DATA COLLECTION

FIRE PROTECTION AND SERVICE

FIRE PROTECTIONS AND SYESTEMS:
• FIRE DETECTION:

• SMOKE AND HEAT EXTRACTION SYESTEM:

• EXTINGUISHER SYESTEM:

• CLOSURES AND GLAZING:

• MEANS OF ESCAPE FROM FIRE:

FIRE PROTECTION:
Building regulations require that due consideration must be
given in buildings to:
- the flammability of building materials
- the duration of fire resistance of the components
expressed in terms of fire resistance classifications
- the integrity of the sealing of openings
- the arrangement of escape routes.
The aim is to prevent the start and spread of a fire,
stem the spread of smoke and facilitate the escape or
rescue of persons and animals. In addition
consideration must be given to effective extinguishing
of a fire. Active and passive precautions must be taken
to satisfy these requirements. Active precautions are
those systems that are automatically deployed in the
event of fire; passive precautions are the construction
solutions in the building and its components.
FIRE DETECTION:
FIRE DETECTOR:
A fire detector is a part of the fire alarm system and can
trigger a transmitting device that raises the alarm in a
remote control centre. There are automatic and non-
automatic fire detectors. The latter are those which can be
activated manually. Automatic fire detectors are parts of the
overall fire alarm system that sense changes in specific
physical and/or chemical parameters (either continuously
or sequentially in set time intervals) to detect a fire within
the monitored area. They must be:
- installed in sufficient numbers and be suited to the
general arrangement of the area to be monitored
- selected according to the fire risk
- mounted in such a way that whatever parameter change
triggers the alarm can be easily sensed by the detector.
TYPES OF FIRE DETECTOR:
(1) Smoke detectors
These are used in rooms containing materials that would
give off large volumes of smoke in the event of a fire.
- Optical smoke detectors: triggered by visible smoke.
- Ionisation smoke detectors: triggered by small
amounts of smoke which have not been detected by
optical means. These detectors provide earlier
warning than optical smoke detectors and are
suitable for houses, offices, storage and sales rooms.
(2) Flame detectors
These are activated by radiation emanating from flames
and are used in rooms containing materials that burn
without smoke, or produce very little.
SMOKE AND HEAT EXTRACTION
SYESTEM:
Smoke and heat venting systems comprise one or more of
the following elements, together with the associated
activation and control devices, power supplies and
accessories:
- smoke vents
- heat vents
- mechanical smoke extractors.
Given that they have the task of removing smoke and heat
in the event of fire, these systems contribute to:
- preserving escape and access routes
- facilitating the work of the firefighters
- the prevention of flash-over, hence retarding or
avoiding a full fire
- the protection of equipment
- the reduction of fire damage caused by burning gases
and hot ash
- reducing the risk of fire encroaching on structural
elements.
MECHANICAL SMOKE EXTRACTION:
Mechanical smoke extractors perform the same task as
smoke vents but use forced ventilation (e.g. fans) to achieve
the extraction of smoke. These smoke extractors are
particularly useful where smoke vents are neither
appropriate nor feasible for technical reasons.
Appropriately sized smoke vents or mechanical smoke
extractors can, in principle, be used in the place of heat
vents.
In view of their function and how they work, mechanical
smoke extractors should be provided:
- for single storey buildings with very large areas and
volumes
EXTINGUISHER SYESTEM:
Wet sprinkler systems are systems in which the pipeline
network behind the wet alarm valve station is permanently
filled with water. When a sprinkler responds, water emerges
from it immediately.
In dry sprinkler systems, on the other hand, the pipeline
network behind the dry sprinkler valve station is filled with
compressed air, which prevents water from flowing into the
sprinkler network. When the sprinkler system is triggered,
the retaining air pressure is released and water flows to the
sprinkler heads. Dry sprinkler systems are used where there
is a risk of frost damage to the pipework.
Normal sprinklers deliver a spherical water distribution
towards the ceiling and the floor whereas the water from
umbrella sprinklers falls in a parabolic pattern towards the
floor. Both kinds can take the form of self-supporting or
hanging devices. + @
Automatic fire extinguisher systems commonly employ
fixed pipelines to which closed nozzles (sprinklers) are
connected at regular intervals. When the system is activated,
water is released only from those sprinklers where the
sealing devices have reached the set response temperatures
required to open them. These types of arrangements are
also known as selectively operated extinguishing systems.
CLOSURE AND GLAZING:
