These ceilings are uneven, with a solid section, a gap, and then another solid section, another gap, and so on. The committee responsible for revising NFPA 13 is already looking at a proposal for an addition to address this new design. Huggins says that manufacturers do a good job of improving sprinkler designs and designing sprinklers to address new needs. Where we used to need 30 or 40 heads to stop a fire, we can now knock the fire down with four or five standard heads with large orifices. Valves are continuing to evolve so that now they can be reset externally.
Valves now weigh significantly less, too, so they cost less to ship and to install.
In fact, the sheer number of options now available can be confusing. It takes a knowledgeable design team to match the right sprinkler design to a given building. That's why Huggins' phone keeps ringing. And that's why he's been invited to present at NFPA 2001 World Fire Safety Congress and Exposition. Roland Huggins is the Director of Technical Services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association in Dallas, Texas.