Highrise

Building Fire
Safety Concept

HG Tay FIFireE
B Sc (Hons) M Sc Fire Safety Engineering
IFE International President
The Institution of Fire Engineers
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Introduction
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Introduction

1.History and Development of Highrise Buildings

2.Fire Hazards of Highrise Buildings
3.Fire Risks of Highrise Buildings
4.Fire Safety Concept and Management of Highrise
Buildings
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
History and Development of Highrise Buildings

Growing populations
Limited land resources
Reflection of high technology in construction industry
Reflection of modern city status

Advancement in highrise construction

is also accompanied by high fire hazards
and fire risks

Highrise fire fighting and mass evacuation

becomes a major issue
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Development of Highrise Buildings
There are three eras where highrise buildings were a trend in
the construction industry. The first highrise was a 10 storey
building in Chicago back in 1885

The First Wave

Starts back in 1931 in New York represented by Empire State
Building of 102 storey at 381m height

This record was held for 40 years

 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
The second wave
During 20th century from 1960 to 1970 in America.

The representing skyscraper is New York World Financial Centre

of 110 storey and 417m height constructed in 1972

Followed by Chicago Sheers Tower – 1973 of 110 storey at 443m

height which holds the record for 23 years
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
The Third Wave
From 20th Century 1990 until now
There is migration of the concept from the West to the East

Represented by Kuala Lumpur Twin Tower Malaysia of 98 storey at

452height built in 1996

Followed by Taipei 101 built in 2003 of 101 storey and 508m height

Shanghai and Hong Kong of China and Dubai all

Join the race to build the tallest tower in the world

Today in Shanghai there are more than 10,000

highrise buildings
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

World’s Tallest
Highrise Building
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept and Design
Two International Finance Centre
‐ 415m 88 Storey
Shanghai Jin Mao Building – 421m 88 Storey
Willis Tower Chicago – 452m 108 Storey
Zifeng Tower Nanjing – 450m 89 Storey
Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Tower
– 452m 88 Storey
International Commercial center Hong
Kong – 484m 118 Storey
Shanghai World Finance Centre
–492m 101 Storey
Taipei 101‐ 509m 101 Storey
Makkah Royal Court Hotel
– 601m 120 Storey
Burj Khalifa Dubai – 829.84m 163 Storey
Burj Khalifa Dubai Full View
 Worlds Tallest Skyscrapers
Rank Building[A][4] City Country Height (m) Height (ft) Floors Built

1 Burj Khalifa Dubai UAE 828 m 2,717 ft 163 2010

Makkah Royal Clock

2 Mecca Saudi Arabia 601 m[5] 1,971 ft 120 2012[F]
Tower Hotel

3 Taipei 101 Taipei Taiwan 509 m[6] 1,670 ft 101 2004

Shanghai World
4 Shanghai China 492 m 1,614 ft 101 2008
Financial Center

International
5 Hong Kong Hong Kong 484 m 1,588 ft 118 2010
Commerce Centre

6 Petronas Tower 1 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 452 m 1,483 ft 88 1998

6 Petronas Tower 2 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 452 m 1,483 ft 88 1998

8 Zifeng Tower Nanjing China 450 m 1,476 ft 89 2010

9 Willis Tower Chicago USA 442 m 1,450 ft 108 1973

Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Definition of
Highrise Building
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Definition of Highrise Buildings

Most of the countries in the world define Highrise Building as :‐

“Any occupied building with a structure that is more than 30 meters above
ground level beyond which internal fire fighting is imminent”

Any building above 10 Storey = Highrise Building

Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia – 30m
Canada – 18m
USA – 23m
Nederlands – 70m
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Definition of Highrise Buildings (Cont)

* Available height of water Jet supply

* The achievable height of turn table ladder
* Fire Engine pump capacity
* Fire engine access requirements
* Building below 30m fitted with Dry Riser c/w breeching inlet *
* Highrise building are fitted with Wet Riser system
‐ pressurized pipework connected to pumpsets
and water tank that is self replenishing
‐ breeching inlet connected to water tank
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Highrise Building
Features
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Highrise Building Features

•Multiple Occupancies ‐ City in City

* Tower Block ‐ Office, Hotel Condominium

* Podium Block – Shopping Complex, amusement park,
restaurants, cineplex, bowling centre, Karaoke, childcare
centre, carpark

* Mix occupancy mix fire risk

* Maximum travel distance often exceeded
* ASET – RSET ????
* Mass evacuation difficulties
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Hazard and Fire Risk

* Fire caused by electrical appliances

‐ During construction
‐ After occupancy, during renovation
* Cooking facilities
‐ Pantry
‐ Restaurant
‐ Microwave
* Machine induced fire
* Renovation induced fire
* Fire caused by Smoking
‐ Cigarette in the waste bin
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Hazard and Fire Risk (Cont.)

