Construction Tech - Worcesters Flashcards
What are the RIBA Stages?
- 0 – Strategic Definition
- 1 – Preparation and Brief
- 2 – Concept Design
- 3 – Developed Design
- 4 – Technical Design
- 5 – Construction
- 6 – Handover and Close Out
- 7 – In Use
What are the CIBSE illustrated guides?
- Published by the BSRIA
- 4 guidance notes that give a basic outline on mechanical and electrical services
Guide A: Environmental Design
Guide B: Heating, Ventilation & A/C
Guide C: Reference Data
Guide D: Transportation Systems in Building
Guide E: Fire Safety Engineering
Guide F: Energy Efficiency
Guide G: Public Health & Plumbing
Guide H: Building Control Systems
Guide J: Weather & Solar
Guide K: Electricity in Buildings
Guide L: Sustainability
Guide M: Maintenance
What does CIBSE stand for?
Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers
What does a fire door need to have?
- Should be appropriately fire rated and the associated frame should have the same fire rating!
- Should open in the direction of escape if more than 60 people are anticipated to be using the escape route.
- Intumescent strip and cold smoke seal fitted to the tops and side of the door leaf or the frame itself.
- Door closer.
- 3 sets of fire rated hinges to each door.
- Vision panels formed of fire rated glass (if the fire doors on escape routes divides corridors or the door is hung to swing both ways)
- Gap between door and frame should be 3mm.
- Fire door signs should be fitted to both sides of the door.
- Fire door retainer (dorgard) can be installed to legally hold open the fire door - the system holds the door open but will automatically release in response to the sound of a fire alarm
What areas did you look at in respect of fire compartmentation?
- Quality of doors throughout circulation areas and classrooms
used a fire door gap gauge to assess gaps around the frame & floor - Identifying presence of fire-stopping to services
- Looking into roof voids to look at compartmentation between classrooms
What did you observe?
- Gaps, missing self-closers, damaged smoke seals to doors
- Corridors – open vents between classroom walls and circulation areas
- Lack of fire-stopping to services
- Incorrect signage to non-fire rated doors
- Lack of separation between classrooms in roof voids
What fire compartmentation did you specify?
- FD30s fire rated doors to each classroom
- FD60s fire rated doors to double doorsets in circulation areas
- Filling each open vent with FD30 fire rated plasterboard (pink plasterboard)
- Rockwool pipe collars
- Rockwool batts / firestop compound
Why did you specify FD30/60? Why S? What BS does this?
- Specified FD30s / FD60s to stop spread of cold smoke in event of a fire
- Specified installation of smoke brushes in addition to intumescent seals
- Provide a barrier to stop spread of fire when close & means of escape when opened
- Stress testing undertaken as per BS 476 Part 22:1987
What guidance did you look at?
- Approved Document B: Fire safety
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Fire Safety Act 2022
What certification did you specify for each fire rated element?
- FIRAS certification
- Certfire
- BM TRADA
How do you achieve fire compartmentation?
- Fire resisting construction cavity barriers, with fire stopping as necessary
- Approved Document B defines as cavity as “any concealed space”, cavity barriers should be provided in the following situations:
o To divide cavities at junctions and cavity closures
o Close the edges of cavities at junctions and cavity closures
o To protected escape routes
o To cavities affecting alternative escape routes - Fire doors with frame and furniture, must meet requirement of BS 476-22 (testing) or BS EN 1634-1
- Extending each partition into the roof space to ensure compartmentation of each classroom
- Compartmentation achieved by:
o Gyroc FireLine plasterboard to achieve 30 minute rating – 12.5mm
What did you specify for fire-stopping to services?
