Fire and Life Safety in Residential Buildings - Assignment Example

FIRЕ АND LIFЕ SАFЕTY IN RЕSIDЕNTIАL BUILDINGS Name Instructor Course Date Table of Contents FIRЕ АND LIFЕ SАFЕTY IN RЕSIDЕNTIАL BUILDINGS 1 Table of Contents 2 FIRЕ АND LIFЕ SАFЕTY IN RЕSIDЕNTIАL BUILDINGS 4 1.Introduction 4 2.Different types of residential buildings 4 2.1 Single family homes 4 2.2 Multi-family homes 5 2.3 Duplexes 6 2.4 Townhouse 7 2.5 Condominiums 8 2.6 Hostel 9 3. Material building behaviour fire 9 3.1Steel 9 3.2 Concrete 10 3.3 Wood 10 3.4 Aluminum 10 3.5Glass 11 3.6 Plastic 11 4. Fire residential building 11 4.1 Types of fire in residential buildings 11 4.2 Causes of fire in residential buildings 12 4.2.1 Cooking equipment 12 4.2.2 Heating equipment 12 4.2.3 Electrical equipment 13 4.2.4 Candles 13 4.2.5 Flammable liquids 14 5. Fire behaviour and development of residential building 15 5.1 Fire and smoke spread 15 5.2 Effect Wind 16 5.3 Burning debris falling from height 17 5.4 Poor housekeeping and fire load 18 FIRЕ АND LIFЕ SАFЕTY IN RЕSIDЕNTIАL BUILDINGS 1. Introduction Residential fire and life safety are important aspects of any residential settings. Part of the significance for the safety is derived from the fact that most of the residential buildings house families as well as hundreds of people. If safety measures are not taken into account in the residential buildings then in case of any disaster, there will be a significant loss of lives. Examples of residential buildings include single-family houses, multi-family houses, duplex, town houses, condominiums as well as hostels. These residential houses use different types of material that include steel, concrete, wood as well as aluminum and plastic. Moreover, there are several types of fires in residential buildings that will be discussed in this literature review. Fire in residential buildings is caused by several factors that include cooking, heating and electrical equipment as well as candles and flammable liquids. Furthermore, the fire behaves differently in relation to the development of a residential building. United States Fire Administration an operating division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency realizes that residential fire safety is a primary concern. This paper reviews literature on various aspects of fire and life safety in residential buildings. 2. Different types of residential buildings 2.1 Single family homes Single family houses (SFH) are homes that are constructed on a single lot; such houses do not have single shared wall and at times, they have garages that are attached or detached from the houses. One of the primary benefits of single- family homes is that they offer more privacy since one does not carve up the property with anyone else. Moreover, the developer of the building is free to express himself with their desired type of design. The other benefit is that the resell value of SFHs is higher than that of condos as well as town homes. The disadvantage of SFHs is that they require a high cost of maintenance as compared to other types of homes where the homeowners share the cost. The picture below is a representation of a single –family. 2.2 Multi-family homes These are the least common types of residential buildings; these types of homes are basically a home turned into two or more homes. Some multi-family homes may share the main entrance while others have a separate entrance. Multi-family homes cannot be purchased separately; if someone wants to own a multi-family home they have to purchase. The advantages of multi-family homes include the fact that they are an ideal way for those looking to invest; one can rent out the home and get some income. Moreover, they are ideal for multi-generational households as they allow family members to live together in the same building. However, multi-family homes have the disadvantage of less privacy and the maintenance costs go to the landlord. The image below shows an example of a multi-family home. 2.3 Duplexes Duplexes are two home sharing interior structures such as wall as floors as well as a ceiling. The floors of these home plans may be identical or different but they offer very similar amenities. Owning a duplex allows the same flexibility as an accessory apartment in that one of the homes can provide housing for family members, a nanny, a tenant or caregivers of the elderly. This home style is ideal for providing semi-regular care to otherwise independent family members. Duplex homes allow each family to retain privacy while proximity makes shared errands and frequent visits easier (Niederhaus and Graham 2013). 2.4 Townhouse A town house is one of a group of two or three storey houses of similar architectural treatment usually joined by common sidewalls. Moreover, two townhouses next door to each other can offer many of the same amenities as a duplex (Niederhaus and Graham 2013). These homes offer more privacy as compared to other types of homes. Furthermore, the homeowners can come up with agreements on how to share the upkeep costs. The primary disadvantage of townhouses is that they do not have shared amenities such as a gym and a pool. The image below shows an example of a townhouse. 