Very tall buildings have distinctive hearth security design issues that are not skilled in different kinds of buildings. For example, because the height of the structure is beyond the attain of ladders, tall buildings are outfitted with extra fire security features as it’s not possible for the hearth division to initiate exterior rescues from ladders and suppress fires with exterior hose streams.
In regards to fireplace safety, the efficiency historical past of very tall buildings whereas very successful, has not been without catastrophic incidents. Many of these incidents have resulted in 1) quite a few deaths and accidents, 2) excessive property loss and 3) disruptions in business continuity. For instance, the One Meridian Plaza high-rise fire in Philadelphia that occurred in 1991 resulted in the lack of three firefighters and constructing never being re-opened. In 1988, the fire in the Interstate Bank Building in Los Angeles skilled one fatality and resulted within the constructing being out of use for six months.
Based on analysis and classes discovered, the model building codes have made vital progress in addressing hearth questions of safety in very tall buildings. At the same time, the complexity and distinctive challenges of today’s very tall buildings have created an surroundings the place comprehensive performance-based options have become a necessity.
To assist the design group with growing performance-based fireplace safety solutions for very tall buildings, in 2013, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) partnered with the International Code Council (ICC) to develop the Engineering Guide: Fire Safety in Very Tall Buildings.1 This publication is written as a guide for use in conjunction with native codes and requirements and serves as an added tool to those concerned in the fireplace safety design of distinctive tall buildings. The guide focuses on design points that affect the fireplace security efficiency of tall buildings and the way engineers can incorporate performance-based fire protection through hazard and danger evaluation methodologies into the design of tall buildings. This article will focus on a number of the distinctive fire safety design strategies/methodologies employed in the design of tall buildings that are referenced within the ICC/SFPE Guide.
Emergency Egress
Developing an effective evacuation strategy for a tall building is difficult as the time to complete a full constructing evacuation will increase with constructing top. At the identical time, above certain heights, the normal technique of requiring all occupants to simultaneous evacuate will not be sensible as occupants turn into extra susceptible to extra risks when evacuating through stairways. That is why tall buildings usually make use of non-traditional or alternative evacuation methods.
When designing an egress plan for a tall building, the first goal should be to supply an applicable means to allow occupants to maneuver to a spot of safety. To accomplish this aim, there are a number of evacuation methodologies that are obtainable to the design group. These evacuation methods can include but are not limited to 1) defend-in-place, 2) shifting individuals to areas of refuge and 3) phased/progressive evacuation. It is also attainable that a mixture of those strategies can be this greatest answer. When deciding on an acceptable technique, the design staff should think about the required degree of safety for the building occupants and the constructing efficiency aims which are identified by the building’s stakeholders.
Using protected elevators has turn into one other evacuation strategy that is turning into more prevalent in the design of tall buildings. In addition to aiding the hearth department with operations and rescues, protected elevators at the second are getting used for building evacuation, significantly for occupants with disabilities. When contemplating elevators in an evacuation strategy, there are a selection of design considerations to consider: 1) security and reliability of the elevators, 2) coordination of elevator controls and constructing security techniques, 3) training of building occupants and first responders and 4) communication to constructing occupants during the emergency.
Tall buildings usually make use of non-traditional or different evacuation methods.
Fire Resistance
The penalties of partial or international collapse of tall buildings because of a severe hearth pose a major danger to a giant quantity of people, the fire service and surrounding buildings. At the identical time, tall buildings typically have distinctive design features whose role within the construction and fire response are not simply understood utilizing traditional fire protection methods. These distinctive components might warrant a must adopt a complicated structural fireplace engineering evaluation to reveal that the building’s efficiency objectives are met.
Performance-based design of structural fire resistance entails three steps: (1) determination of the thermal boundary situations to a construction ensuing from a hearth; (2) calculation of the thermal response of the structure to the fire exposure, and (3) willpower of the structural response of the construction. เพรสเชอร์เกจดิจิตอล on performing this type of analysis could be discovered within the SFPE Engineering Standard on Calculating Fire Exposures to Structures2, and SFPE Engineering Standard on Calculation Methods to Predict the Thermal Performance of Structural and Fire Resistive Assemblies.3
Water-Based Fire Suppression Systems
In tall buildings, the water supply required for fire protection methods can be larger than the capability of the general public water supply. As such, fireplace safety system water provides for sprinkler techniques and standpipes require the usage of pumps and/or gravity water tanks to spice up the water stress. Reliability of this water supply is a key consideration. As such, redundant fire pumps, gravity-based storage supplies, or both may be wanted to boost system reliability.
