Interpretative document No. 2: Safety in case of fire
Purpose and scope of Interpretative document No. 2
- This Interpretative Document relates to Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to construction products, hereinafter referred to as "the Directive".
- Article 3 of the Directive stipulates that the purpose of the Interpretative Documents is to give concrete form to the essential requirements for the creation of the necessary links between the essential requirements set out in Annex I to the Directive and the mandates for the preparation of harmonized standards and guidelines for European technical approvals or the recognition of other technical specifications within the meaning of Articles 4 and 5 of the Directive.
Where considered necessary, the provisions of this Interpretative Document will be further specified in each particular mandate. In drafting the mandates, account will be taken, if necessary, of the other essential requirements of the Directive, as well as of other relevant Directives concerning construction products.
- This Interpretative Document deals with the aspects of the works where "Safety in case of fire" may be concerned. It identifies products or product families and characteristics relating to their satisfactory performance.
For each intended use of the product, the mandates will indicate in further detail which of those characteristics shall be dealt with in the harmonised specifications, using a step by step procedure with CEN/ CENELEC/ EOTA, which will allow the product characteristics to be modified or complemented, if necessary.
Annex I to the Directive gives the following definition of the essential requirement which is applicable when and where the works are subject to regulations containing such a requirement: "The construction works must be designed and built in such a way that in the event of an outbreak of fire:
· the load-bearing capacity of the construction can be assumed for a specific period of time,
· the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the works are limited,
· the spread of fire to neighbouring construction works is limited,
· occupants can leave the works or be rescued by other means,
· the safety of rescue teams is taken into consideration."
- In accordance with the Council Resolution of 7 May 1985 (New Approach) and the preamble to the Directive, this interpretation of the essential requirement is intended not to reduce the existing and justified levels of protection for works in the Member States.
Explanation of the essential requirement "Safety in case of fire"
Introduction to Fire Requirements
Fire safety requirements constitute a vital part of the regulations for works in the EEC countries. Fire safety in construction works includes requirements on the layout of buildings and on the performance of structures, building products, services and installations, and fire safety installations under fire conditions.
Such requirements are normally formulated for a number of occupancies, such as dwellings, hotels, assembly rooms, offices, industrial premises etc., taking into account the specific occupant risk and the specific fire risk.
Fire Safety Strategy
- Fire safety objectives deal with the items given in the definition of the essential requirement - see "purpose and scope".
- An important part of the strategy is to minimize the occurrence of fires (fire prevention) but the scope of this document cannot cover all the relevant factors, such as, for example, fire safety management.
The development and growth of fire depends upon a number of factors including the nature and distribution of the contents (fire load), the air supply, the thermal properties of the enclosure of the construction works, the fire and smoke control systems, and the fire protection system efficacy. Building contents, however, are not a matter for this Directive. The reaction-to-fire performance of the internal lining of a room (its wall and ceiling surfaces, and its floor coverings) can influence the rate at which fire and smoke develop and therefore is often controlled.
In addition fire safety of the occupants can be improved by early detection of a fire, which may be provided by an automatic fire detection and alarm system and/or by suppression of fire by an appropriate fire protection system.
- A fire compartment is surrounded by a boundary which constitutes a barrier to fire (compartmentation) and smoke (a smoke barrier). In order to prevent fire growing to an unacceptable size leading to a dangerous spread of smoke within the construction works, the boundaries of such room(s) would normally be constructed to resist fire for a given period of time. While the construction surrounding the compartment concerned has to be fire-resisting, consideration also needs to be given to means of communication between adjoining compartments. Thus the use of doors, stairs and escalators etc., should not breach the integrity of compartments (and the barriers to fire and smoke).
A prerequisite for the integrity of the compartmentation is the overall stability of the main structure.
- The restriction or prevention of the spread of fire between neighbouring (separate) buildings is the next important step in the fire safety strategy.
The intervention of the fire brigade/rescue teams plays an important role in providing fire safety in construction works. The above described provisions for, and the means of, fire protection are seen in close relationship with the intervention, fire-fighting and rescue operation by the fire brigade.
Even if the effect of the fire brigade action may not be expressed directly, the necessary provisions for fire safety of the construction works are influenced and may be taken into account in different ways in the Member States.
- The above strategy is consistent with the objective of the essential requirement "Safety in case of fire" and the five headings see "purpose and scope". The five headings are not independent. In this document the construction products concerned are identified and listed under the appropriate heading and their characteristics are given in Chapter "provisions concerning products and..."
Engineering approach in the field of Fire Safety
Fire safety engineering is the approach by the application of engineering principles to evaluating the required level of fire safety and to designing and calculating the necessary safety measures.
Regarding fire safety of construction works, the tools of fire safety engineering can be used in several ways:
- for determining basic information on how fire and fire effluents are developing and spreading in works, e.g.
- othe calculation of fire development in rooms
- othe calculation of fire spread inside or outside buildings beyond the room of fire origin
- othe assesment of movement of fire effluents in buildings and similar works
- othe exposure to heat and fire effluents of persons and works
- othe mechanical action on building structures and/or works
- oin developing fires, characteristics like ignitability, flame spread, rate of heat release, production of smoke and toxic gases
- oresistance of structures affected by fire in terms of load-bearing capacity and separating function
- othe activation times of control systems, suppression systems, fire brigade, occupants
- othe effect of fire and smoke control systems (including extinguishing agents)
- othe assesment of detection times depending on the nature and location of fire/smoke detectors
- othe interaction of suppression and other safety devices
- oSuspended ceilings/ceiling membrane
- oVertical protective membrane
- oFire protective claddings and coatings
- oWater filled structures
- o- Water spray installation
- oto retard the speed of fire development and spread of fire and smoke in the works so as to enable occupants near and/or remote from the origin of fire to have sufficient time to escape
- oto enable the fire brigade/rescue teams to control the fire before it has grown too large.
- oprevention of initial ignition
- olimitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
- olimitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin.
- oinstallation of fire-separating elements (walls, floors, etc.) adapted to the use of the construction (i.e. adapted to the expected thermal action in the construction works),
- oclosure of openings in fire-separating elements,
- oan appropriate design of the façades, hindering spread to adjacent parts of the same works,
- ofire suppression/fire extinguishing installation,
- oremoval of hot gases by natural or mechanical means,
- oinstallation of smoke barriers (e.g. smoke control doors),
- othe provision of fire-resisting ventilation ducting and/or the installation of fire dampers and actuating devices,
- ocreating differences of air pressure between zones within the construction works to control the passage of smoke between them.
- oWalls (internal/external)
- oFloors
- oRoofs
- oPartitions and non-load-bearing external walls
- ofailure of fire separation elements between fire compartments
- ofailure of joints between walls/floors and the façades
- ofire spread in cavities inside the façades
- ofire spread along the outside surface of the façade
- oReaction-to-fire performance
- oFire resistance against: fire from the inside, fire from the outside
- oCeiling membranes
- oClosures for conveyors and trackbound transportation systems
- oRaised floors
- oConstruction joints
- oService ducts and shafts
- ooccupants of the work to evacuate to a safe place, and/or
- ofire-fighters and rescue teams to move around the building from a safe place.
- oto ensure safety of occupants in other construction works nearby and remote from the burning construction works
- oto avoid conflagration and the consequences thereof, e.g. loss of vital services such as hospitals, communication installations, loss of resources and widescale destruction of homes and housing facilities
- oto enable the fire brigade to control the fire (radiation from large fires may prevent approach of fire brigade/rescue teams).
- oFire spread between construction works which are entirely separate, as in buildings facing each other across a street for example.
- oFire spread between different construction works joined together, but with a fire-separating wall between them.
