1.0.1 This article is the partial modification to Article 1.0.1 of "Code of Design for Sprinkler Systems" (GBJ 84-85, hereinafter referred to as "the former code"). This article mainly states the significance and purpose of formulating this code: To correctly and rationally design sprinkler systems and to play full roles in the protection for life and property from fire.
Presently, sprinkler system is the most effective self-rescue fire extinguishing facility and is the mostly wide-used automatic fire extinguishing system with the largest usage accepted all over the world. It is proved by the application practices at home and abroad: this system is featured of such advantages as safety and reliability, economy and high success rate.
The application of sprinkler systems at abroad has a history of more than 100 years. Over a century, there are many lessons in success and failure in some economically developed countries from study to application and from local application to universal popularization and application. On the basis of summarizing the experiences, the codes or standards of the design and installation for sprinkler systems have been formulated and been revised for many times (for instance: "Rules for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems" of Britain and "Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems" of America, etc.).The sprinkler systems not only have already been applied in tall buildings, public buildings, industrial factory buildings and warehouses, but also have already been installed in the residential buildings in developed countries.
The popularization and application of sprinkler systems in the fire protection design of buildings obtain huge social and economic benefits. Table 1 states the statistical data of America in 1965, and the data shows that: the sprinkler fire extinguishing system has been installed in buildings from 1925~1964 when the technology falls far behind the present. There are 75290 fire hazards, the success rate of fire extinguishing and control is as high as 96.2%, thereinto, the proportion of industrial factory buildings and warehouses is as high as 87.46%.