Suspended fire protection piping

Failures of suspended fire protection piping have resulted in both direct and indirect property loss following earthquakes. Some of these systems have failed or fallen and had to be replaced. More costly are the failures of sprinkler piping, connections, or sprinkler heads. These have resulted in the release of great volumes of water in plenum or occupied spaces. Flooded plenums have resulted in collapsed ceilings which cause the consequent loss of property and disruption of operations. In extreme cases, entire floors or buildings were abandoned as a result of the water damage. Flooding in occupied spaces has resulted in water damage to furniture, files, computer equipment, and interior finishes. As fire sprinkler lines are widespread in occupied spaces, this type of failure has been one of the most costly types of nonstructural damage.