The Importance of Space Separation between Buildings - Assignment Example

University of Central Lancashire School of Engineering FV1202 Design Assignment Brief Please answer ALL questions, showing workings out where appropriate, and appropriate referencing. 1. Discuss the key elements that would affect the time available for occupants to escape from a room where a fire has started. (10 marks) Answers Every premise should be designed in such a way that in event of a fire outbreak in the building, once alerted, the persons in the building are able to escape from the building before being affected by the smoke or fire (Proulx and Fahy, 2004). The time available to leave the compartment or room of fire before being overcome by smoke or fire is dependent on a number of key factors: The number and width of exists: The number of exits and escape routes should depend on the number of occupants in the tier or storey, or room in question and the limits on travel distance to the nearest exit. The width of the exit is also important factor (Proulx and Fahy, 2004). Current Building Regulations specify a minimum width of 750 mm for final exit door, to accommodate a maximum of 60 people. While fire escape roof window are 660mm by 1180mm. The distance to reach a protected zone, place of safety or another room: the further persons in the building need to travel in order to reach a protected door the greater the risk from the effect of smoke and fire (Proulx and Fahy, 2004). The fire dynamics: some material burn very fast others produce a lot of smoke. Means of early warning of fire: early warning and discovery of fire will increase the time available to enable people to evacuate or escape safely before blocks escape routes or makes escape to be difficult. The number and mobility of occupants in the room or compartment of fire origin: disable individuals are more likely to be affected by fire outbreak as compared to able persons (Proulx and Fahy, 2004), this is because of their movement. The geometry of the room or compartment: small rooms or compartment are more likely to be affected by fire outbreak because fire spread faster in small areas as compared to large areas (Proulx and Fahy, 2004). The containment measures of the compartment or room of fire origin: the room of fire origin will generally burn for a longer amount of time, thus will be an area with the worst casualties or damage. 2. Discuss the terms “fire resistance testing” and “reaction to fire Testing”. (10 marks) Answers Two key aspects to fire testing are reaction to fire and fires resistance. These two terms are often confused. Reaction to fire testing performance relates to the ignitability and combustibility of a material i.e. its contribution to fire growth, rather than its ability to resist the passage of fire. Reaction to fire testing will measure the contribution of system or material to fire particularly at early stages when this is important to the safe evacuation of a premise or transport system (Jensen, 2003). In fire reaction, testing tend to be smaller in scale than for fire resistance and these testing are carried out on specific materials or components representative of end user conditions (Jensen, 2003). The test specimens that may be used should be representative of materials that may be exposed to a growing fire, including: Ceiling linings; wall linings; furniture; and room contents. Fire resistance is defined in BS 476: Part 20: 1987 as the ability of building material to withstand exposure to a standard temperature, pressure and time regime without the loss of its fire separating function or loadbearing function or both for a given time (Jensen, 2003). The specimen to be tested is built into an appropriate supporting construction which is then built into a restraint frame and mounted on the front of a furnace. Therefore, fire resistance test is carried out to find the resistance of building materials when they are subjected to fire (Jensen, 2003). These tests are usually carried out floors; beams and columns; ceilings; walls and partitions; doors; glazing and intumescent seals. Question 3: Define the term final exit (5 marks) Answers The final exit is an external door that terminates a fire escape route. This door is where evacuating victims will be able to disperse towards places of safe assembly and away from the intended danger of smoke and fire (Boyce et el, 2005). Often normal entry or exit doors in a building will serve as final exits provided that these doors are unlocked when the building has been occupied. Otherwise, other alternative final exits can be specifically provided for exit in case there is a fire evacuation. Final exits door must enable occupants in a building to escape easily and quickly in the case of emergency or fire evacuation. The operations of final exits must be made simple to use with a single action-without a ‘tool’ (Boyce et el, 2005). The final exit should also be designed to allow an escape capacity requiring a double or a single door. If the double door is to be used, then it must be openable at all times without additional actions. Question 4: Explain the terms travel distance and the 45° rule (6 marks) Answers Travel distance is the distance occupants in a building will have to travel to the next protected door. This distance is measured along the actual route of escape from any point within the building, including the distance across rooms (Boyce et el, 2005). The longer the distance needed to be travel by the occupants to reach a protected door the greater the risk from the effects of fire. When it comes in calculating an appropriate exit capacity for a corridor with alternative means for escape during fire escape, It should be assumed that one exit door is out of action (Boyce et el, 2005). Equally, the exit doors in a building must abide by the 45 degree rule i.e. These doors should only be considered separately if from any point the angle is at least 45 degrees. Question 5: Discuss the importance of space separation between buildings (8 marks) Answers The importance of space separation between buildings is to prevent the spread of fire to or from the same building or an adjoining building. Space separation between buildings: Prevents the rapid spread of fire which could trap the occupants of a building (Shake, 2009). Limits the damage