,.,.. .

FIRE PROTECTION

PLANNING
The preservation of the structure and its contents against fire damage or :destruction,
though secondary in importance, is nonetheless, of serious concern to ownei'S and others
having a financial interest in property.
Although inclusion of Fire-fighting equipment in buildings is always desirable and in-
creasingly mandatory, good practice begins with the design of the structure. This is neces-
sarily affected by the permitted, building density in the locality and by the. flammability of
the building and its expected contents.
Some of the materials and equipment that must be considered are:
a. Fire resistance of the selected structural type and material and the contents of the
building.
b. Limitations of Volumes within Fire-resistant barriers in otherwise vulnerable build -
ings.
c. Precautions against perforations of approved and required barriers.
d. Exits and Fire Tower Stairs.
e. Protection against fires caused by electrical systems.
f . Protection against fires caused by lightning.
g. Detection and alarm system.
h. Standpipe and hose systems within and near buildings.
i. Automatic sprinkler systems.
j. Automatic smoke and heat venting.
k. Smoke <md heat shafts.
I. Control of air-conditioning ducts.
m. Communication in high-rise buildings.
n. Elevator Control.
o. Fire command station in high-rise buildings.

HIGH-RISE Fl RE SAFETY
Definition of a high-rise building in terms of Fire Protection.
1. Too tall to be completely accessible to fire-fighting equipment from the ground. This
prot»em occurs anywhere from 6 to 12 stories. but usually 8 to 10 stories. depending
upon the reach of aerial ladder equipment available. It means that the fire must be
fought internally above the levels.
2. Too tall to make complete evacuation of occupants feasible. This occurs at about 25
stories, where complete evacuation would take five minutes theoretically and about
50 to 150 percent longer than this· in reality . It means that provision for safety and
life, support for the occupants must be made within the building.
3. Tall enough to make possible chimney or stack effects for air and smoke flow. This is
to some extent true in all buildings, but it becomes especially pronounced in build-
ings about 8 stories high. This means that provision must be made for the control of
air flow and products of combustion.
For all office Buildings occupied by 100 persons above or below street level or more than a
total of 500 persons in the entire Ibuilding: ·

FIRE SAFETY PLAN

1. Plan for Fire Drill and evacuation including appointment of Fire Safety
Director, Fire brigade and Floor Wardens.
2. Signs required at elevators and stairs.
For buildings 100 feet (30 meters) or more in height:

FIRE STAIR DOORS

Door to interior stairs shall not be locked except:
1. On street floor to prevent access to stairs.
2. On stair side if every four stories or less, door is openable.
3. Where failsafe electric door lock, activated by any detector, is provided.

CLASS E FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

1. Combination Fire Alarm signal system consisting of fire alarm and two-way voice
communication system (direct wire radio, or carrier current). With at least one sta-
tion per floor. Activation of alarm station will identify its floor location at the Fire
command station, mechanical control center, and the regularly assigned location of
the Fire safety director, sound alarm and notify automatically Fire department.
2. Fire Command Station, located in lobby of building containing communication capa-
bility (two-way voice) between Fire command station and floor warden stations, me-
chanical control center elevators, air handling control rooms. Audible alarm signal,
visual display system to indicate activation location on each floor.

DETECTORS
1. On each elevator landing . Activation shall stop all fans, activate smoke exhaust or
stair pressurization fans, return affected elevators to terminal landing, and automa -
tically_sound alarm and notify fire department.
2. At the return air shafts at each floor.

COMPARTMENTATION
(Applies to Floors located more than 12 meters above grade served by multi·floor air condi-
tioning system)
1. Areas to be compartmented by one hour separations, into spaces not to exceed 750
sq. m.
2. Sub-division of area may be increased to 1500 sq . m., provided such area is com-
pletely protected with space detectors.
3. Where total area exceeds 1,000 sq . m. at least one fire separation _shall be two hour
rated and create areas of refuge.

45
 SMOKE AND HEAT CONTROL

(Applies to buildings served by multi-floor air conditioning system).

1. Smoke shaft to exhaust heat and smoke to outdoors.
2. Systems to be activated automatically upon activation ot any detectors.

ELEVATORS

1. Elevators serving fire floor to be recalled and retained at terminal floor by activation
of landing detectors or command station control.
2. Three elevators servicing each floor shall be equipped with Firemen's service.
3. Interlock wiring for elevator hoistway doors will be required to be resistant to high
temperatures .

