Services
PDT specializes in providing system design and design support from conceptual design through commissioning the installation. System designs include:
Services
Fire Alarm Systems
PDT provides fire alarm designs for a wide variety of industries and facilities. These range from small single-panel installations with spot-type smoke detection and manual pull stations to fully-integrated multi-panel installations using various fire/smoke detection (spot-type, air aspirating, video, UV/IR, and duct), heat detection (spot-type and linear), and sprinkler and pump monitoring (waterflow, pump running, tamper switches, supervisory alarms, etc.). PDT also creates fire alarm designs for historic buildings where maintaining normal visual appearances is paramount. PDT’s expertise can help you achieve your design goals while ensuring compliance with the applicable codes and standards.
Fire Sprinkler Systems
PDT provides fire sprinkler designs for a wide variety of industries and facilities. Some examples include small single-riser installations for residential units, shotgun risers in storage and industrial facilities, combination sprinkler and standpipe systems in high-rise buildings, and multiple-riser installations for industrial facilities. The designs incorporate traditional ceiling-level sprinkler protection, in-rack sprinkler protection, ESFR protection, control mode sprinklers, etc. PDT’s expertise can help you achieve your design goals while ensuring compliance with the applicable codes and standards.
Water Supply and Fire Pumps
PDT provides water supply and fire pump designs where the potable water is incapable of supplying the necessary flows and/or pressures. In addition, PDT assists in the design of tanks, ponds, etc., when a second, independent water supply is desired. The key to these designs is a thorough knowledge of the water supply demands and the expertise to creatively develop solutions that meet the applicable requirements.
Performance-Based Design
PDT has provided performance-based designs for various facilities, including high rises, existing buildings, and historic buildings. Performance-based designs are designs where a building’s fire safety and life safety components are designed holistically, each being seen as part of a whole that integrates each component into the overall analysis and design of a building. This is opposed to a prescriptive design where the various components of fire safety and life safety are seen individually as separate entities, and each entity is designed to meet the prescriptive codes and standards without much regard for other systems. Performance-based designs look to the intent of the code for creating fire safety and life safety. Overall building safety is not compromised; instead, it is fulfilled in a way that is outside the scope of the prescriptive codes, while maintaining the intent of the prescriptive codes—fire and life safety.
Smoke Management
PDT has provided smoke management plans and consulted on smoke management systems in a multitude of occupancies, from stadiums and other large space venues, to atriums, to monumental stairs. Smoke management is the direction of combustion products into specific areas or outside to maintain safe egress from facilities. The prescriptive codes and standards assume travel distances, fire alarms, and/or fire sprinklers will provide an inherent level of smoke control in one- and two-story spaces. Where a space is three or more stories in height, a specific smoke management plan must be provided that includes active systems, passive systems, or a combination of the two to ensure a safe egress path is maintained for specific amounts of time. The systems include active smoke exhaust systems, a combination of active and passive systems using smoke exhaust and/or natural ventilation, and passive systems using natural ventilation and smoke traps.
Fire and Smoke Modeling
PDT personnel have successfully used fire modeling for local, state, and federal projects. Fire and smoke modeling is a useful tool when exploring performance-based designs, designing smoke management systems, and creating equivalent methods of protection. Fire and smoke modeling can include algebraic equations, zone models such as CFAST, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling such as fire dynamics simulator (FDS). PDT has utilized all of these methods of fire and smoke modeling, including in performance-based designs, smoke management, existing building evaluations, and fire simulations. The key to fire and smoke modeling is having the experience to understand when to use which type of modeling, and knowing whether the model is producing reasonable results. Due to the computing power necessary to perform some CFD modeling, PDT has a dedicated 32-core computer for performing more complex analyses.
Litigation Support
PDT staff can serve as consultants and expert witnesses in litigation concerning fire losses and system failures. These services include fire investigation for cause and origin as well as contributing factors, evaluation of fire protection system performance and structural response, and assessment of code compliance.
Third Party Review
PDT has provided third party review services in multiple jurisdictions for local AHJs, building owners, and architects. Third party reviews are critical for satisfying code officials and other authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) that your design meets the performance and/or prescriptive objectives. PDT has a balanced staff with expertise in fire alarm design, fire suppression design, smoke management, fire modeling, and risk analysis. PDT’s expertise can assist in securing AHJ approval for the design, while also providing on-site testing once the design has been implemented to ensure the installation meets the stated performance and/or prescriptive objectives.
