Economic Performance of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems

Abstract

A benefit-cost analysis is performed to measure the expected present value net benefits (PVNB) resulting from the installation of a residential fire sprinkler system in a newly constructed, single-family house. The benefits and costs associated with installation and use of a fire sprinkler system are compared across three prototypical single-family house types: colonial, townhouse, and ranch. Each of the house types varies by design, size, and fire sprinkler affordability. Six fire sprinkler system designs are evaluated: a multipurpose network system, three stand-alone systems, and two stand-alone systems equipped with a backflow preventer. The sprinkler designs vary by installation cost (materials and labor cost) and required annual maintenance, but all were designed to meet the NFPA 13D standard. The estimated benefits of fire sprinklers include reductions in the following: the risk of civilian fatalities and injuries, homeowner insurance premiums, uninsured direct property losses, and uninsured indirect costs. Results show that residential sprinkler systems not requiring expensive annual upkeep or maintenance are economical. The expected PVNB in 2005 dollars is estimated as $2,967 for the colonial-style house, $3,099 for the townhouse, and $4,166 for the ranch-style house, given installation of the lowest life-cycle cost sprinkler system in each of the house types. A sensitivity analysis that measures the variability of the results to changes in the modeling assumptions confirms the robustness of the baseline analysis.

A Comparison between Spatial Econometric Models and Random Forest for Modeling Fire Occurrence

“…In total, 25 explanatory variables were extracted from several databases, including a variety of socioeconomic attributes according to the results in previous studies [21,[23][24][25][26][27]. These variables not only consider the influence of socioeconomic conditions on fire occurrence but also consider the influence of climate and topographic conditions.…”

Experimental investigation on drag effect of sprinkler spray to adjacent horizontal natural smoke venting

“…The sprinkler systems, which can directly control or suppress the fire, are very reliable in protecting buildings against fires [1][2][3]. It is also well recognized that smoke and heat vents can play an important role in the fire safety design of buildings besides sprinklers [4,5].…”

Cost-benefit analyses of sprinklers in nursing homes for elderly

“…Despite the positive effect of the sprinklers, it is not certain that it is economically efficient to install sprinklers in buildings because the cost is too high. Butry (2009) found that installing private homes with sprinklers was economically efficient, whereas a previous study by Harmathy (1988) did not find it profitable. A Swedish cost-benefit study by Juås (1994) used American and Canadian results for the early 80s showing a 44% reduction in deaths and 65% reduction in property damage when sprinkler were used.…”

“…Similar effects to those found by Hall were obtained earlier from US data. Butry (2009) used in his cost-benefit analysis of American sprinklers, effect relationships, derived from data for 2002 to 2005, to show a 100% decrease of fatalities in homes with sprinklers, 57% fewer people with injuries and 32% less property damage. However, smoke detectors were not controlled for.…”