2.5 Condominiums Condominiums also referred to as condos comprise of single units within a building or community as shown in the picture below. These homes share the same walls and the occupiers are required to pay a monthly rent or an annual due. They are often popular in high-density areas and towns. The advantage derived from this type of home is that the homeowner has minimal responsibility when it comes to upkeep. Furthermore, some condos offer shared facilities such as lounge areas, swimming pools as well as gyms. The disadvantages include the fact that the tenant is limited in terms of remodeling the house and there can be pet restrictions. Moreover, there can be disturbance from the neighbors which means less privacy. 2.6 Hostel A hostel is a home that provides housing to specific groups of people such as students, workers as well as travelers. In addition to the housing, hostels also provide food for their clients. The advantage of hostels is that they are cheap and the maintenance cost is covered by the owners. However, hostels are hindered by the disadvantage of lack of privacy mainly because of the apparent sharing of facilities. The image below shows an example of a youth hostel. 3. Material building behaviour fire 3.1Steel When a fire occur in a building, the temperatures may range from 1,000 degree Celsius to over 1,800degreess Celsius. At such temperatures, it takes close to 25 minutes for to lose 60% o its strength as well as stiffness. When the temperatures increase, the steel becomes weaker and softer. Additionally, steel displays creep phenomena at temperatures of over 450 degrees Celsius. This phenomenon gives rise to advancement in deformation. 3.2 Concrete Concrete is one of the homogenous materials that are used for construction of buildings. The fire performance of concrete is concrete by the cement paste. Concrete is categorized in to normal-weight concrete, lightweight concrete as well as high-strength concrete; it has the qualities of superior strengths of durability as well as stiffness. These characteristics make concrete heat up slowly when there is a fire but there has been an increasing concern on the use of high-strength concrete; it is susceptible to explosive spalling during a fire break out. 3.3 Wood Even though wood is categorized as a combustible element, if properly designed, a wood structure can perform quite well in fire. When constructing a wood structure, contractors use fire resistant cladding elements to protect the wood from fire. In case of a fire of about 300 degrees Celsius, woods will burn rapidly and becomes weak; however, the insulating layer prevents the rise of excessive temperature in the core parts of the wood. The behaviour of wood during a fire depends on the class of wood but the primary behavior is that wood will become weak when exposed to fire. 3.4 Aluminum Aluminum is considered to be non-combustible and this quality gives the material higher standards for fire resistance. Aluminum has a melting point of 660 degrees Celsius; this means that during a large fire, aluminum will start to melt rather than burn with condition that the temperature of the fire is more than the melting point. Moreover aluminum has greater heat conductivity as compared to materials such as iron. This characteristic of aluminum means that during a fire, aluminum has a larger thermal conductivity that allows it to dissipate extra amounts heat hence cooling the environment around the burning area. For example, if a roof is made from aluminum, the melting will make it easier for fire fighters to do their job. 3.5 Glass The behaviour of glass during a fire depends on whether it is sheeted or wired. During a fire, sheet glass will shatter but wired glass is resistant to any shattering. However, the protection provided by glazed openings does not provide glass with any reasonable protection and the glass can easily shatter when the heat increases. The other type of glass is laminated glass that is made up of a protective layer of polyvinyl butyral that may be resistant to fire and its impact. Moreover, there is also toughened glass that has enhanced thermal resistance and can resist any impacts of fire. 3.6 Plastic Just like glass, the behaviour of plastics during a fire will depend in the type of plastics. Methyl-methacrylate plastics will burn in flaming drops while polyester resin plastics can only burn of supporting radiations are absent. Moreover, the type of plastic will also dictate if the plastic releases toxics or not. The toxic elements that are released during a fire will have lasting impacts especially when it comes to health 4. Fire residential building 4.1 Types of fire in residential buildings Residential building fires are categorized into two classes depending on their severity. The first type of fire is “confined fires” which refer to fires that are confined to certain type’s equipments as well as objects or non-confined fires that refer to fire incidents that are limited to certain equipments. Confined building fires are small fire incidents that are limited in extent staying within pots, fireplaces as well as certain other noncombustible containers. Confined fires rarely result to large amounts of content losses or serious injuries. Moreover, confined fires are not expected to have significant accompanying property losses due to flame damage. 4.2 Causes of fire in residential buildings 4.2.1 Cooking equipment Cooking equipments are the leading cause of residential fires. Most of times, such fires occur because people get distracted when they are cooking. For example, when one is cooking using a pan, the pan can overheat and it will only take a few seconds before it causes a fire. The best solution to avoid fires caused by cooking equipments is stay in the kitchen when cooking and not leaving anything cooking in the kitchen unattended. Moreover, one should always ensure that combustible equipments such as oven mitts and paper towels are kept away from heat sources. 