Fire Safety Engineering Issues in Formosa Plastics Corporation and the Hotel in Cardiff - Case Study Example

FV2003 Fire and the Built Environment Student’s Name College Instructor’s Name Course Name: Outline I Part 1 - Case Study A). Introduction B). Fire Safety Engineering Issues in the Case Study C). Conclusion II Part 2 A). Introduction B). Energy and water use C). Transport D). Method and materials used E). Environment and administrative processes F). Maintenance G). Conclusion and Recommendations III Part 3 References Part 1 - Case Study Introduction The fire explosion case sturdy took place in October 2005 in Texas in one of the production units of Formosa Plastics Corporation. The fire burned for five days injuring 16 employees and destroying property worth millions of dollars. The fire affected a number of buildings although it started from a mistake of a forklift which tampered with a liquid propylene system (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2006). The pipe was tampered with at 3.05 pm and immediately the operators began to shut down all valves that were supplying the gas to the pipe that was tampered with but at 3.07 pm the gas that has escaped ignited causing a large fire which to evacuation of employees. The fire had a height of 500m which released heat and smoke to a multiple locations as fire as 1km. The smoke was thick with average speed which made fire fighting in the facility difficult (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2006). Fire Safety Engineering Issues in the Case Study There are a number of fire safety issues from the case study which needs consideration. To begin with the people in the building were all expected to be a wake since it is a factory thus evacuation was to take short time. The occupants were familiar with building as well were trained on fire safety measures, they were also supplied with safety manual which had a list of common hazards in that specific workplace environment and the means and methods to avoid these hazards(U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2006). In some work place environments, the manuals are printed in booklet form and it is mandatory for every worker to keep that booklet at their person. The building had defined warning systems like fire alarms and proper escape routes (Robertson, 2011). The company has also installed monitors inside and outside the facility for evacuators to see where the fire was and who was affected (Robertson, 2011). However, the company had fire monitors which were not attended as well as pipes carrying fire fighting materials were not inaccessible areas. The nature of materials they were dealing with required speedy evacuation and fire fighting operations, and emergency response equipment and personnel were on spot immediately. The speed of rescue operations determines the survivability of occupants thus each was given specialized training in application of fire fighting foams, dry chemical and cleaning agents used to extinguish burning gas around them. This is because chemical flames mostly result in abrasion, but in severe cases, the workers may obtain critical injury due to chemical flames. Burns from chemical flames are more dangerous since chemical residue may be deposited on the skin which continuously damages the skin (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2006). There was proper communication from control room operators requiring all employees to escape from the building when they smelled the gas. This shows that there was a proper communication structure which ought to be in a building in case one discovers a fire related incident. This means the company had proper fire safety measures which helped to reduce the causalities relating to the fire. However, it should be noted that the company failed to provide flame resistance clothing which could have helped in reducing burns (Diamantes, 2011). Conclusion To prevent such fires in future and its effects, the company should invest in fire resistance clothing on part of employees. They should also provide clear guidelines on areas that vehicles and forklifts should use to avoid tampering with gas carrying pipes (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2006). . There should be also guidelines on how fire outbreaks should be reported in the organisation. Part 2 Introduction The hotel will have a BREEAM score of 77% and complied with part L Building Regulations for efficiency use of energy. The hotel in Cardiff will used on-site combined heat and power (CHP) engine with a pure plant oil as a way of reducing the energy demand. This will reduce production of CO2 and utilise in-built generated renewable(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). Energy and water use- The hotel will designed to have compact fluorescent lamp in the rooms and the security lights will be motion sensing to help in reducing power usage this will help reduce CO2 produced to environment. All rooms for accommodation will have lamps that generate natural near natural lights are recommended. To have the rooms warm the hotel is designed to have radiant barrier