caused to a building and its contents (Shake, 2009). Reduces the chance of fires growing and creating a danger to occupants, fire and rescue services, and people in the vicinity of the building (Shake, 2009). Question 6: What are the for each of the following? a) A single storey shop with sprinkler protection 2,000 m2 b) A single storey industrial unit 4,000 m2 (2 mark) 7. What is the maximum size of an opening (unprotected area) that can be discounted when considering space separation between buildings? (1 mark) Answer 1000mm 8. What is the minimum recommended fire resistance periods for the following structures? a) A 28m high sprinkler protected residential building b) A ten storey shop (40m high) with sprinkler protection (2 mark) 9. In each of the following cases state whether a fire fighting shaft is recommended and if so whether or not a fire fighting lift is also required: a) An office building with a top occupied floor of 250m2 located at 19m above fire service vehicle access level Both firefighting shaft and firefighting lift are recommended. b) A four storey assembly building with a top storey of 1400m2 located 10m above fire service vehicle access level (2 mark) Firefighting shaft recommended but No fire fighting lift 10. What purpose groups would be appropriate for the following premises? a) A hospital-sleeping care b) A hotel-Sleeping accommodation c) A student union building (e.g. 53°)- Intermitted activity (medium) d) A swimming pool building.-crowd small (4 marks) 11. According to Table 2 of ADB, what are the recommended travel distance limitations (single direction & more than one direction) for the following: a) A normal hazard storage facility- b) A place of special fire hazard c) The bedroom of an apartment d) A lecture theatre with fixed seating in rows e) Shop floor- f) A residential care home (6 marks) Answer Building One direction of travel More than one direction of travel a A normal hazard storage facility 18 45 b A place of special fire hazard 9 18 c The bedroom of an apartment 15 32 d A lecture theatre with fixed seating in rows 15 32 e Shop floor 15 32 f A residential care home 9 18 12. According to Table 3 of ADB, what is the recommended minimum number of escape routes from a storey with: a) 10 people b) 100 people c) 250 people d) 500 people (2 marks) Answer Occupancy capacity Minimum number of exits 1 10 people 1 2 100 people 2 3 250 people 2 4 500 people 2 13. According to Table 4 of ADB, what is the minimum exit width required to accommodate: a) 219 people b) 61 people c) 10 people d) 500 people (2 marks) Answer Occupancy capacity Minimum number of exits 1 219 people 2 2 61 people 2 3 10 people 1 4 500 people 2 14. A building with four above ground floors is served by two escape stairs without lobby protection. Using Table 7 of ADB, what is the minimum width of the escape stairs if each floor accommodates: a) 75 persons b) 130 persons (2 marks) Answer Occupancy minimum width 1 75 persons 1000 mm 2 130 persons 1100 mm 15. A building with five above ground floors is served by three escape stairs with lobby protection. Using Table 7 of ADB, what is the minimum width of the escape stairs if each floor accommodates: a) 155 persons b) 230 persons (2 marks) Answer Occupancy minimum width 1 155 persons 537.5 mm 2 230 persons 725 mm 16. Assuming 100 occupants from the ground floor accommodation also exit through the ground floor of the stair enclosures for Questions 9 and 10, how wide do the final exits need to be? (i.e. a merging flow – diagram 15 and associated equation). (4 marks) Answer P = 100, n = 2 From the formula: 100 = 200w + 50 (w - 0.3)(2 - 1) 100 = 200w + (50w - 15)(1) 100 = 200w + 50w - 15 115 = 250w w = 460mm 17. According to Table C1, what floor space factors would be appropriate in the following areas? a) An office b) A library c) A shop sales area d) A restaurant (4 marks) Answers Areas Floor space factor m²/person a An office 6.0 b library 7.0 c shop sales area 2.0 d A restaurant 1.0 Question 18: For a square room, 40m by 40m, calculate the number of occupants using the floor space factors obtained in Question 17. In each case what is the minimum number of exits required and how wide should each exit be as a minimum. (4 marks) Answer A= 40 * 40 =1600 m2 Floor space factor for a room is 1 m²/person Number of occupants= 1600 m2/1 m²= 1600 occupants Minimum Number of exits required= 3 Question 19: What is meant by the following terms: a) Life safety b) Property protection c) Fire resistance d) Cavity barrier (4 marks) Answers a). Life safety: is a part of any building's infrastructure that monitors the environment in and around built space for changes in state that indicate the presence of fire or smoke. b). Property Protection: this are safety measures that have been put in place to protect the properties in a building (Shake, 2009). c). Fire resistance: this are fire resistance materials that are used during development of a place such as doors, windows etc (Shake, 2009). d). Cavity barrier: These are range of products are used to prevent the passage of smoke and fire through concealed cavities (Shake, 2009). Question 20: Figure 1 and Figure 1a below represents a two storey office building, from the dimensions give an estimate for internal room sizes. With reference to Figures 1 and 1a determine: a) Travel distances from each room and each floor: b) Occupancy load =500/6 = 84 occupants c) Purpose group : Administration and clerical work d) Exit and final exit widths: 850 mm e) Stair widths: 1,200mm f) Classification of wall and ceiling linings : Fire resistance (20 marks) References Boyce K.E, Shields T.J and Silcock, G.W.H, 2005, Toward the characterization of building occupancies for fire safety engineering: capabilities of disabled people moving horizontally and on an incline, Fire Technology, Vol. 35, No. 1 Jensen, G. 2003, Evacuating in Smoke, IGS AS, Trondheim, Norway. Shake, 13 Jul 2009, "Joe Budden to Release Escape Route & The Great Escape LP". 2dopeboyz. Retrieved 15 Feb 2012. Tinsley, J, 18 Aug 2009, ""Good Enough" - Review Of Joe Budden's Escape Route | The Smoking Section". The Smoking Section. Retrieved 25 Dec 2009. Proulx G. and Fahy, R.F., 2004, The Time Delay to Start Evacuation: Review of Fire Case Studies, Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 783-794. Read More

