The document discusses various fire protection systems for buildings. It covers passive systems like fire-resistant walls and firestops that contain fires, as well as active systems like sprinklers, alarms, and portable extinguishers that detect and suppress fires. Different classes of fires are defined based on the type of fuel. The purpose of fire safety in buildings is to protect lives and property from the dangers of uncontrolled fires.
The document discusses various fire protection systems for buildings. It covers passive systems like fire-resistant walls and firestops that contain fires, as well as active systems like sprinklers, alarms, and portable extinguishers that detect and suppress fires. Different classes of fires are defined based on the type of fuel. The purpose of fire safety in buildings is to protect lives and property from the dangers of uncontrolled fires.
The document discusses various fire protection systems for buildings. It covers passive systems like fire-resistant walls and firestops that contain fires, as well as active systems like sprinklers, alarms, and portable extinguishers that detect and suppress fires. Different classes of fires are defined based on the type of fuel. The purpose of fire safety in buildings is to protect lives and property from the dangers of uncontrolled fires.
The document discusses various fire protection systems for buildings. It covers passive systems like fire-resistant walls and firestops that contain fires, as well as active systems like sprinklers, alarms, and portable extinguishers that detect and suppress fires. Different classes of fires are defined based on the type of fuel. The purpose of fire safety in buildings is to protect lives and property from the dangers of uncontrolled fires.
FIRE Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.
PURPOSE OF FIRE SAFETY
• Fire safety is a subject connected not only with human and property safety but is related with design of buildings and their services. Fire although a good friend of humanity, when it spreads un- controlled, in buildings can be vicious enemy resulting in heavy loss of property and lives. • Therefore fire protection measures, both in residential buildings and in commercial/ industrial complexes, have assumed a great role in recent years in our country.
FIRE SCIENCE • Fire is the process of burning. It is infact a chemical reaction initiated by presence of heat energy in which a substance combines with oxygen in the air and the process is accompanied by emission of energy in the form of heat, light and sound. Therefore, three elements are essential for combustion i.e. • Acombustible matter i.e fuel • Oxygen • Source of heat, Spark flame etc.
Fuel Can Be LIQUID: Grease, Oil, Fuel SOLID: Wood, Paper, Metal GAS: Natural Gas, Propane, Acetylene There are 4 classes of fire • CLASS “A” FIRES - Ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth. • CLASS “B” FIRES - Flammable liquids such as oil, grease • CLASS “C” FIRES - Energized electrical equipment • CLASS “D” FIRES - Flammable Metals
. FIRE PROTECTION • A method of fire protection involves the conveyance of water I pipes to extinguish fire within a building falls into the field of plumbing. Water may be supplied through riser pipes or standpipes. A riser or standpipes with hose connections in a tall buildings may be fed from storage tank, from pump or from a mobile pumping engine in the street connected to a breaching or ‘Siamese Post’ • Automatic sprinkler are the devices that discharge water automatically when the temperature of air surrounding sprinkler reaches a predetermined level.
COMPONENTS
• Passive fire protection - the installation of firewalls and fire rated floor assemblies to form fire
compartments intended to limit the spread of fire, high temperatures, and smoke.
• Active fire protection - manual and automatic detection and suppression of
fires, such as fire sprinkler systems and (fire alarm) systems.
• Education - the provision of information regarding passive and active fire protection systems to building owners, operators, occupants, and emergency personnel so that they have a working understanding of the intent of these systems and how they perform in the fire safety plan.
• Fire protection in land-based buildings, offshore construction or onboard ships is typically
achieved via all of the following:
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION structural elements of the building that is capable of performing his duties without assistance / require assistance to curb / restrict the spread of smoke into the building during a fire. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors (amongst other examples).
• The aim for Passive Fire Protection systems is typically demonstrated in fire testing the ability to maintain the item or the side to be protected at or below either 140 °C (for walls, floors and electrical circuits required to have a fire- resistance rating) or ca. 550 °C, which is considered the critical temperature for structural steel, above which it is in jeopardy of losing its strength, leading to collapse. Smaller components, such as fire dampers, fire doors, etc., follow suit in the main intentions of the basic standard for walls and floors. Fire testing involves live fire exposures upwards of 1100 °C, depending on the fire- resistance rating and duration one is after. More items than just fire exposures are typically required to be tested to ensure the survivability of the system under realistic conditions. • To accomplish these aims, many different types of materials are employed in the design and construction of systems.
FIRE-RESISTANCE RATED WALLS
firewalls not only have a rating, they are also designed to sub-divide buildings such that if collapse occurs on one side, this will not affect the other side. They can also be used to eliminate the need for sprinklers, as a trade-off. There are three main classifications of fire rated walls: fire walls, fire barriers, and fire partitions. A firewall is an assembly of materials used to separate transformers, structures, or large buildings to prevent the spread of fire by constructing a wall which extends from the foundation through the roof with a prescribed fire resistance duration and independent structural stability. This allows a building to be subdivided into smaller sections. OCCUPANCY SEPARATIONS • occupancy separations (barriers designated as occupancy separations are intended to segregate parts of buildings, where different uses are on each side; for instance, apartments on one side and stores on the other side of the occupancy separation).
