Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
| At the time of construction,
One Meridian Plaza was equipped with a coded
manual fire alarm system with pull stations
installed adjacent to each of the three exit
stairwells on each floor. Smoke detection was
provided in the major supply and return air
ducts at the mechanical floor levels.
After the 1981 fire code amendments were! enacted,
the hardware on stairway doors was required
to allow access from stairs back to floor areas
or to be unlocked automatically in the event
that the fire alarm was activated. One Meridian
Plaza was granted a variance from this provision
and generally had unlocked doors every three
floors.
Approximately one and a half years before the
fire, a public address system was installed
throughout the building. This system was operable
from the lobby desk and had the capability of
addressing floors, stairways, elevator machine
rooms, and elevators. Two-way communication
was possible with elevators and elevator machine
rooms.
As additional devices and systems were installed,
they were connected to the fire alarm system
to sound through the single-stroke bells originally
installed with the manual fire alarm system.
Smoke detector and water flow signals were assigned
their own codes to allow annunciation not only
at the lobby but throughout the building for
those members of the building staff who knew
the codes.
Standpipes
The occupant use standpipe system, which was
connected to the domestic water supply, provided
two outlets per floor with 100 feet of 1 l/2-inch
hose and a nozzle. The hose cabinets were located
in corridors on each floor.
A dry standpipe system was originally installed
with 6 inch risers in the west and center stair
towers and outlets for 2 l/2 fire department
hose lines at each floor level. This system
was converted to a wet riser system in 1988,
to supply automatic sprinklers on some of the
upper floors. An 8 inch water supply was provided
to deliver water to two 750 gpm electric fire
pumps, one in the basement and one on the 12th
floor.
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The basement pump supplied the lower standpipe zone
(floors B-12) while the 12th floor pump served the
upper zone (floors 13-38).
There was no standpipe in the east stair tower.
A November 1988 Board of Building Standards decision
permitted both zones to be served by a common fire
department connection, as part of a plan that would
provide for the installation of automatic sprinklers
on all floors by November 1993.2
Due to the height of the zones and the installation
of fire pumps, pressures exceeded the 100 psi limit
permitted by NFPA 14, Installation of Standpipe and
Hose Sytems at the standpipe hose outlets on several
lower floors in each zone. Pressure restricting devices,
which limit the discharge through standpipe outlets
by restricting the orifice, were installed on the
mezzanine and second floor levels and on floors 26
through 30. Pressure reducing valves, which regulate
both static pressure and discharge pressure under
variable flow conditions, were installed on floors
13 through 25.
Both types of devices prevent dangerous discharge
pressures from hose outlets at the lower floors of
each standpipe zone. The Philadelphia Fire Department
investigators report that the plans submitted at the
time the standpipes were converted did not indicate
that PRVs were to be installed.
Automatic Sprinklers
Only the service floors located below grade were
protected by automatic sprinklers at the time of construction.
Conversion of the dry standpipe to a wet system with
fire pumps facilitated the installation of automatic
sprinklers throughout the building. At the request
of selected tenants, sprinklers were installed on
several floors during renovations, including all of
the 30th, 31st, 34th, and 35th floors, and parts of
floors 11 and 15. Limited service sprinklers, connected
to the domestic water supply system, were installed
in part of the 37th floor. The building owners had
plans to install sprinklers on additional floors as
they were renovated.
At the time of construction, One Meridian Plaza was
equipped with a coded manual fire alarm system with
pull stations installed adjacent to each of the three
exit stairwells on each floor. Smoke detection was
provided in the major supply and return air ducts
at the mechanical floor levels.
After the 1981 fire code amendments were! enacted,
the hardware on stairway doors was required to allow
access from stairs back to floor areas or to be unlocked
automatically in the event that the fire alarm was
activated. One Meridian Plaza was granted a variance
from this provision and generally had unlocked doors
every three floors.
Approximately one and a half years before the fire,
a public address system was installed throughout the
building. This system was operable from the lobby
desk and had the capability of addressing floors,
stairways, elevator machine rooms, and elevators.
Two-way communication was possible with elevators
and elevator machine rooms.
As additional devices and systems were installed,
they were connected to the fire alarm system to sound
through the single-stroke bells originally installed
with the manual fire alarm system. Smoke detector
and water flow signals were assigned their own codes
to allow annunciation not only at the lobby but throughout
the building for those members of the building staff
who knew the codes.
Standpipes
The occupant use standpipe system, which was connected
to the domestic water supply, provided two outlets
per floor with 100 feet of 1 l/2-inch hose and a nozzle.
The hose cabinets were located in corridors on each
floor.
A dry standpipe system was originally installed with
6 inch risers in the west and center stair towers
and outlets for 2 l/2 fire department hose lines at
each floor level. This system was converted to a wet
riser system in 1988, to supply automatic sprinklers
on some of the upper floors. An 8 inch water supply
was provided to deliver water to two 750 gpm electric
fire pumps, one in the basement and one on the 12th
floor.
The basement pump supplied the lower standpipe zone
(floors B-12) while the 12th floor pump served the
upper zone (floors 13-38).
There was no standpipe in the east stair tower.
A November 1988 Board of Building Standards decision
permitted both zones to be served by a common fire
department connection, as part of a plan that would
provide for the installation of automatic sprinklers
on all floors by November 1993.2
Due to the height of the zones and the installation
of fire pumps, pressures exceeded the 100 psi limit
permitted by NFPA 14, Installation of Standpipe and
Hose Sytems at the standpipe hose outlets on several
lower floors in each zone. Pressure restricting devices,
which limit the discharge through standpipe outlets
by restricting the orifice, were installed on the
mezzanine and second floor levels and on floors 26
through 30. Pressure reducing valves, which regulate
both static pressure and discharge pressure under
variable flow conditions, were installed on floors
13 through 25.
Both types of devices prevent dangerous discharge
pressures from hose outlets at the lower floors of
each standpipe zone. The Philadelphia Fire Department
investigators report that the plans submitted at the
time the standpipes were converted did not indicate
that PRVs were to be installed.
Automatic Sprinklers
Only the service floors located below grade were
protected by automatic sprinklers at the time of construction.
Conversion of the dry standpipe to a wet system with
fire pumps facilitated the installation of automatic
sprinklers throughout the building. At the request
of selected tenants, sprinklers were installed on
several floors during renovations, including all of
the 30th, 31st, 34th, and 35th floors, and parts of
floors 11 and 15. Limited service sprinklers, connected
to the domestic water supply system, were installed
in part of the 37th floor. The building owners had
plans to install sprinklers on additional floors as
they were renovated.
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