- oLimitation of radiation by controlling:
distance between construction works
size of unprotected areas such as windows
reaction-to-fire performance of products for façades
fire resistance of the unglazed or glazed parts of the façades
active protection measures such as water spray installations. - oControlling the ignition and fire spread over the external roof surface, including roof lights,
- oControlling the penetration of the fire to the inside of the building,
- oControlling the ignition of the surface of the roof covering from a fire below,
- oEnsuring the fire-separating function of a roof or part of a roof exposed to a fully developed fire from below,
- oThe use of fire-separating walls with or without performance requirements such as impact resistance in addition to fire resistance.
- oFire-separating walls
- oExternal walls and façades
- oRoof coverings including roof lights
- oto allow occupants anywhere within the construction works to be able to evacuate to a place of safety,
- oto allow rescue teams to have access to, search, and get out of the construction works.
- odesign and layout of escape routes in order to ensure safe evacuation of occupants to a place of safety
- oseparation of escape routes from the surroundings by means of fire and smoke-separating elements
- osmoke control measures
- olimitation of fire and smoke generation from wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings in escape routes.
- ofire detection and alarm installations including fire warning installations
- odesign, layout and number of escape routes and exits appropriate to the number of occupants and their mobility.
- oprovisions in escape routes which may include:
emergency lighting installations
emergency exit sign installations
emergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
safety devices on doors (panic bars etc.)
emergency guidance systems. - oprovision of pressurisation installations and other smoke control measures.
- oprovision of safe rescue places inside and/or outside the construction works.
- oprovision for access of rescue teams
access to the construction works
accessibility for emergency and fire brigade vehicles
fire-fighting lift installations. - oemergency communication systems within the construction works
emergency alarm installations/fire warning installation
emergency communication installations (also for the fire brigade). - oemergency facilities used either by the occupants, or by the fire brigade (for intervention and fire-fighting at the start of the fire)
first aid hose installations. - oWalls/ceilings
- oFloors
- oFire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- oWalls and partitions
- oCeilings (including suspended ceilings)
- oFloors
- othat the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
- othat activities in particularly hazardous workplaces can be safely terminated;
- oemergency actions can be effectively carried out at appropriate locations in the work.
- oRequired flow of water (m3/h)
- oPressure (bar)
- oContinuity of supply (h)
- oensuring possibility for rescue operations to be carried ou
- oallowing fire-fighting to be carried out effectively inside and around the works
- oenabling rescue teams and fire-fighters to operate with a reasonable level of safety and leave the works with safety.
- oaccess/space for fire-fighting appliances outside/inside the building
- owater supply installations serving fire safety installations
- ofire hydrant installations
- orising and/or falling fire mains in the building with branch outlets, and where appropriate foam inlets, dedicated to fire suppression
- ofloor plan layouts
- ofire-fighting shafts
- ofire-fighting or safety staircases
- ofire-fighting lift installations
- ofire-fighting lobbies
- osmoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- opressurization installations
- oemergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
- oemergency lighting installations
- ocontrol of utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) and active fire safety systems
- oswitches/valves for shutting down utilities
- oemergency communications installations
- ofire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- omarking of dangerous substances
- osigns to assist fire-fighters.
- for the assesment of actions, e.g.
- othe exposure to heat and fire effluents of persons and works
- othe mechanical action on building structures and/or works
- oin developing fires, characteristics like ignitability, flame spread, rate of heat release, production of smoke and toxic gases
- oresistance of structures affected by fire in terms of load-bearing capacity and separating function
- othe activation times of control systems, suppression systems, fire brigade, occupants
- othe effect of fire and smoke control systems (including extinguishing agents)
- othe assesment of detection times depending on the nature and location of fire/smoke detectors
- othe interaction of suppression and other safety devices
- oSuspended ceilings/ceiling membrane
- oVertical protective membrane
- oFire protective claddings and coatings
- oWater filled structures
- o- Water spray installation
- oto retard the speed of fire development and spread of fire and smoke in the works so as to enable occupants near and/or remote from the origin of fire to have sufficient time to escape
- oto enable the fire brigade/rescue teams to control the fire before it has grown too large.
- oprevention of initial ignition
- olimitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
- olimitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin.
- oinstallation of fire-separating elements (walls, floors, etc.) adapted to the use of the construction (i.e. adapted to the expected thermal action in the construction works),
- oclosure of openings in fire-separating elements,
- oan appropriate design of the façades, hindering spread to adjacent parts of the same works,
- ofire suppression/fire extinguishing installation,
- oremoval of hot gases by natural or mechanical means,
- oinstallation of smoke barriers (e.g. smoke control doors),
- othe provision of fire-resisting ventilation ducting and/or the installation of fire dampers and actuating devices,
- ocreating differences of air pressure between zones within the construction works to control the passage of smoke between them.
- oWalls (internal/external)
- oFloors
- oRoofs
- oPartitions and non-load-bearing external walls
- ofailure of fire separation elements between fire compartments
- ofailure of joints between walls/floors and the façades
- ofire spread in cavities inside the façades
- ofire spread along the outside surface of the façade
- oReaction-to-fire performance
- oFire resistance against: fire from the inside, fire from the outside
- oCeiling membranes
- oClosures for conveyors and trackbound transportation systems
- oRaised floors
- oConstruction joints
- oService ducts and shafts
- ooccupants of the work to evacuate to a safe place, and/or
- ofire-fighters and rescue teams to move around the building from a safe place.
- oto ensure safety of occupants in other construction works nearby and remote from the burning construction works
- oto avoid conflagration and the consequences thereof, e.g. loss of vital services such as hospitals, communication installations, loss of resources and widescale destruction of homes and housing facilities
- oto enable the fire brigade to control the fire (radiation from large fires may prevent approach of fire brigade/rescue teams).
- oFire spread between construction works which are entirely separate, as in buildings facing each other across a street for example.
- oFire spread between different construction works joined together, but with a fire-separating wall between them.
- oLimitation of radiation by controlling:
distance between construction works
size of unprotected areas such as windows
reaction-to-fire performance of products for façades
fire resistance of the unglazed or glazed parts of the façades
active protection measures such as water spray installations. - oControlling the ignition and fire spread over the external roof surface, including roof lights,
- oControlling the penetration of the fire to the inside of the building,
- oControlling the ignition of the surface of the roof covering from a fire below,
- oEnsuring the fire-separating function of a roof or part of a roof exposed to a fully developed fire from below,
- oThe use of fire-separating walls with or without performance requirements such as impact resistance in addition to fire resistance.
- oFire-separating walls
- oExternal walls and façades
- oRoof coverings including roof lights
- oto allow occupants anywhere within the construction works to be able to evacuate to a place of safety,
- oto allow rescue teams to have access to, search, and get out of the construction works.
- odesign and layout of escape routes in order to ensure safe evacuation of occupants to a place of safety
- oseparation of escape routes from the surroundings by means of fire and smoke-separating elements
- osmoke control measures
- olimitation of fire and smoke generation from wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings in escape routes.
- ofire detection and alarm installations including fire warning installations
- odesign, layout and number of escape routes and exits appropriate to the number of occupants and their mobility.
- oprovisions in escape routes which may include:
emergency lighting installations
emergency exit sign installations
emergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
safety devices on doors (panic bars etc.)
emergency guidance systems. - oprovision of pressurisation installations and other smoke control measures.
- oprovision of safe rescue places inside and/or outside the construction works.
- oprovision for access of rescue teams
access to the construction works
accessibility for emergency and fire brigade vehicles
fire-fighting lift installations. - oemergency communication systems within the construction works
emergency alarm installations/fire warning installation
emergency communication installations (also for the fire brigade). - oemergency facilities used either by the occupants, or by the fire brigade (for intervention and fire-fighting at the start of the fire)
first aid hose installations. - oWalls/ceilings
- oFloors
- oFire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- oWalls and partitions
- oCeilings (including suspended ceilings)
- oFloors
- othat the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
- othat activities in particularly hazardous workplaces can be safely terminated;
- oemergency actions can be effectively carried out at appropriate locations in the work.
