PROVISION FOR FIRE PROTECTION IN HIGH

RISE BUILDINGS

1405005AARTI RANI

SEM-03ADIII

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING TYPE

• Buildings, 15m or more in height are considered as High Rise Buildings.

• All buildings are classified in group on the basis of their use or the character of occupancy.

•Residential buildings come under GROUP A.

A-1Lodging and Rooming house A-2 One or two family

private dwelling

A-3 DormitoriesA-4 Apartment

A-5 Hotels

RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

FIRE ZONEDEMARCATION- For the purpose of coding, city or

area under jurisdiction or authority is demarcated into distinct zones, based on fire hazard inherent in the building and structures according to occupancy.

Group A or Residential buildings are comprised in FIRE ZONE NO. 1.

FIRE PREVENTION

Every building shall be so constructed, equipped, maintained and operated as to avoid undue

danger to the life and safety of the occupants from fire, smoke, fumes or panic during the time

period necessary for escape.

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION• The design of any building and the type of materials used in its

construction are crucial in determining the building’s fire resistance.

• The fire resistance of a building or its structural and non-structural elements is expressed in hours against a specified fire load (Fire Load — Calorific energy, of the whole contents contained in a space, including the facings of the walls, partitions, floors and ceilings) which is expressed in kcal/sq m, and against a certain intensity of fire.

• For high rise buildings, non-combustible materials should be used for construction.

Fire Resistance Ratings of Structural and Non-

Structural Elements (in Hours)S. NO. STRUCTURAL ELEMENT CONSTRUCTION TYPE NO. OF HOURS

1. Walls Type 1 construction 42. Reinforcement Cement Concrete 120 mm thick 13. Bricks of clay (without finish) 170 mm thick 14. Timber stud(frame, 600 mm) 25 mm plasterboard 15. Framed wall with plaster 13 mm thick 16. Exposed Reinforced concrete column 200 mm thick 17. Prestressed covered concrete beam 100 mm thick 18. Reinforced cont Concrete floor 95 mm thick 19. Encased Steel column (concrete

protected)50mm 1

10. Timber floor with plasterboard 31 mm thick 111. Timber floor (25mm) with asbestos

sheet9mm (asbestos) 1.5

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• A building may be occupied during construction, repairs, alteration or addition only if all the means of exit and well maintained fire protection measures are in place.

• During construction of a high rise building following measures must be taken:Dry riser pipe (100 mm dia) with hydrant outlets should be

constructed on all floors with a fire service inlet and in well maintained condition should be laid down.

2000 L capacity water drum with 2 fire buckets on each floor.There should be a 20,000 L capacity water storage tank.

OPEN SPACES AND STREET WIDTH

• Buildings should have 6m wide open space on its four sides.

• At least one side main street should be 12m wide.

• For buildings with height above 30m, the road should not be a dead end.

• The premises should have at least 4.5 m wide and 5 m high gateway.

SET BACK AND STREET WIDTH

OPEN SPACE

ROAD WIDTH

MINIMUM SET BACKS ACCORDING TO BUILDING HEIGHT

Up to 18m high

FIRE SAFETY AND SERVICES• Electrical and ventilation services- Electrical installations, air-

conditioning and ventilation should be installed and maintained so as to minimize the danger of spread of fire, smoke or fumes from one floor to other.

• Air-conditions and ventilation should be provided with manual and automatic control to shut automatically in case of fire and stop it from spreading.

• Smoke venting-Smoke venting facilities should be provided for ensuring safe exit with automatic and manual control both.

OPENINGS AND FIRE SAFETY• Every wall opening should be protected with a fire

resistant door with fire rating of min 2 h.

• Openings in wall or floor for the passage of services should be enclosed by shaft or duct with fire rating of 2 hour.

• Every vertical opening should be enclosed or protected to ensure the escape of its occupants and limit the damage to the building.

ADDITIONAL PRECAUTION-SURFACE INTERIOR FINISHES

• The finishing material used for surfaces should not generate toxic fume on burning.

• Surfacing materials are divided into four types:

SURFACES FLAME SPREAD TYPE USE

Class 1 Very low flame spread Any situation

Class 2 Low flame spread All except wall, facade, corridors, staircase

Class 3 Medium flame spread Only in living rooms and bedrooms as partition

Class 4 Rapid flame spread(ex-untreated fibreboard )

As ceiling lining.Not in kitchens, corridors and staircase.

GLAZING

• Wired glasses should have minimum ½ hr fire resistance rating.

