ST - Lecture 2

Designing for Special Considerations
.2.
Designing for Safety
Fire Prevention
Lecture Designing for Special Considerations
2 Fire Prevention
Definition & Causes of Fire

 Fire is a rapid oxidation process
accompanied by the evolution of heat,
light, flame and the emission of
sound.
The Fire Triangle:
 Three elements – fuel, oxygen and
heat – are required to start flame.
 The oxidation processes will not be
possible without any of these
elements.
2 Fire Prevention
Classes of Fire
Fire involving: How to suppress:

Class A: Ordinary combustible materials Use water
such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber
and plastics, etc.
Flammable or combustible liquids, Exclude air from burning materials

Class B:
flammable gases.
No water, use electrically non-
conductive extinguishing agents
Class C: Energized electrical equipment. such as gaseous systems
Class D: Combustible metals such as Heat absorbing medium which is

not reactive with burning metals
potassium, magnesium and other
reactive metals.
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Growth
Stages:
Involves flaming combustion of an
item and may lead to a spread of
Stage 1: Pre-flashover or growth phase fire; or of smoldering, poorly-
ventilated fire with substantial
smoke
Stage 2: Flashover Rapid change from local fire to

one involving all combustible
materials in a room.
All materials in compartment are

Stage 3: alight; maximum rate of heat
Fully developed fire (stable phase) release is dependent on either
available ventilation or quantity of
fuel.
Stage 4: Decay (cooling period) Gradual consumption of fuel in

the compartment.
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Growth
Architectural intervention during fire growth
2 Fire Prevention
Behaviour of Fire Smoke

2 Fire Prevention
Fire Spread – Internal fire spread due to:

2 Fire Prevention
Fire Spread – External fire spread due to:

2 Fire Prevention
Aims in Fire Safety:

1. To prevent fire
2. To safeguard the lives of occupants and firefighters
3. To reduce damage on the building, its contents, and on
surrounding buildings.
Basic Principles:
1. Fire avoidance 2. Fire detection
3. Fire growth restriction 4. Fire containment
5. Fire control 6. Smoke control
7. Escape provision
2 Fire Prevention
1. Fire Avoidance:
Definition and Implication:

Reducing the possibility of
accidental ignition of construction
materials, as well as fittings and
fixtures.
This implies:
a. Keeping separate heat sources and materials which might ignite
readily through proper planning and zoning.
b. Need to specify materials to reduce the risk of fire starting.
c. Reducing fire load.
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Zoning:
1. Fire risk areas: Areas in which all occupants are ambulant and
able to move unaided away from a fire.
e.g. Outpatient dept in hospitals; service zone
2. High fire risk areas: Areas which, due to function, are more
susceptible to outbreak of fire, or rapid spread of fire or smoke.
e.g. Kitchen or boiler room
3. High fire load areas: Areas which, because of their construction

or contents, contain large amounts of combustible materials,
thereby constituting a fire load in excess of that normally found.
e.g. Gas storage; linen closets
4. High life risk areas: Areas in which persons may reside and are
not able to move unaided away from a fire.
e.g. Intensive care units and operating departments in hospitals
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Zoning:
2 Fire Prevention
Choice of Materials:
Concrete Masonry
- High fire resistance - High fire resistance
- Disintegrates at 400-500oC - Cracks at 575oC
- Holes in concrete will expose - Are subject to high
steel structure members temperatures during
manufacture
Steel Calcium Silicate
- Does not burn - Excellent thermal shock
- May buckle in fire resistance
- High conductivity spreads - Up 1000oC
heat, loses half its strength in - Suitable for cladding structural
550oC members
Timber Glass
- Combustible - Standard float, toughened and
- Little loss of strength as laminated glass panes do not
charcoal formed insulates provide any fire resistance
wood core - Monolithic fire rated glass is
- Spreads flames available
2 Fire Prevention
Knowledge on Fire Load:

“The amount of material which is able to burn and release heat
and smoke”
 In a compartment, limiting fuel will help reduce the dangers of
heat and smoke.
 Building contents make up the majority
of the fire load, since most fire starts from
ignition of these contents.
 The total amount of fuel in a building, its
accessibility to fire engines, the
availability of water, etc. will determine
the level of fire resistance and the
maximum size of a building compartment.
2 Fire Prevention
2. Fire Detection:
Visual Fire Detection