Rockwool Firepro HS firestop compound
o Unsupported spans up to 1800mm
o High load bearing capacity
o Multiple or single service penetrations
o Formed into blocks
o Setting time between 30 and 90 minutes
- Installation: trowel stiff mix into opening to correct depth, using non-combustible shuttering material to support the mix until it sets for larger holes
o Pre-cast into blocks
o Fit closure device / material fitted to each services before installation (e.g. pipe collars)
Rockwool firepro pipe collars CE
o High performance intumescent
o Up to EI240 fire resistance
o Suit plastic pipes ranging from 32mm to 160mm
- Installation:
o Solid block, masonry walls – need min thickness of 100mm
o Ensure firestop compound is used around the penetration
o Lock the pipe collar around the pipe by closing the fixing strap, push collar flush to surface of the wall
o Fasten with fire rated fixings - 3no 80mm steel pigtail screws
Rockwool firepro high expansion intumescent sealant
o Sealing combustible pipe and metal pipes with combustible insulation
o Compatible with cPVC pipes
- Installation:
o Prepare joint by cleaning surface, gun firmly into the joint to give good solid fill to required depth
What ironmongery did you specify?
– BS1935 – Building Hardware – Single Axis Hinges
- BS EN 1154 – Building Hardware – Controlled door Closing Devices
- BS1155 – Electrically Powered Hold Open Devices
What is FIRAS?
- 3rd party certification scheme for installation contractors of fire protection systems
- Accredited by UKAS to BS EN ICO/IEC 17065:2012
- 3 stage assessment process:
o Assessment of office management systems
o Assessment of workmanship of site for all trade disciplines for which certification is sought
o Competence assessment of supervisory and installation employees - Certification requirements developed with UK trade associations such as:
o Association for Specialist Fire Protection
o British Woodworking Federation
o Glass & Glazing Federation
What building regulations apply?
- Approved Document B: Fire Safety
- Approved Document M: Access to and the use of buildings
- Approved Document 7: Materials and workmanship
- ## Approved Document P: Electrical Safety
What are the types of fire protection system?
- Active
- Passive
What are the differences between the two?
Active: requires action to be taken to detect an alert, stop or contain fire – e.g. making a manual action like using fire extinguisher, or smoke detector that triggers an alarm or automatic sprinkler
o Fire alarm systems – detect fires early
o Emergency escape lighting – use in event of power failure
o Fire suppression / sprinkler systems – contain with CO2, inert gases, foam or water
o Smoke ventilation – allow smoke to escape from a building, keep corridors smoke free
Passive: prevent spread of fire throughout a building, limiting damage to buildings from fire and smoke – has to be regularly maintained
o Fire doors – internal doors slow fire / smoke from spreading
o Compartmentation / fire stopping – ensures walls, floors, ceilings have continuous fire resistance
o Fire curtain – secure, unobtrusive and cost-effective alternative to fire doors
o Fire & smoke dampers – installed where ducts from heating, ventilation or air con system pass through walls / floors. May be activated be an active system e.g. fire and smoke damper linked to main alarm system
What is the difference between fire integrity and insulation?
Integrity
- Ability of element / system’s ability to withstand and prevent passage of fire and smoke through holes, gaps, cracks, etc.
- E.g. FD30, FD60, etc.
Insulation
- Element / system’s ability to withstand the heat from the fire
What are the requirements of approved document B for fire doors?
- Approved Document B2 – Buildings Other than Dwelling Houses
- In a common parts, forming part of a protected stairway the doors must be FD30S
- In compartment walls separating buildings must be a minimum of FD60
What widths are the doors required to be?
- Basis provided in approved document M2 (access and use of buildings other than dwellings)
- 750mm for existing buildings, 775mm at right angles to access routes at least 1200mm wide.
- BS9999 provides a more fire engineered calculation, based on the use, risk categories and occupancy characteristics.
What widths are the doors required to be?
- Basis provided in approved document M2 (access and use of buildings other than dwellings)
- Straight on without a turn = New building 800mm, existing 750mm
- At right angles to access route at least 1,500mm wide = new building 800mm, existing 750mm
- At right angles to access route at least 1,200mm wide = new 825mm, existing 775mm
- External doors to buildings used by general public = new 1,000mm, existing 775mm
