Fire and Rescue Service Management - Fire Protection Systems of the Lowry - Case Study Example

Subject: Fire and Rescue service management Fire Name Tutor Date Table of Contents Title page……………………………….........................................1 Table of contents………………………………..................................2 Executive Summary………………………………..................................3 Description of the lwry……………………………….............................3 Use of the Lowry………………………………....................................3 Design guides used to design fire protection at the Lowry……,,…..4 Fire Engineering solutions and Risk assessment at the Lowry……...6 Other aspects of risk assessment at the Lowry……………………………….....7 Passive Fire protection at the Lowry………………………………................8 Active Fire protection at the Lowry……………………………….................9 Sprinkler system components and how it works………………………………........10 Automatic fire suppression sprinkler………………………………..............10 The wet riser sprinkler at the Lowry………………………………..............11 The Dry rise sprinkler built into the of the design…………………………..11 Fire effect on material which build the Lowry………………………………......12 Effects of fire on steel………………………………...........................13 Timber and effect of fire………………………………..........................13 Concrete and effects of fire……………………………….......................14 Effects of fire on Masonry……………………………….......................14 Effects of fire on Glass used at the building………………………………......15 Cited works……………………………….......................................16 Executive summary This fire report was prepared at the request of my line manager, following a meeting with the Architect, Building control officer and the site manager. The report summarizes the design legal requirement, the fire engineering and safety protection system in place at the Lowry. It is a guide to fire protection system at the Lowry. Description the Lowry; The Lowry building was designed using different geometrical shapes’ one side it is triangular, the next side is hexagon, the third is circle, a side that is triangle and finally a rectangle shape at one side. The spaces inside the Lowry are designed in layers of fireproof materials. The inner layer is glass, outside layer is stainless steel, and fire resistant floor made of terrazzo .it consists of total of 48,000 tons of concrete, 2,466 tons of steel and 5,263 sq metres of glass. Use of the Lowry The building is used of exhibitions, theatres and studio and for restaurant, cafes & bars and quayside terraces. It is also historical landmark frequented by international tourist. The design guides used to design fire protection at the Lowry Many guides were used in the design of the Lowry. The design objective include the Integrated Design Processfor Fire Protection to Ensure Occupant Safety and Health Various design guides were used in the Lowry these include the Code of practice for fire safety in the design, construction and use of buildings) under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO)BS 9999 (as amended also the LPC Design Guide for the Protection of Buildings – Commercial and Industrial, . ASFP Yellow Book - Fire Protection for Structural Steel in Buildings, BRE publications, British fire resistance test standards. The Lowry was build using design guides for G England and Wales, the Building Act 1984 and its Building Regulations 2000 which normally apply new construction of commercial and private buildings ,and exiting building in terms of erection, extension or material alteration . The regulations on safety require buildings to be designed to allow access to exits in case of fire outbreaks in buildings. As such, the Lowry building has compartments traits to prevent the spread of fire. This building is constructed using materials that are resistant fire. Fire safety standards demand uses of materials that do not permit fire across walls and ceilings. They also ensure less risk of fire movement to other premises. The use of structural stability is an integral element of fire protection The design used in construction of the Lowry include the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 on types of required data for new buildings as well as the DCLG Circular 01/2006 detailing scope of new buildings in line with the DCLG guidance 'The Validation of Planning Applications' [December 2007]. In addition the Lowry designers submitted the following design requirements, I. The standard application form, ii. The location plan, iii. Site Plans, IV. Block plan of the site. Existing and proposed elevations, I. Existing and proposed floor plans, Vii. Existing and proposed site sections and finished floor and site levels, viii. Roof plans ix. Land Ownership Certificates. Commercial Holdings Certificate, Design and Access Statements According to the (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990 the Lowry has historic as well as architectural interest there was an Applications for listed building consent, which was attached to the Design and Access Statement. The statement explained special architectural and historic interest of the Lowry to the authorities as well as the outstanding geographical position and features that justified the designation as a national a listed building as well as the spectacular settings. The Lowry also adheres to the fire protection Codes and Standards Which have influence in fire protection? These are standards set by the national Fire protection association (NFPA) include: NAPA