4.2.2 Heating equipment Just like fires caused by cooking equipments, fires caused by heating equipment are also preventable. Heating equipments such as furnaces can easily cause fires if they are left unattended. It is advisable that one ensures that a qualified technician inspects the heating equipment from time to time. Most of the heating equipments cause fires because when not controlled they can reach high temperatures and other equipment that is close can easily catch fire because of the temperatures. Moreover, some individuals use the heating equipment to dry their wet clothes and this leads to fires. It is also advisable for one to install a carbon monoxide alarm in their house to ensure that in case of excess carbon monoxide gas, they are alerted. For example, the image below shows how neglected cooking equipment can easily cause fire. 4.2.3 Electrical equipment The other common cause of residential fires is electrical equipment. Electrical equipment cause residential fires in several ways. For example, when electrical equipments have loose or fray cords, they can easily lead to fires. Moreover, overloading of outlets with plugs from electrical equipment can also lead to fires. The other ways that electrical equipment can lead to fires is if they are run under rugs and heavy furniture’s. Furthermore, the overuse of the extension cord can also lead to residential fires. Additionally, some people do not use licensed technicians to install their electrical equipments and this leads to fires. 4.2.4 Candles Candles are also a major cause of residential fires because they easily fall down. In a recent report by NFPA, between 2009 and 2013, fire departments around the US responded to over 9,300 residential fires started by candles. Annually, the fires are estimated to cause 86 civilian deaths along with 827 civilian deaths. 36 percent of the candle fires occurred in the bedroom, 15 percent in the living rooms, 13 percent in the bathroom, 8 percent in the kitchen as well as 6 percent in unspecified areas; dining room fires caused by candles accounted to 3 percent. Candle caused fires accounted for over $374 million property loss as well as damage. Overall, candles are ranked sixth in the leading causes of residential fires. The frequency of candle fires is worrying and people should take extra caution when using candles as a source of light (Ahrens, 2015). 4.2.5 Flammable liquids Flammable liquids are also a leading cause of residential fires with over 160,000 cases reported each year in the US. Fires caused by flammable liquids account for over 454 deaths each year and lead to over 3,910 deaths annually. Moreover, property worth over $1.5 million is also destroyed by flammable liquids fires. A look at the recent trends of fires started by flammable liquids reveals that there has been no consistency in the occurrence of the fires with an upwards and downwards trend each year (Hall 2014). The graph below shows a summary of the causes of residential home fires between the years 2009 and 2013 5. Fire behaviour and development of residential building 5.1 Fire and smoke spread As fire spreads in a residential building, it goes through four stages and these stages require various circumstances. The first stage of a fire in a residential building is ignition where fuel, heat as well as heat come together and a chemical reaction occurs and if the fire is discovered at this stage, it can easily be put out. The next stage of a fire in a residential building is growth; this happens when the fire is not stopped at the first stage and it increases rapidly causing significant damage. The next stage during a fire in a residential building is full development; at this stage, the fire department has already been informed and efforts to take out the fire are undertaken to prevent further damage and spread. The last stage of a fire is he decay stage; the fire is less intense as the temperature has decreased. Fire in residential building spreads in several ways; conduction, convection and radiation. Conduction refers to the passage energy within a material while convection refers to the fire travel horizontally and this mostly happens mostly inside rooms. Radiation, on the other hand, refers to the travel of heat electromagnetic waves; such fires do not need objects to carry it along. The smoke from the fire spreads and this may hinder the rescue efforts or effort to put out the fire. 5.2 Effect Wind Wind is major determinant in the spread of fire; this is because winds determine the oxygen supply during the fire. The more the oxygen the higher the rate of combustion and the spread of the fire causing more damage. Smoke spread can also be affected by the wind effect. The impact of wind on a residential building during a fire causes positive pressure on the windward side and negative pressure on the leeward side. The wind enters the building on the windward side and exits on the leeward side. The mainly horizontal movement of the wind can affect the smoke movement in the building. If the compartment of fire origin is on the windward side, the wind effect would enhance the spread of smoke in the building. On the other hand, f the compartment of fire origin is on the leeward side, the wind effect would impede the smoke spread coming out of the compartment. Moreover closely spaced high-rise buildings such as apartments can create a canyon effect where the wind increases the velocity as it squeezes through a narrow opening. The wind can shift the direction many times during the fire. Ground level observations are not valid while at upper levels the wind can blow harder and from a different direction (Brannigan and Corbett, 2010). 