New York Daily Photo Analytics

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Standpipe

Standpipes are everywhere in New York City, yet very little attention is paid to them. And what do we really know about them? A standpipe is a rigid pipe which supplies water under pressure to a water supply and/or sprinkler system in the event of a fire. And why do we need them? Because it is not feasible to run hoses from the street up stairwells to upper floors of a tall building in a fire (there are over 1000 high rise buildings in NYC). With a standpipe system, water is fed from the street through the vertical piping - hoses are attached from outlets at each floor. There are dry and wet types - wet systems contain water at all times; dry systems contain no water - they may have their own source of water or be supplied by a firetruck in tandem with a fire hydrant. water can be supplied via water tanks, city main an/or hydrants and fire pumps. Siamese connections (shown in the photo) allow two hoses to be attached for increased capacity and provide backup if one is jammed or malfunctioning. There are a variety of styles of course. Conversation about these between a photographer friend and I eventually inspired him to go on a photo quest - click here for his collection. A Siamese connection provides ideal seating - but beware of standpipes with sawtooth type projections on top, which I assume acts as a deterrent. BTW, standpipes are needed not just for tall buildings but anywhere there is no access to firetrucks or where their is excessive distance to stretch hose lines: shopping malls, theaters, stadiums, arenas, parking garages, bridges, tunnels, highways, piers ...

6 comments:

Dina said...

intresting & informative subject...I like it!!

Thank you!

Lavenderlady said...

Who knew? Not me! Living in a small town we don't have these. Great collage.

Brian Dubé said...

dina - glad you weren't bored!

lavendarlady - thanks!

Brian

Unknown said...

thats so educational.

i never knew why, now i know.
I think i have seen it even in Singapore? But as you said, we seldom take notice of it. (or maybe i saw it in other countries, i can't remember...)

Anonymous said...

We just have was we call, "Fire Plugs."

Nice photography.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

We always called them fire plugs also. Where are you from Abraham? By the way, I am related to you!