04 Fire Safety Design Flashcards
What guidance is available to designers in relation to fire safety?
- Building Regulations Approved Document B (Fire Safety)
- BS 9999:2008 - Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings
- Building Bulletin 100 - Design for fire safety in schools
What are the main requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations?
Covers all precautionary measures necessary to provide safety from fires, including:
- Means of escape
- Fire detection and warning systems
- Fire resistance of structural elements
- Fire separation, protection and compartmentation to prevent fire spread
- Control of flammable materials
- Access and facilities for firefighting
What are the basic principles for means of escape in buildings?
- Should always provide an alternative means of escape (should always be able to turn your back on a fire)
- Protected routes (e.g. compartmentation of staircases and corridors, provision of cavity barriers)
- Maximum travel distances (varies depending on building use)
- Minimum widths (varies depending on occupancy levels)
- Signage
- Emergency/escape lighting
- Refuge point (must be provided for each protected stairway)
- Evacuation lift
- Non-slip flooring
- Ramps (conforming to BS 8300)
What are the maximum travel distances for different building uses?
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What are the main requirements for doors on escape routes?
- Should not contain a lock (although if needed, must be capable of being easily unlocked without a key/combination code - may be connected to the fire alarm to automatically unlock)
- Should open in the direction of escape
- Must open no less than 90°
- Vision panels required on routes sub-dividing corridors or doors that swing both ways
What is the purpose of a fire door?
To protect escape routes from smoke and fire
What are the main provisions for fire doors in dwellings?
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What are the main provisions for fire doors in buildings other than dwellings?
- Must be able to achieve the appropriate performance (set out in Table B1, generally 30 minutes but varies depending on location)
- Must be fitted with self-closing devices (may be held open but automatically released in the event of a fire)
- Must contain the appropriate signage (e.g. ‘fire door keep shut’)
- Intumescent strips
- Smoke seals
- May need a third hinge depending on type/weight
- Any glazing must be fire resistant (e.g. Embedded Georgian wire, tempered and toughened glass etc.)
- Must show the appropriate certification
How is a vision panel within a fire door fitted?
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What is the reason for intumescent material, why do we install it?
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At what temperature does the intumescent material activate?
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What key elements would provide an acceptable refuge?
- Safe waiting areas for disabled people on protected stairways
- Not necessarily in the stairway itself, but needs direct access onto it (e.g. a protected lobby)
- Minimum dimensions: 900mm x 1400mm
- Must not reduce the width of the escape route
- Clearly identified (‘refuge - keep clear’)
- Emergency voice communication (EVC) system should be provided
What is the difference between active and passive fire protection systems?
- Passive fire protection is the primary measure integrated within the construction fabric of a building to provide fire safety and protection
- Active fire protection is fire protection which requires a command signal to operate, i.e. it is responsive
Give some examples of active and passive fire protection systems.
Passive:
- Compartmentation walls/ceilings
- Fire doors
- Cavity barriers
- Intumescent paint on steel
Active:
- Detection/alarm systems
- Fire suppression systems (e.g. sprinkler systems, water mist systems)
- Automatic door closers
What are the main requirements for means of fire/heat detection in buildings?
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