- oRequired flow of water (m3/h)
- oPressure (bar)
- oContinuity of supply (h)
- oensuring possibility for rescue operations to be carried ou
- oallowing fire-fighting to be carried out effectively inside and around the works
- oenabling rescue teams and fire-fighters to operate with a reasonable level of safety and leave the works with safety.
- oaccess/space for fire-fighting appliances outside/inside the building
- owater supply installations serving fire safety installations
- ofire hydrant installations
- orising and/or falling fire mains in the building with branch outlets, and where appropriate foam inlets, dedicated to fire suppression
- ofloor plan layouts
- ofire-fighting shafts
- ofire-fighting or safety staircases
- ofire-fighting lift installations
- ofire-fighting lobbies
- osmoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- opressurization installations
- oemergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
- oemergency lighting installations
- ocontrol of utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) and active fire safety systems
- oswitches/valves for shutting down utilities
- oemergency communications installations
- ofire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- omarking of dangerous substances
- osigns to assist fire-fighters.
- for evaluating the performance of construction products when exposed to fire, e.g.
- oin developing fires, characteristics like ignitability, flame spread, rate of heat release, production of smoke and toxic gases
- oresistance of structures affected by fire in terms of load-bearing capacity and separating function
- othe activation times of control systems, suppression systems, fire brigade, occupants
- othe effect of fire and smoke control systems (including extinguishing agents)
- othe assesment of detection times depending on the nature and location of fire/smoke detectors
- othe interaction of suppression and other safety devices
- oSuspended ceilings/ceiling membrane
- oVertical protective membrane
- oFire protective claddings and coatings
- oWater filled structures
- o- Water spray installation
- oto retard the speed of fire development and spread of fire and smoke in the works so as to enable occupants near and/or remote from the origin of fire to have sufficient time to escape
- oto enable the fire brigade/rescue teams to control the fire before it has grown too large.
- oprevention of initial ignition
- olimitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
- olimitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin.
- oinstallation of fire-separating elements (walls, floors, etc.) adapted to the use of the construction (i.e. adapted to the expected thermal action in the construction works),
- oclosure of openings in fire-separating elements,
- oan appropriate design of the façades, hindering spread to adjacent parts of the same works,
- ofire suppression/fire extinguishing installation,
- oremoval of hot gases by natural or mechanical means,
- oinstallation of smoke barriers (e.g. smoke control doors),
- othe provision of fire-resisting ventilation ducting and/or the installation of fire dampers and actuating devices,
- ocreating differences of air pressure between zones within the construction works to control the passage of smoke between them.
- oWalls (internal/external)
- oFloors
- oRoofs
- oPartitions and non-load-bearing external walls
- ofailure of fire separation elements between fire compartments
- ofailure of joints between walls/floors and the façades
- ofire spread in cavities inside the façades
- ofire spread along the outside surface of the façade
- oReaction-to-fire performance
- oFire resistance against: fire from the inside, fire from the outside
- oCeiling membranes
- oClosures for conveyors and trackbound transportation systems
- oRaised floors
- oConstruction joints
- oService ducts and shafts
- ooccupants of the work to evacuate to a safe place, and/or
- ofire-fighters and rescue teams to move around the building from a safe place.
- oto ensure safety of occupants in other construction works nearby and remote from the burning construction works
- oto avoid conflagration and the consequences thereof, e.g. loss of vital services such as hospitals, communication installations, loss of resources and widescale destruction of homes and housing facilities
- oto enable the fire brigade to control the fire (radiation from large fires may prevent approach of fire brigade/rescue teams).
- oFire spread between construction works which are entirely separate, as in buildings facing each other across a street for example.
- oFire spread between different construction works joined together, but with a fire-separating wall between them.
- oLimitation of radiation by controlling:
distance between construction works
size of unprotected areas such as windows
reaction-to-fire performance of products for façades
fire resistance of the unglazed or glazed parts of the façades
active protection measures such as water spray installations. - oControlling the ignition and fire spread over the external roof surface, including roof lights,
- oControlling the penetration of the fire to the inside of the building,
- oControlling the ignition of the surface of the roof covering from a fire below,
- oEnsuring the fire-separating function of a roof or part of a roof exposed to a fully developed fire from below,
- oThe use of fire-separating walls with or without performance requirements such as impact resistance in addition to fire resistance.
- oFire-separating walls
- oExternal walls and façades
- oRoof coverings including roof lights
- oto allow occupants anywhere within the construction works to be able to evacuate to a place of safety,
- oto allow rescue teams to have access to, search, and get out of the construction works.
- odesign and layout of escape routes in order to ensure safe evacuation of occupants to a place of safety
- oseparation of escape routes from the surroundings by means of fire and smoke-separating elements
- osmoke control measures
- olimitation of fire and smoke generation from wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings in escape routes.
- ofire detection and alarm installations including fire warning installations
- odesign, layout and number of escape routes and exits appropriate to the number of occupants and their mobility.
- oprovisions in escape routes which may include:
emergency lighting installations
emergency exit sign installations
emergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
safety devices on doors (panic bars etc.)
emergency guidance systems. - oprovision of pressurisation installations and other smoke control measures.
- oprovision of safe rescue places inside and/or outside the construction works.
- oprovision for access of rescue teams
access to the construction works
accessibility for emergency and fire brigade vehicles
fire-fighting lift installations. - oemergency communication systems within the construction works
emergency alarm installations/fire warning installation
emergency communication installations (also for the fire brigade). - oemergency facilities used either by the occupants, or by the fire brigade (for intervention and fire-fighting at the start of the fire)
first aid hose installations. - oWalls/ceilings
- oFloors
- oFire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- oWalls and partitions
- oCeilings (including suspended ceilings)
- oFloors
- othat the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
- othat activities in particularly hazardous workplaces can be safely terminated;
- oemergency actions can be effectively carried out at appropriate locations in the work.
- oRequired flow of water (m3/h)
- oPressure (bar)
- oContinuity of supply (h)
- oensuring possibility for rescue operations to be carried ou
- oallowing fire-fighting to be carried out effectively inside and around the works
- oenabling rescue teams and fire-fighters to operate with a reasonable level of safety and leave the works with safety.
- oaccess/space for fire-fighting appliances outside/inside the building
- owater supply installations serving fire safety installations
- ofire hydrant installations
- orising and/or falling fire mains in the building with branch outlets, and where appropriate foam inlets, dedicated to fire suppression
- ofloor plan layouts
- ofire-fighting shafts
- ofire-fighting or safety staircases
- ofire-fighting lift installations
- ofire-fighting lobbies
- osmoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- opressurization installations
- oemergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
- oemergency lighting installations
- ocontrol of utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) and active fire safety systems
- oswitches/valves for shutting down utilities
- oemergency communications installations
- ofire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- omarking of dangerous substances
- osigns to assist fire-fighters.
- for the evaluation of detection, activation, suppression, e.g.
- othe activation times of control systems, suppression systems, fire brigade, occupants
- othe effect of fire and smoke control systems (including extinguishing agents)
- othe assesment of detection times depending on the nature and location of fire/smoke detectors
- othe interaction of suppression and other safety devices
- oSuspended ceilings/ceiling membrane
- oVertical protective membrane
- oFire protective claddings and coatings
- oWater filled structures
- o- Water spray installation
- oto retard the speed of fire development and spread of fire and smoke in the works so as to enable occupants near and/or remote from the origin of fire to have sufficient time to escape
- oto enable the fire brigade/rescue teams to control the fire before it has grown too large.
- oprevention of initial ignition
- olimitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
- olimitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin.
