Litigation Graphics Strategies Explain a Complicated Loss / by Jeff Drake

 A fire started in a large pile of trash on the tipping floor of this Waste-to-Energy facility. It was determined through an extensive site investigation and examination of the detection and alarm system logs that the sprinkler valve controlling the water supply to the sprinklers in the area of the fire was closed and the sprinklers were non-operational. The fire burned out of control and completely destroyed the refuse building. 

A comprehensive presentation was developed by Drake Exhibits to accomplish three goals. 

  1. Orient jurors to the fire building and educate them about the design and function of the fire protection systems.  

  2. Explain the impairments to the fire protection systems that were present at the time of the fire. 

  3. Demonstrate how the impairments to the sprinkler system caused the entire building to be lost in the fire.

Orient viewers to the fire building

 As a key member of the Rapperport Associates fire investigation team working on behalf of the fire protection company that installed the fire protection systems, Jeff Drake measured and documented the structure and layout of the refuse building, and the associated fire protection and water supply systems. An area of detailed focus was on the sprinkler system components located in riser room #3 where most of the system impairments existed. Another area of concern was the volume of refuse (fuel) located on the tipping floor of the refuse building. Jeff Drake created a 3D computer model of the site, building, trash piles, and fire protection systems for use in illustrating all aspects of the fire.

Explain the impairments to the fire protection systems

A history of mismanagement and a poor understanding of how a dry pipe sprinkler system operates led to a decision to close the main valve on sprinkler zone #3 in this 62,000 square foot building. Serious sprinkler system impairments had been discovered approximately 2 ½ months before the fire and the system had been red tagged by a sprinkler inspection. The impairments were noted on illustrations of the dry pipe system and photos of the actual equipment were coordinated to show specific items in detail. 

An interactive animation was created to show how the dry pipe valve functions in normal operation where air pressure is maintained in the sprinkler piping until a sprinkler head opens which causes water to flow through the system. Various impaired conditions were included in the animation so viewers could see why the sprinkler system would not function as designed in these conditions. 

Demonstrate how a closed sprinkler valve caused the building to be lost 

A cross section animation was created to show, in real time, how the heat from the fire opened multiple sprinkler heads above the fire. With the valve closed, no water flowed to extinguish the fire. Manual water cannons were employed but were ineffective at putting out a fire that grew too large too fast. The heat from the fire spreading along at the roof eventually opened sprinklers in the adjoining zones but the water from these sprinklers was not discharged above the fire. In ten minutes the two active sprinkler zones were discharging so much water where there was no fire the water supply began to diminish. This is when the plant management called the fire department.

Conclusion

In a complicated failure event several types of visual presentation can be employed in combination to orient, educate and demonstrate the various aspects of a failure event in a concise manner. 

SEE CASE PORTFOLIO PAGE