MODULE- 5 :
ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE SAFETY
IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS
• Active fire control: Basic concepts in fixed fire fighting installations, Fire
sprinklers, Fire Hydrants, Automatic fire detection and alarm systems.
• National Building Code Requirements for Fire Safety: Rules for Fire Protection
and Fire Fighting Requirements for High Rise Buildings in India.
INTRODUCTION
•Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted
effects of potentially destructive fires.
•A fire protection system includes: devices, wiring, piping, equipment, and
controls to detect fire or smoke, to actuate signal, and to suppress the fire or
smoke.
•Objectives of fire protection
1) Primary objectives: to save lives and protect property.
2)Secondary objective: to minimize interruptions of service due to a fire.
Current trends in building design and modern lifestyles contributing to serious
fire hazards:
1) High-rise buildings: Buildings become taller and more densely situated.
2) Architectural design: Larger areas and open spaces. Less separation walls.
3) Controlled indoor environment: Constructed of fixed glass windows instead of
operable windows in order to mechanically control temperature, humidity and air quality
and to minimize a stack effect.
4) Increased use of combustible materials: Furnishings, equipment, and decorative
finishes made of materials such as plastic and synthetics are a source of toxic gas and
smoke during a fire.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIRE AND CONSTRUCTION HAZARDS
FIRE LOAD
•Fire load is the amount of heat in kilocalories (kcal) which is liberated per square
meter of floor area of any compartment by the combustion of the contents of the
building and any combustible part of the building itself. This amount of heat is used
as the basis of grading of occupancy's
•The fire load is determined by multiplying the weight of all combustible materials
by their calorific value and dividing the floor area under consideration
Classification of Hazards
•Light (low) hazard: Locations where the total amount of Class A combustible
materials is minor. >275000 kcal/m
•Ordinary (moderate) hazard: Locations where Class A combustibles and Class B
flammables are present in greater amounts than expected under light hazard
occupancies. >550000 kcal/m
•Extra (high) hazard: Locations with large quantities of highly combustible materials
and conditions are such that fires could develop quickly with high heat release.>
1100000 kcal/m2
Classification of Fires ( according to NFPA, U.S.A.)
•Class A -Fires of ordinary combustible materials such as wood, cloth, paper,
rubber, and many plastics.
•Class B-Fires in flammable liquids, oils, greases, tar, oil-base paints, lacquers,
and flammable gases.
•Class C
-Fires that involve energized electrical equipment. Extinguishing
medium must not be a conductor of electricity.
•Class D -Fires of combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium,
sodium, lithium, and potassium.
Use or Occupancy
•Group A: Assembly. Occupied by more than 1000 people (A-1), less than 1000 people , and
other situations (A-3, A-4, and A-5).
•Group B: Business. Used for offices, professions or service-type transactions.
•Group E: Educational. Elementary schools (E-1, E-2), day care (E-3).
•Group F: Factory. Moderate hazard (F-1), low Hazard (F-2).
•Group H: Hazard. Group H-1 through H-7, depending on the hazardous material being
handled or stored.
•Group I: Institutional. Nurseries, hospital, nursing homes (I-1), others (I-2, I-3).
•Group M: Mercantile-display, storage and sale of merchandise.
•Group R: Residential
-Hotels, motels, or boarding houses (R-1)
-Multifamily dwellings (R-2)
-One-family or two family dwellings (R-3) child care (R-4)
•Group S: Storage
-Moderate hazard (S-1)
-Low hazard (S-1)
-Repair garage(S-3)
-Open parking garage (S-4)
-Aircraft (S-5)
•Group U: Utility. Buildings not covered by the above groups
Type of Construction
•Building construction is divided into types 1 through 5.
•Type 1: (Fire-Resistive) structures are high-rises, and they’re the stoutest of all
construction types when exposed to fire. High-rises are usually defined as buildings more
than 15m tall. Type 1 structures are constructed of concrete and protected steel .
•Type 2: (Non-Combustible) construction is typically found in new buildings and
remodels of commercial structures. The walls and roofs are constructed of non-
combustible materials. Specifically, walls are usually reinforced masonry.
•Type 3: (Ordinary)buildings can be of either new or old construction, and they have
non-combustible walls and a wood roof. Older construction buildings may consist of
unreinforced masonry and have a conventionally framed roof, while newer buildings will
have lightweight roof systems supported by reinforced masonry or tilt slab.
•Type 4: (Heavy Timber)construction is found in older buildings and utilizes large
dimensional lumber for structural members and interior elements. These buildings hold
up well under fire conditions, but it’s critical that firefighters not feel a false sense of
security
•Type 5: (Wood-Framed) construction is found in many modern homes. The walls and
roofs are made of combustible materials—most commonly wood. If the walls are wood-
framed, the roof usually is as well.
FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS
1.All buildings more than one storey shall provided with liberally designed and safe fireproof exits
or escapes
2.The exits shall be so placed that they are always immediately accessible and each is capable of
taking all persons on that floor as alternative escape routes may be rendered and unusable and
unsafe due to fire.