• The sashes and frame should be entirely made of iron/stainless steel or other suitable metal.

• Electro copper glazing, casement, skylight will also follow the same criteria.

• The glass used for facade of a high rise building should have minimum 1 hr fire resistance rating.

• Louvers should have minimum fire resistance rating of ½ hour.

OCCUPANCY-WISE REQUIREMENTS

DESIGN PRECAUTIONS Every individual living unit covered by occupancy sub-division A-

4 shall comply with the requirement for occupancy subdivision A-2 in respect of exits.more than two rooms, every occupied room, excluding areas used

solely for storage shall have at least two means of exits, at least one of which shall be a door or a stairway providing a means of un-obstructed travel to the outside of the building or street or grade level.

a common path of travel may be permitted for the first 6 m (that is a dead end corridor up to 6 m long may be permitted).

No room or space shall be occupied which is accessible only by a ladder, folding stairs or through a trap door.

Any part of building lower than the grade level or street shall have direct accessibility from outside.

At least half of required exits shall discharge direct to the outside of the buildings; any other exit shall be the same as required for hotels.

LIFE SAFETY

GENERAL EXIT REQUIREMENTS

Every building meant for human occupancy should be provided with exits sufficient to permit safe escape of its occupants, in case of fire, or emergency.

• An exit can be-A doorwayCorridorPassageway(s) to internal or external

staircase/ verandah /terrace, which has access to the street, or to the roof or a refuge area.

An horizontal exit leading to an adjoining building at the same level.

• Lifts and escalators shall NOT be considered as exits.

• All exits should be free of obstructions and well equipped to be used in case of fire or other emergency.

• Exits should be– Clearly visible– Illuminated to value of 1 ft candle– Should provide continuous means of escape to

the exterior or should lead to the street– Route to reach the exit shall be clearly marked– Signs posted to guide the occupants of the floor

concerned.– SIGNS shall be

Wired to an independent electrical circuit on an alternative source of supply.

The colour of the exit signs shall be in accordance with good practice. Illuminated The colour of exits should be GREEN.

EXIT- NUMBER, CAPACITY AND ARRANGEMENT

OCCUPANCY LOAD•For Residential (group A) OCCUPANCY LOAD should be 12.5 sq m/person on each floor.

CAPACITY OF EXITS•The unit of exit width, used to measure the capacity of any exit, is 500 mm.•In Residential (group A) occupants per unit exit width should be

EXIT MODE NO OF OCCUPANTSStairways 25Ramps 50Doors 75

ARRANGEMENTS OF EXIT• Total time taken to evacuate a floor by all its

occupants should not exceed 2½ min.

• The travel distance to an exit from the dead end of a corridor should not be more than 22.5-30 m. (in case of fully sprinklered building, the travel distance can be increased by 50% .)

• In case of more than one exit, it should be placed as remote from each other as possible and should have direct access in separate directions from any point.

• The internal walls of staircase enclosures should be of brick work or reinforced concrete or any other material of construction with minimum of 2 h rating.

• They should be of enclosed type.• At least one of them should be on

the external walls and should open directly to an open space of safety.

• All corridors(minimum 1000mm) and staircase lobbies should be adequately ventilated.

• EXIT DOORWAYS– should open into an enclosed

stairway or any exit.– The exit width should not be less

than 1000 mm.– should open outward.– Should have a landing before the

flight of stairs, equal to the width of the door.

– Should be openable from the side which they serve.

• All high rise buildings having floor area more than 500 sq m on each floor should have a minimum of TWO STAIRCASES.

INTERNAL STAIRCASE• It should be constructed of non- combustible material.• Self- contained unit with one external wall and completely

enclosed.• Should not be arranged round a lift shaft.• No gas piping or electrical panels. Ducting allowed only if it

has 1 hr fire resistance rating. • The minimum headroom in a passage under the landing

should be 2.4 m.• Maximum 15 in number • per flight.• Handrails at a height of • 1000mm.

Minimum width = 1000mm.Minimum width of tread (with nosing) =250 mm Maximum height of riser =190 mm.

STAIRCASE ENCLOSED AND PROVIDED WITH

SIGNAGE

SIGNAGE• Exit sign (size=0.5mX0.5m)

should be provided at a suitable height and adequately illuminated.

• In case of single staircase, it should terminate at the ground floor level and the access to the basement should be by a separate staircase.

• The separate staircase to the basement too should be ventilated.