5.3 Burning debris falling from height In extremely intense fires, debris may also be created; in cases of high rise buildings, the debris may fall and cause more damage. In most cases, the debris can burn mid air and arrive on the ground fully burnt. The lower stories burn only as falling debris from above pierces the floor below and ignites them. Wind –driven flames and sparks jump from roof to roof and ignite a fresh rooftop blaze while the houses below remain unburned. The image below shows how burning debris can easily cause fires to lower floor and adjacent buildings. The falling debris can also hurt people walking around building. Such fires are often common in apartments and other high-rise residential buildings. 5.4 Poor housekeeping and fire load Poor housekeeping, overcrowding conditions and an increased fire load all in a building that has a poor fire record is an obvious recipe for disaster. Firefighters must expect higher than normal stock loads. Poor housekeeping can enhance the spread of the fire and also hinder rescue efforts. Moreover, the spread of the fire especially to other rooms in a residential building can be determined by the housekeeping in the room. Housekeeping is an important part in the prevention of loss of property. Poor housekeeping practices play a significant role in the accumulation of debris and increase the fire load. R Moreover, fire-loads make the efforts to put out the fire difficult and put the occupants of the property together with the property at a higher risk. Poor housekeeping in residential buildings such as storage of combustible material can play a significant role in the obstruction of the escape routes. It is important that the house is kept in a good order to avoid the impeding of firefighting efforts and the spread of the fire. The image below shows a poorly kept house where in case of fire the damage will be too much. 6. Regulation of fire safety in residential building Disasters often occur when people least expect them; given such information, regulatory authorities have come up measures to ensure that these disasters are limited and if they occur their impact is minimized. In residential buildings, people are essentially supposed to escape from the building themselves. Very few people are assumed to require assistance and hence fire and safety regulations are adjusted to this assumption. For instance, windows are approved as an alternative escape route in residences. The fire protection regulation applicable to a residential building depends on the type of building. In the USA, fire and safety regulations are set by the National Fire Protection Association. NFPA sets out several standards that developers of all residential buildings are supposed to follow. If any residential buildings do not follow these standards, then the NFPA can take measures and ensure that the occupants fulfill the fire and safety requirements before they are allowed to continue occupying the building. Constant inspection is done on residential building particularly hostels and apartments because they house a lot of people and disasters have to be prevented. Furthermore, NFPA revises the standards from time to time to ensure that they meet the standards of the current residential homes set up. To conclude, there are several types of residential buildings and the type of buildings partly affects the spread of the fire. The types of buildings examined in this literature review include single-family homes, multi-family homes and hostels. Moreover, as seen in this paper, different materials behave diversely during a fire but with the use of modern technology, the destruction of the materials during a fire can be highly controlled. The causes of fire in residential buildings include cooking equipment, candles and electrical equipment. Most of the fires in residential buildings are caused negligence and this means that people need to be more careful when dealing with equipment that easily cause fire. Furthermore, fire spreads in several ways and wind enhances the spread of the fire. Poor housekeeping contributes to a higher fire load and impedes the efforts of firefighting. It is therefore, up to the occupants of a residential house to keep their house in order and undertake precautionary measures to prevent the fires. References Brannigan, F. and Corbett, G. (2010) Brannigan's building construction for the fire service. Sudbury, MA: National Fire Protection Association. Hall, J. (2014). Fires Starting with Flammable Gas or Flammable or Combustible Liquid. Nfpa.org. Retrieved 19 January 2016, from http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fire-causes/chemical-and-gases/fires-starting-with-flammable-gas-or-flammable-or-combustible-liquid Mahrens, M. (2016). Candles. Nfpa.org. Retrieved 19 January 2016, from http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fire-causes/candles Niederhaus, S., & Graham, J. (2013). All in the family. Lanham: Taylor Trade Publishing. Read More