Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Presented to the
Faculty of the College of Engineering
University of Southeastern Philippines
Obrero, Davao City
April 2018
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
The presentation of the background of the study, objectives of the study, statement of
the problem, significance of the study, scope and limitations, and definition of terms are
written herein.
The primal stage of student safety from fire incidents begins with the architectural
plans including the fire alarm system of the school and its building (David, 2009). Thus,
designs and developments of fire alarm system contribute to the well-being of the
building’s occupancies - including its properties, and bears responsibility towards them.
Raising its essential to address and warn occupancies on unwanted fire related events,
ensuring life safety for students and employees also considering safeness for educational
Building codes, fire codes, and life codes have requirements for the use of fire
detection, alarm, and signaling systems in a certain occupancy. The requirements in the
codes are coordinated with other prevention and protection requirements to achieve some
level of life safety and property protection contemplated by the code (National Electrical
device, especially from an installation standpoint. But, considering the moral and legal
responsibilities involved in from its design until completion and operation, it contains a
The legal codes and minimum requirements for fire alarm systems that consist of
manual fire alarm boxes throughout the school is provided the by International Building
Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC) (David, 2009). Under the Fire Safety
Measure (Rule 10.2.2.G) of the Republic Act No. 9514: The Fire Code of The Philippines
2008, fire alarm systems shall be provided in every structure depending on size,
A perfect system where in every component can last and meet all future needs
obviously doesn’t exist. But, by setting requirements for certain features and utilization of
upgrades from minimal requirements, engineers can design and specify system that will
be much closer towards meeting and contributing towards future needs. Addressable
control units and detectors are used in creating fire detection and alarm designs (National
Electrical Manufacturers Association, 2010). Thus, the designers prefer to use Addressable
Fire Alarm System to determine state that either separate circuits or isolated modules be
1. What is the process in designing an addressable fire alarm system for the
Obrero Campus?
2. What are the components to be used to design an addressable fire alarm system
Obrero Campus?
3. How to regulate the laws and legal codes on designing an addressable fire alarm
1. To design an addressable fire alarm system for the College of Engineering of the
4. To regulate the laws and legal codes on designing an addressable fire alarm
Design
Related studies calculations
and laws Addressable Fire
CAD design Alarm System for
Materials for and simulations the College of
designing Engineering of the
Designing
Design data University of
and Testing Southeastern
considerations Philippines, Obrero
Evaluation of
Campus
CAD software efficiency and
functionality
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study
The figure above shows the main variables of the study. The input of the study
includes the related studies and laws concerning to be used. The materials required for
designing, the design data and considerations for the designing, and CAD software to be
utilized in drafting the prototype design. Design calculations and material selection can be
attained from existing related studies, the literature review, and the related laws and codes.
These sources can provide information and existing standards that are important to
understanding how to design an addressable fire alarm system and in drafting the design
of the prototype. Design data and considerations are obtained from the site in which the
Once the necessary inputs have been ascertained, the researchers will then proceed to
the process of developing the design. This includes the design calculations, CAD design
and simulation, testing, and evaluation of efficiency and functionality of the addressable
fire alarm system. The related laws and codes will be used to regulate the design in
accordance to international and national standards. The draft and measurement of the
design are to be finalized and simulated. Then, the designed addressable fire alarm system
of the site is to be tested for efficiency and functionality by CAD software simulation.