Reaction to fire testing performance relates to the ignitability and combustibility of a material i.e. its contribution to fire growth, rather than its ability to resist the passage of fire. Reaction to fire testing will measure the contribution of system or material to fire particularly at early stages when this is important to the safe evacuation of a premise or transport system (Jensen, 2003). In fire reaction, testing tend to be smaller in scale than for fire resistance and these testing are carried out on specific materials or components representative of end user conditions (Jensen, 2003).

The test specimens that may be used should be representative of materials that may be exposed to a growing fire, including: Ceiling linings; wall linings; furniture; and room contents. Fire resistance is defined in BS 476: Part 20: 1987 as the ability of building material to withstand exposure to a standard temperature, pressure and time regime without the loss of its fire separating function or loadbearing function or both for a given time (Jensen, 2003). The specimen to be tested is built into an appropriate supporting construction which is then built into a restraint frame and mounted on the front of a furnace.

Therefore, fire resistance test is carried out to find the resistance of building materials when they are subjected to fire (Jensen, 2003). These tests are usually carried out floors; beams and columns; ceilings; walls and partitions; doors; glazing and intumescent seals. Question 3: Define the term final exit (5 marks) Answers The final exit is an external door that terminates a fire escape route. This door is where evacuating victims will be able to disperse towards places of safe assembly and away from the intended danger of smoke and fire (Boyce et el, 2005).

Often normal entry or exit doors in a building will serve as final exits provided that these doors are unlocked when the building has been occupied. Otherwise, other alternative final exits can be specifically provided for exit in case there is a fire evacuation. Final exits door must enable occupants in a building to escape easily and quickly in the case of emergency or fire evacuation. The operations of final exits must be made simple to use with a single action-without a ‘tool’ (Boyce et el, 2005).

The final exit should also be designed to allow an escape capacity requiring a double or a single door. If the double door is to be used, then it must be openable at all times without additional actions. Question 4: Explain the terms travel distance and the 45° rule (6 marks) Answers Travel distance is the distance occupants in a building will have to travel to the next protected door. This distance is measured along the actual route of escape from any point within the building, including the distance across rooms (Boyce et el, 2005).

The longer the distance needed to be travel by the occupants to reach a protected door the greater the risk from the effects of fire. When it comes in calculating an appropriate exit capacity for a corridor with alternative means for escape during fire escape, It should be assumed that one exit door is out of action (Boyce et el, 2005). Equally, the exit doors in a building must abide by the 45 degree rule i.e. These doors should only be considered separately if from any point the angle is at least 45 degrees.

Question 5: Discuss the importance of space separation between buildings (8 marks) Answers The importance of space separation between buildings is to prevent the spread of fire to or from the same building or an adjoining building. Space separation between buildings: Prevents the rapid spread of fire which could trap the occupants of a building (Shake, 2009). Limits the damage caused to a building and its contents (Shake, 2009). Reduces the chance of fires growing and creating a danger to occupants, fire and rescue services, and people in the vicinity of the building (Shake, 2009).

Question 6: What are the for each of the following?

Read More