The Buildings Design in Abu Dhabi - Report Example

Please ignore: This is just a working copy (the actual order but smaller file fit for system uploading). Please us the main file containing the updated version. CHAPTER 10 – RESEARCH NOVELTY 10. Research Novelty Introduction To create and recommend a guideline in the application or use of performance fire engineering based design in sustainable buildings design in Abu Dhabi is the main novelty of this research. This is particular is the application of fire engineering in Abu Dhabi’s innovative sustainable buildings based on knowledge acquired from various literature, fieldwork, analysis of various technical documents, and insights or understanding of different causes and effects acquired from this study. These include the ability to: a. Contribute to existing knowledge of fire safety practices for sustainable buildings in Abu Dhabi. b. Contribute to the improvement of existing regulatory function of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence or ADCD. c. Provide extensive, clear, and unbiased information regarding the usefulness of applying PBD in sustainable building’s fire safety design. d. Offer informed recommendation and constructively criticise current design trend of sustainable buildings in Abu Dhabi based on comprehensive technical knowledge. e. Help in better understanding of local construction requirements, appropriate approval procedures, roles and responsibilities of AHJ, and establishing harmonious relationship between the construction industry and construction-related government agencies administering the requirements of building regulations. f. Provide in-depth knowledge of current problems arising from disintegrated approving bodies, inadequacy in codes, and conflicts in approval process that affect different aspects of building performance including fire safety and sustainability. g. Provide knowledge of various important factors associated with design criteria used in evaluating PBD such as the difference in the effect of local and international data. Guidelines in the application of performance fire engineering based design in Abu Dhabi sustainable buildings. Fire Safety Practices in Sustainable Buildings A. Improving Regulatory Functions of ADCD The basis of this guideline for improving ADCD’s regulation function include the evidence provided by the case studies, result from both qualitative and quantitative surveys, and reports from the House of Expert for Masdar City Project, ADNEC, and others (ARUP Gulf Ltd). As discussed in Chapter 8, ADCD performance is somewhat low in terms of its fire safety functions. In particular, there are evident inadequacies in ADCD’s fire safety design requirements, weakness in evaluating performance-based designs, and inability to implement critical fire safety features in actual building construction. In the ARUP’s 2011 report for Capital Gate (ADNEC) for instance, a number of ADCD related issues were cited that include: a. Failure to check required drawings for basement b. Use of outdated and incomplete drawings c. Inability to identify discrepancies in actual construction and those in drawings d. Smaller Fire Command Centre in actual construction e. Absence of 2 hours fire resisting doors in mezzanine and link bridge f. A number of incorrect path of travel and travel distances in both drawings and actual construction g. Wrong direction of exit doors h. Inconsistencies in furniture layout and occupancy load i. There is no clear requirements for safe escape time during evacuation j. Various errors in reporting These ADCD associated regulation issues is not limited to ADNEC but also found in a report submitted for MASDAR City in 2007. These include a number of variations in fire safe construction such as: k. ADCDs requirement conflict with NFPA 101 specification for travel distances l. Fire ratings of corridors that is higher than actually required for non-high rise building. m. Incompatibility of ADCD standpipes and horse reels requirements with NFPA 14. n. Incorrect application of smoke control such as those noted in the report below “ADCD require that all stairs on the MASDAR site, in both low rise and high rise buildings, are located in smoke proof enclosures. It should be noted that where pressurisation systems are used a minimum of 25 Pa pressure difference must be maintained across the fire barrier. The requirement for smoke proof stairs in low-rise buildings introduces additional materials to the design of each building. MASDAR and Arup would like to propose that smoke proof stairs are not required for low rise buildings in accordance with NFPA” o. Lays bys for emergency vehicles rejected because they are not required. B. ADCD Related Guidelines The above are only some of the problems identified with ADCD’s knowledge implementation of building regulation codes and the following guidelines may help in improve the current ADCD situation. a. Improve performance by establishing safety design management program containing details of fire safety design processing training program with clear goals and objectives, and assessment procedure. b. Fire safety design administration that include regular inspections, keeping fire records, providing technical assistance, compliance check of both code, and maintenance of safety devices, equipments, and systems. This compliance should be tested through inspection and periodic testing. c. In case of PBD, maintenance, inspection, and testing should follow the requirements set by the designer. d. Require additional documentation whenever fire-engineering methodologies were used in the design. e. Have a separate provision for green