Fire Pumps for High-Rise Buildings

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Chapter 5 delineates special requirements for fire pumps in high-rise buildings; it does not,
however, provide a complete guideline for the fire protection design of high-rise buildings. Tanks,
standpipes, and fire pumps are highly interrelated and, therefore, must be coordinated and require
the use of multiple standards.

The requirements in this chapter are intended to provide a highly reliable fire pump installation as
part of the fire protection system(s). The chapter comprises two areas of requirements: high-rise
buildings and very tall buildings. High-rise building is defined in Chapter 3as follows:

A building where the floor of an occupiable story is greater than 75 ft (23 m) above the
lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

This definition is extracted from NFPA 5000, and is consistent with other model building codes and
NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. A definition for very tall building was added to the 2019 edition of
NFPA 20 as follows:

A high-rise building where the fire protection water demand exceeds the pumping capacity
of the fire department.

The available municipal water supply, specific pumping apparatus used by the fire department,
and series pumping tactics all play a part in determining the classification of a very tall building.
For very tall buildings, the fire pump and water supply arrangement requirements are intended to
be such that, even with any single piece of equipment impaired, the full fire protection demand can
be met.

The following characteristics of high-rise buildings are the basis of the requirements in this
chapter:

1. High-rise buildings require some of the most complex fire pump installations.

a. Most series fire pump arrangements are found in high-rise buildings.

b. High-rise buildings may contain multiple vertical zone standpipe systems, tanks, and
automatic refill valves.

2. More than in any other occupancy type, high-rise occupants are dependent on the building fire
pump(s) to function reliably during a fire. High-rise evacuation plans, which can incorporate
“refuge floors,” depend on the building’s automatic and manual fire-fighting systems to be fully
operational.

3. High-rise buildings are high-value buildings.

4. Direct access to the fire pump(s) is needed during fire-fighting operations.

5. The occupancy fire load can be significant in many high-rise buildings.

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6. For buildings that exceed 300 ft (91 m) in height, fire-fighting and fire department operations in
most jurisdictions are totally reliant on fire pumps within the building.

7. For buildings that exceed 500 ft (152.4 m) in height, it can be impractical to evacuate the
occupants, in which case the occupants must be “protected in place.”
5.1 General.

5.1.1 Application.

[Link]

This chapter applies to all fire pumps within a building wherever a building is defined as high-rise
in accordance with 3.3.31.

[Link]

The provisions of all other chapters of this standard shall apply unless specifically addressed by
this chapter.

5.2* Equipment Access.

Location and access to the fire pump room shall be preplanned with the fire department.

Preplanning and coordination with the fire service are critical to fighting a fire successfully in a
high-rise building. The fire service should have specific knowledge of the location, type, pressures,
and operation of the building fire pumps.

Fire pumps are often arranged in series in high-rise applications, sometimes requiring multiple fire
pump rooms throughout the building. As such, several challenges besides access to these rooms
exist. To address these challenges, several requirements can be found in Chapter 4regarding fire
pump control, communication, protection of wiring, and status signals. See Section 4.21for more
information on series fire pump units.

5.3 Water Supply Tanks.

5.3.1

Where provided, water tanks shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 22.

5.3.2

When a water tank serves domestic and fire protection systems, the domestic supply connection
shall be connected above the level required for fire protection demand.

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Connecting the domestic water supply above the level required for fire protection demand
prevents domestic water usage from depleting the fire protection water reserve. Exhibit I.5.1
illustrates tank detail.

EXHIBIT I.5.1 Tank Detail.

Where the water supply to a fire pump is a tank, a listed flowmeter or a test header discharging
back into the tank with a calibrated nozzle(s) arranged for the attachment of a pressure gauge to
determine pitot pressure shall be required.

Holding a pitot tube in a hose stream discharging into a water tank in tight spaces is difficult, can
create safety issues, and, therefore, should be avoided. Permanently affixed flowmeters or
calibrated nozzles with fixed attachment points circumvent this problem. See Exhibit I.5.2 for an
example of an in-line pitotless nozzle.

EXHIBIT I.5.2 In-line Pitotless Nozzle. (Courtesy of The Hose Monster Company)

High-rise buildings tend to be located in congested areas where testing may present a hazard to
the public and test times may be restricted. Annual flow testing in accordance with NFPA 25
verifies that the pump system is fully functional. Omission of this testing can result in an unreliable
pump. Locating the pump test header on an outside wall facilitates testing and allows quicker
setup and takedown time, while minimizing hose usage.

Typically, in high-rise buildings fire pump pressures will exceed 175 psi (12.1 bar) to meet the
demand needs. Therefore, attention should be given to the pressure rating of the system
components, which should be appropriate for the pressures developed by the fire pump.

5.5 Alternate Power.

Where electric motor–driven fire pump(s) are used, a reliable alternate source of power in
accordance with Section 9.6 or a back-up fire pump in accordance with Section 9.3 shall be
provided for the fire pump installation.

Prior to the 2019 edition of NFPA 20, auxiliary power or backup fire pumps were only a
requirement when the fire pump served a zone wholly or partially beyond the pumping capability
of the fire department. Alternate power or a backup fire pump is now required in all high-rise
installations, aligning NFPA 20 with the model building codes and NFPA 101. Those codes have
standby power requirements for buildings that are considered high-rise, which include connecting
the electric motor–driven fire pump.

The term auxiliary power was revised to alternate power for the 2019 edition to align the
terminology with NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®. An alternate power supply might not be an
emergency source of power.