- oinstallation of fire-separating elements (walls, floors, etc.) adapted to the use of the construction (i.e. adapted to the expected thermal action in the construction works),
- oclosure of openings in fire-separating elements,
- oan appropriate design of the façades, hindering spread to adjacent parts of the same works,
- ofire suppression/fire extinguishing installation,
- oremoval of hot gases by natural or mechanical means,
- oinstallation of smoke barriers (e.g. smoke control doors),
- othe provision of fire-resisting ventilation ducting and/or the installation of fire dampers and actuating devices,
- ocreating differences of air pressure between zones within the construction works to control the passage of smoke between them.
- oWalls (internal/external)
- oFloors
- oRoofs
- oPartitions and non-load-bearing external walls
- ofailure of fire separation elements between fire compartments
- ofailure of joints between walls/floors and the façades
- ofire spread in cavities inside the façades
- ofire spread along the outside surface of the façade
- oReaction-to-fire performance
- oFire resistance against: fire from the inside, fire from the outside
- oCeiling membranes
- oClosures for conveyors and trackbound transportation systems
- oRaised floors
- oConstruction joints
- oService ducts and shafts
- ooccupants of the work to evacuate to a safe place, and/or
- ofire-fighters and rescue teams to move around the building from a safe place.
- oto ensure safety of occupants in other construction works nearby and remote from the burning construction works
- oto avoid conflagration and the consequences thereof, e.g. loss of vital services such as hospitals, communication installations, loss of resources and widescale destruction of homes and housing facilities
- oto enable the fire brigade to control the fire (radiation from large fires may prevent approach of fire brigade/rescue teams).
- oFire spread between construction works which are entirely separate, as in buildings facing each other across a street for example.
- oFire spread between different construction works joined together, but with a fire-separating wall between them.
- oLimitation of radiation by controlling:
distance between construction works
size of unprotected areas such as windows
reaction-to-fire performance of products for façades
fire resistance of the unglazed or glazed parts of the façades
active protection measures such as water spray installations. - oControlling the ignition and fire spread over the external roof surface, including roof lights,
- oControlling the penetration of the fire to the inside of the building,
- oControlling the ignition of the surface of the roof covering from a fire below,
- oEnsuring the fire-separating function of a roof or part of a roof exposed to a fully developed fire from below,
- oThe use of fire-separating walls with or without performance requirements such as impact resistance in addition to fire resistance.
- oFire-separating walls
- oExternal walls and façades
- oRoof coverings including roof lights
- oto allow occupants anywhere within the construction works to be able to evacuate to a place of safety,
- oto allow rescue teams to have access to, search, and get out of the construction works.
- odesign and layout of escape routes in order to ensure safe evacuation of occupants to a place of safety
- oseparation of escape routes from the surroundings by means of fire and smoke-separating elements
- osmoke control measures
- olimitation of fire and smoke generation from wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings in escape routes.
- ofire detection and alarm installations including fire warning installations
- odesign, layout and number of escape routes and exits appropriate to the number of occupants and their mobility.
- oprovisions in escape routes which may include:
emergency lighting installations
emergency exit sign installations
emergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
safety devices on doors (panic bars etc.)
emergency guidance systems. - oprovision of pressurisation installations and other smoke control measures.
- oprovision of safe rescue places inside and/or outside the construction works.
- oprovision for access of rescue teams
access to the construction works
accessibility for emergency and fire brigade vehicles
fire-fighting lift installations. - oemergency communication systems within the construction works
emergency alarm installations/fire warning installation
emergency communication installations (also for the fire brigade). - oemergency facilities used either by the occupants, or by the fire brigade (for intervention and fire-fighting at the start of the fire)
first aid hose installations. - oWalls/ceilings
- oFloors
- oFire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- oWalls and partitions
- oCeilings (including suspended ceilings)
- oFloors
- othat the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
- othat activities in particularly hazardous workplaces can be safely terminated;
- oemergency actions can be effectively carried out at appropriate locations in the work.
- oRequired flow of water (m3/h)
- oPressure (bar)
- oContinuity of supply (h)
- oensuring possibility for rescue operations to be carried ou
- oallowing fire-fighting to be carried out effectively inside and around the works
- oenabling rescue teams and fire-fighters to operate with a reasonable level of safety and leave the works with safety.
- oaccess/space for fire-fighting appliances outside/inside the building
- owater supply installations serving fire safety installations
- ofire hydrant installations
- orising and/or falling fire mains in the building with branch outlets, and where appropriate foam inlets, dedicated to fire suppression
- ofloor plan layouts
- ofire-fighting shafts
- ofire-fighting or safety staircases
- ofire-fighting lift installations
- ofire-fighting lobbies
- osmoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- opressurization installations
- oemergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
- oemergency lighting installations
- ocontrol of utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) and active fire safety systems
- oswitches/valves for shutting down utilities
- oemergency communications installations
- ofire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- omarking of dangerous substances
- osigns to assist fire-fighters.
- for the evaluation and design of evacuation and rescue provisions
- oSuspended ceilings/ceiling membrane
- oVertical protective membrane
- oFire protective claddings and coatings
- oWater filled structures
- o- Water spray installation
- oto retard the speed of fire development and spread of fire and smoke in the works so as to enable occupants near and/or remote from the origin of fire to have sufficient time to escape
- oto enable the fire brigade/rescue teams to control the fire before it has grown too large.
- oprevention of initial ignition
- olimitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
- olimitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin.
- oinstallation of fire-separating elements (walls, floors, etc.) adapted to the use of the construction (i.e. adapted to the expected thermal action in the construction works),
- oclosure of openings in fire-separating elements,
- oan appropriate design of the façades, hindering spread to adjacent parts of the same works,
- ofire suppression/fire extinguishing installation,
- oremoval of hot gases by natural or mechanical means,
- oinstallation of smoke barriers (e.g. smoke control doors),
- othe provision of fire-resisting ventilation ducting and/or the installation of fire dampers and actuating devices,
- ocreating differences of air pressure between zones within the construction works to control the passage of smoke between them.
- oWalls (internal/external)
- oFloors
- oRoofs
- oPartitions and non-load-bearing external walls
- ofailure of fire separation elements between fire compartments
- ofailure of joints between walls/floors and the façades
- ofire spread in cavities inside the façades
- ofire spread along the outside surface of the façade
- oReaction-to-fire performance
- oFire resistance against: fire from the inside, fire from the outside
- oCeiling membranes
- oClosures for conveyors and trackbound transportation systems
- oRaised floors
- oConstruction joints
- oService ducts and shafts
- ooccupants of the work to evacuate to a safe place, and/or
- ofire-fighters and rescue teams to move around the building from a safe place.
- oto ensure safety of occupants in other construction works nearby and remote from the burning construction works
- oto avoid conflagration and the consequences thereof, e.g. loss of vital services such as hospitals, communication installations, loss of resources and widescale destruction of homes and housing facilities
- oto enable the fire brigade to control the fire (radiation from large fires may prevent approach of fire brigade/rescue teams).
- oFire spread between construction works which are entirely separate, as in buildings facing each other across a street for example.
- oFire spread between different construction works joined together, but with a fire-separating wall between them.
- oLimitation of radiation by controlling:
distance between construction works
size of unprotected areas such as windows
reaction-to-fire performance of products for façades
fire resistance of the unglazed or glazed parts of the façades
active protection measures such as water spray installations. - oControlling the ignition and fire spread over the external roof surface, including roof lights,
- oControlling the penetration of the fire to the inside of the building,
- oControlling the ignition of the surface of the roof covering from a fire below,
- oEnsuring the fire-separating function of a roof or part of a roof exposed to a fully developed fire from below,
- oThe use of fire-separating walls with or without performance requirements such as impact resistance in addition to fire resistance.