Finally, the designed addressable fire alarm system of the site shall be the output of
the entire study. The data collected from the testing will be analyzed and evaluated with
respect to the objectives of the study. The results are then tabulated and discussed in
The research project entitled “ Design of Addressable Fire Alarm System for the
alarm system for the College of Engineering of the USeP with primary purpose of offering
assistance in situations of unwanted fire incidents. This study will be beneficial to the
following:
Students and Employees - This project will offer the students and employees of the
Educational and Laboratory Equipment - This also may provide a better way to suppress
Administration - The output of the study may serve as a proposal design for the College
Future Researchers - This study shall serve as a reference for future research on
The study centers on the design of addressable fire alarm system to be proposed to the
equipment therein. Using simulation software, the effectiveness and potency of the project
will be tested accordingly. Furthermore, the project to be designed will not consider
possible fire exits of the building and cost efficiency of the components to be used. Testing
For clarification, the following important key terms used in the study are hereby
defined:
stage so that people who are at risk can be made safe either by escaping from the fire,
or by the fire being extinguished (Goh, D., & Kwek, M., 2005)
An addressable fire alarm system is made up of a series of fire detectors and devices
that are connected back to a central control panel (Euro Fire Protection, 2015)
Occupancy
The students, employees, educational and laboratory equipment, and the likes that
BASES
In this chapter, the researchers will present the synthesis of related literature, studies,
and legal bases that are related on the origins, mechanism, design, and application of an
addressable fire alarm system. The literature came from books, online journals, research
articles, and unpublished materials to help the researchers in establishing the backbone of
the study. It also presents a review of published reports on actual researches done
2.1.1 History
In 1852, Dr. William F. Channing and Moses Farmer invented the first fire alarm
system consisting of two fire alarm boxes with telegraphic keys and a handle (Fire Alarm
Systems, 2017). In the event of fire, someone would need to reach inside the box and crank
the handle which would send an alert and details of the fire alarm box number to an alarm
station nearby (DPL Fire and Security, 2014). After receiving the alarm, an operator would
then forward the message to the fire department to send help (Silver Group, 2015).
Almost four decades later, in 1890, Francis Robbins Upton came up with the first
electric fire alarm system upon realizing the disadvantages of manually operating the
conventional system. This system makes use of thermostat for heat detection which would
then trigger the sprinkler system to put out a fire (Ryan Fireprotection Incorporated, 2014).
Since then, fire alarm systems have improved owing to the advancements in the field,
especially technology. One of the most applied systems nowadays is the addressable fire
system for its capability to pinpoint the direction of the affected zone and enhanced
diagnostic capabilities. Integrating systems through IoT, these systems continue to shorten
the time gap between the fire alarm sequence to fire extinguishing. At the moment, there
are three types of fire alarm systems widely used after considering various factors mostly
It is considered the state of the art fire detection and alarm technology. In this system,
the signaling devices use a microprocessor and system software. It also makes use of a
small computer whose responsible for operating and inspecting for the input and output
devices. An addressable system utilizes addressable detectors and/or call points, signals
from which are individually identified at the control panel (Schroll, 2002). Each initiating
devices has a specific address, every type of device has its own specific response and
locations that are saved to control panel’s memory with all the information. Also, every
circuit is monitored therefore, it may identify any defects that possibly to occur (Northeast
To locate the fire as much as possible at the control panel while helping to conduct
the fire alarm sequence to perform faster, premises are divided into zones, for alarm and
detection. A zone is described by the National Fire Protection Association (2010) as ‘a
defined area within the protected premises. A zone can define an area from which a signal
can be received, an area to which a signal can be sent, or an area in which a form of control
can be executed’. Detector zones, having an area surrounded by a few manual call points
and/or detectors, can indicate the occurrence of a fire within its premises thus assisting in
Alarm zones are defined by the same code as ‘a geographical subdivision of the
premises, in which the fire alarm warning can be given separately, and independently, of
Identification of which detector or call point is in the alarm state, addressable systems
can come close to pinpointing the exact location of the fire. Generally, the primary
indication of the origin of the alarm should be an indication of the detection zone of origin.
Addressable detectors can share one circuit around the building with most detectors
having a maximum capacity of 250 devices, therefore the same two-wire circuit can serve
several detection zones; an open circuit would not pose as much as that of a problem since
the loop can be driven in both directions. The occurrence of a short circuit however, is
considerably taken seriously since this condition could affect every device. Thus, short
circuit protection is a requirement in all loop circuits; making the area covered by the
detectors places in between any two line isolators not exceeding 2 000 m2 (Occupational
Addressable fire system must still consider to have a separate ‘at a glance’ indication
of the location of the fire for beneficial purposes, because generally when designing a fire
alarm system for a building, it is broken down into smaller compartments to enable the
The advantages of this system are it enhances the maintenance, stability and easy for
adjustment. In addition, it automatically reset the control panel directly to lessen the
probability of false alarm that may cause by insects, dust or breezes (NDCC, n.d.).
