The Safety of Building at Oklahoma State University - Case Study Example

Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. General Description 2.1 Engineering South’s Location 2.2 Basement 2.3 First Floor 2.4 Second Floor 2.5 Third Floor 2.6 Fourth Floor 3. Structural Fire Protection 3.1 Engineering South 3.2 Fire Protection Systems 3.3 Fire and Smoke Alarms 3.4 Fire barriers 4 Means of Egress 4.1 Basement 4.2 First Floor 4.3 Second Floor 4.4 Third Floor 4.5 Fourth Floor 5 Analysis 5.1 Stairs and Ramps 5.2 Corridors 5.3 Fire Doors 6. Recommendations 1. Introduction The aim of this project was analysis of the Engineering South Building in Oklahoma State University. This building was chosen because it had been taking classes for 3 years without me being attentive of neither the building’s fire properties nor its egress means. Thus, this project provides a broad description, ranging from structural fire protection to description of egress means for each and every floor, inclusive of the basement. 2. General Description 2.1 Engineering south’s Location Engineering South’s location is in west of Edmon Low Library, south of Engineering North, and north of the Student Union. The building has 4 stories inclusive of a basement, with an “I” shape with the longest part spanning from East to West with 6 doors providing exit for the people.The building can be accessed by the fire department via Hester Street. 2.2 Basement Engineering South’s basement is mainly utilized for storage of maintenance equipment. There are also rooms in the basement that are used as offices whereas others cannot adequately tell their use since they are always under lock and key. Going by the number of rooms available in the basement, it is quite clear that only about 17 workers can be accommodated at any given time. The floor as well as basement walls are all made of concrete. 2.3 First floor The Engineering South building’s first floor is a mixture of offices, a computer lab, a research lab for the environment and classrooms. The walls are made of tile with carpeted floors and a gypsum board that is half way up. At any given time, the first floor can hold up to about 70 people based on the number of rooms available. In addition, the fire load is made up of plastics and woods form the desks, the lab and the offices, with the assumption that the environmental lab does not contain any machinery equipment. The trim being less than 10% of the wall will not necessarily contribute to the fire load. 2.4 Second Floor This floor is almost like the first floor especially as regards the fire load and the approximate number of people that can occupy it. Nevertheless, it lacks an environmental lab but has offices and classrooms. 2.5 Third Floor The third floor is similar to the second floor save for bigger and more classrooms having chalk and white boards. Consequently, it differs from the second floor in terms of individuals who can occupy it at any given time; which approximately is 100 persons. 2.6 Fourth Floor This floor is almost the same as the third floor. In this case, the floors of the hallway, offices and classrooms are all carpeted. The walls being of gypsum board halfway up will not in any way contribute to the fire load, as discussed earlier on. 3. Structural Fire Protection 3.1 Engineering South: The buildings fire hydrant is situated in the northwest section of the building, with the department of fire connection located behind the fire hydrant, which again is situated at the building’s northwest part. 3.2 Fire Protection Systems Engineering South lacks an installation of a sprinkler system, nor does it have a post-indicating valve (PIV). Nevertheless here are fire extinguishers as well as smoke detectors in each floor of the building, basement included. Furthermore, the eastern section of the building has what seems like a huge civil engineering lab. Nonetheless, it is assumed that the civil engineering lab is a building by itself and thus no account of fire loads that could have been within the lab was taken. Engineering South building can be categorized as a light hazard since most of the fire load is a mixture of computers, desks and office supplies. In terms of interior finish, all the trims in Engineering South are not more than 10% of aggregate wall and ceiling area, implying it will not contribute in the fire load or its size. 3.3 Smoke and Fire Alarms A total sum of 12 standpipes,16 fire alarms,31 smoke detectors as well as 24 fire departmental hose connections are arraigned in each floor of the building as follows; Basement There are 5 smoke detectors that are installed here, with 4 being in equal distance between one another and 1 above the lift. At the start of the east side stairs are 4 fire alarms, quarter way towards the west, halfway, and at the end of the hallway. In addition, there are 2 of the 2 action pull locations at the base of the west and east stairs. Furthermore, there are 2 standpipes that are situated next to every stair; with every standpipe having a fire extinguisher next to it, with 4 department hose connections. First Floor There are 7 smoke detectors that are installed in this floor and are situated an equal distance all the way along through the hallway, with the exception of the detector grading the elevator. Thus 3 fire alarms are situated at every stairwell, with 3 of the 2 action pull stations situated below these fire alarms. Moreover, there are 3 standpipes