- oFire-separating walls
- oExternal walls and façades
- oRoof coverings including roof lights
- oto allow occupants anywhere within the construction works to be able to evacuate to a place of safety,
- oto allow rescue teams to have access to, search, and get out of the construction works.
- odesign and layout of escape routes in order to ensure safe evacuation of occupants to a place of safety
- oseparation of escape routes from the surroundings by means of fire and smoke-separating elements
- osmoke control measures
- olimitation of fire and smoke generation from wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings in escape routes.
- ofire detection and alarm installations including fire warning installations
- odesign, layout and number of escape routes and exits appropriate to the number of occupants and their mobility.
- oprovisions in escape routes which may include:
emergency lighting installations
emergency exit sign installations
emergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
safety devices on doors (panic bars etc.)
emergency guidance systems. - oprovision of pressurisation installations and other smoke control measures.
- oprovision of safe rescue places inside and/or outside the construction works.
- oprovision for access of rescue teams
access to the construction works
accessibility for emergency and fire brigade vehicles
fire-fighting lift installations. - oemergency communication systems within the construction works
emergency alarm installations/fire warning installation
emergency communication installations (also for the fire brigade). - oemergency facilities used either by the occupants, or by the fire brigade (for intervention and fire-fighting at the start of the fire)
first aid hose installations. - oWalls/ceilings
- oFloors
- oFire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- oWalls and partitions
- oCeilings (including suspended ceilings)
- oFloors
- othat the means of escape can be safely and effectively used;
- othat activities in particularly hazardous workplaces can be safely terminated;
- oemergency actions can be effectively carried out at appropriate locations in the work.
- oRequired flow of water (m3/h)
- oPressure (bar)
- oContinuity of supply (h)
- oensuring possibility for rescue operations to be carried ou
- oallowing fire-fighting to be carried out effectively inside and around the works
- oenabling rescue teams and fire-fighters to operate with a reasonable level of safety and leave the works with safety.
- oaccess/space for fire-fighting appliances outside/inside the building
- owater supply installations serving fire safety installations
- ofire hydrant installations
- orising and/or falling fire mains in the building with branch outlets, and where appropriate foam inlets, dedicated to fire suppression
- ofloor plan layouts
- ofire-fighting shafts
- ofire-fighting or safety staircases
- ofire-fighting lift installations
- ofire-fighting lobbies
- osmoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- opressurization installations
- oemergency power supply installations serving fire safety installations
- oemergency lighting installations
- ocontrol of utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) and active fire safety systems
- oswitches/valves for shutting down utilities
- oemergency communications installations
- ofire protective systems for electrical cables (including cables with intrinsic fire resistance)
- omarking of dangerous substances
- osigns to assist fire-fighters.
At present only some aspects of fire engineering have been developed and a significant research effort is needed in order to develop a global, coherent approach.
An engineering approach requires that relevant characteristics of products are provided, and calculation and design procedures are validated on an agreed and harmonized basis.
Basis for verification of the satisfaction of the essential requirement "Safety in case of fire"
General
- This chapter identifies basic principles prevailing in Member States for the verification of the satisfaction of the essential requirement "Safety in case of fire". These principles are currently complied with, when and where the works are subject to regulations containing this essential requirement.
- The essential requirement, as far as applicable, is satisfied with acceptable probability during an economically reasonable working life of the works.
- The satisfaction of the essential requirement is assured by a number of interrelated measures concerned in particular with:
· the planning and design of the works, the execution of the works and necessary maintenance;
· the properties, performances and use of the construction products.
- It is up to the Member States, when and where they feel it necessary, to take measures concerning the supervision of planning, design and execution of the works, and concerning the qualifications of parties and persons involved. Where this supervision and this control of qualifications are directly connected with the characteristics of products, the relevant provisions shall be laid down in the context of the mandate for the preparation of the standards and guidelines for European technical approval related to the products concerned.
Actions
- The performance of products is related to the specified action.
In this INTERPRETATIVE DOCUMENT, the term ACTION is considered to be a mechanical action (e.g. loads, forces resulting from constrained thermal expansion, and impacts), a thermal action, an action caused by environmental conditions (e.g. weathering, humidity) or a combination of these.
A thermal action consists of radiation, convection and conduction. The level of thermal action versus time is defined by the stage of development of fire, which could be simulated by calculation or test in the evaluation of product performance in end use conditions.
For thermal actions the following levels of exposure are identified:
· small ignition source (e.g. match type)
· single burning items (e.g. burning furniture, stored materials in industrial premises)
· fully developed fire (e.g. natural fire exposure, standard temperature/time curve).
- For evaluating the reaction-to-fire performance of products, radiation, convection and a combination of these exposures are used.
Thermal actions depend upon the kind, intensity and duration of exposure and may be characterized by:
· size of flame,
· level of radiation,
· level of convective heat transfer (combustion gas temperature and velocity),
· with or without local flame impingement.
- For evaluation of the response of fire detection installations, smoke control and fire extinguishing installations, fires simulating a single item or a localized group of items burning, are used.
The actions depend upon the kind, intensity and duration of exposure and may be characterized by:
· rate of heat release,
· flame height and amount of smoke generated,
· fire area (surface burning area),
· level of temperature.
- For the evaluation of fire resistance of structures the following possibilities are prevailing in Member States:
Consideration of natural fire scenarios (defined by parameters listed below)
A calculation of the thermal action caused by fire in a construction works (e.g. room, group of rooms, part of a construction works) should consider:
· the fire load (type, amount and burning rate)
· air supply to the fire
· geometry and size of enclosure (defined by the fire compartment)
· thermal properties of the enclosure
and depending on the particular fire safety strategy or engineering approach, consideration can also include:
· influence of fire suppression installation (e.g. sprinkler installation)
· fire brigade/rescue team action (which may be initiated by a fire detection installation).
Consideration of conventional fire scenarios
The Essential Requirement requires that fire spread is limited and that the load-bearing capacity of the construction is adequate for a specific period of time. These requirements can be satisfied by proving fire resistance of load-bearing and/or separating elements. Internationally it is agreed to use the "standard temperature/time curve" (see ISO 834 Part 1) as a model for a fully developed fire. It follows the relationship:
T = 345 log10 (8 t + 1) + 20
where T is the furnace gas temperature,·C
t is the duration of the thermal exposure during the fire test, minutes.
The "standard temperature/time curve" is a conventional model used for evaluating the performance of products exposed to a fully developed fire. The adoption of this temperature/time curve is a simplification to represent thermal action.
For specific fire situations determined in "provisions concerning products and works", products shall be exposed to the standard temperature/time curve up to 300·C, 600· C, 820· C, staying at these levels for the remainder test time.
The severity of thermal attack associated with a natural fire can be higher or lower than that associated with the "standard temperature/time curve". For a more severe attack (especially a higher rate of temperature rise) a harmonized hydrocarbon curve is used for proving fire resistance, which follows the relationship
T = 1080 [1 - 0.325 exp (- 0.167 t) - 0.675 exp (- 2.5 t)]+20
(t = time in minutes)
A test having a rate of temperature increase slower than that of the "standard temperature/time curve" (that is a smouldering curve) should be required in circumstances mentioned e.g. in "Fire protective coatings, cladding and screens" but only if it is expected that the performance of the product exposed to a slowly growing natural fire would be substantially less than the performance achieved when that product is exposed to the heating conditions of the "standard temperature/time curve". The smouldering curve follows the relationship
T = 154 ( t )0.25 + 20
(t = time in minutes)
The condition of heat transfer to the test specimen is included in the test specification.
For special extreme fire scenario (e.g. traffic tunnels, nuclear plants,etc.), more severe conventional curves may be specified.