FIRESTOP A firestop or fire-stopping is a form of passive fire protection that is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly. Firestops are designed to maintain the fireproofing of a wall or floor assembly allowing it to impede the spread of fire and smoke. Firestops prevent unprotected horizontal and vertical penetrations in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly from creating a route by which fire and smoke can spread that would otherwise have been fire resisting construction, e.g. where a pipe passes through a firewall. Fire stopping is also to seal around gaps between fire resisting constructions, e.g. the linear gap between a wall and the floor above, in order for construction to form a complete barrier to fire and smoke spread. Opening types Firestops are used in: • Electrical, mechanical, and structural penetrations • Unpenetrated openings (such as openings for future use) • Re-entries of existing firestops • Control or sway joints in fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assemblies • Junctions between fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assemblies • Head-of-wall (HOW) joints, where non-load- bearing wall assemblies meet floor assemblies Materials Components include intumescents, cementitious mortars, silicone, firestop pillows, mineral fibers, and rubber compounds. FIRE ESCAPES A fire escape is a special kind of emergency exit, usually mounted to the outside of a building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building. It provides a method of escape in the event of a fire or other emergency that makes the stairwells inside a building inaccessible. Fire escapes are most often found on multiple-story residential buildings such as apartment buildings. functioning • A Supply Air System designed to blow into the protected spaces a sufficient quantity of air to maintain the required pressure level or air velocity. This will always be fan powered.
• An Exhaust Air System to enable the pressurising air to escape
from the unpressurised areas of the building via the fire floor.
• This can be either a natural or fan powered method.
A fire escape consists of a number
of horizontal platforms, one at each story of a building, with ladders or stairs connecting them. The platform and stairs are usually open steel gratings, to prevent the build-up of ice, snow, and leaves. Railings are usually provided on each of the levels, but as fire escapes are designed for emergency use only, these railings often do not need to meet the same standards as railings in other contexts. ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION Active Fire Protection (AFP) is an integral part of fire protection. AFP is characterised by items and/or systems, which require a certain amount of motion and response in order to work, contrary to passive fire protection.
CATEGORIES OF ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION
• FIRE SUPPRESSION Fire can be controlled or extinguished, either manually (firefighting) or automatically. Manual control includes the use of a fire extinguisher or a standpipe system. Automatic control means can include a fire sprinkler system, a gaseous clean agent, or firefighting foam system. Automatic suppression systems would usually be found in large commercial kitchens or other high-risk areas
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
A fire alarm system has a number of devices working together to detect and warn people through visual and audio appliances when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other emergencies are present. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors, and heat detectors or may also be activated via manual fire alarm activation devices such as manual call points or pull stations. The Fire alarm systems are provided in the residential buildings with heights above 15 m and Fire alarm notification A fire alarm control industrial and commercial buildings with height panel above 24 m. If the height of building is above 35 m. It is necessary to have provision of heat & Smoke Detectors Fire alarm control panel- This component, the hub of the system, monitors inputs and system integrity, controls outputs and relays information.
fire detector sensor
PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER Portable fire extinguishers are generally provided as "first attack" units in fire fighting and should be used only in early stages of fire before the fire grows to a stage that is beyond the capacity of the extinguisher. There are broadly six types of fire extinguisher; Water, Foam, Wet Chemical, Dry Chemical Powder, Vaporising Liquid and Carbon Dioxide. The selection of an extinguisher must be made with the class of fire in mind. Classification of fires •Class A - Ordinary Combustibles (such as paper, wood, plastics, etc.) •Class B - Flammable and combustible liquids •Class C - Flammable gases •Class D - Combustible metals •Class E - Electrically energised equipment •Class F - Cooking oils and fats Types of Fire Extinguisher Water Extinguishers (W) A water based extinguisher also referred to as a Stored Pressure Air-Water fire extinguisher is an extinguisher that is filled with water which is stored under pressure (normally by air). These extinguishers are only appropriate for use on Class A fires. Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) ABE Type - Effective on Class, A, B, C & E fires. BE Type - Effective on Class B, E & F fires. Dry chemical powder fire extinguishers are effective because they interrupt the oxidation process. Dry-chemical powder is stored under pressure inside the extinguisher cylinder and is expelled when the hand-held trigger valve is depressed. Air-Foam (AF) An air-foam extinguisher is applied to either a class A or B fire as either an aspirated (mixed & expanded with air in a branch pipe) or non aspirated form to establish a foam blanket or seal over the fuel, preventing oxygen reaching it Wet Chemical (WC) Wet Chemical extinguishers are typically installed in commercial kitchens for the protection from Class F fires where the fuel is cooking oils or fats. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are useful in protecting against fire when an inert, electrically nonconductive, gas is desirable and where clean up from the agent must be minimal. Carbon dioxide extinguishers contain liquid CO2 that is expelled as a gas. Carbon dioxide blankets a fire, because of its heaviness, relative to air. It acts by preventing oxygen from getting to the fire, the result, the burning fuel deprived of the oxygen. Carbon dioxide extinguishers are effective against Class “B” and “C” FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Although historically only used in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings completely protected by fire sprinkler systems, over 96% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone TYPES OF FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 1- PRE-ACTION Pre-action fire sprinkler systems are filled with air and water is allowed to pass through when the smoke alarm or detector goes off. This type of system requires two triggers to start water flow. It helps greatly that the pre- action fire sprinkler can be set to prevent water from spouting in case of a false alarm or a mechanical failure. The pre-action system is good for use in places where the sprinklers are only necessary when there is an actual fire so other items in the building do not get water damage from an accidental sprinkling. Such buildings include libraries and data centers. These places contain items of high value like electronics and goods damageable by water such as books 2- DRY PIPE Dry pipe sprinklers are similar to pre- action systems as they use pressurized air in the pipe which exits before water escapes. This causes a minute delay in water discharge but is ideal for buildings with low temperatures so the pipes do not freeze. These fire sprinkler systems have a fast opening tool to get rid of the air and speed up the flow of water. Warehouses located in the north are a good example of what buildings should use dry pipe sprinklers.
3- WET PIPE Wet pipe fire sprinklers constantly have water in them. This allows for a quick reaction to a fire and is the most common type of sprinkler installed in buildings. A type of building that uses the wet pipe system is a high-rise or office building with a few floors. This fire sprinkler system is cost efficient and low maintenance. DRY AND WET RISER SYSTEM 1- DRY RISER SYSTEM A dry riser is a normally empty pipe that can be externally connected to a pressurized water source by firefighters. It is a vertical pipe intended to distribute water to multiple levels of a building or structure as a component of the fire suppression systems. Dry risers are a form of internal hydrant for the fireman to use and are always charged with water. Wet risers are only required for building where the topmost floor is higher than 18.3 meters and less than 30.5 meters above the fire appliance access level. risers. Dry risers are normally dry and depend on the fire engine to pump water into the system. Dry riser system comprises a riser pipe with landing valves at each floor and to which rubber-lined hose with nozzles can be connected to direct the water jet at the fire. Breeching inlet into which the firemen pump water are provided at ground level and connected to the bottom of the dry Why dry riser are used in cold countries? In cold countries, the weather some times get below freezing point, and then it is hard to keep pipes insulated and they tend to freeze up when water is held inside them. With a dry riser you will have either a hosepipe or a sprinkler system that does not have any water in it but instead is filled with air. Dry riser hose water inlet valve 2- WET RISER SYSTEM Most buildings have a "wet riser" or "wet standpipe" system where the pipes are kept full of water for manual or automatic fire fighting operations. A Wet riser is a supply system intended to distribute water to multiple levels or compartments of a building, as a component of its fire fighting systems. They are advantageous to the fire service in two respects. Firstly they provide a fixed distribution system within the building that requires no fire service resources or equipment. Secondly it is designed as part of, and to maintain, the compartmentation of the building. The designers or architects may opt for the superior protection of wet risers. Wet risers are a UK building regulations requirement in buildings over 50M ( over 60M up untill 2006) Wet rising mains consist of vertical pipes similar to the dry rising main system with landing valves at each floor except the ground. The pipe system is connected to a permanent water supply normally a tank fed from the town mains. Duplicate automatic pumps, one duty and one standby supply this water to the pipe system. HOSE REEL SYSTEM • Standard fire hose is made up of rubber lined cotton fibre 65 mm in dia, capable of standing routine test pressure of 14 kg/sqcm. Sometimes unlined or rubber lined or rubber cotton hose may be used for this purpose. • The fire hose is housed in a special made glass cabinet
ADVANTAGES Minimise manpower One-man operated User friendly Minimal back pressure Suitable for use by most people Easy to operate/ be deployed Mobility Non-Kinking reinforced rubber about 30m long. Hose extends from 15m to 30m Strength 9m throw ( water dispenses to distance of 9m) SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Achievable at a flow rate of 0.4 litre/seceof 0.4 •Ensure that water supply is available before pulling liters/sec. out the hose reel towards the fire. •Keep your position low whilst fighting fire in an enclosed area. •In open areas, check for wind direction before moving towards the fire with the hose reel. Move in an upwind direction to avoid smoke and heat. In cases where you are trapped in a smoke logged situation, use the hose reel as a guideline to lead you out from hazard area. Use the hose reel to extinguish solid combustible materials only. Do not use the hose reel to extinguish Class B (flammable liquids/gases) or C (energised electrical equipment) fires.