Photoelectric smoke alarms would serve as initiating devices to alert the system enter
the alarm state (Herres, 2006). These operate by the usage of a light source, light beam
emitter and a photoelectric sensor whose optical axes cross in the sampling chamber. When
smoke crosses the path of the light beam, light becomes scattered by the smoke particles,
subjecting it to the sensor thus, activating the alarm (Grainger Incorporated, 2014).
components that make use of energy from the fire alarm system to inform the occupants
to take precautionary steps towards evacuation. This process is usually done by means of
communications capability are designed with the latest technology and are most
commonly used nowadays. These panels contain programming and operating electronics
and user interface, and is fed by a standard branch - circuit wiring and replaceable circuit
cards - one for each zone. It makes one of an alphanumeric display which presents the
system’s current state and provides info for troubleshooting, and a touch pad which would
enable an on site personnel to silence an alarm signal, reset the system after an event, or
reprogram if needed (Herres, 2006). The devices and the panel are connected to the
microprocessor which manages the relay of data instead of the conventional way of using
electric current to send messages (Rotaflow Controls Incorporated, 2018). High Rise
Security Systems (2017) also deems this technology as effective since it facilitates quicker
detection, faster recognition, and guiding fire fighters to the precise location of the fire
power limited system are placed in the control panel or a separate enclosure to be used
Auxiliary devices such as remote annunciators with LEDs designed to show the state of
the system, an alarm silence switch, and a visual LED indication of the zone from which
Each detection and notification device is connected to each other and to the central
addressable fire alarm control panel. While operating, the control panel, with a pre-set time
send out an address and waits for a reply in order to check the functionality of each device.
In the instance that a particular detector address would not be able to send a reply, the
control panel would deem a fault. This would also be case if the device would fail to
operate correctly. Having an identity or address of its own, each detector may also receive
a customer-defined character message given that the panel was manipulated to do so. After
receiving the reply, the control panel would then send out the next address and continue
the same process until all devices have been addressed, and then the entire sequence is
Herres (2006) stated that initiating devices are connected to the control panel with the
DC is applied to two wires directed to a number of initiating devices, which are connected
in parallel. Aside from their isolation from EMT and other raceways which are grounded
through the connector at the control panel, neither of the wires are grounded. The wires’
polarity is also a vital point. The indicated voltage is to be used to power the solid-state
circuitry within each detector. The same voltage is also utilized to monitor the state (alarm
The wet pipe system is the most common type of sprinkler system installed in
commercial buildings, private establishments, and houses. This system has water inside
the pipe in a normal or ambient temperature while every sprinkler has its own heat
water sprinkler system employs water directly when it senses heat or fire, which causes
combustibles. Nowadays, the automatic sprinkler is the most effective during the fire’s
initial flame growth stage in which it discharges water automatically in order to control
the situation quickly and minimizing the damage of flame (Northeast Document
Liu, Gao, Li, and Wu (2010) divided their design for an automatic fire alarm system
from the logical structure into a central control unit, linkage switching unit, direct control
unit, and fire detector modules for its practical application value and broad potential for
development.
The study conducted by Saunders (2010) proved that photoelectric smoke detectors
would respond faster in an event of a fire as compared to ionization smoke detector within
4°C, 13°C, and 20°C. This study is used as one of the basis as to why ionization smoke
detectors are slowly being replaced in systems and phased out in the markets.
Thuillard (1994) used fuzzy logic analysis in order to screen and specify the stimulus
that caused the smoke detectors to actuate thus introducing a new way to minimize the
number of false alarms in the system. The system is not only for confined for solving
ionization smoke detectors but also for other types as well with the consideration that
The collaborative work of Zhang and Wang (2009) on design and development of
their fire alarm system gave emphasis on the network architecture and communication
protocol. Their prototype system tests show that the system provides early extinguishing
arrange the installing location and make automatic localization mechanism the focus of
future works in order to reduce the installation workload and to make the system more
convenient.
Due to a number of codes and protocols to be considered while making a fire alarm
know what code is the best to follow. The study yielded favorable results toward
performance based codes since they allow more flexible innovations, more functional, less
Frank, Gravestock, Spearpoint, and Fleischmann (2013) used component and system
based approaches to adjust the sprinkler system to reach its highest level of efficiency.
They adjusted its effectiveness by system modification such as adding water supplies and
valve monitoring while basing it on the estimate number of failures observed in real life.
