GU

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SKYL

INE

SAFE

WAT

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MS

Fire

wat

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pply

for h

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rise

build

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and

pro

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Security for both user and planner

One pump* – one line for the system

Footprints as low as 0,64 m2

* excluding reserve pump

SKYLINE SAFE WATER SYSTEMSFIRE WATER SUPPLY FOR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS AND PROPERTIES

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/// GEP Industrie-Systeme GmbH ///  www.GEP-H2O.de ///

Due to the many renovation projects being car-ried out in respect of drinking water hygiene in existing installations, numerous fi re water sys-tems in large properties and high rise buildings have been separated from the drinking water network over recent years. In this respect, contingent on the physical de-termining factors such as building height or network size, the problem presents itself for technical planners and executors of how to properly renovate or build new. Technologies have to be utilised which will ensure a defi ned

minimum supply pressure at hydraulically un-suitable hydrants and which, in so doing, will not exceed the maximum threshold value of 8 bar. In almost all German Federal States, the majority of such buildings and properties fall within the scope of the test directives of that state. To this end, the legislators specify that fi re water installations are to be tested at regular in-tervals by building control authorised special-ists to ensure the eff ectiveness of the fi re water installation in compliance with the above given example of threshold values.

The „right of continuance“ as an excuseShould fl ow pressures of over 8 bar be discov-ered during the technical approval inspection by state accredited specialists, there exists the widespread notion that the installation being tested still in fact enjoys the right of continuance. An interpretation that is neither endorsed by the generally recognised rules of good practice1 nor by the legislators2;3. Regarding the maximum supply pressure, the regulations in the German High-rise Building Guidelines or draft High-rise Building Guidelines2;3 and the Standard DIN 1446211 are of importance. Commenting on the draft High-rise Building Guidelines3, one passage in particular is dedicated to existing installations

Inept approach to the solutionIn deploying what appears at fi rst glance to be an inexpensive technology, the practice of ut-ilising pressure reducers in the fi re water lines is encountered time and again. Many users are unaware that in deploying this type of valve-work in the fi re water supply, there is a serious risk to be assumed that the fi re water installa-tion may fail. This is a type of installation that provokes endangerment to the protection of people and assets. It is not for nothing that the

where statements are made on the mitigation of the minimum fl ow rate or the minimum sup-ply pressure in agreement with responsible fi re prevention authorities. Regarding the maximum supply pressure which, from the point of view of operational safety is also important, a devia-tion from the threshold value is not to be found. In fact, the maximum fl ow pressure was already limited to 7 bar in the case of older installations by virtue of the recognised rules of good practice. It was not until the appearance of the new Or-dinance MBO2 in 2008 that the above threshold value was increased to 8 bar and adopted into the subsequent application standard DIN 144621.

pertinent application standards, e.g. DIN 19884 and 144621, have been advising against the ut-ilisation of pressure reducing valves in fi re water systems for decades now.The previously trusted and undisputed safe functioning of the pressure reducer in the drinking water installation4 is heavily depend-ant on the entry of dirt into this type of valve. The relevant Standard1 points in particular to the fact that only components which are

FOR FIRE WATER SUPPLY

/ 01 / PRESSURE LIMITATION IN EXISTING AND NEW FACILITIES

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specifi cally suitable for fi re water supply are to be fi tted in fi re water installations. The utilisation of this kind of valve in the fi re water line network presupposes the verifi cation of operational reliability in the form of a techni-cal assessment by an accredited test centre or the application of a product standard. For this reason, leading manufacturers of various types of pressure reducing valves specify in principle that this valve be protected by an upstream fi lter.

Filters fi tted in the fi re water line for the func-tional security of the pressure reducing valves constitute a high risk of constriction that can lead to the failure of the entire fi re water instal-lation. In consequence, only coarse fi lters, also described as stone traps, greater than 1 mm*

for wall hydrants, for example, or greater than 5 mm for sprinkler installations, are permitted5;6. Dispensing with the fi tting of fi lters before the pressure reducing valves contrary to the stipu-lations of the manufacturer can lead to a total failure of the control valvework and/or com-

plete interruption of the water fl ow. Dirt par-ticles in the fi re water lines can reach extreme proportions of a such a kind unknown in drink-ing water installations. As a consequence of the long dwell period of the fi re water in the pipework and its associated corrosion, substantial corrosion products and scaling occur which, particularly in the case of galvanised iron materials, are loosened when water is drawn off . In addition to deposits and corrosion products in the domestic plumbing system, particles are entrained via the service line. In the event of fi re, high fl ow velocities oc-cur in the property service line. Particularly in the case of older public supply lines, this gives rise to massive dirt entrainment in the fi re water pipework.

