WATER mist systems are becoming an increasingly attractive option to protect commercial premises, such as offices, hotels and retail units. Discharging fine water spray droplets to suppress a fire, these systems can limit the extent of damage and minimise unnecessary wastage of resources, time, salvage and reinstatement operations. They can be cheaper to operate and install than alternative automatic sprinkler systems, since they use less water, smaller tanks and less pipework, and are sometimes seen as more environmentally friendly However, the acceptability of water mist systems is often unproven, and the limits of their fire suppressing performance are largely unknown. In light of this, BRE Global recently carried out a programme of 48 full-scale fire tests at its burn hall laboratory, to investigate the key factors affecting the performance of water mist systems, with a particular eye on their use in office premises. The findings are set out in a new report, Water mist fire protection in offices: Experimental testing and development of a test protocol. Authored by Kelvin Annable and Louise Jackman, the 92-page report provides research information and data on the test results. It is aimed at designers, fire and structural engineers, regulators and approvers of fire engineering designs.
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