Basis for calculations of fire resistance
When making a calculation of fire resistance it is necessary to consider load-bearing capacity, integrity and insulation. This presupposes a calculation of, or experimental data on, the thermal response of the element which, in the case of a calculation, requires information on heat transfer from the fire to the element.
When a conventional temperature/time curve is used (i.e. the ISO 834 temperature/time relation given above) appropriate convective and radiative heat transfer coefficients should be used which correspond to the conditions occurring in the harmonized test. For other design fire exposures (e.g. hydro-carbon and smouldering fires) an appropriate heat transfer coefficient should be used.
Assessment of integrity is sometimes difficult as it requires information, for example on the likelihood of cracks and holes developing in the element which often can only be determined by undertaking a fire resistance test.
Note: Fire load density may be determined from design values depending on the building type (in accordance with the general philosophy for determining actions on structures) or by measurement of the actual fire load.
Verification of the satisfaction of the Essential Requirement
There might be various methods for verifying that the Essential Requirement or specified level of the Essential Requirement is satisfied on the basis of the harmonized characteristics of the construction products. None of them shall create barriers to the use of a product which would comply with the relevant technical specifications.
The requirement's expression in the national regulations can be made in accordance with three different approaches, or a combination of these:
· Statement of a minimum performance requirement, in numerical or general terms, of the works. Where this is done in general terms then a link is required between the requirement for works and the product characteristics.
· Statement of minimum fire performance of the products e.g. fire resistance, reaction-to-fire, and performance of fire safety installations. In this case, the statement shall be made by reference to the technical specifications.
· Statement of the critical fire environment levels people in or near the works may be exposed to. The harmonized terminology shall be used.
Provisions concerning products and works in Interpretative document No. 2
General
Verification of performances of construction works concerning the Essential Requirement "Safety in Case of Fire" may include:
· Methods for assessing, for example, fire development (including generation of smoke and hazardous fire effluents) in a room, spread of fire and smoke in the construction works, and spread of fire and smoke to neighbouring construction works and to the environment.
· Methods for assessment of performance and design of parts of works (e.g. structures and installations) e.g. structural fire performance, smoke venting installations, pressurization installations, sprinkler installations, fire detection and alarm installations.
· Methods for evaluating the interaction between fire, occupants, fire protection measures and fire-fighting and rescue activities.
The levels of the essential requirement may be a function of:
· the type, use and location of the construction works
· its layout
· the availability of the emergency facilities
Load-bearing capacity of the construction
Statement of principles
The stability of the main structure of a construction works in case of fire is necessary:
· to provide for the safety of the occupants during the time they are assumed to remain in the building,
· to increase the safety of rescue teams and fire-fighters,
· to guard against collapse of a building, causing injury to people,
· to allow the construction products involved in fire safety to carry out their functions for the necessary time.
· The required period of stability, usually expressed in terms of conventional fire resistance times, depends on the goals of regulators.
· The following are examples of the goals of some regulators:
· No specified fire resistance requirements for buildings with limited fire load density or where the consequences of collapse of structures are acceptable.
· Fire resistance for a specified but limited period of time, where the time requirements can be specified to allow for safe evacuation of occupants and intervention of rescue teams.
· Fire resistance of the main structure to ensure it can survive a full burn out of all combustible materials in the building, or a specified part of it, without taking into account the intervention of the fire brigade/rescue teams.
The stability of buildings has to be ensured through sufficient fire resistance of the main structure. The fire resistance of the main structure is currently assumed to be satisfied if the fire resistance of the individual elements is demonstrated to be at least the same and the connections do not reduce the fire resistance of the main structure.
Attention is drawn to indirect actions caused by the consequences of thermal dilatation, deflection and/or failure of structural elements.
Parts of works concerned: works of id-2
Load-bearing parts with and without fire-separating function
· Walls (internal, external)
Floors
Roofs
Columns and tension members
Beams
Parts which contribute to fire resistance
· passive:
· active:
The purpose of a waterspray system, in this case, is to cool structural elements.
Limitation of generation and spread of fire and smoke within the construction works
Statement of principle
The objectives are:
These may be achieved by:
Prevention of initial ignition
General
Prevention of initial ignition depends on a set of conditions ranging from user instruction to requirements regarding the detailing of appliances and equipment as well as installation of the latter in the construction works.
Works or parts of them concerned
Provisions prevailing in Member States
Electrical installations
Electrical installations are designed and installed in such a way so as to ensure that
· they do not initiate fire;
· they do not actively contribute to a fire;
· the spread of fire is limited;
· in the event of fire, effective fire extinguishing measures can be taken and rescue is possible.
Heating Installations
Heating installations and their parts have to be designed and installed in such a way as to ensure that
· they do not initiate fire
· they do not actively contribute to a fire;
· the spread of fire is limited;
· the risk to adjacent elements (walls, floors) or objects (furniture) is limited;
· large component surfaces and exposed appliance surfaces cannot heat up to an unacceptable extent;
· in the event of fire, effective fire extinguishing measures can be taken and rescue is possible.
Gas Installations
This item is satisfactorily covered by Council Directive 90/396/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to appliances burning gaseous fuels.
Lightning Protection Installations
The objective of a lightning protection installation is to protect the construction works and their occupants from lightning or other manifestations of atmospheric electricity. To achieve this objective the installation should:
· provide an adequate air termination network at which atmospheric electric charge may safely enter the protection system without damage to the construction works;
· provide one or more routes of adequately low impedance by which the electric charge can be conducted to earth without risk to the construction works or other installations within the construction works;
· provide an earth termination network such that the charge can be lost to earth without excessive rise in the installation's electrical potential;
· provide adequate bonding to other metallic parts of the construction works;
· if required, monitor and/or record the number and/or strength of individual lightning strikes.
Exposure/action: Design electrical discharge.
Performance criteria: Ability to protect the works against lightning and safely transfer any current to the ground.
Flammable Gas Detection Installations
The objectives of a flammable gas detection installation are to detect the presence of flammable gas before the concentration becomes ignitable or explosive, to give any necessary warnings, and to initiate any necessary protective measures (such as switching on ventilation or shutting off gas flows).
To achieve these objectives, the installation should:
· provide throughout the area to be protected suitable detectors to enable the presence of flammable gas to be detected at a sufficiently early stage;
· provide a reliable means of communication between the detectors and a central receiving point;
· provide at the receiving point a means of interpreting the signals from detectors, identifying the position from which any warning has been raised, attracting attention to fire or fault warnings, and initiating such other actions as may be required;
· be able to resist the environmental conditions of construction works in which it is mounted so that it retains the ability to carry out its functions during an acceptable working life.
Explosion Suppression Installations
The objective of an explosion suppression installation is to prevent the creation of an unacceptably high pressure (explosion pressure), resulting from ignition of gas or dust, within an enclosure that is not designed to withstand the maximum explosion pressure. This requires the immediate sensing of pressure rise and the injection of a uniformly dispersed extinguishing medium into the protected enclosure within the shortest possible time.
Exposure/action: Ambient climate, specified test condition for activation, and relevant pressure tests to ensure performance in case of an explosion.
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated to design parameters and release and establish a calculated concentration of extinguishing medium within an enclosure within a specified time.
Ventilation systems
The hazard of fire and smoke spread from one fire compartment to another through a ventilation system should be avoided.
Examples of situations using fire-resisting ducts and/or fire dampers are as follows:
- Each compartment has a separate air supply and air exhaust ducts, which have no openings where passing through other compartments. To avoid fire spread fire-resisting ducts are used.
- The different compartments have a common duct. The following protection devices may be used:
· The ducts are not fire-resisting. A fire damper is installed at each penetration of a fire-resisting compartment wall/floor. In some cases the fire dampers are installed remotely from the wall/floor, and the duct between fire damper and wall/floor is then fire-resisting.
