Building Design Practice - Term Paper Example

Title: Building Design Practice Dated: March 19, 2011 Table of contents Serial # Contents Page 1 The conversion of fire laboratory into a Lecture theater and fire safety standards 3 2 Fire safety facilities in the building 5 3 Fire growth and smoke production and its control 8 4 Internal and External Fire Spread and its control 9 5 References 11 The conversion of fire laboratory into a Lecture theater and fire safety standards: Fire safety standards work as a tool for lowering the losses both in terms of deaths and injuries to the occupants of the buildings and the material losses as are linked with the incidents like fires in the buildings. The current code of practice for domestic fire alarm systems for the incidents of fires in the buildings is BS 5839-6: 2004 is recognized as authoritative guidance for new and existing buildings which involves grades in terms of its power source. Grade D is the minimum standard which includes main alarms with backup that is a requirement in all the national building regulation guidelines applicable to all new buildings. LD 3 smoke alarm for the corridors and LD2 for new and the existing building is recommended for its adoption, the same arrangement will assist in the achievement of objectives as are linked with the fire safety strategy for the university building. Smoke or heat alarms in the classrooms and usual smoke alarms in circulation areas will serve as warning and escape signals in the building and therefore working of these signals will help in the achievement of fire safety strategy in the building. These signals will provide sufficient time and space to the occupants for safe exit in case any emergency like a fire incident in the building. The conversion from fire safety laboratory to lecture theater in the building requires a set of interconnected and inter-related functions as in accordance with building standards and regulations. These steps will move in systematic manner starting from planning process with specific objectives, resource mobilization and their utilization including financial and human resources with a focused approach for the achievement of the objectives within specified period ,performance of the executing team and evaluation of the performance while comparing the same with the timelines ,the observance of standards as approved through the Building Regulations 2000 and completion of the conversion process as in accordance with the fire safety management strategy for the building. Adequate level of alarm system in the building with the Grade D type and LD3 system will meet the statutory requirements for keeping the building in secure and safe manner with minimum losses in case of fire in the building. The provision of heat alarms in the building will assist in lowering the heat level in the building in case of emergencies like fire incidents in the building. Fire risk assessment for the conversion of fire laboratory to a lecture theater will require identification of gas cooker ignition source, cardboard boxes with combustible materials ,ashtray /smoking ignition source ,portable heater ignition source and other chemicals which help in the combustion process in case fire in the building. The conversion of fire laboratory into Lecture Theater will involve the observance of Building Regulations Approved document B, which needs category LD3 with heat alarms in the building for ensuring security and safety in the building. The conversion process will be implemented with the formulation of simple drawings with scale for the transformation process of the fire laboratory into a lecture theater in the main building. The plan will also include the elements of significant risks as are associated with the building for their dissemination among all the potential users of the building including the students, faculty members, administrators and the fire authorities within the building. The administrators of the building needs to execute a review plan at regular intervals for making necessary assessment about the toxic level within the newly transformed lecture theater and in the whole building for the promotion of security and safety of the building as well as of the inmates of the building. These steps will help in the safe utilization of the building as in accordance with the relevant section of the building regulations 2000 and amended edition 2007. Fire safety facilities in the building: Building facilities and renovation projects need to be designed to include efficient, cost effective, passive and automatic fire protection systems for the safety of the buildings. These types of systems are effective in detecting, controlling and extinguishing a fire event in its early stages. All these steps require a set of instruments and fire protection engineers to design the systems to ensure reasonable degree of protection of human life from the fire incidents in the building. The target of reducing the products of combustion along with decreasing the potential loss from the fire incidents in the building will also supplement the efforts of the fire engineers in the achievement of their overall objectives of the fire safety strategy for the building. Integrated systems approach enables the designers to assess all the building components as a total building fire safety strategy in the shape of safety system package. The mechanisms like emergency power, lighting and exit signage will contribute for the achievement of the desired results as are associated with the fire safety strategy for the building. These arrangements will address the elements like survivability of the systems in the building, electricity safety with the observance of building safety codes and distribution energy resources. The building will also be equipped with special fire protection requirements to protect the elements like engineered smoke control systems in the building, fireproofing and fire stopping arrangements and atrium spaces and mission critical needs in the building. All these elements help in the protection of the building as in accordance with the codes complications and legal responsibilities for protecting the building in case of emergencies like fire incidents in the building. Safety of the buildings from the fire incidents depends on the observance of building construction requirements to address the elements like allowable height, area both covered and open, exposures and separation requirements and fire rating along with materials and systems. Occupancy type, interior finishing and exit stairways will have their influence on the control of fire in the buildings and all these are observed while during construction of the building. The building will also need egress requirements to regulate the functions like exit stairway remoteness ,exit discharge along with areas of refuge ,inclusion of accessible exits and door locking arrangements as part of fire protection strategy for the building. As per Building Regulations 2000, the building will be designed in such an arrangement as included in B1 section of the Amended Edition of the regulations 2007 with appropriate provisions for the early warning of fire with appropriate means of escape in case of fire from the building to a place of safety outside the building that is in open area adjacent to the southern side which provides security at all the material time. Fire detection and notification system requirements are applied for addressing the issues like detection of fire in the building, notification in case of fire and survivability of the systems. Fire signals are received by the fire safety officer and subsequent measures are initiated through the adoption of satisfactory means of giving warning and means of escape in case of fire as included in the Approved Document B (Fire safety) – Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwelling houses (2006 Edition, Amended 2007). Fire suppression requirements in the building are the elements for addressing the issues like water supply, type of automatic fire