The study of Saunders (2010) emphasized their conclusion that one of the factors
affecting the derived activation times between the ionization and photoelectric smoke
detectors is the varying locations of the two detectors. The study arrived at the conclusion
that ‘the presence of horizontal openings near a detector can have a significant impact on
whether the detector is determined to activate during early stages of a fire. This occurs
when the detector is located both at the level of the opening or on the floor above. A small
difference in position can see a detector not being located within the path of flow of the
Björnsson’s (2012) research about the difference of the response procedures following
the fire alarm sequence in Iceland and other neighboring countries concluded that the most
The Icelandic procedure, however lengthens the unmitigated fire growth time and can
cause harm to people as the fire services might arrive too late to help in the case of
substantial delays.
The most ideal location to obtain minimum response time for a smoke detector to
actuate, according to Petrov (2012) is on the part of the ceiling wherein the way of supply
air flow patterns runs on the opposite to the supply valve location in case of computer
ignition. The study attributed it to the supply air’s tendency to have a big influence on the
smoke mixing in the room. Their experiments showed that in cases when dangerous
substances or items are kept inside the room, it is ideal to place smoke detectors over those
points as close to the assumed ignition as possible while in real cases where nobody can
assume at which point of the room is prone to ignition, the study indicated that smoke
detectors should be placed accordingly based on air flow patterns; thus situating it
somewhere in the middle of the ceiling since smoke will have a higher probability of
crossing the middle than through any other part of the protected space.
Three types of approximation were used by Geiman (2003) to evaluate the smoke
detector response method namely; Optical Density Method, Temperature Rise Method,
and Critical Velocity Method. Their results yielded that values of optical density and
temperature rise do not appear to be normally distributed at the time of alarm. The study
concluded that optical density were sensitive to fire type, detector type, and ventilation for
smoldering fires. While temperature rise were sensitive to similar types with the exception
of ventilation for smoldering fires, velocity were only affected by the fire type.
2.3 Related Legal Bases
Rule 10 of the Impelementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9514
known as the “Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008”, covering the fire safety measures for
discusses construction, protection and occupancy features to minimize danger to life from
The said code requires at least one manual fire alarm box to initiate a fire alarm signal
whose location will be determined by the city/municipal fire marshal or his duly authorized
representative, while automatic sprinkler system designs should have an alarm initiation
device which will operate when the flow is equal to or greater than that from a single
automatic sprinkler.
As for occupant notification (audible and visible signals), a design may contain a
presignal system where an initial fire alarm signal is automatically transmitted without
through central station accredited by BFP in case of fire. Each of the building’s floors are
considered not to be less than one zone for alarm annunciation purposes. A zone’s
maximum floor area is one thousand eight hundred sixty sqaure meters (1860 m2);
In accordance to Section 10.2.6.5 of this IRR, the area of the alarm zone is permitted
to coincide with the allowable area of the sprinkler zone given that the building is provided
extinguishing equipment in line with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler
Systems and NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-
This chapter shows every method that may use in the design of the fire alarm
system. Also, it views the procedures of the study, the design and performance testing of
the system.
The main objective of this project is to design a fire alarm system for the
college of engineering. Thus, the researchers used meta-analysis method for combining
the results of different studies gathered from websites, downloaded videos, portable
document formats and other internet-based related that results with different existing
designs and to come up with the efficient and effective solution for the fire alarm system
of the college of engineering. The test regulation on installing the designs are according to
Defects
Revision
Figure 3.1 shows the flow chart on designing and constructing the fire alarm
system. The entire process starts with the defining the problem and determining the studies’
objectives. Reviewing and surveying some literature was conducted to get more ideas for
designing the fire alarm. To come up with the effective design, it must be calculated in
order to establish the design properly. The design is simulated using BIM, a software
application develop by Autodesk for drafting using computers. Along the simulation, there
may be an error to encounter along the way as a result, a revision may occur. After all the
simulations and revisions, analyzing the data gathered it may describe the researcher’s
objective succeed or fail. The end user of this study is the students of University of
The researcher’s use the software BIM in installing the specific design inside
the College of Engineering building. The design of the researchers was developed through
recommendations of other studies and consultation of adviser. In addition, the types and
dimensions of the materials were chosen from various sources of studies and also