...
SPRINKLERS

1. For show rooms exceeding 750 sq. m. located more than 12m. above grade shall be
sprinklered. Use of domestic water permitted.
2. When floor is completely sprinklered, compartmentation and smoke shaft and stair
pressurization is exempted.

WATER AND STANDBY POWER

A very large industrial plant may settle in a suburb or in a small community where the local
company cannot entirely cope. In such cases a reserve underground storage of several
hundred thousand of gallons or an adjacent artificial lake would not be unusual.
When such reserves must be delivered by pumping during a fire, and electrical power outage
could be a tragedy; then standby power must cut in. Diesel-powered pumps take over.
These units and their fuel storage should be separately housed in fire-resistant enclosures.
remote from the possible locations of fire in the main buildings.

A. STANDPIPES AND HOSES

Fire companies with their apparatus find difficulty in fighting fires from the street in tall struc-
tures. Standpipes and hoses with a separate water reserve or upfeed pumping are extremely
valuable in any building but become highly essential in tall buildings. The figure drawn here
shows such a ·system, which is intended for use b\ !building personnel until the fire engines
arrive and thereafter by the trained staff of the fire department.
It is not practioal to store enough water on the roof for a protracted fire-fighting period and it
is usually assumed that a half-hour's supply will be more than enough to provide for the
short period it takes the fire engines to arrive.

46
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When· the system is used by the Fire department its pumps are attached to the street
siamese to deliver water from street hydrants or the building's 'secondary source' .

47
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prevent the Wl!Jter from rising in the tank to no avail.

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After the engines are disconnected from the Siamese, the water between the siamese and
the adjacent check valve drains out through the ball drip. ·
The overhead tank is considered a most dependable source, but it sometimes requires a
height that is architecturally undesirable. In this case upfeed fire pumps operating automa-
tically to deliver water to higher stories from lower suction reserve tanks may be used.
Another alternate in this case is a pneumatic tank used to deliver water by the power of the
air that is compressed in the upper portion of the tank.
The water zones as shown in the Figure of Hot and cold water Zoning are also generally fol-
lowed in planning for fire protection. Fire standpipes, and their hoses are usually located at
or near fire stairs from which personnel or Fire Fighters can approach a Fire.

B. SPRINKLERS

Automatic sprinkler systems consist of a horizontal pattern of pipes placed near the ceilings
of industrial buildings, warehouses JtQr88, theatres, and other st(_uctures where the Fire
hazard requires their use. These pipes are provided with outlets and sprinkler heads so con-
that temPeratures of 135-to 160°F--(55°[Link]°Cf'ceiSius Wiil cause·them to
open
automatically and emit a series of fine water sprays.

Two Systems of Sprinklers:

1. Wet System -ordinarily with water constantly filling both mains and distribu-
tion pipes.
2. Dry Pipe Systsm -gene_r.ally confined to unheated buildings. There is no water in
the distributing pipes of the dry-pipe system except during a fire. Remote valves, may
be actuated by sensitive elements to admit water to sprinklers heads.
 ·sprinkler Heads-These are of the
quanzoid bulb type. The bulb is transpa-
rent and contains a colored liquid. At
136°F the bulb breaks and releases a
water stream.

Two Types:

1. Upright- This type is used above pip-

ing when piping is exposed. It is safer
against damage by workers.

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2. Pendent- This type projects through
a finished ceiling when piping is con-
cealed.

Spacing of Sprinkler Heads

Is governed by several factors:

a. Type of occupancy and total area.
b. Fire rating of the building 11 or 2 hrsl.
c. Construction of the Ceiling.
d. Spacing of Joists
The coverage of one sprinkler head varies from about 20 sq. m. (200 sq. ft.) per sprinkler for
light hazard occupancy (like hospital, residences) to about 9 or 10 sq. m. {90 sq. ft.} for extra
hazard conditions (like chemical, woodworking, aircraft hangars)
Nozzles are set about 8 to 12 feet 2.40 m to 3.60 apart on the supply pipes that, in turn, are
spaced about 10 to 14ft. apart (3.00-4.20 ml and are usually run at right angles exposed
beams or panels.

Special Installation Requirements:

a. At least one fire department connection on each frontage.
b. A master alarm valve control for all water supplies other than the department con-
nections.
.c .. Special fire walls between protected areas and unprotected areas.
d ..Sloping waterproof floors with drains or scuppers to carry away waste water.

50
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REFLECTED SPRINKLER PLAN

51
NOTES