and sustainable building fire safety for quick and accurate decision on whether such design pass or fail the codes expectations. Moreover, since such provision is created specifically to a type of building requiring. Usefulness of PBD in Sustainable Building’s Fire Safety Design C. Field work evidence of usefulness As discussed in Section 9, the intention to cooling cost or energy consumption at a certain level is not always achieved thus sustainable. Therefore, strategy to make sustainable building design should: a. Take into account the purpose of the design. b. It should not interfere with the sustainability of buildings. c. Give equal priority to both sustainability and fire safety. As discussed in Section 7.1.2, analysis of fieldwork data suggest strong consensus in the usefulness of PBD. The various reasons provided included: a. Fire engineering is viewed as perfect approach for innovative buildings b. Prescriptive fire safety code is difficult to follow, restrictive, and irrelevant to building designs requiring higher fire safety level. c. Incompatible international standards to AD local conditions. d. PBD can succeed when local codes and standards are revised, regulatory bodies are integrated, and design based on local condition is considered. e. PBD design and application can improve fire management. f. ADCD design requirements are inadequate to ensure safe. D. Evidence provided by ADNEC Case Study, where PBD was considered and applied. a. PBD prevents fire for spreading through internal space between the double façade thus ADNEC truss system is protected. b. PBD prevent vertical fire spread through internal vertical opening. c. The structure characteristics of truss system, which make each steel member of truss, work as column and beam was another PBD task in order to choose the probable steel protection rate. d. So, it was concluded that the steel member will be protected with the same rate protection of the beams as a result of the previous assumption: e. No need to protect the internal space in the double membrane façade system, which contains the truss system. f. So, the steel member fire rating degree was downgraded to be 2 hr (required for beam) instead of 3 hr (required for column). Criticism of Current Trend in Sustainable Building Design and Recommendations Based on Facts a. The instantaneous move towards sustainability overwhelmed the building control, and approval process misplaced the most important requirements of common buildings-fire safety. b. Building regulations in Abu Dhabi was left behind and remains prescriptive and limited to traditional building design. c. Administrative and technical difficulties being experienced by fire safety designers seeking authorization with performance-based design. d. As evidenced by case studies and survey results, sustainable buildings that were already built in line with ESTIDAMA program seems designed and constructed with little or no concern about fire safety. e. Fire safety features were generally insufficient or totally absent despite its importance to occupants’ safety and to the overall sustainability of a building. f. Most sustainable designs intend to maximize natural lighting for energy efficiency. g. They often tend to incorporate large and open spaces such as an atrium for natural ventilation. h. They tend to use thermal protection as part of energy saving design i. These considerably large open spaces are actually uncontrolled ventilation Generally: a. Internal building voids and natural ventilation are the most problematic compared to double-skin facade and thermal insulation. b. Misunderstanding, knowledge gap, convincing fire code official that the design is compliant with the performance requirements is often problematic. c. In technical and administrative restrictions, unfamiliarity of fire code officials with the technicalities of performance-based design often result to misunderstanding and subsequent disapproval of design. d. PBD tend to make code officials weary and reluctant to review, approve, inspect, and certify completion of PBD based works. e. The fire safety culture of individuals also effects the adaption of performance-based design particularly when it does not directly specify compliance with performance requirements and showing contrary features to code officials’ fire safety attitude and belief. Local Building Requirements and Appropriate Functions and Procedures for AHJ a. Sustainable building design and urban planning practices dominated by prescriptive regulations, compact city, and zero emissions concepts. b. Building safety practices remain prescriptive despite adoption of customised international building codes. c. Climatic characteristics in AD should taken into account for successful operation of fire safety measures d. Use of prescriptive fire safety codes in sustainable buildings is irrelevant and incompatible. 10.1.1.1 Resolving Disintegration in Regulatory Bodies, Adequacy in Codes, and the Conflict between Fire Safety and Sustainability a. Elimination biases in equivalency provision b. Insertion of specific fire safety provisions green buildings c. Regulatory bodies’ integration and recognition of performance-based design is seen as a common solution for AD building’s performance. d. Add more provisions for design review and approval procedures, inspection and maintenance activities, and testing of performance-based systems. 10.1.1.2 Local Inputs in Design Criteria a. Absence of local fire engineering data makes application and acceptance of PBD difficult. b. Building code does not contain l local data thus no common basis for fire code official and PBD designer. Read More