· The ducts are fire-resisting. At each opening a fire damper is installed. Instead of fire-resisting ducts the use of non fire-resisting ductwork inside fire-resisting shafts is also possible. In this case the fire dampers are installed at the openings of the shafts.
· The ducts are fire-resisting. The air supply/exhaust fan runs permanently. The entry of fire into supply ducts and the exit of fire from exhaust ducts is prevented by airflow/pressure conditions.
- The air distribution is established using overflow openings, each equipped with a fire damper.
Limitation of the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the room of origin
General
Provisions prevailing in Member States aim at limiting the rapid participation of construction products in the early stage of a fire and limiting the contribution of construction products to the full development of a fire in the room of origin. Thus the relevant products must have certain reaction-to-fire performances in their end use conditions. These performances are evaluated over a range of thermal exposures from exposure to a small flame (match type exposure), the heating condition simulating a fire in the contents (single burning item, e.g. furniture), to the thermal action similar to that of a further developed fire.
Note: In the early stage of a fire, critical conditions for the occupants might not be reached in the room of origin, and survival is still possible within the premises concerned. Unfavourable contribution of heat and smoke (opacity - toxicity) from the exposed surfaces can reduce the time until critical conditions for the occupants are reached.
Increased thermal action is usually associated with a further development of fire. In a large room, however, severe thermal action from a localized fire in the contents may expose nearby construction products to heating conditions normally associated with a further developed fire.
Fire detection and alarm systems can be installed in order to ensure early detection of a fire and to activate alarms, warning and fire suppression/extinguishing systems.
Parts of works concerned:
· Walls/ceilings
· Floors
· Pipes and ducts - including externally applied insulation - (relevant products: see "Products subject to reaction to fire requirements")
· Installations
Provisions concerned with works or parts of them
First aid hose installations
A first aid hose installation is a manual and fixed installation installed in the works in order to make it possible for the occupants to control and extinguish a small fire from nearby.
Exposure/action:
Ambient indoor and outdoor climate
Force to draw out the hose
Water pressure.
Performance criteria: Ability to deliver a design flow of water (l/s) at a design pressure, through a length of hose, with a jet of water of sufficient length to enable the occupants to initiate first intervention without delay.
Sprinkler Installations
The purpose of a sprinkler installation is to ensure early response to a fire and discharge a specified amount of water (L/m2 x min) over a design area for a relevant time in order to control/extinguish the fire. The sprinkler system might also activate various emergency functions such as alarm to occupants and call of fire brigade.
Exposure/action:
Ambient indoor climate (e.g. temperature and humidity)
Fire exposure simulated in a medium (e.g. hot air or hot liquid) to assess the rate of response
Mechanical impact on distribution pipework etc.
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated automatically and release an evenly distributed and specified amount of water over a given area for a specified time.
Characteristics:
· (L/m2 x min.), maximum area of operation, number of sprinkler heads operating simultaneously
· Response time for the installation
Water spray installations
The purpose of a waterspray system is one or more of the following:
· To ensure early response to a fire by releasing a predetermined pattern and amount of water over a predetermined area for the purpose of control and/or extinguishment of that fire.
· To provide cooling to an installation which, if affected by heat (usually but not exclusively radiated heat) would aggravate the situation by explosion, collapse, release of fuels or otherwise.
· To provide a barrier of spray to inhibit the spread of fire
CO2 Extinguishing Installations
The purpose of a fixed CO2 installation is to dilute the oxygen content at the site of a fire, by displacing part of it with CO2 gas so that the fire is extinguished, simultaneously or previously giving an alarm so that appropriate emergency action (evacuation of personnel, call of fire-fighting services etc.) may be taken.
The objective may be achieved by total flooding of a compartment to the design concentration of CO2 gas or by local application (achieving an extinguishing concentration in the immediate vicinity only of a fire).
Exposure/action: Ambient indoor climate.
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated manually or automatically and release the extinguishing media, evenly distributed within the enclosure or over a specified area, in order to establish and maintain a design concentration (Vol. %) within a specified time.
Characteristics: Concentration of CO2 and filling time of enclosure/release rate of CO2
Note: For total flooding systems, since an extinguishing concentration of CO2 gas depletes the oxygen content below that required to support human life, it is necessary to ensure complete evacuation from the compartment in which the CO2 gas is to be discharged before that happens. Whilst for local application systems, complete evacuation may not be necessary, it is essential that special design criteria and special precautions (training of personnel etc.) be rigidly adhered to.
Halon (or Halon like replacements) Extinguishing Installations
The purpose of a fixed extinguishing system using halon or an extinguishing medium having a similar effect is to release a calculated quantity of the halon in a gaseous form sufficient to inhibit the chemical reaction of the burning substance (fuel) and oxygen, thus extinguishing the fire, simultaneously (or previously) giving an alarm so that appropriate action (evacuation of personnel, call to fire-fighters/rescue teams etc.) may be taken.
The objective may be achieved by the total flooding of a compartment to the design concentration of halon gas or by local application (achieving an extinguishing concentration in the vicinity only of the fire).
Exposure/action: Ambient indoor climate.
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated manually or automatically and release the extinguishing media, evenly distributed within the enclosure or over a specified area, in order to establish and maintain a design concentration (Vol. %) within a specified time.
Characteristics: Concentration of halon and filling time of enclosure.
Foam Extinguishing Installations
A fixed foam extinguishing installation is a manual or automatic system installed in order to extinguish fires particularly, but not exclusively, those involving flammable liquids.
A fixed foam extinguishing system is one in which a solution of foam concentrate and water is applied to the surface of a fire to provide a barrier between the vapours burning in the surface and oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere. A secondary function is to cool the fuel so that combustion is no longer sustainable.
Whilst many of these systems may be automatic in operation, most of them require manual intervention.
Exposure/action: Ambient indoor climate
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated manually or automatically and release a calculated amount of aerated or underaereted foam/water solution of a given density (kg/m3) over a specified area within a specified time.
Characteristics: Expansion rate and filling time of enclosure.
Powder Extinguishing Installations
The purpose of a fixed extinguishing powder system is to provide for the discharge of the medium on to the fire at an early stage after ignition.
Powder, stored in container(s), is discharged by gas pressure through nozzle(s). It may be conveyed from container to nozzle by rigid or flexible pipework (hose reel) or the nozzle may be directly attached to the container. The system may be manually or automatically operated.
Exposure/action: Ambient indoor climate
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated manually or automatically and release a calculated amount (kg/m2) of the extinguishing media over a specified area (m2) or item.
Manual Fire Alarm Installations
A manual fire alarm installation in a works makes it possible for the occupant to initiate (and hence transfer) a fire alarm signal to a central control and indicating unit so as to make it possible to initiate different actions e.g. evacuation of the occupants.
Exposure/action: Ambient climate appropriate to intended use (indoor/outdoor applications)
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated manually and, where relevant, transfer a signal to a central indication and control unit.
Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm Installations
The aim of an automatic fire detection and alarm installation is to detect fire at the earliest possible reliable moment and to transfer a signal to a control and indication unit so that an alarm and appropriate action can be taken (e.g. evacuation of occupants, call fire-fighters/rescue teams, automatic release of extinguishing agent). The alarm indication enables an emergency signal to be given.
The purpose of the installation is to detect any phenomenon occurring from fire, i.e. gas, smoke, flame and heat, and to convert this detection into a signal understood by the control unit.
Detection part
Exposure/action: Ambient climate
Specified test fires ("single burning item"-type).
Performance criteria: Ability to detect smoke, flames and/or heat automatically (related to specified sizes of design fire or simulation thereof) and transfer a signal to a central indication and control unit.
