Istanbul Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia archive and Suleymaniye Library hold millions of irreplaceable manuscripts. The 2019 Notre-Dame and 2004 Weimar Anna Amalia fire destroyed 50,000 books. NFPA 909 mandates pre-action sprinkler, water mist and VESDA early smoke detection for museums and libraries.
NFPA 909 Scope
- Museum: Display + storage
- Archive: Paper record
- Library: Collection
- Historic structure: Old wooden buildings
- Structure history: Preservation plan
Sprinkler System
- Pre-action: Double-action, no accidental water
- Water mist: Collection protection
- Design density: 4.1 L/min/m2
- Quick response: RTI <50
- Dry pipe: Cold archive
Early Detection
- VESDA HSSD: 0.005 percent obscuration
- Air sampling: Per 100 m2
- Linear heat: 68 C ceiling
- Multi-criteria: Smoke + heat + CO
- Cleanroom: Laminar flow
Agent Alternatives
- Inergen IG-541: N2 Ar CO2
- Novec 1230: FK-5-1-12
- FM-200: HFC-227ea
- CO2 high pressure: Design 34 percent
- Water mist: Low water damage
Turkey Institutions
- Suleymaniye Library: 150,000 manuscripts
- Topkapi Archive: Ottoman records
- National Library Ankara: 3.5 M items
- Notre-Dame 2019: Renovation hot work
- Anna Amalia 2004: 50,000 books lost
Libraries with SprinkCalc
SprinkCalc sizes archive pre-action sprinkler 4.1 L/min/m2, water mist, VESDA HSSD 0.005 percent and NFPA 909 cultural protection.
Download SprinkCalc on the App Store
Sources & Further Reading
NFPA 909, NFPA 232, NFPA 750, UL 1626, ICOMOS guidance. NFPA 909 Protection of Cultural Resource Properties.