EXTERNAL STAIRCASEIt is highly desirable in high rise buildings.• It should be always kept in sound operable condition.• Should be directly connected to the ground.• Entrance to the external staircase should be separate and

remote from the internal staircase.• No wall opening or window should open to a external staircase.• Should be free of obstructions.• Should be built of non- combustible material.• The angle of inclination should not exceed 45⁰.• Unprotected steel frame staircase is not accepted as means of

escape.• But acceptable if enclosed with 2 hr fire resistant compartment.

Minimum width = 1000mm.Minimum width of tread (with nosing) =250 mm Maximum height of riser =190 mm.Handrails height =1000-1200 mm.

Spiral staircase should have a diameter of minimum 1500mm.

HORIZONTAL EXITS• Minimum width= 1000 mm.• Openable doors on both sides.• Should be self-enclosing type with minimum

1hr fire resistance.• Direct connectivity to the fire escape staircase.• For buildings more than 24m in height, a

REFUGE AREA of 15 sq m (0.3 sq m per person) should be provided to accommodate the occupants of two consecutive floors.– For floors above 24m and up to 39m- one refuge

area on the 25th floor.– For floors above 39m-one refuge area on 40th

floor and so on after every 15m (i.e., approx 5 floors).

REFUGE AREA

RAMPS• They should comply with all the requirements for staircase

regarding enclosure, capacity and limiting dimensions.• SLOPE OF RAMP SHOULD NOT EXCEED 1:10.• In danger of slipping, non-slipping material should be

applied on the surface.

FIRE LIFTSFire Lift — The lift installed to enable fire services personnel to reach different floors with minimum delay, having such features as required in accordance with this Part.

• High buildings can be provided with fire lift with a minimum capacity of 8 passengers and fully automated with emergency switch on ground level.

• In case of fire, only fireman should operate the fire lift.• Should be equipped with inter communication equipment.• Its position and number can be determined by considering

population,, floor area, compartmentation.

RAMP WITH SLOPE 1:10 WITH HANDRAILS

A sign indicate that is a Fireman's elevator. That is also a normal Kone passenger elevator when it not in fire service mode.

ILLUMINATION OF MEANS OF LIGHTING

• Emergency Lighting — Lighting provided for use when the supply to the normal lighting fails.

• Emergency Lighting System — A complete but discrete emergency lighting installation from the standby power source to the emergency lighting lamp(s), for example, self-contained emergency luminataire or a circuit from central battery generator connected through wiring to several escape luminaries.

• Escape Lighting — That part of emergency lighting which is provided to ensure that the escape route is illuminated at all material times, for example, at all times when persons are on the premises, or at times the main lighting is not available, either for the whole building or for the escape routes.

FIRE PROTECTION

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS/FIXED FIRE FIGHTING INSTALLATION

All buildings depending upon the occupancy use and height should be protected by fire extinguishers, wet riser, down-comer, automatic sprinkler installation, high/ medium velocity water spray, water storage tanks, fire pumps etc, according to the provision.

Generally used fire fighting equipments in GROUP A buildings:1. FIRE EXTINGUISHER2. HOSE REEL3. WET RISER4. DOWN COMER5. HYDRANT6. PUMP7. AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM8. UNDERGROUND STATIC WATER-STORAGE TANK.9. ILLUMINATED EXIT-WAY MARKING SIGNS10. AUTOMATIC/ MANUALLY OPERATE FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEM 1. FIRE EXTINGUISHER

FIRE FIGHTING REQUIREMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

NOTES2. Required to be installed in basement if area of basement exceeds 200 sq m.

4. Additional value given in parenthesis shall be added if basement area exceeds200 sq m.

8. To be installed in basement. If basement provided is used for car parking and area thereofexceeds750 m’ then the sprinklers shall be fed water from both underground static water storage tank and terrace tank.

10. To be installed in entire building.

19. One electric and one diesel pump of capacity 1620L/min and one electric pump of capacity 180L/min.

20. One electric and one diesel pump of capacity 2280L/min and one electric pump of capacity 180L/min

HOSE REEL• It is a high-pressure hose that

carries water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it.

• It can be attached to a building’s standpipe or plumbing system, with a high structure to accommodate the length of a hose to let it dry after use.

• It works on a pressure of 8-20 kpa.

WET RISER• WET RISERS are used to supply water

within buildings for fire-fighting purposes. Wet risers are permanently charged with water.

• A WET RISER PUMP draws water from wet riser storage tank and two sets of pump, with landing valves at specified locations on each floor.

• It should be supplied with power from emergency generator.