at every exit, and 6 fire department hose connections in this floor. In addition, the control of the fire system is situated next to the elevator on this floor. Second floor This floor as well as the first floor are similar in distribution terms. However, it has only 2 standpipes instead of 3 standpipes, 5 smoke detectors instead of 7 with an additional fire extinguisher situated midway of the hallway. Third floor This floor is similar to the second floor; nonetheless, it has only 6 smoke detectors instead of 5 smoke detectors with the 3rd floor having an additional fire extinguisher situated midway of the hallway. Fourth Floor; This floor is also similar to other floors, however, there are only 8 smoke detectors,2 standpipes situated next to the east and the west stairs and an additional fire extinguisher midway of the hallway, as well as a sum of 3 fire alarms with one of them also situated midway of the hallway. 3.4 Fire Barriers The walls in the basement are fire barriers with 1.5 hour rated fire door at the top of every stairs, particularly the ones situated in the eastern and western sides. Apart form those 2 findings, there are no other fire barriers situated in the building. 4. Means of Egress: 4.1 Basement: There are 2 exits in the basement (stairwells at every side horizontally) that can be used by people to exit the building in case of an emergency. Furthermore, there are also non-rated doors having a width of 36 inches, roughly, up the stairs to prevent people from going past the exit of the first floor and towards the basement looking for an exit out of the building. At the end of every stairs going downwards, there are signs that are accurately pointing towards the exit direction out of the building. A total of 3 strobe lights are found at every stairs and midway of the hallway. Thus, exit access starts from any room till the exit discharge because there is lack of dead end corridors. 4.2 First Floor This floor has 5 doors that lead to the outside spreading horizontally, where 3 doors point south, in addition to other doors pointing north. Moreover, every door opens outwards, pointing towards the direction of travel. All the doors have the same width which is approximately 72 inches in width, with the excluding one of the doors pointing southwards that is 36 in width, approximately. Exits comprise of 3 U shaped stairs, one only linking the first and second floor in the middle of the building as well as other 2 stairwells situated on the eastern and western sides of the building extending all the way to the 4th floor 3 clear exit signage together with 3 clean strobe lights installed, which all go to direct people from the building in case of a fire emergency. The first floor hallway is 140” in width and the exit access is from any room in the first floor to any of the 5 doors leading to the exit discharge. There was construction of non-fire doors between the basement and the first floor so as to stop people from going past the exit into the basement by mistake. 4.3 Second Floor The second floor comprises of 3 stairs that will direct people to the first floor, onto a safe place outside the building, during emergency times. The second floor is similar to the first floor as regards the number of strobe lights and their state number of sign exits and their positions, as well as the width of the corridors. 4.4 Third Floor: This floor is also like the second floor especially when taking into account the egress means; the variation is in the number of exits (stairs), which is 2, since the U shaped stairs in the middle of building is discounted on the second floor. Thus, the number of the sign exits in the 3rd floor is 2, clear in the correct direction of travel. There are also 2 clean strobe lights situated at hallway’s end. 4.5 Fourth Floor This floor is similar to the third floor as regards the number of as well as the positioning of the exits (stairs) and the number plus the position of exit strobe lights and exit signs. The variation is in the hallway’s width which is about 94” in width and the fact that there exist two 36” fire doors between the ends of the hallway on the fourth floor and the top of the stairwell. There is rating of 2 hours for the fire doors. 5. Analysis 5.1 stairs and Ramps The authentic tread depth of the stairs is 9” at the basement. Nevertheless, the Life Safety Code, NFPA 101, particularly 7.2.2.2.1.1(b) ,claims that the least tread depth ought to be 11”.In addition, the ramp in the basement measures 36” in width ,however, NFPA 101 mandates a minimum of 44” ramp width, as illustrated by table 7.2.5.2(a) 5.2 Corridors The basement’s corridors have a reducing width when travelling horizontally, which may lead to problems during evacuation of people in case of a fire outbreak. 5.3 Fire Doors As pointed earlier on, there exists only one fire door in the building, which is in the 4th floor between the ends of the corridor and the top of the stairs. 6. Recommendations First and foremost, there should be installation of a sprinkler system in the building which will safeguard the safety of people by managing the fire as quick as possible.Secondly,the number of fire rated walls and doors should be increased in the first floor, so as to stop fire and smoke from scattering to the top floors. The doors should be located at the hallway’s ends on every floor to partition the floors from the stairs turning the stairs an unblocked egress means. Read More