Fire protection closures are units comprising:
- a door, or doors, with associated frames and fixings
for the frame
- a self-closing device (either a flat spring or door
closer with hydraulic damping)
- a closing sequence regulator (on double doors)
- relevant mechanisms required if sliding, roller or
vertical lift doors are fitted
- a door lock
- a locking system with release devices for closures,
which, during normal usage, must be held open and
closed only in the event of fire.
If a fire takes hold, considerable distortion can occur
between the wall and the door. Fire protection doors should
therefore be considered in conjunction with the method of
construction of the wall (i.e. solid walls or stud
construction) to ensure that the combination is effective
and permissible.
The level of fire resistance is dependent to a large degree
on:
- the size of the door and opening
- the precision of manufacture
- the standard of workmanship during installation.
Smoke protection doors:
Smoke protection doors are
suitable for the limitation of
smoke propagation in buildings
but they are not fire
protection enclosures in
accordance with fire regulations.
These doors are self-closing
doors that are intended, when
closed, to stop smoke passing
from one part of the building
into another
Closures in walls of lift shafts:
Closures in lift shaft walls, particularly the doors, must be
constructed to prevent fire and smoke being transmitted to
other floor levels. The effectiveness of the closure is then
only assured, if suitable lift shaft ventilation is available and
the lift cage consists predominantly of fire resistant
construction materials. The size of the ventilation openings
will be given in the local building regulations. In general, a
cross-section of at least 2.50/0 of the plan area of the lift shaft
is required, but this must be at least 0.1 m 2.
Fire protection glazing:
Fire protection glazing is a
component consisting of a frame
with one or more light transparent
elements (e.g. panes of
fire protective glazing), mountings,
seals and means of
fixing. It will resist fire, in
accordance with the classification,
for 30, 60, 90, or even 120 minutes.
TYPES OF GLASSES:
(1) Wire reinforced glass with spot welded mesh such
that in the event of breakage the glass pane is
retained by the wire mesh. Maximum resistance up to
90 minutes.
(2) Specially manufactured double glazing units.
Maximum resistance up to 60 minutes.
(3) Pre-stressed borosilicate glass (for example, Pyran).
Maximum resistance up to 120 minutes resistance as
a single pane.
DOOR GLAZING:
-steel tube sections with an intumescent protective
coating
- plasterboard and wood with, for example, light metal
(LM) faci ngs
- light metal sections with fire resistant concrete
cores
MEANS OF ESCAPE FROM FIRE:
Building regulations stipulate what measures must be
taken to ensure that occupants of buildings can escape if
there is a fire. If there are spaces in the building which
have no direct access to the outside, then a route
protected from fire that leads to safety must be provided.
Different standards apply to different building types as
follows:
(1) dwellings, including flats
(2) residential (institutional) buildings, namely those that
have people sleeping in them overnight (e.g. hotels,
hospitals, old people's homes)
(3) offices, shops and commercial premises
(4) places of assembly and recreation, such as cinemas,
theatres, stadiums, law courts, museums and the like
(5) industrial buildings (e.g. factories and workshops)
(6) storage buildings, such as warehouses and car-parks.
Special provisions must be made for escape from very tall
buildings.
Factors to be taken into account when designing means
of escape from buildings are:
• the activities of the users
• the form of the building
• the degree to which it is likely that a fire will occur
• the potential fire sources
• the potential for fire spread throughout the building.
There are some assumptions made in order to achieve a
safe and economic design:
(1) Occupants should be able to escape safely without
outside help. In certain cases this is not possible (e.g.
hospitals) so special provisions need to be made.
(2) Fire normally breaks out in one part of the building.
(3) Fires are most likely to break out in the furnishings and
fittings rather than in the parts of the building covered
by the building regulations.
(4) Fires are least likely to break out in the structure of the
building and in the circulation areas due to the
restriction on the use of combustible materials.
(5) Fires are initially a local occurrence, with a restricted
area exposed to the hazard. The fire hazard can then
spread with time, usually along circulation spaces.
(6) Smoke and noxious gases are the greatest danger
during early stages of the fire, obscuring escape
routes. Smoke and fume control is therefore an
important design consideration.
(7) Management has an important role in maintaining the
safety of public, institutional and commercial
buildings.