* In the opinion of the writer, greater penetrability should be selected even for wall hydrants, e.g. 5 mm.

pFILTER

Pressure reducing valve protected by filter

Deposits and particles in various existing fire water installations supplying hydrants

53 mm 53 mm

Safe regulation-conformant engineering executionsThe objective of any technical planning or exe-cution must be to ensure the maximum supply pressure limit of 8 bar under all operating con-ditions. This means that the drawing of water

from a wall hydrant at the start of the fi re-fi ght-ing deployment with 24 l/min up to a maximum water withdrawal rate of, for example, 600 l/ m must not exceed this threshold value.

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/// GEP Industrie-Systeme GmbH ///  www.GEP-H2O.de ///

The elaborate classic, which is typically applied, for instance, to the drinking water supply in ac-cordance with DIN 1988 Part 5007, is based on the division of building complexes into pres-sure zones. These are then fed, each from an individual redundant pressure boosting plant, by their own riser.If this permitted design is applied to fi re water supply, additional technical requirements1 are set. Due to the considerable space requirement at the installation site and in the services shaft, the required redundancy2;3 of all sensing, actu-ating and control elements as well as the neces-

sity of at least a second riser, makes this is a very elaborate system which in practice off ers only limited suitability.

/ 02 / THE ELABORATE CLASSIC | PRESSURE ZONES

Fire water supply viapressure zones with separatepressure boosting

/ 03 / PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

Unitary model rangeSerie 300; Serie MAX

tested

Real Pressure Method | SkylineMore complex high-rise buildings or extensive properties also require automatic monitoring of the fi re water hydrants and fi re-safety system in ad-dition to the geodetic height-dependent and site-specifi c pump operating point arrangement. Prop-erties of the above size and/or high-rise buildings are generally characterised in this group in that more than 50 hydrants are supplied with fi re water via branched networks over greater distances.

Overview of control methods for a large high-rise building or large property, operating point > 8 bar, more than 50 wall hydrants

REAL PRESSURE METHODONE RISER

ENERGY-EFFICIENT

NO PRESSURE REGULATOR

ONE PUMP EXCLUDING REDUNDANCY

unlim

ited

unlim

ited

unlim

ited

unlim

ited

DRINKING WATERSEPARATION STATION

300

An article on the subject of redundancy can be requested from the publisher and is available as a download from: GEP-H2O.de

Speed controlWith speed control, a frequency inverter makes it possible to ensure the maximum supply pressure limit by altering the rotary speed of the pump. Speed control is the energy-effi cient variant.The speed control technologie are deployed in high-rise buildings. The only diff erence is that the necessary operating pressure be made avail-able in several main pressure stages.

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Speed control method – overview

Speed controlSpeed control

ONE RISER

ENERGY-EFFICIENT

NO PRESSURE REGULATOR

ONE PUMP EXCLUDING REDUNDANCY

A division of the building into several electri-cal groups, e.g. every 8 fl oors, enables catering for individual operating points by means of pressure boosting when a limit switch is triggered. If, for example, a wall hydrant on the 20th fl oor is activated, the pump provides a supply pres-sure of 12 bar. On the other hand, if a wall hy-drant is triggered in the underground car park, a supply pressure is provided of only 5 bar.

Pressure decreasePrerequisite for this kind of trend-setting tech-nology is that, along with the appropriately rapid pressure build up, a reliable decrease in pressure takes place within 2.5 seconds inde-pendent of the size of the line network. In order to safeguard against unacceptable pressures,

the above reaction time has been assigned a safety factor in accordance with GEP in-house standards. This is yielded by the smallest neces-sary time span required for a hose connection valve to open and the dimensionally stable hose to fi ll up.

