Kathmandu Engineering College

Building Construction V
Course Code: EG 827 AR

B.Arch. V/I
Lecture 12

2068/09/20

Kailash Shrestha
Senior Lecturer/ Architect/ Planner

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 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

3. Fire Preventing Construction

Fire is a chemical reaction whereby atoms of oxygen

combine with carbon and hydrogen releasing water,
carbon dioxide and energy (heat)

Smoke as byproduct - reduces visibility and the

hot toxic gases produced give the suffocating
effect.

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

There are three things essential for fire, without which

combustion cannot take place,
1) Fuel: generally organic material
2) Heat: correct temperature to promote combustion
3) Oxygen: air Fuel

Oxygen Heat
Fire Triangle
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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

 Fire-prevention, fire-protection
and fire-fighting should be
considered

 The nature of damage caused

by fire are:
 Danger to life of occupants
 Danger of spread of fire to
other areas
 Danger of damage to property
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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Fire prone area

Fire can break out in all types of buildings

 Private dwellings are most vulnerable, accounting
usually approx. 50% of all fires
(Due to carelessness, gas service and installation or
ignorant children)

 Distributive trades : Another high risk area

(Inflammable goods are stored)

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Hazardous occupancy:
business or industry - cotton and woolen mills, match
factories, oil refineries, paint and varnish factories,
paper mills, wood working workshops etc

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

One of the main cause of fire is

Faulty electrical equipments and wiring
(Due to poor maintenance and absence of routine
checks)

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Precautions to be addressed

 Structural elements with satisfactory fire resistance

 Sub-division of buildings into compartments
 Adequate protection of doors/windows
 Provision of easy access to firemen and other
means of escape to the occupants
 Provision of detecting, warning and extinguishing
equipments

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

The precautions can be studied as follows:

a) Structural fire protection
b) Means of escape in case of fire
c) Fire fighting

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Structural fire protection

 Main objective is to ensure that during firing
temperature of structural members doesn’t increase at
which their strength would be adversely affected.
 Structural elements are given fire resistance for
certain period of time to give sufficient delay to:
 spread of fire
 ultimate collapse of the structure
 time for occupants to escape
 enable fire fighters to commence
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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

 Factors listed below should be considered while

ascertaining the fire resistance period:
i. fire load of a building
ii. behavior of materials under fire conditions
iii. behavior of combination of materials under fire
conditions
iv. building regulation requirements

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

i. Fire load of a building (J/m2)

It is the amount of heat produced by complete
combustion of contents and combustible members

Grading of occupancy according to Fire Load

Grade Low fire 1hr. <1150MJ/m2 Flats, offices, restaurants,
I load protection hotels, hospitals, schools, museums and
public libraries
Grade Moderate 2hrs. 1150-2300MJ/m2 Retail shops, factories
II fire load protection and workshops
Grade High fire 4hrs. 2300-4600MJ/m2 Certain workshops,
III load protection Warehouses and bulk storage buildings

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Grading of occupancies according to damage hazard

It is the product of weight of combustible material &
specific energy per unit floor area
Specific energy of some materials:
Bitumen - 35.4MJ/kg
Coal - 23.2-32.6
Cotton - 16.7
Butter - 31.2
Leather - 18.6
Paper - 16.3
Rubber - 39.6
Softwoods/Hardwoods - 18.6
Raw wool - 22.8
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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Calculation:

If 18000 kg of combustible material of specific energy

value of 21MJ/kg is contained in a part of a factory of
200m2 floor area, the fire load would be:
(18000 X 21)  200 =
1890MJ/m2

Thus the occupancy would be graded as “Moderate

fire Load”

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Fire Resistance
Of

Materials

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Fire Resistance of Materials

 Any material is measured as a fire resistance

according to:
Behavior when subjected to intense heat during
fire
Ability to spread fire over their surface

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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I
 Kathmandu Engineering College
B u i l d i n g Construction V

Fire Resistance of Materials

Effects of fire on materials (Fire resistive property of
materials)
 Timber
 Brick
 Stone
 Steel
 Concrete
 Reinforced Concrete
 Glass
 Asbestos
 Plaster / Mortar
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Sr. Lecturer Kailash Shrestha B.Arch. V/I