ceiling, dry walls insulated doors and super windows that do keep warmth in the room. The showers will be designed to use the solar energy so as to save energy use especially electricity. Mechanical cooling system for the room is reduced in the design section by allowing providing for natural ventilation and reducing the heat gain in the rooms. This ensures the circulation of fresh and quality air in the rooms(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). Transport- the pavement will be made using concrete materials to reduced black pavement which affects the environment. The pavements also will help reduce effects of runoff of water during the rainy season. There will be integration between the walking area and car routes to the hotel. The parking will be in the basement, this will reduce parking areas. Materials- The 20 storey hotel in Cardiff will incorporate the use of sustainable construction methods and materials to have a BREEAM Excellent hotel. The hotel will have porous paving in the car park to have BREEAM Excellent hotel as well as have facility of harvesting rain water. The materials that are utilised in this hotel will be BREEAM compliance and credits of 77% that is above the recommended 70%(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). The credit score for materials used is shown below; Materials credits and predicted score Materials specification – major building elements 72% Hard landscaping & boundary protection 82% Reuse of building façade 76% Reuse of building structure 77% Responsible sourcing of materials 85% insulation 90% Designing for robustness 85% Credits will be achieved by using insulation and hard landscaping with low embodied impact. As discussed above the contractor will be encouraged to procure building materials with a high environmental rating from a sustainable source. These targets set out some guidance on what development zone the buildings should be in as well as minimum floor areas. Comparing the minimum floor area and zone locations against the total floor areas scheduled for each building type in each of the zones makes certain building types a better choice for meeting these targets than others. The walls of the facility will have materials which will include cement mixed with sand but it should be smooth with good decorative finishing. When plastering, hydraulic lime which is available in UK will be used to give velvety texture and a soft look. These materials will make the wall of the facilities more sustainable and attractive to the society. High rise buildings and those used for the purposes of political offices, abortion clinics and embassies are targets for extremist attacks and should therefore be guarded form fire and bombing attacks (Barnett and Browninga, 2007). The walls will be made of cement and beams of steel to ensure the hotel is the construction is fireproof so as to have structural elements are of incombustible with fire resistance ratings sufficient to withstand the fire severity resulting from the complete combustion of the contents and finish involved in the intended occupancy. Most Fire proof buildings have been got by the use of cast and wrought iron and reinforced concrete flooring. Steel beams are also used (Kim and Rigdon, 1998). Materials selected for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection systems, rain gutter systems, plumbing, telecommunications, power distribution, lightning protection, lighting systems and control systems will have a BREEAM rating of 82%. While fire alarms and signalization systems will have BREEAM rating of 85%. The fire protection services include management of smoke; facility surveys, fire suppression systems and post fire assessment of the facilities. Other mechanical operations like fitting of pumps and installation of elevators also fall in this category. The materials used for construction should be environmentally friendly emitting minimum carbon and dust into the air(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). Dust from construction sites and construction materials can be reduced by the use of spray water with a principle aim of reducing air and water pollution in the construction area. Designs and structures that have been used in the past are becoming obsolete in dealing with new ventures which present greater complexity and/or scale. Obsolesce is a risk especially in materials and design. Site subsurface conditions create a high level of uncertainty for facilities whose functions are not clearly marked. Sometimes the construction design is changed or modified after construction has begun where construction procedures were not anticipated (Kim and Rigdon, 1998). Environment and administrative processes- Enclosures like speakers could be either sealed or vented enclosures. In sealed enclosures, an airtight sealed box is used to enhance speaker performance. Cut individual sections then temporarily assemble the box to ensure that all pieces fit well. After the confirmation of the fit, seal the enclosure using a caulker with silicon sealant to ensure air tightness. Vented enclosures are more efficient in releasing low bass