To visually expose FIRE RISK and FIRE LOAD areas to building
occupants.
Fire prone areas
should be visually
accessible.
2 Fire Prevention
Mechanical Fire Detection

Makes use of manual and automatic (electric/electronic) methods
of informing the occupants in charge that a fire has occurred in a
given location.
2 Fire Prevention
3. Fire Growth Restricting:
Aimed at ensuring that the growing fire is extinguished immediately

and at providing adequate time for firemen to arrive, control the
fire and evacuate the occupants.
Manual Means of Restricting Fire Growth:
Actively extinguishing or slowing down the development of a fire
before the involvement of the room. this is done by the room’s local
occupants.
Means:
1. Fire extinguisher 3. Fire blanket
2. Water supply 4. Bucket of sand
2 Fire Prevention
Fire blanket Bucket of sand Fire extinguisher

2 Fire Prevention
Rating of Fire Extinguishers:

2 Fire Prevention
Types of Fire Extinguishers:

2 Fire Prevention
Mechanical Means of Restricting Fire Growth

Sprinkler specifications:
 Categories: general use, institutional, residential, special
hazards, storage, attics.
 3 heads: upright, pendent and sidewall
 Sprinklers can be spaced from 3.6 to 6.0 meters apart.
2 Fire Prevention
4. Fire Containment:
Definition & Implication

Assumes that measures to control a growing fire
may not be successful, hence its maximum size
needs to be restricted both to reduce the risk and
to allow effective fire fighting.
1. Fire cladding of structural components to ensure

stability of structural frames.
2. The use of fire rated walls and slabs to contain fire
in rooms, sub-compartments and compartments so
as to segregate areas where fire may occur.
3. Others
2 Fire Prevention
Concepts of Fire Compartmentation

Definition:
Containing fire prone areas by means of fire resistive enclosures.
Objectives:
- To limit fire and smoke spread.
- To allow longer escape time.
- To reduce the maximum potential size of the fire.
Compartment sizes:
The more combustible the contents of
building, the smaller the compartment
should be.
Joints must be filled with non-combustible
materials to prevent the spread of smoke
or flame.
2 Fire Prevention
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Rating of Construction Systems:

2 Fire Prevention

2 Fire Prevention

2 Fire Prevention
Load Bearing Capacity, Integrity and Insulation

2 Fire Prevention
5. Fire Control:
Definition & Implications:

Covers those devices and systems which aid firefighters in actively
extinguishing the fire and bringing it into an end earlier than a free-
burning fire.
Ensure that all areas

inside and outside
the building are
covered by reach of
the fire-hose.
Access road for fire

trucks
2 Fire Prevention
Site Access to Fire Control:

2 Fire Prevention
Firetrucks:
2 Fire Prevention
Concept of Firefighting Shaft:

 Provides access to a building, especially in high rise buildings, for
fire brigades.
 Is fully equipped with firefighting equipment, stair and lobby.
 Provides a sufficiently secure operating base and a rest area in
between.
2 Fire Prevention
6. Smoke Control:
Definition and Technique:

Measures which can assist to some extent occupants in the fire
zone but are particularly needed for others in adjacent areas or
compartments.
Techniques of smoke control
Smoke Containment Barrier
technique of restricting the movement
of smoke by the provision of fire
resisting elements.
Smoke Dispersal:
technique of cleaning smoke locally by
provision of natural cross ventilation
or mechanical ventilation.
2 Fire Prevention
Pressurization
technique whereby air is blown into
spaces which are designed to be kept
clear of smoke.
Uses barriers including walls, floors

and doors to contain pressured air
generated by mechanical means to
keep smoke away from protected
areas such as escape staircases and
corridors.
2 Fire Prevention
7. Escape Provision:
Definition:
Cover a range of passive or active systems which permit the
occupants to move or be moved to a place of safety within or to
the outside of a building.
CORRIODR SYSTEM
Direct , not tortuous or twisted. Simple lay out. No
barriers, cul-de-sacs, bottlenecks doors open out,
not in easily detectible, not hidden from view.
FIRE ESCAPE
Fire escape stairs designed to be used daily for
familiarity of escape route well-maintained (not
used as storage)
2 Fire Prevention
Protected Escape Routs

To provide safety, the routes must be
properly protected from the effects of
fire and smoke for an acceptable time
period, usually a minimum of 60
minutes.
This can be achieved by:
- Compartmentation
- Fire resistance of escape route
structure.
- Use of smoke control systems to keep
smoke out of escape.
2 Fire Prevention
Alternative Means of Escape