• Wet riser (diameter 150mm)cum down comer or only down comer system shall be provided for residential building.

• For each 1000sq m floor area or it’s part one riser shall be provided.

• Group A, high rise buildings should have the riser mains of size 100mm as single outlet landing valves.

• At every landing twin outlet each of 63mm dia. shall be provided (one should be connected to hose reel & another should be to hose & branch).

• Length of hose should be shall that it should reach at the last point of floor area.

• Minimum two courtyard hydrants shall be provided (courtyard hydrant will be an extension to riser).

• Hose reel hose of 12mm dia. shall be provided from landing valve to wet-riser at each floor.

• A separate fire service inlet shall be provided at the ground floor.

• Location of wet-riser shall be preferable as near to staircase.

DRY RISER• It is a form of internal hydrant for the fire-

man to use.

• A dry riser is a normally empty pipe, that can be externally connected to a pressurized water source by fire-fighters.

• It is a vertical pipe intended to distribute water to multiple levels of a building or structure as a component of the fire suppression systems.

• An arrangement of fire fighting within the building by means of vertical rising mains not less than 100 mm internal diameter with landing valves on each floor landing which is normally dry but is capable of being charged with water usually by pumping from fire service appliances.

DOWN-COMERDown-comer —• An arrangement of fire fighting within the building by means of down-comer pipe.• It is connected to terrace tank through terrace pump, gate valve and non- return valve and having mains not less than 100 mm internal diameter.• It has landing valves on each floor/landing. • It is also fitted with inlet connections at ground level for charging with water by pumping from fire service appliances and air release valve at roof level to release trapped air inside.

STATIC WATER STORAGE TANK

• A satisfactory water supply for the purpose of fire fighting should be always available in the form of underground/terrace level static storage tank with capacity 10,000 litres minimum.

• Provision for suitable number of manholes should be made for inspection, repairs etc.• To prevent stagnation of water, the suction tank of the water supply should be fed only

through an overflow arrangement to maintain the level.• Water tank capacity mentioned below is for 1 riser. If the number of risers will be more

than 1, than quantity of water shall be increased in that proportionate.

WATER TANK

UNDER GROUND WATER TANKUnderground water storage tank varies from 50,000 litres. to

250,000 litres. Depending on the type & occupancy of the buildings.

TERRACE LEVEL TANK The capacity of terrace level water storage tank varies from 10,000 litres. To 20,000 litres. Depending on the type & occupancy of the

building.

PUMP CAPACITY• A fire pump is a part of a fire sprinkler system's water supply and powered by electric, diesel or steam. • The pump intake is either connected to the public underground water supply piping, or a static water source (e.g., tank, reservoir, lake). • The pump provides water flow at a• higher pressure to the sprinkler system risers and hose standpipes. • For underground water storage tank, pump shall be installed of a capacity

either 1800 L.P.M. or 2400 L.P.M. depending on the type and occupancy of the building along with jockey pump.

• For terrace level water storage tank, pump shall be installed of a capacity either 450 L.P.M. occupancy of the building.

FIRE HYDRANT• It is a connection point by which fire-fighters can tap into a water supply.• The fire-fighter attaches a hose to the fire hydrant, then opens a valve on the hydrant

to provide a powerful flow of water, on the order of 350 kpa, (50 lb/sq m; can vary)• He can attach this hose to a fire engine, which can use a powerful pump to boost

the water pressure and possibly split it into multiple streams. • Operating a hydrant can be dangerous, in most jurisdictions it is illegal to park a car

within a certain distance of a fire hydrant(generally 3-5m away).

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS

They should be installed in:• Basements used as car parks or storage, area

exceeding 200 sq m.• Multi-level basements, covered upper floors used as

car parks.• Any room or compartment of a building exceeding

1,125 sq m.

Automatic Sprinkler System — A system of water pipes fitted with sprinkler heads at suitable intervals and heights and designed to actuate automatically, control and extinguish a fire by the discharge of water.

FIRE DETECTION In high rise buildings, automatic fire detection and alarm facilities

should be provided to warn its occupants early of the existence of fire, so that they may escape, or to facilitate the orderly conduct of fire exit drills.

They detect and warn people through visual and audio appliances when smoke, fire, carbon dioxide or other emergencies are present.

An important consideration when designing fire alarms is that of individual zones. At least one in a zone. fire alarm should be placed A single zone should not exceed 2,000m² in floor space.A building may be viewed as a single zone if the floor space is less than 300m².

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