and the NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. Fire engineering solutions and risk assessments of the Lowry The design of the lwry needed Fire engineering solutions. These call for the use of applied learning in scientific methodology in study of materials use in construction in terms of ability to withstand heat and fire. The Lowry involved fire engineers from earliest stages the Lowry for feasibility and design stage this led to the team having Greater flexibility in Innovation and good selection of specific material which are fire resistant or prevent the spread of fire this also led to maximisation of benefits fro the total budget to get Whole Building Design. It used prescriptive codes and standards to design install test and maintain fire protection system t the Lowry. This was combined with Performance-based design on general building perspective by setting fire safety goals of safety of property environmental human life. The Lowry was therefore designed to provide protection to all types of fires through scenario simulation of all likelihood chance of any fires at the lwry. The engineering objectives included the prevention of fire in terms of ignition and spread through proper design materials used as well as method of construction and structure of building, the kind of design installation and maintenance of detection, Fire engineering solutions also involve the use of technical knowledge in fire investigation and analysis The strategy of fire engineering uses the integrated concept of whole building design in designing fire sprinklers, fire-fighter's standpipes, smoke control), electrical systems of fire detection ,electrical fire alarm, egression and fire resistance mechanisms. Other areas of risk assessment at the Lowry Other risk assessment and fire engineering requirements that the Lowry submitted Air quality assessment according to Guidance on (Planning & pollution Control) [2004]. Planning Policy Statement 23, Biodiversity survey and report, Daylight/Sunlight assessment, Flood risk assessment, Land Contamination assessment, Parking Provision, Tree survey/Agricultural implications Passive fire protection The lwry uses passive fire protection involves use the three components of structural fire control by use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors and Fire door, cable tray penetration and intumescents, cable coating. Structural fire protection is the compartmentalisation using firebreak walls and fire-resistance rated walls and floors. It uses non-combustible construction - walls, roof, floors, linings, insulation materials .There are Fire barriers in voids, ducts, cavities and roof spaces in the entire building The Lowry has Fire resisting ducts for cables / services And has extensive use of Fire resistant cabling as well as Fire dampers in air distribution ducts. The aim for passive Fire protection systems are to maintain the item below critical resistance temperature above which walls collapse. Materials Fire testing is above 1100 °C, depending on the fire-resistance rating. The Lowry used both Intumescents and vermiculite. The tumescent fire protection uses paint coating of materials with fire resistant is while vermiculite fire protection is very thick layer. The Lowry has Fire-resistance glass using multi-layer in tumescent interlayer technology to meet ASTM-E119 test standards. The glass at the Lowry is fitted as a fire-rated wall and very as well as the floors, which are fire-resistant. There Grease ducts are the ducts that connected to cooking equipment and deep fryers .Cable coating are fire-retardants, which are either endothermic or intumescent. Spray fireproofing is the use of in tumescent or endothermic paints, or fibre or cementations plasters to building materials to increase resistance to fire. Fireproofing cladding is boards used for the same purpose and in the same applications as spray fireproofing Active Fire Protection The Lowry also uses active fire protection this is the use of physical installations like Fire extinguishers, Emergency Lighting. Active fire protection (AFP) is an integral part of fire protection. Active fire protection is characterised by items and/or systems, which are operated manually leading to Fire suppression. They include sprinkler systems as well as Shutters in compartment walls operated via an Automatic Smoke Alarm and / or a fusible links as well as automatic Sprinkler Installation, Emergency exits, Smoke ventilation, and Pressurised stairwells Fire can be controlled or extinguished manually using fire extinguisher and standpipe systems. It can also be done automatically by sprinkler system, gas and foam system. The Lowry kitchen has automatic fire suppression sprinkler system Sprinkler systems, the component parts, how it works The Lowry sprinklers are located at the ceilings and connected to the water supply. Heat causes sensors from inside the glass to transfer heat into a sensor inside the sprinkler head. This causes the release of water only at the sprinkler head .The other sprinklers remain off until the same mechanism is activated separately. Each at its own time according to the spread of the fire hence the sprinklers will only be active at only the areas on fire. Automatic fire suppression sprinkler systems at the Lowry This is a firewater sprinkler consisting of a water supply system. There are sprinklers attached to the water supply. There is ahead sensor, which will release the water at sprinkler once heat