* Gas Explosion
* Refute chute
* Laundry chute
* Spontaneous ignition
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept and Design

Fire Propagation
Hazard and
Risk
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Propagation Hazards and Risks

During Construction
Storage of building materials that is highly combustible
Use of high energy output lamps for illumination and drying
Use of highly flammable solvents
Ever presence of fuel load and ignition source
Lack of fire protection systems
Lack of passive compartmentation
Completed buildings
‐ Furnishing and finishes
‐ Commercial display combustibles
‐ Telecommunication cables and electrical cab
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Propagation Hazards and Risks (Cont)

* Vertical and horizontal access

‐ Riser ducts, wall penetrations, gaps, expansion joints
‐ Air condition ducts, trunkings
‐ Fire escape staircases
* Chimney effect
‐ Internally through vertical ducts
‐ Externally through curtain walling system
‐ Through fire escape staircase
* From floor to floor
‐ Towering Inferno scenario
* Failure of Fire Protection Systems
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Propagation Hazards and Risks (Cont)

Building under Renovation

Increased of Fuel load and ignition source at site
Decrease of passive fire protection system e.g
compartmentation wall; fire resistant doorsets
Presence of scaffoldings and external netting
Presence of third party workers increasing fire risk
Hyatt Hotel – Jin Mao Building
 Caracas
Venezuela
Towering Inferno
35
36
Shanghai China Apartment
Fire
 Shanghai China Apartment Fire

37
 Shanghai China Apartment Fire

38
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Mass Evacuation
Hazard and
Risk
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Mass Evacuation Hazards and Risks

* Difficulty in implementation
‐ Vertical transportation through lift or escalator
‐ Mass evacuation for highrise within ASET is at times not
achievable
‐ Human factor needs to be built into the formula for RSET
* Crowd Control
‐ need to avoid stampede during mass evacuation
* Maximum travel Distance and ASET
‐ Often exceed
‐ The taller and bigger the tower , the total
number of evacuees increases and the longer
it takes
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Mass Evacuation Hazards and Risks (Cont)

* Possible ingress of flame, smoke and toxic fumes at fire

escape staircase
* Need to cater for sick, disables, pregnant ladies, elderly, and
any other emergencies.
* Need to cater for those who can not descend from higher floor
to lower floor (temporary refuge area)
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

No of Evacuation Time (min)

Floors
240P/Floor 120/Floor 60P/Floor
50 131 66 33
40 105 52 26
30 78 39 20
20 51 25 13
10 38 19 9
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Fire Fighting
Hazard and
Risk
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Fighting Hazards and Risks

* External Fire Fighting

‐ limited by height of turn table ladder
‐ limited by fire and smoke on the facade of the building
* Internal fire fighting
‐ Restriction due to layout of the building
‐ Due to accumulation of smoke and toxic fumes
‐ Failure of fireman’s lift
‐ Creates traffic jam within fire escape staircase
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Fire Fighting Hazards and Risks (Cont)

* Water supply issue

‐ High demand for water supply
‐ Risk of hoses puncture by broken glasses
* Smoke Control and Management
‐ Rapid smoke and toxic fume built‐up
‐ Possible failure of mechanical smoke extract system
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

Highrise Fire
Safety Strategy
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

* Fire Safety Engineering Approach

* Performance‐based design
* Provision for Fire escape staircase
* Provision for smoke and fire lobby
* Provision for smoke control and management system
* Provision for active and passive fire protection systems
* Provision for firemen’s lift
* Provision for fire fighter’s lobby
* Provision for maximum travel distance
* Provision for mass evacuation
* Provision for emergency response planning and
management
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept

* Provision for temporally refuge area and management

* Provision for preventive maintenance
* Provision for sustainable fire engineering design
* Provision for fire engine access in relation to volume and
height of the building
* Provision for in house first respondents
* Provision for AET through drill
* Fire Fighters need to be retrained for understanding
of building construction and fire hazards
Highrise Building Fire Safety Strategy

4.1 预防火灾发生的对策
Adopt Appropriate Fire Fire Risk Assessment and
Engineering Design Management

Accord Active and Passive Fire Prevention Preventive Maintenance

FPS Strategies Schedule

In house Fire Fighting

ERP and ERM Units
Highrise Building Fire Safety Strategy (Cont)

4.2 控御火灾扩大对策Fire resistant Structure

•Steel Structure
• Reinforcement Concrete

Adopt FR Material
Review Fire Hazard/Risk
• Interior Decorator
• Occupancy Risk
Fire Propagation Strategy • Furnishing
• Activities
• High Risk • Finishes
• Low Risk •External cladding

• FP System
• FP Installation
•Inspection Testing
•Preventive Maintenance
Adopt Intelligent System
 Highrise Building Fire Safety Concept
Highrise Building Rescue Strategy

* Automatic Fire Detection Alarm system

* Confine Fire and Conduct Mass Evacuate
* Adopt various method of fire fighting technology
* Automatic smoke extract system
* Turn table external rescue
* Ground control and security
* PR and Medium
* ERP and ERM Table top and actual drill
* Local council, Fire Service, Building owners,
professionals, police coordination meeting
Thank You