2 Fire Prevention
Design for Fire Resisting Doors:

2 Fire Prevention
Progressive Horizontal Evacuation:

2 Fire Prevention
Basic Fire Safety Principles:

1. Detection
2. Alarm
3. Suppression (Containment)
The aim is to minimize effort to be put from fire department.
Fire safety provision are the most common building code
requirements designers need to respect.
Building codes were invented to help prevent different fires.
Making buildings stand fire long enough for occupancy reach
safety.
2 Fire Prevention
Fire safety codes dictates minimum requirements for safety in

buildings.
Some basic considerations in fire safety codes:
- Means of egress (way out)
- Fire alarm system
- Type and location of fire – smoke detection system
Common Fire Safety Objectives:

1. Protect life
2. Protect property
3. Continuity of operation
2 Fire Prevention
Protecting the structure:

The materials of building will affect how long the structure can
stand while fire.
The most important elements of a building structure to be
protected are:
1. Columns
2. Beams and Girders
3. Floor slabs
Concrete structure are considered more fire resistant than steel.
To prevent spread of fire areas of building can be divided into
compartments and enveloped with fire barriers. This can be done
for service cores, occupancy separations, between different building
functions, for mechanical rooms, etc.
2 Fire Prevention
Use of fire walls ‘party walls’ for fire separation. Provide continuous
protection from the foundation of the building to the roof and to
each exterior wall.
They are built so that if one of the wall fails, the other side will
remains standing.
Fire walls typically have 3-5 hours ratings, depending on situation.
Vertical openings:
Fire vertical spread through buildings is one of the most serious
issues.
Therefore, compartmentation requirements around vertical opening
tend to be very strict in order to prevent fire spread through
buildings.
2 Fire Prevention
Vertical shafts of any kind including stairs, elevators, ducts, pipe

works of any type have to be enclosed with fire rated walls and self
closing fire rated doors.
Construction Assemblies:
Fire Doors:
The rated system include the door, the frame, the hardware and the
opening. Mostly require one hour rating.
Windows:
All residential bedrooms should have windows accessed to outside.
2 Fire Prevention
Egress Notes:
A continuous and unobstructed path of travel from any point in the
building to the exit area of refuge , or public way.
There are three components:
1. The Exit Access:
leads to an exit – one hour rating typical
2. The Exit:
Leads from the access to the discharge. Must provide an enclosed
protective means of evacuation.
3. Exit Discharge:
Opens to a safe place outside the structure.
2 Fire Prevention
2 Fire Prevention
Fire Causalities
2 Fire Prevention
Evacuation time

ST - Lecture 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

ST - Lecture 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Designing for Special Considerations

Definition & Causes of Fire

Fire involving: How to suppress:

Flammable or combustible liquids, Exclude air from burning materials

Class D: Combustible metals such as Heat absorbing medium which is

Stage 2: Flashover Rapid change from local fire to

All materials in compartment are

Stage 4: Decay (cooling period) Gradual consumption of fuel in

Behaviour of Fire Smoke

Fire Spread – Internal fire spread due to:

Fire Spread – External fire spread due to:

Aims in Fire Safety:

Definition and Implication:

3. High fire load areas: Areas which, because of their construction

Knowledge on Fire Load:

Visual Fire Detection

Mechanical Fire Detection

3. Fire Growth Restricting:

Aimed at ensuring that the growing fire is extinguished immediately

Fire blanket Bucket of sand Fire extinguisher

Rating of Fire Extinguishers:

Types of Fire Extinguishers:

Mechanical Means of Restricting Fire Growth

Definition & Implication

1. Fire cladding of structural components to ensure

Concepts of Fire Compartmentation

Fire Rating of Construction Systems:

Fire Rating of Construction Systems:

Fire Rating of Construction Systems:

Load Bearing Capacity, Integrity and Insulation

Definition & Implications:

Ensure that all areas

Access road for fire

Site Access to Fire Control:

Concept of Firefighting Shaft:

Definition and Technique:

Uses barriers including walls, floors

Protected Escape Routs

Alternative Means of Escape

Design for Fire Resisting Doors:

Progressive Horizontal Evacuation:

Basic Fire Safety Principles:

Fire safety codes dictates minimum requirements for safety in

Common Fire Safety Objectives:

Protecting the structure:

Vertical shafts of any kind including stairs, elevators, ducts, pipe

You might also like