exceeds a certain threshold. The Lowry wet riser sprinkler fire suppression The fire suppression Wet riser sprinklers at the Lowry are intended to keep down the heat release rate and prevent structures from collapse while wetting all the area to stop fire from spreading. Wet pipe sprinkler systems are the most reliable sprinklers. When heat exceeds the temperature rating, a glass bulb in the sprinkler or fuse link element set the sprinkler on. Dry Risers sprinkler built into the Lowry design Due to freezing temperatures sometimes at the Lowry, Dry pipe systems were installed in order to avoid water from freezing inside pipes. Once this occurs, the whole system is in jeopardy. Dry pipe systems are found in buildings without heating systems. In this type of sprinkler system, the pipes have no water hence they are referred to as dry riser sprinklers dry and when there is fire, the system trigger sprinkler heads to flow. The Lowry has Pre-action sprinkler systems, which is hybrid of wet and dry riser systems. These systems require smoke or heat detector, takes place prior to the fire hence the system is converts from a dry system into a wet system. In case of a problem leakage by pipes, the lower air pressure automates a trouble alarm and the sprinkler valve will not open due to loss of pressure. Fire effect on materials used within the Lowry There is enough scientific evidence to accurately assess the effect of fire temperatures on building materials .this will enable us now to assess the structure strength of the Lowry. Building fires, which normally reach temperatures of about 1000 ºC, can affect the load bearing capacity of structural bearing elements in a number of ways. There is always loss of strength of building materials after a fire except for timber, which retains its strength unless fire temperature exceeds 300 degrees. When, heated above 250 ºC, strength that may not recover after cooling. Any building expert must calculate the temperature attained by a fire to know level of damage There is temperature at which concrete or mortar with natural sands aggregates changes colour to is red or pink iron at 300 ºC as it loses its strength return permanently. (A)Effects of fire on Steel Steel is another main material used at the Lowry. Scientific test show that steel yield strength of steel is decreases to about half at 550 ºC. In addition, its temperature is equal to that of the fire .At 1000 º C; the yield strength is a10 less than ten percent. It loses all load-bearing strength, unprotected steelwork expands allots. The hot-rolled high-yield bars and mild-steel bars are stronger than co worked steel. It is advisable that structural steel members that remain in place with few distortion to the web, flanges and ends connection. Only co-worked or tempered steel permanents lose its strength. The temperatures achieved by on-site testing are good to use (B) Timber and effects of fire All building material are weakened by heat except timber at 250 degrees all materials become weaker than timber. This loss of material strength is not recovered even after cooling. If timber is expose to heat at 300 degree it ignites. It changes colour between 120 degrees to 150 ºdegrees centigrade Scientist confirm at wood retains full strength even after exposure to temperatures above 250 degrees and ignites at 300. (c)– Concrete and effects of fire The rate of heating, the duration and type of aggregates as well as the percentage of cement paste ratio of water cement. The strength of concrete is loosed after fire and decrease Sven more after cooling except where temperature do nit exceed 300 degrees centigrade hence it is close to timber in terms of resistance to heat.It is advised that all surface materials should be removed down to the red boundary where changes colour. This is the remainder is deemed to be strong as before but we can do compression test at the core to indicate the strength of remaining concrete for our uses in the remainder of the building. (D)– Effect of fire on Masonry Masonry undergoes is a loss of compressive strength and temperature for example s. For solid bricks, have directly proportional weakness to their thickness while for the Perforated bricks and hollow clay units become more weak by developing cracks and separation of inner wythes especially in cavity walls. The Exterior walls suffer from bigger impact force than internal walls due to effects of heated and expanding floor slabs. (E effects of fire on glass used at the Lowry building Most fire reach 1000 degrees centigrade and scientific test have shown that molded glass objects soften or flow at 700 or 800 ºC. .hence it will be advisable to replace all glass after a fire at the Lowry. Cited works Broman, M, (2001), Design and layout of fire sprinkler system Edition 2, CRC Press, NW, USA Fischer, W. Miller, M. Smith, J. (1996) Fire Effects Information System: User's Guide, DIANE Publishing, New York, USA FEMA (1989) Residential Fire Sprinklers Retrofit Demonstration Project, US Fire Administration, FEMA, New York, USA UNASA(2000),Fire protection barriers to effective implementation of NRC's safety oversight process : report to the Honorable Edward J. Markey, House of Representatives, United States, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ,DIANE Publishing, New York, USA U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(April,2007) Article: The Effects of Fire on Structural Systems, Retrieved on 3rd may 2010. htttp://www.hud.gov/ Read More