Alarm part
Exposure/action: Ambient climate
Performance criteria: Ability to be activated automatically or manually and provide an audible and/or visual emergency/fire signal
Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
The purpose of the installation is to remove smoke and heat from a fire in a construction works using natural or powered vents or a combination thereof (as long as they are not used in the same smoke compartment) with manual or automatic operation, together with smoke curtains to limit the lateral spread of smoke and create a smoke-free area beneath a buoyant smoke layer.
The installation may contribute to any of the following objectives:
· keeping the escape routes and access routes free from smoke,
· facilitating fire-fighting operations by creating a smoke-free layer,
· delaying or preventing flash-over, thus preventing full development of the fire,
· reducing damage caused by smoke and heat,
· reducing the stresses to which structural members are exposed in case of fire.
Limitation of spread of fire and smoke beyond the room of origin
General
Limitation of fire and smoke spread can be achieved by one or a combination of the following:
Note : Critical life-threatening conditions for the occupants should not be reached in the escape routes. The propagation of heat and smoke (opacity - toxicity) beyond the room of origin can reduce the time until critical conditions are reached.
For practical reasons the smoke compartmentation boundaries, often, but not always, coincide with the fire compartmentation and both functions are then able to be fulfilled by the same separating elements.
Usually, fire-resisting separating elements without openings or gaps are implicitly expected to constitute sufficient barriers to smoke spread without the necessity of formulating detailed requirements. For other separating elements, e.g. doors, penetration seals for pipes and electrical cables, etc. this may not be so and the explicit formulation of smoke barrier requirements may be necessary if a smoke-stop function is expected to be fulfilled.
Special consideration needs to be given to the risk of smoke propagation represented by the presence of ventilation ducts and service ducts and shafts including their maintenance openings.
Parts of works concerned:
· Exposed surfaces
Exposed surfaces used as façades
· Parts (with fire-separating function)
As far as external walls are concerned, fire spread from one fire compartment to another can occur due to:
Performance criteria:
· Parts which contribute to fire resistance
Suspended ceilings
A suspended ceiling is one which is considered only to contribute to the fire resistance of the element (e.g. floor or roof) above, unlike a ceiling membrane which in itself possesses fire resistance independent of any element above.
The effect of lighting, ventilation and maintenance openings, service installations and combustible materials in the floor or roof void, suspension devices etc. on the fire resistance has to be considered.
· Installations
Ventilation systems (ducts and dampers)
Automatic fire detection and alarm installations
Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
Pressurization installations
The purpose of a pressurization installation for smoke control is to protect certain escape routes and other areas against the ingress of smoke by maintaining the air within them at pressures higher than those in adjacent parts of the works. These smoke free zones enable:
Exposure/action: Ambient indoor and outdoor climate.
Performance criteria: Ability to activate and establish a design overpressure in a specified enclosure or a design velocity of flow through openings in the walls of the specified enclosure. The installation shall be able to maintain its function in case of failure of the primary power supply.
Limitation of spread of fire to neighbouring construction works
Statement of principle
The limitation of spread of fire to neighbouring construction works is necessary:
The following two situations are currently covered:
Limitation of fire spread to neighbouring construction works may be achieved by
Parts of works concerned:
· Fire-separating parts
· (b) Automatic waterspray installations
Evacuation of occupants
Statement of principle
Provision of means of escape for occupants in a construction works and provision of access for rescue teams is necessary:
In case of fire the safety of occupants during evacuation may be ensured by four types of measures:
In addition to the measures given in sections "load bearing capacity of the construction" and "provisions concerning works" the following measures can be considered, having regard to the construction works, its occupancy and use:
Parts of works concerned:
· Exposed surfaces
· Parts of works (with fire-separating functions)
· Installations
- Manual fire alarm installation
- Automatic fire detection and alarm installations
- Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
- Pressurization installations
- Flammable gas detection installations
- Fire warning installations
A fire warning system is installed in a works in order to make possible the activation of an audible and/or a visual signal to warn the occupants or the staff that an emergency situation exists and evacuation may need to be initiated.
Exposure/action: Ambient climate.
Performance criteria: Ability to activate manually or automatically visible or audible warnings to the occupants. The installations should be able to maintain its function for a minimum design time (hours) in case of failure of the primary power supply
- Fire call installations.
The purpose of the installation is to provide facilities within the works for the automatic transmission of a fire alarm from the works to the fire-fighters/rescue teams or to a control (fire command) station.
- Emergency lighting installations
The purpose of the installation is to ensure that lighting is provided promptly, automatically and for a suitable time in a specified area when the normal power supply to the normal lighting fails. The purpose of the installation is to ensure:
Exposure/action: Ambient climate.
Performance criteria: Ability to provide sufficient light in case of failure of the primary power supply in order to allow safe evacuation of the occupants or for other purposes.
- Emergency exit signs installations
Emergency exit signs are installed in a works in order to show the occupants the location of exits to be used for evacuation in case of an emergency (fire) and the planned way of egress from each point in the works to the exits (e.g. by direction marking) (including "not to be used in case of fire").
Exposure/action: Ambient climate, resistance against impact
Performance criteria: Ability to provide clear, easy to identify and visible instructions concerning escape routes and exits for occupants.
- First aid hose installations
- Emergency power supply of installations serving fire safety installations
The purpose of this installation is to provide, promptly, automatically and for a suitable time - power supply to the fire safety installations when the normal supply fails or in the event of damage or accident to elements of the system intended to supply, distribute or control power for this installation. Fire safety installations sometimes include their own emergency power supply.
- Water supply installations serving fire safety installations
The purpose of the installation is to provide a suitable and reliable water supply (sometimes including a suitable water source) for the fire brigade and for the effective operation of fixed fire-fighting installations.
Exposure/action: Ambient climate appropriate to intended use.
Performance criteria:
Safety of rescue teams
Statement of principles
In addition to load-bearing capacity , limitation of spread of fire and smoke , and evacuation of occupants , provisions aim at:
Such provisions may include:
Parts of works concerned:
· fire protective systems for electrical cables
· emergency power supply of installation serving fire safety installations
· Water supply installations serving fire safety installations
· Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation installations
· Pressurisation installations
· Fire call installations
· Emergency lighting installations
· Fire hydrant installations
The purpose of the installation is to provide a connection (i.e. hydrant) to the water main to which the fire brigade can connect fire-fighting equipment (e.g. hose) in order to fill reservoirs and/or supply hoses and monitors.
· fire-fighting lift installations
A fire-fighting lift (often called a fire lift) is installed in a works to enable fire-fighters and their equipment to travel rapidly and with a reasonable measure of safety to upper and lower floors so that they have sufficient energy left for the difficult and lengthy task of fire-fighting/rescue.
The lift can also be used by the occupants of the works in normal conditions, but in a fire emergency the control of the lift is transferred to the fire-fighters using a fire-fighting lift switch usually positioned near the lift at fire service access level. The lift may be positioned in a protected lobby to minimize the possibility of smoke and fire entering the lift car and/or lift well. The speed of the lift should enable any floor to be reached within a very short time (1 minute for instance).
Another objective of a fire-fighting lift may be to evacuate disabled persons when a fire emergency arises.
A fire lift should preferably be sited next to a protected stairway so that if failure of the lift occurs fire-fighters can use the stairs without having to pass through a life-threatening zone. To achieve this it is considered good practice to have the lift and stairs within a protected shaft with a lobby separating the lift/stairs from the accommodation (fire/smoke area) at each storey level.
Exposure/action: Increased temperature.
Specified load.
Water damage to electrical components (from fire suppression/fire-fighting).
Performance criteria: Provision of a safe and reliable means of transportation of fire-fighters and rescue teams by lift in a works in case of fire.
Ability to maintain its function in case of failure of the primary power supply.
· Emergency communication installations
An emergency communication system may be installed in a construction works in order to provide facilities within the works for transmission of information within the works, to the fire brigade, to the building staff or to trained tenants, performing duties in the event of a fire emergency.