into the listening environment. Air leaks should be kept at minimum for good sound quality(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). When including enclosures in constructions, be sure to prevent injury by wearing safety goggles, observing precautions in the operator manuals and operating tools which you are qualified to use. The final finish of a construction is a matter of individual taste and design. Finishing include the interior and exterior texture, colour and specific materials. The use of tiles on floors and walls increases the slipperiness of the floor a part from the beauty therefore users should be put on alert about the textures of the floor to avoid the risk of falls. Every section of the building should be clearly marked for example ablutions to be used by the physically challenged. Buildings whose major component finishing is glass faces the risks of breakage therefore the occupants must be trained on the maintenance of such surfaces, general cleaning guidelines if any and clear instructions on the misuse or mishandling of any of the appliances(Nielsen, 2008). Maintenance- to be able to have sustainability of the hotel maintenance becomes very important. The ventilation furnaces for natural circulation of quality and efficiency air are designed in a way they can be clean to ensure dust does not accumulate while the mechanical air conditioners will be designated for six months cleaning and sterilizing that is cleaning filters, registers, coils and ducts. The water heating system both solar and electrical are designed for maintenance for every six months Conclusion and Recommendations The hotel will have a rating of 77% which is a good rating for BREEAM and this is done using reusable materials during construction and maintaining low energy consumption. The expected emissions from the hotel should be maintained at 0.12 tonnes per person. However to achieve the reduction required to move towards low carbon hotel of 0.12 tonnes per person is a big issue and the materials used in the construction of the standard house exceeds this figure without even considering the energy use and maintenance(Barnett and Browninga, 2007). When the building will be demolished the materials recycled for usage for other purposes. The construction must stand the test of time for these saving to be realised. It will help in reducing water and consumption to approximately 60% and 70% respectively. Part 3 1). flame height of the fire where circle area is 0.55 m2, Burning rate is 14.5 g/s , A heat of combustion is 35 kJ/g and Ceiling height is 3 m 0.55m2 = 3.14(D)2 X1/4 = D2 = D=0.837m (Kreith, Manglik and bohn, 2011) Q=14.5 g/s35 kJ/g. = 507.5w = 1.986m Critical diameter Hf = 42D (Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 2008) Where Hf = pool fire flame height (m), m" = mass burning rate of fuel per unit surface area (kg/m2-s, ra = ambient air density (kg/m3), D = pool fire diameter (m) and g = gravitational acceleration (m/sec2) (Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 2008) 3m= 42D = 42D X (D)0.61 = 9.81D X (D)0.61 x2 = Log D+1.22 Log D = Log16.24 2.22 Log D = Log1.624 D= 0.732m Diameter of the flame is 0.03546 or 3.546cm 2. The lower flammable limit concentration for the mixture and the concentration of each component in the mixture with air. The flammable limits of the species is as follows(Kreith, Manglik and bohn, 2011) Species Lower flammable limit Upper flammable limit ratio methane 4.0 75.0 0.25 carbon monoxide 12.5 74.0 0.35 hydrogen 5.0 15.0 0.4 = Lower flammable limit = 5.87% of gas in the mixture The concentration of each component in the mixture with air Methane is 0.25 of 5.87% = 1.4675% Carbon monoxide is 0.35 of 5.87% = 2.0545% Hydrogen is 0.4 of 5.87% = 2.348% 3. Flame height under the normal atmospheric conditions Diameter pan fire of petrol is 1.7m Heat release intensity is 400 kW/m2 The formulae for flame height under the normal atmospheric conditions is (Kreith, F, Manglik and bohn, 2011) Where Q is heat release and D is diameter = 2.269m2 : : m2 = 907.6 = 1.849m The mean flame height is only 1.849 m 4. Calculate the wavelength for infrared thermal radiation with frequency 1.5x1015 Hz and compare with the wavelength for BBC Radio 4, 92.8 MHz. λ= where is the wavelength, v is the speed of infrared f is frequency (Doty and Turner, 2009). c = 3 x 108 m/s and 1.5x1015 Hz λ== 2x10-07 The wavelength is not comparable since it is 2x10-07 as compared to 92.8 MHz. 5.  Time is needed for the person to achieve the fire exit Figure 1 Part AB distance is calculated using the following formula [: cos 30° = Adjacent / Hypotenuse = 6 / AB AB = = 6.93m Time taken from AB is calculated as ttrav = = = 5.54s whereas ttrav = travel time (s), Ltrav = travel distance (m). Time taken from BC is calculated using Initial speed= (Rasbash, 2004) Whereas v is final velocity, Ltrav is travel distance, and a is acceleration 1.25m/s= (1.25m/s)2= = (1.25m/s)2 -0.12m2/s2 = V= 1.2m/s Time = = = = 5s Time is needed by a person to achieve the fire exit is 5s +5.54s = 10.54s 6.  