Another problem to contemplate when designing water-based fireplace suppression techniques is pressure control as it’s possible for system parts to be exposed to pressures that exceed its maximum working strain. Consequently, it might be necessary to design vertical pressure zones to control pressures in the zone. Additionally, stress regulating valves are often needed. When installed, care must be taken to make certain that these strain regulating valves are installed correctly and adequately maintained.
Fire Alarm and Communication Systems
Providing building occupants with accurate information throughout emergencies will increase their capacity to make appropriate decisions about their very own security. Fire alarm and communication techniques are an essential supply of this information. Very tall buildings employ voice communication techniques which may be integrated into the fire alarm system. When designing voice communication systems it is very important ensure that the system offers reliable and credible info.
Fire alarm system survivability is another import issue to suppose about in fireplace alarm system design. For tall buildings, consideration should be given in order that an assault by a fireplace in an evacuation zone doesn’t impair the voice messaging exterior the zone. Some of the design considerations to achieve survivability may include: 1) protection of control gear from fireplace, 2) safety of circuits. 3) configuration of circuits and 4) shielding of panels.
Tall buildings often employ smoke control systems that both vent, exhaust or restrict the unfold of smoke.
Smoke Control
Controlling the spread of smoke is more difficult in tall buildings. For instance, tall buildings expertise a phenomenon called stack effect. Stack impact happens when a tall building experiences a strain distinction all through its top as a result of temperature differentials between the skin air temperature and the within building temperature. This causes air to maneuver vertically, depending on the outside air temperature – either upward or downward in a constructing. It can also cause smoke from a constructing fire to unfold throughout the building if not managed. That is why tall buildings often make use of smoke administration methods that either vent, exhaust or restrict the unfold of smoke.
Other considerations in tall buildings included the air movement created by the piston impact of elevators and the effects of wind. Air movement attributable to elevator automobiles ascending and descending in a shaft and the effects of wind can lead to smoke motion in tall buildings. These impacts turn out to be more pronounced as the height of the constructing enhance.
Because very tall buildings complicate smoke spread, efficient smoke management is tougher to achieve. The potential options are quite a few and include a mixture of energetic and passive features similar to but not limited to: 1) smoke barrier partitions and flooring, 2) stairway pressurization methods, 3) pressurized zoned smoke control supplied by the air-handling tools, and 4) smoke dampers. The solution carried out into the design wants to address the constructing itself, its uses, relevant occupant characteristics and reliability.
First Service Issues
It goes with out saying that tall buildings present distinctive challenges to the hearth service. During the planning and design phases, it is necessary for the design staff to work with the fire service to discuss the type of sources which might be needed for an incident and the actions that might be wanted to mitigate an incident. This consists of creating construction and post-construction preplans. These preplans should include and not be limited to making provisions for 1) hearth service entry together with transport to the very best stage of the building, 2) establishing a water supply, 3) standpipe systems (temporary and permanent), 4) communication techniques, and 5) understanding the operations of the hearth protection techniques within the building.
One of the challenges the hearth service faces during incidents in tall buildings is the flexibility of firefighters to maneuver gear to the incident location. Designers should keep in mind how the hearth service can transport its gear from the response level to the very best level in a secure manner.
Additionally, care must be taken when designing the fire command heart as it will provide the hearth service command employees with important information about the incident. The fire command heart needs to be accessible and will include 1) controls for building techniques, 2) contact info for constructing administration, 3) current buildings plans, 4) emergency response and egress plans and 5) preplans.
1 International Code Council/SFPE. (2013). Engineering Guide: Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings. Country Club Hills, IL.
2 SFPE. (2011). SFPE Standard S.01 2011, Engineering Standards on Calculating Fire Exposures to Structures. Gaithersburg, Maryland.
3 SFPE. 2015). SFPE Standard S.02 2015, SFPE Engineering Standard on Calculation Methods to Predict the Thermal Performance of Structural and Fire Resistive Assemblies. Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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