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SEE MORE

See the definitions for power in Chapter 3 (3.3.48) of this standard.

Where the building height exceeds the pumping capacity of the fire department apparatus, an
adequate auxiliary water supply is needed. Subsection 5.6.1provides guidance on arranging
water supply tanks for this purpose, and 5.6.2provides guidance on backup fire pumps.

The auxiliary means of providing the full fire protection water demand allows for service and
maintenance of the primary system without the loss of fire protection. Exhibit I.5.3 shows one
possible means of meeting this requirement using a redundant fire pump fed from a water tank.
Gravity feed from a tank located on a higher level might be another way to meet this requirement.

EXHIBIT I.5.3 Two-Zone High-Rise with Divided Water Tank Supplying Low Zone Gravity
Fed and Upper Zone Fire Pumps. (Courtesy of Stephan Laforest, Summit Sprinkler Design
Services, Inc.)

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5.6.1 Water Supply Tanks for Very Tall Buildings.

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Subsection 5.6.1 is intended to ensure the following:

1. The stored water supply will meet the full fire protection water demand.
2. The tanks are automatically refilled at the minimum rate of the fire protection water demand.
3. With any single tank or tank compartment (and automatic refill valve for that tank) out of
service, the full fire protection water demand can still be met through stored water and
automatic tank refill.
[Link]*

Where the primary supply source for a vertical fire protection zone is stored water within the
building, each zone shall be supplied by a minimum of two tanks.

[Link].1

A water tank shall be permitted to be divided into compartments such that the compartments
function as individual tanks.

Exhibit I.5.3 provides an example of a large tank divided into compartments where each
compartment functions as an individual tank.

[Link].2*

The total volume of all tanks or compartments supplying a vertical fire protection zone shall be
sufficient for the full fire protection demand in that zone.

[Link].3

Each individual tank or compartment directly supplying a vertical fire protection zone shall be
sized so that at least 50 percent of the fire protection demand is stored with any one compartment
or tank out of service.

[Link]

An automatic refill valve shall be provided for each tank or tank compartment.

[Link]

A manual refill valve shall be provided for each tank or tank compartment.

[Link]*

Each refill valve shall be sized and arranged to independently supply the system fire protection
demand.

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A refill rate equal to the system demand is a necessary part of the redundancy for buildings where
the height exceeds the pumping capability of the fire department. In accordance with [Link].3, 50
percent of the fire protection demand is allowed to be out of service when one tank or
compartment is being serviced. In buildings that rely solely on the installed systems, the remaining
tank or compartment must refill at this rate to provide adequate protection.
[Link]

The refill rate shall be sustainable for the required water supply duration.

[Link]*

The automatic and manual fill valve combination for each tank or tank compartment shall have its
own connection to one of the following:

(1)
A standpipe riser for a zone that is not supplied from the tank served by the refill valve and is
provided with a backup fire pump

(2)
A gravity feed express or standpipe riser for a zone that is not supplied from the tank served
by the refill valve

(3)
A dedicated riser from a fire pump located below the refill valve

(4)
A reliable domestic riser sized to meet the requirements of [Link]

[Link].1*

Each refill connection shall be made to a different riser.

Exhibit I.5.3 shows one way of meeting the requirements of Section 5.6 with a divided water tank
with refill valves supplying a two-zone standpipe system, with the lower zone gravity fed and the
upper zone supplied by a fire pump with a backup fire pump. Exhibit I.5.4 shows a divided water
tank with refill valves supplying a two-zone standpipe system with the lower and upper zones fed
by fire pumps with backup fire pumps.

EXHIBIT I.5.4 Two-Zone High-Rise with Divided Water Tank Supplying Fire Pumps.
(Courtesy of Stephan Laforest, Summit Sprinkler Design Services, Inc.)

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Subsection [Link]requires that each independent refill valve be capable of meeting, at a
minimum, the system’s fire protection demand. Refill valves can be designed to operate
simultaneously, but each valve must be capable of discharging the fire protection demand. This
ensures that if one of the refill valves, piping, or supply fails, the fire protection demand is still
achieved.

Exhibit I.5.5 shows a tank with duplicate automatic refill.

EXHIBIT I.5.5 Tank with Duplicate Automatic Refill

[Link].2

The refill connections shall be interconnected.

[Link].2.1

When the refill valves are connected to different zones, check valves shall be installed in each
standpipe connection to prevent cross flow between the different zones.

[Link].2.2

Isolation valves shall be provided on both sides of each check valve required by [Link].2.1.

[Link].3

Isolation valves shall be provided between each interconnection.

[Link].4

When at least one of the tank valves is fed from below, the primary fill shall be from below.

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[Link].4.1*

When the fill valves are connected to different zones, the isolation valve shall be permitted to be
normally closed to assure that the primary refill is the first refill to operate.

[Link].5*

Each tank shall be provided with an overflow sized for the maximum refill rate with a single
automatic refill valve operating fully open.

[Link].6

The overflow shall be piped to a safe discharge location.

5.6.2 Fire Pump Backup.

Fire pumps serving zones that are partially or wholly beyond the pumping capability of the fire
department apparatus shall be provided with one of the following:

(1)
A fully independent and automatic backup fire pump unit(s) arranged so that all zones can
be maintained in full service with any one pump out of service.

(2)
An auxiliary means that is capable of providing the full fire protection demand and that is
acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.

References Cited in Commentary

National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy MA 02169-7471.

NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection
Systems, 2023 edition.

NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®, 2023 edition.

NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, 2024 edition.

NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code®, 2024 edition.

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