3.Escape routes shall be well ventilated as persons using the escapes are likely to be overcome by
smoke and fumes which may enter from the fire.
4.Fire proof doors shall confirm rigidly to the fire safety requirements.
5.Where fire resisting doors are employed as cut off or fire breaks they shall be maintained in
good working order so that they may be readily opened to allow quick escapes of person trapped
in that section of the building and also, when necessary prompt rescue work can be expeditiously
carried out.
6.Electrical and mechanical lifts while reliable under normal conditions may not always relied on
for escape purposes in the event of a fire, as the electrical supplied to the building itself may be cut
off or otherwise interrupted, or those relying as mechanical drive may not have the driving powder
available.
7.Lift shafts and stairways invariably served as flues or tunnels thus increasing the fire by increased
drought and their design shall be such as to reduce or avoid this possibility and consequent spread
of fire.
8.False ceiling, either for sound effects or air conditioning or other similar purpose shall be so
constructed as to prevent either total or early collapsed in the event of fire so that person
underneath are not fatally trapped before they have the time to reach the exits, shall apply to
cinema theaters and other public or private buildings where many people congregate.
9.Whatever be the class or purpose of the building the design and construction shall embody the
fire retardant for ceilings and roofs.
10.Floorsare required to withstand the effect of fire for the full period stated for particular
grading. The design and construction of floors shall be of such a standard that shall obviate any
replacement, partial or otherwise, because experience shows that certain type of construction
stand up satisfactorily against collapse and suffer when may first be considered as negligible
damage, but in practice later involve complete stripping down and either total or major
replacement. This consideration shall also be applied to other elements of structure where
necessary.
11.Roofs for the various fire grades of the building shall be designed and constructed to
withstand the effect of fire for the maximum period for the particular grading and this requires
concrete or equivalent construction. It is however important that maximum endurance is
provided.
12.Basements. Where basements are necessary for a building where such basements are used
for storage, provision shall be made for the escape of any heat arising due to fire and for
liberating and smoke may be caused. It is essential that fire resistant of the basement shall
confirmed to the highest order and all column for supporting upper structures shall have a
grading not less than laid down in types 1 to 3.
13.Smoke extraction from basements. The following requirements shall be provided
for smoke extraction :
❖Unobstructed smoke extracts having direct communications with the open air shall
be provided in or adjoining the external wall and in positions easily accessible for
firemen in an emergency.
❖The area of smoke extracts shall be distributed as far as possible, around the
perimeter to encourage flow of smoke and gases where it is impractical to provide a
few large extracts for eg:-not less than 3 m2 in area, a number of small extracts having
the same gross area shall be provided.
❖Covers to the smoke extracts shall, where practicable, be provided in the stall board
and pavement light at pavement level, and be constructed of light cast iron frame or
other construction which may be readily broken by fireman in emergency. The covers
shall be suitably marked.
❖When they pass through fire resisting separations, smoke extracts shall in all cases
be completely separated from other compartments in the building by enclosures of
the appropriate grade of fire resistance. In other cases, steel metal duct may be
provided.
❖Where these are sub basements, the position of the smoke extracts from sub
basements and basements shall be suitably indicted and distinguished on the
externals faces of the building
FIRE SAFETY DESIGN
PLANNING FOR FIRE PROTECTION
•(INITIAL EFFORT):Potable and manual firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers, fans,
and a first-aid fire hose, are used to extinguish the fire and to remove smoke by dilution or
exhaustion.
•(MAIN EFFORT):Fire suppression systems, such as automatic sprinklers, fire hoses, and other
systems, are used to extinguish the fire. Smoke control systems are activated to remove or
confine the spread of smoke.
•(LAST EFFORT):The fire department takes over the firefighting effort when all previous efforts
are ineffective
DETECTION
SMOKE DETECTOR
▪Smoke detectors are quicker to respond than thermal detectors.
I. Photoelectric type
II. Ionization type
THERMAL DETECTORS
Thermal detectors are temperature-activated sensors to initiate an alarm.
•Fixed-temperature type: This sensor consists of normally open contact held by
bimetallic elements that will close the contacts when the ambient temperature
reaches a fixed setting. The setting is generally designed for operation at 57℃,
88℃, or 94℃.
•Rate-of-rise (ROR) type: This sensor reacts to the rate at which the temperature
rises. It contains a sealed but slightly vented air chamber which expands quickly
when the temperature near the device rises quickly. When the air chamber
expands faster than it can be vented, electrical contacts attached to the chamber
begin to close and thus initiate an alarm.
•3) Combination type: This device reacts to both a fixed temperature and a rate
of rise.
Residential Premises Fire Protection System
• Fire Hose System Dry Riser/Wet Riser
• Automatic Sprinkler Systems
• Potable fire extinguishers,
• Fire alarm Systems