The minimum time needed to reach the fire exit. Explain your answer and indicate the right direction for his evacuation? [15 marks] Figure 2 Distance, BC to covered is calculated using the following formula = = = 10.64m Time to take for constant acceleration (t1) = (Rasbash, 2004) t1= = 4.17s Distance covered = 4.17 x 1.25m/s = 5.2m Distance left to be covered 10.64m-5.2m = 5.44m Time is = Time is needed by a person to achieve the fire exit is 2.17s Total time taken = 4.17s +2.17s = 6.18s 7. How different is the result for the previous question, if air movement changes its direction on opposite (U = - 0.3 m/s). = = = 10.64m Time to take for constant acceleration (t1) = (Rasbash, 2004) t1= = 4.17s Distance covered = 4.17 x 1.25m/s = 5.2m Distance left to be covered 10.64m-5.2m = 5.44m Distance = 5.44 = V2= 3.264 V0 = 1.81 m/s Time is = Total time taken = 4.17s +3.01s = 7.18s Time is needed by a person to achieve the fire exit is 7.18s 8. A compartment is fully involved in fire. The flame inside the room is dull red. Calculate thermal radiation emission [W/m2] from the compartment considering the gray body model with ε = 0.75. Where ε , the emissivity of the surface. The ideal emitter or  blackbody is one, All other surfaces emit some what less than one (Kreith, F, Manglik and bohn, 2011) Boltzmann constant independent is 5.6697x 10-8 and temperature for dull red is 700oC = 5.6697x 10-8 x x (973)4 = 38,113W/m2 9. Nomenclature of halon and freon systems and environmental damage potential of halons and freons. Compare environmental damage potentials and atmospheric lifetimes of Halon 1211 and CFC 11. Trichlorofluoromethane (Freon CFC-11) has the formula of CCl3F and Halon 1211 has the formula of CF3CHBrCl. Although both Halons1211 and CFC 11 destroy the ozone but Hallons has bromine in their Nomenclature has more effects to the atmosphere. It should be noted in fire engineering, Halons are utilised in making fore fire extinguishers even though they can destroy the ozone more than CFC-11 because of its effectiveness (The Ozone Hole, 2012).This two elements cause ozone damage affecting the climate, however, they do not cause damage immediately but take time to react with atmosphere gas to form ozone capable of causing damage to plants. They also destroy the ozone layer if it stays for long time (Nielsen, 2008). 10. The chemical reaction rate will increase as temperature is increased. For the reaction to take place the particles must collide as temperature increases, the chance of their colliding is also increased. In this case, the constant k depends upon the size, speed, and kind of molecule involved in the reaction. Each reaction has only one value of k for a given temperature; this k is called the specific rate constant of the reaction (Clark, 2002). (Kreith, F, Manglik and bohn, 2011) (Clark, 2002) In this case we assume the value of constant, R, is to be 8.31 J K-1 mol-1, = 2.469 X1078 = 2.097 X10-16 = 5.941 x 10-06 From the calculation above it shows that change of temperature from -100k to 500 there will be less reaction as compared to the reaction when the increase temperature to 1500k is beyond activation. References Barnett DL & Browninga, W., 2007. Primer on Sustainable Building. Rocky Mountain Institute Green Development Services Clark, J. 2002. Rate Constants and the Arrhenius Equation. Available at http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/basicrates/arrhenius.html[Accessed 27 February 2013] Diamantes, D. 2011. Fire Prevention: Inspection and Code Enforcement. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning Publisher. Doty, S & Turner, CW 2009, Energy management handbook, Fairmont press Inc. Lilburn, GA- USA. Errata SFPE PE Exam Reference Manual, 2010. Errata for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers Reference Manual for the Principles and Practice of Engineering (P.E.) Examination in Fire Protection Engineering. http://www.sfpe.org/Profession/ProfessionalLicensure.aspx[Accessed 12 February 2013]. Euler, SD (ed.) 2002, Mine ventilation, Swets & Zeitlinger B.V, Lisse the Netherlands. Kim, J. J. & Rigdon, B. 1998. Sustainable Architecture Module: Qualities, Use, and Examples of Sustainable Building Materials Kohl, A & Nielsen, R 1997, Gas purification, Gulf publishing company, Houston Texas USA. Kreith, F, Manglik, RM & bohn, SM 2011, Principles of heat transfer, Cengage Learning, Stanford UK. Nielsen, C.V., 2008. Carbon Footprint of Concrete Buildings seen in the Life Cycle Perspective. NRMCA 2008 Concrete Technology Forum Rasbash, D., 2004. Evaluation of fire safety. Chichester: Wiley Robertson , 2011. Fire Safety Codes. Chapter 2, Status of Education, Engineering, and Enforcement in the United States. Brady Publisher. Seiders, T., 2010. Hospitality industry fire risk management. http://hospitalityrisksolutions.com/2010/10/30/hospitality-industry-risk-management-security-alert-check-the-security-of-your-hotel%E2%80%99s-knox-boxes-frequently/[Accessed 12 February 2013]. Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 2008. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. London: Natl Fire Protection Assn. The ozone Hole, 2012. Ozone Depleting Chemicals. Available at Read More