The bus systemThe real pressure method is applied to this cat-egory of buildings and properties regardless of size or expansiveness. A special electronic bus system with up to 1000 metre line lengths and assured reaction times of < 1 sec enables the monitoring of hundreds of hydrant systems dis-tributed throughout the entire complex there-by making available the necessary site-specifi c hydrant fl ow pressure utilising only one hydrau-lic and one electrical line system.

High speed bus system

Busevaluation

1s1ss

2 s

Pressure decrease reaction time

In consideration of these technologies, the build-ing regulation axiom9 is applied that it is to be as-sumed that only one event of fi re will occur in a building at any one time. This can then be com-

bated with the aid of up to 3 wall hydrants (e.g. fi re-fi ghting on the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th fl oors). Simultaneous fi re-fi ghting in diff erent locations within one building is not taken into account8;9.

Limit switchesFor high-rise buildings with an operating point > 8 bar it is necessary to fi t at least some of the wall hydrants with limit switches. Limit switches are small switching elements which give out a signal when the wall hydrant is opened or the hose con-nection valve is act-ivated. In this regard, the elec-trical wiring system has to be permanently moni-tored for short-circuits, cable breaks and tripping.

Hose connection valve with limit switch, PN 25Hose connection valve with limit switch, PN 25Hose connection valve with limit switch, Hose connection valve with limit switch,

For further information see our datasheet: 2" hose connection valve PN 25

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/// GEP Industrie-Systeme GmbH ///  www.GEP-H2O.de ///

1 Installation of a Drinking Water Separation Station below backfl ow level | Fire water supply using variable speed high-rise building control | Floor- dependent triggering and symmetrical redundancy, stage III | Basis: Deutsche Hochhaus-Richtlinie (German high-rise building guidelines) edition 08

Drinking waterconsumers

-5°C

Underground car park

FILTER

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Installation possible below back�ow level.*

One Drinking Water Separation Station, one pipeline system.

No pressure reducer –always < 8 bar

Open discharge

GOK

The use of pressurereducing valves isto be avoided.DIN 1988-5DIN 1988-60DIN 14462

bar

GL

3 x 200 l/min4,50 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

50th �oor

43rd to 49th �oor

42th �oor

41th �oor

10th �oor

3rd to 9th �oor

2nd �oor

1st �oor

Basement

Automatic seal-o�

OpenDischarge

Wet-dry module

Emergencypump drainage

PUBLIC DRINKING WATER

4,50 bar

optionaloptional

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

4,50-8,00 bar

TRINKWASSERTRENNSTATION

GL

endorsedby:

Unitary model rangeSerie 300; Serie MAX

tested

German Patent

and Trademark

O�ce

Proc

ess patent

registered

/ 04 / HIGH-RISE CONTROL BY REAL PRESSURE METHOD 

No pressure-reducing valves and always < 8.0 bar

Installation below backfl ow level*

Stage III redundancy of actuators and control elements

Optional frost protection in underground car park

Footprint as low as 1,3 m2 (1,60 x 0,8 m) One pressure boost with two pumps,

one fi re water line for the entire building

Reference exampleDEUTSCHE BANKFrankfurt/M., Germany

Reference exampleAMERICAN

EXPRESSFrankfurt/M., Germany

BUSPROCESSING

Information on the real pressure method can also be found in our Guide to Sprinkler Equipment

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Taking one of the highest buildings in Germany, the Deutsche Bank HQ in Frankfurt am Main, as an example, approximately 200 wall hydrants with only one riser per building are monitored and securely served by only one pump and one additional reserve pump.Another example is the Rhön Clinic property. The entire complex extends over several hec-tares of ground. Apart from the various admin-istration buildings, wards, high-rise buildings and other items of property are located on this site, all of which have to be provided with fi re water.The classical solution would have resulted in supply being provided by multiple pressure boosting plants throughout the whole grounds. By using the real pressure method, the entire fi re water provision, including external hydrants can be secured using only one pump and line system.

Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt/Main, Germany real pressure method

American Express in Frankfurt/Main, Germany real pressure method

Property in Berlin, Germany real pressure method

/// GEP Industrie-Systeme GmbH ///  www.GEP-H2O.de ///

Example: Drinking Water Separation Station, type C 309 for wall-mounted hydrants

Example: Drinking Water Separation Station, type C 314 for wall-mounted and external hydrants

/ 05 / DRINKING WATER SEPARATION STATION UP TO 1,000 m3/h

Unitary model rangeSerie 300; Serie MAX

tested

ONLINEVIDEO CLIP

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Guide: Drinking Water Separation Station for wall-mounted and external hydrantsGuide: Drinking Water Separation Station for sprinkler systems up to 16,600 l/minGuide: Drinking Water Separation Station for rainwater utilisation in large-scale systemsGuide: Drinking Water Separation Station for indirect connection of drinking water systemsTechnical documentation: Drinking Water Separation StationDatasheet: 2" hose connection valve PN 25 Datasheet: Pump-emergency drainage/Installation below backfl ow level

No guarantee is given or implied by the information contained in the brochure.We reserve the right to make alterations without prior notice.

FURTHER BROCHURES ON THE SUBJECT OF DRINKING, PROCESS AND FIRE WATER TECHNOLOGY

For over a decade now, we have been spe-cialising exclusively in the fi eld of drinking, process and fi re water supply. We would like to do justice to your require-ments through our personal, qualifi ed cus-tomer advice, long product service life and the intrinsic values of our company manage-ment.

We hope you will fi nd the presentation of our products and services to be of interest and look forward to cooperating closely with you.

A WARM WELCOME TO GEP INDUSTRIESYSTEME 

DAT

ASH

EET

Hose connection valve optionally with limit switch and connecting pieceassisted by:

PRO

DU

CTD

ESCR

IPTI

ON

GEP hose connection valve – Tender specification Hose connection valve for wall-mounted hose reel systems type F, can be integrated in all wall-mounted hose reel systems in accordance to DIN 14461, resistant to cor-rosive water, wetted parts made of red brass in accordance to EN 12502, self-greasing EPDM lip seal, maintenance-free spindle, EPDM-WN21 seat seal with pivoted cone protected against pressure surges, spindle thread, unwetted parts, in accordance with DIN 14 461-3, rated pressure PN 25, including holder for optional GEP limit switch, grooved end DN 50 (2’’)

DIM

ENSI

ON

S

grooved end H1

= ap

prox

. 110

mm

D =

100

mm

L1 = 133 – 152 mm

Nominal width DN 50 Overall height (H1) approx. 110 mm Overall length (L1) 133 - 152 mm Pipe connection size (d) 60.3 mm Handwheel diameter (D) 100 mm Weight 2.25 kg Max. flow rate (kvs) 50.2 m³/h Loss factor (ZETA) 3.9

MAT

ERIA

LS Casing, top, spindle, cone, valve seat red brass Top seal, spindle seal, cone seal EPDM Cone nut, washer SSHead end brass Handwheel cast aluminium

FIGURE 144 61

BRÜCKENSTRASSE 11D - 08297 ZWÖNITZ

WWW.GEP-H2O.DEINFO@GEP-H2O.DEF +49 (0)3 77 54. 33 61.10

T +49 (0)3 77 54. 33 61.44T +49 (0)3 77 54. 33 61.0

GEP INDUSTRIE-SYSTEME GMBH

PN 25

2" HOSE CONNECTION VALVE PN 25PN 25 WITH GROOVED END

entirely red brass | in wetted area in accordance with EN 12502

maintenance-free screw sealing

based on DIN 14461

pressure stage (PN) 25 bar

connection: DN 50 (2")

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GU

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Rudolf GruberSenior partner

Enrico GötschManaging Director

endorsedby:

endorsedby:

Rv. L

F-TW

TS-H

H-B

CA

B EN

US

GEP INDUSTRIE-SYSTEME GMBH

BRÜCKENSTRASSE 11D–08297 ZWÖNITZ

WWW.GEP-H2O.DEINFO@GEP-H2O.DE

T +49 (0)37754. 3361.44T +49 (0)37754. 3361.0F +49 (0)37754. 3361.10

EN

DE

PROCESS WATER,FIRE WATERDRINKING WATERSUPPLY