In North America, a standpipe is a type of rigid

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accompan ...

which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position, or into bridges in a horizontal position, to which

fire hose A fire hose (or firehose) is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it attaches either to a fire engine, fire hydrant, or a portable fire pump. Indoors, it can perma ...

s can be connected, allowing manual application of water to the fire. Within the context of a building or bridge, a standpipe serves the same purpose as a

fire hydrant A fire hydrant, waterplug, or firecock (archaic) is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection. Underground fire hydrants have been used in Europe and Asia since at least ...

. In many other countries, hydrants in streets are below ground level. Fire trucks carry standpipes and key, and there are bars on the truck. The bar is used to lift a cover in the road, exposing the hydrant. The standpipe is then "sunk" into the hydrant, and the hose is connected to the exposed ends of the standpipe. The bar is then combined with the key, and is used to turn the hydrant on and off. Standpipe at EFWE

Dry standpipe

When standpipes are fixed into buildings, the pipe is in place permanently with an intake usually located near a road or driveway, so that a

fire engine A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an i ...

can supply water to the system. The standpipe extends into the building to supply

fire fighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typicall ...

water to the interior of the structure via hose outlets, often located between each pair of floors in stairwells in high rise buildings. Dry standpipes are not filled with water until needed in fire fighting.

Fire fighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

s often bring hoses in with them and attach them to standpipe outlets located along the pipe throughout the structure. This type of standpipe may also be installed horizontally on bridges.

Wet standpipe

A "wet" standpipe is filled with water and is pressurized at all times. In contrast to dry standpipes, which can be used only by firefighters, wet standpipes can be used by building occupants. Wet standpipes generally already come with hoses so that building occupants may fight fires quickly. This type of standpipe may also be installed horizontally on bridges.

Advantages

Laying a firehose up a stairwell takes time, and this time is saved by having fixed hose outlets already in place. There is also a tendency for heavy wet hoses to slide downward when placed on an incline (such as the incline seen in a stairwell), whereas standpipes do not move. The use of standpipes keeps stairwells clear and is safer for exiting occupants. Standpipes go in a direct up and down direction rather than looping around the stairwell, greatly reducing the length and thus the loss of

water pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...

due to

friction loss The term friction loss (or frictional loss) has a number of different meanings, depending on its context. * In fluid flow it is the head loss that occurs in a containment such as a pipe or duct due to the effect of the fluid's viscosity near the ...

. Additionally, standpipes are rigid and do not kink, which can occur when a firehose is improperly laid on a stairwell. Standpipe systems also provide a level of redundancy, should the main water distribution system within a building fail or be otherwise compromised by a fire or explosion.

Disadvantages

Standpipes are not fail-safe systems and there have been many instances where fire operations have been compromised by standpipe systems that are damaged or otherwise not working properly. Firefighters must take precautions to flush the standpipe before use to clear out debris and ensure that water is available.

References

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Essentials of Fire Fighting ''Essentials of Fire Fighting'' is a fire service training manual produced by Fire Protection Publications (FPP) and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA). Fire Protection Publications is a department of Oklahoma State Univer ...

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

Firefighting equipment Fire suppression Piping

Dry standpipe

Wet standpipe

Advantages

Disadvantages

See also

References