Análise comparativa entre concepções para o dimensionamento de redes de sistemas de chuveiros automáticos tipo sprinkler: estudo de caso de um hospital

Abstract

The rigor present in the regulatory and technical norms for the installation of fire and panic protection and combat systems in buildings has as its objective the preservation of life and integrity of public and private property. With the increase in safety requirements, it is necessary to present projects that propose more complex solutions that combine cost and efficiency. Thus, this work aims to conduct a comparison between two different distributions of automatic showers: open net of the branched type and closed net of the meshed type. The sizing of both designs is governed by the NBR 10.897 standard (ABNT, 2020). In the open network, the water flowing inside the pipe travels a single path, distributing itself among the branches. In the closed network, one can observe the formation of rings, which make it possible for the water to flow on both sides of the branches, dividing the flows, thus requiring smaller pipe diameters. Thus, for this work, a fire and panic fighting project was considered for a hospital to be built in the city of Campina Grande, located in the state of Paraíba, in particular, the project for automatic showers to be implemented in the building, which will serve part of it, in two floors that require such protection measure. This building will be a large capacity hospital complex, composed of four floors, divided into two main blocks and one that interconnects both blocks. For sizing the open network, the hydraulic calculation method was used, as indicated by NBR 10.897 (ABNT, 2020) as the main method for sizing new automatic shower networks. Regarding the sizing of the closed network, the Hardy-Cross method was used to perform the balance of flows and pressure in the system. Subsequently, a survey of the materials that make up the two network conceptions was carried out, excluding the motor-pump set, its connections and accessories. In addition, the costs for the implementation of the two types of distribution were compared, taking into account the price of materials and labor involved. In this way, it was determined which of the concepts presented a greater hydraulic efficiency and a lower cost for the building studied. Finally, this study does not intend to encourage the adoption of only one type of distribution network for automatic showers but to show that each and every design decision should meet the building's needs and particularities, as long as the minimum flow and pressure criteria are met.