) model, two previous RSS CB studies are critically reviewed. As a result, a framework for assessing RSS effectiveness is generated. The effectiveness of RSS is defined based on the reduction of fire losses: property loss, deaths, and injuries. First, these losses are modeled when no RSS are installed in the home. The data available from the National Fire Reporting System (NFIRS, 1987) is decomposed into 6 types of fire scenarios so as to assess their losses relative to four stages of fire spread. Experimental data on the water deliverability of residential sprinklers is utilized along with computer fire simulations and NFIRS data in order to calculate the reduction in probabilities of fire spread. These reductions are combined with the loss data to compute property loss reduction and numbers of fire deaths and injuries reduction. These benefits are included in the CB model defined for the homeowner. All the CB are expressed in constant annual dollars, and are referred to the year 1991. Based on the assumption that all costs and benefits of all the groups impacted by the RSS are passed on to each homeowner in the development, this thesis shows that the annual savings collected by the homeowner are $107. In addition to the monetary savings, the RSS installation is projected to reduce the number of fire fatalities by about 4 fatalities for every 1000 residential fires.