12/12/2019 Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - Facilities Management Insights

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12/12/2019 Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - Facilities Management Insights

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Few, even when pressed, would answer by naming r etailing giant Target. But
it seems that's just what's happening.

Due in part to an April 2009 fire in a Bakersfield, Cali professional

f., Targetorganizations,
store, code writers, and fire-pr
— particularly how life-safety precautions are addre
construction. tection engineers are
erns for green buildings
ssed in green

The fire at the Bakersfield Target started, firefighters learned,

JOB BOARD
at the
photovoltaic array on the building's roof. Even after t he firefighters
disconnected the electrical mains, they discovered t stillhat the solar panels were
energized, presenting a safety challenge in addit ion to the fire.

"Most firefighters will pull the meter so that power fro m the utility is off," says
Robert Solomon, division manager for building and li fe safety at the National
Fire Protection Association. "But often potentially powerful, potentially lethal power
from PV panels or a wind turbine still works even after the utility power is
disconnected."

Even if the solution to the problem were as simple as turning off the switch to the
devices that deliver green power, locating and a ctivating the switches
can be problematic.

"The switch for PV panels might be on the roof of the building," says
Wolski, associate principal at Arup and head of the S Armin an Francisco
engineering group. "Obviously, that presents a conc some fire
reason they need to shunt the building power."

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12/12/201 Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - Facilities Management Insights

FEATURED
The crux ofTOPICS TRENDING
the problem, JOBS/SALARY
says Wolski, PRODUCTS
is that green EDUCATION
building designs and MAGAZINES INFO

intent sometimes butt heads with the regular building code.

"We're seeing designs that prescriptive codes don't address or have not even
considered yet," says Solomon.

New Fire Challenges

Experts are careful to caution that green building designs do not equate to increased
fire- and life-safety hazards. Rather, owners of green buildings might have to be
aware that the green designs can present previously unconsidered challenges that
arise as a direct result of construction choices.

"The new methods and materials that are used to support green building concepts
can result in specific fire hazards, just like in traditional building design," says
Craig Hofmeister, vice president of engineering technology for RJA Group. "That
means green concepts should be reviewed as part of a fire-protection and life-safety
analysis."

Because codes — even a decade after green design concepts hit the mainstream —
still largely deal with traditional building designs and materials, facility managers
have to know how to address the intersection of green design and current codes.

Many experts advise facility managers responsible f or new construction with

green design elements to use performance-based d esign metrics.

"Performance-based design identifies the level of sa fety that is to be

provided without identifying exactly how it is to be ac complished," says Chris

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12/12/201 Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - Facilities Management Insights

FEATURED
Jelenewicz,TOPICS TRENDING
engineering program JOBS/SALARY
manager at thePRODUCTS EDUCATION
Society of Fire ProtectionMAGAZINES INFO

Engineers. "As such, performance-based design requires more engineering effort.

At the same time, it results in a more efficient design based on a building's unique
features."

Tricky Atriums

One of the places where code-compliance can become problematic is in

atriums, according to Hofmeister.

"Uniquely configured atriums often require a more detailed smoke control

analysis," he says. "Or the use of glazing for light transfer can conflict with fire-
rated construction." Similarly, the use of large sunshades or similar devices may
result in difficulty with sprinkler and fire alarm device placement or operation.

The solution to becoming code compliant, say experts, is to meet or exceed

existing code, without necessarily adhering to the prescriptive elements of the
code.

Wolski gives an example of an atrium where performance-based design was used

on the Stanford campus in place of prescriptive codes. Atrium space that connects
three stories typically requires a smok e-control system. That
usually means a certain smoke exhaust rate is requi red in addition to
ventilation. On Stanford's campus, the goal was to u se natural ventilation
methods rather than mechanical means. But, accord says, ing to code, Wolski
Stanford would still have had to buy fans to m control echanize the smoke
system to meet code — even if the natural v entilation methods would
have been sufficient.

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12/12/201 Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - Facilities Management Insights

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The solution was to use a natural JOBS/SALARY PRODUCTS
louver system at EDUCATION
the top of the MAGAZINES
building that INFO

increased ventilation rates and met the smoke-control system code. "Smoke control
was the tail that wagged the dog," Wolski says.

The Stanford smoke-control system received unusual scrutiny from both the
university and Santa Clara fire marshals. The system was tested twice under
separate weather conditions with heated smoke, according to Wolski, and both times
it was found acceptable. For the most part, heated smoke tests are vestiges of the
days before computerized fire and smoke analysis was available. Such testing is not
typically required or recommended because it is not representative of a real fire nor
has it been standardized, says Wolski. But in a few cases — the Stanford project, for
example — heated smoke is still used to provide a "live test" of a smoke-control
system. Such tests allow the investigation into whether unanticipated air flows exist
in the built environment that cause smoke to flow in unpredicted directions.

The bottom line is that performance-based codes can be used as an excellent tool to
resolve conflicts between progressive green design elements and prescriptive codes.
"A particular design element might not comply with the letter of the code," Wolski
says, "but for a given use or intent, often the element can be analyzed from a
performance perspective and shown to meet the intent of the code."

That's the most important thing, say life-safety engin eers and consultants: To
show that green design can meet or exceed the inte nt of the code without de.
necessarily using the prescriptive methods of the co

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