extinguishing system including both water based fire extinguishing system and non-water based fire extinguishing system in the building. Electromagnetic interference needs to be restricted in the building with the help of separate circuit requirement as devices on the lightening circuit for example low voltage lighting transformers and compact fluorescent lamps and dimmers are considered as causes of electromagnetic interference (EMI) which has the potential to effect the performance of smoke heat or carbon mono oxide alarms in the buildings, therefore, these elements need special consideration for their usage in the building. Carbon monoxide and Fire are poisoning agents and are identified as two of the 29 hazards. Therefore, smoke, heat and CO alarms installed inside the building in line with the Building Regulations 2000 and are considered as to be the ‘ideal' arrangements and essential part of the fire safety strategy for the commercial and educational buildings. The fire fighting instruments are essential components of the whole fire fighting strategy and are applied for controlling fire in any potential fire incident in the building. These instruments are arranged in the ground floor and also provisions are made for their presence in the mobile fire fighting unit as recommended in the assembly area of the building. These instruments are updated on regular basis and are used in mock fire exercises. The fire fighting instruments are highlighted in the overall plan of the building and their identification will help to all the key players to utilize them during the actual operations of the fire fighting in the building. Fire growth and smoke production and its control: Smoke control system strategies and designs for the buildings with multi-occupied premises are designed with an objective to enhance occupant’s safety by improving tenability during the evacuation process within a compartment in case of fire in the building. Sprinklers with sufficient smoke control design will assist in controlling the movement of smoke during the fire incidents in the building. The installation of the system is based on four main factors; fire effect, wind effect, stacks effect and air movement along with the ventilation systems in the building. The system will work in combination in the form of passive control systems which involves smoke barriers, smoke reservoirs and natural ventilation with restrictions for the spread of smoke within the building and active control systems that will consist of pressurization of escape routes and shafts, ventilation systems, and mechanical smoke extraction process. Aim of pressurization is to develop a pressure gradient across the compartments so that air always flows out from the area, which requires protection like exit ways in case of fire incident in the building. All these steps will contribute for the development and implementation of the system for the safety and security of the building as well as of the occupants in synergetic mechanism. The selection of materials in the shape the steel framework for accuracy and maintaining load of the building within the standards as in accordance with the Building Codes will help in the conversion of fire laboratory into Lecture Theater as per required details. The selected material will uphold durability of the building with necessary supplements like vermiculite and paints against the hazards like fires. Internal and External Fire Spread and its control: The internal and external fire spread is a common factor during the fire incidents in the buildings. The strategy has a mechanism that will block the internal and external fire spread during the fire incidents in the building. All the rooms and major facilities in the building are equipped with materials that will block the internal spread of fire. The walls of the building are supplemented with fire breaks and blocks to prevent fire spread. Moreover, internal walls of the rooms are supported with insulating material to block the spread of fire during the fire incidents in the building. Internal fire spread will be monitored as included in section B2 of the Amended Edition of the building regulations 2007 with a target to inhibit the spread of fire within the building through restricting the spread of flame over their surface and if ignited the rate of heat release will be monitored on regular basis. A wall common to two or more buildings shall be constructed so that it adequately resists the spread of fire between those buildings as to fulfill the requirements of section B3 of the Amended Edition of the building regulations 2007. Externally, all the walls of the building are provided with material that hinders the spread of fire during any potential fire incident in the building. The Fire fighting strategies are formulated to minimize the risks as are associated with the potential threats like fire in the buildings. External walls of the building shall adequately resist the spread of fire over the walls of the rooms with their respective positions in the building. The roof of the building shall also resist the spread of fire over the roof and from one building to another as in accordance with the section B4 of the Amended Edition of the building regulations 2007. People are the major vulnerable part of the whole fire strategy as to ensure their protection and safety through the implementation of the fire strategy. The risks are the likelihood of the hazards causing harm to the life and property inside the buildings and in the instant case both human and the building. However, people are the main concern for the whole strategy. If there is a fire, the main priority of the strategy is to ensure that all the persons reach a place of safety in a quick manner. If a building does not have adequate means of detecting and warning, or adequate means of escape from the scene, then a fire can trap persons or they may be overcome by smoke and heat before they can leave the place. People associated with the building like workers, the staff, the students ,the fire fighting personals and the visitors are equally vulnerable to the hazardous effects of fire but the visitors are the easy target of the fire incidents as these are comparatively unaware about the proposed fire management strategy for the building. The administrator of the building will take necessary steps during the utilization period of the building for providing easy access and essential facilities to the fire services in case of fire in the building. The fire fighters will work in case of fire in the building for ensuring protection of life and property in the building as in accordance with the section B5 of the Amended Edition of the building regulations 2007. Gaseous fire-extinguishing agents and the fire- sprinkler system will be applied in the building for protection of the property and humans in case of fire incident in the building. These extinguishing agents will be applied when the utilization of water has the potential to cause excessive collateral damages in the emergencies like a fire incident in the building. References: 1. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADE_2003.pdf 2. Wisner, Ben; P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (2004). At Risk - Natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-25216-4.    3. Alexander, David (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpenden: Terra Publishing. ISBN 1-903544-10-6.  4. Jaffin, Bob (September 17, 2008). "Emergency Management Training: How to Find the Right Program". Emergency Management Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-11-15. 5. Buchanan, Sally. "Emergency preparedness." from Paul Banks and Roberta Pilette. Preservation Issues and Planning. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. 159-165. ISBN 978-0-8389-0776-4 6. Approved Document B (Fire safety) – Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwelling houses (2006 Edition, Amended 2007) http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/main.cfm?objectid=1477 Read More