TNCDRBR

“Basement or Cellar” means the lower storey or storeys of a building below or

partly below ground level with majority of its headroom below ground level;

Basement Floor.— (a) The height of basement floor shall not exceed 1.2 metres
above ground level and the headroom shall be minimum 2.4 metres.
(b) No part of the basement shall be constructed in the minimum required set back
spaces, required for the movement of fire fighting vehicles or equipments.
(c) In cases where second basement is proposed for parking and incidental uses,
sufficient provision for lighting and ventilation and also for protection from fire
to the satisfaction of Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services shall be made.
(d) During the construction of the basement floor, it shall be the sole responsibility
of the Building Permit holder to ensure that the building or structure in the
adjoining sites are not weakened or damaged.

(d) The basement shall be permitted below the ground and beyond the building
lines at ground level subject to a clear minimum front setback space of 4.5m
and side and rear setback of 3m, subject to non habitable uses and provision
for mechanical ventilation and all safety provisions and drainage. However, it is
essential that the basement top slab below the external circulation at ground
level should be designed for firefighting vehicular loads

No transformer shall be located below the first basement or above the

ground floor

If in the basement, the transformers shall be adequately protected against fire

by a high velocity water spray or a CO2 flooder of suitable capacity, depending
upon the size of the transformer.

The transformers shall be located only in the periphery of the basement or

ground floor, observing suitable clearances.

Basement.— (a) The basement shall not be used for residential purposes
(b) The basement shall have the following requirements:
(i) Every basement used for non-habitable purposes shall be in every part at least
2.4m in height from the floor to the underside of the roof slab or ceiling; for
habitable purposes, it shall conform to the standards prescribed for habitable
rooms above.
(ii) Adequate ventilation shall be provided for the basement. The ventilation
requirements shall be the same as required by the particular occupancy
according to National Building Code. Any deficiency may be met by providing
adequate mechanical ventilation in the form of blowers, exhaust fans, air
conditioning systems, etc.;

iii) Adequate arrangements shall be made such that surface drainage does not
enter the basement;
(iv) The walls and floors of the basement shall be water-tight and be so designed
that the effects of the surrounding soil and moisture, if any, are taken into
account in design and adequate damp proofing treatment is given; and
(v) The access to the basement shall be separate from the main and alternative
staircase providing access and exit from higher floors. Where the staircase is
continuous in the case of building served by more than one staircase, the same
shall be of enclosed type serving as a fire separation from the basement floor
and higher floors.
(vi) The exit requirements in basements shall comply with the provisions of the
NBC Part 4 ‘Fire and Life Safety’

Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services Standards:

(i) No transformer shall be located below the first basement or above the
ground floor
(ii) A sub-station or switch station with apparatus having more than 2000 litres oil
shall not be allowed in the case of indoor transformer.
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(iii) The indoor transformer should preferably be housed in a fireproof room with
walls and doors sufficient fire rating.
(iv) The room in the ground floor of the basement housing the transformer shall
have a free access to the outside.
(v) There shall be a curb or a dwarf wall around the transformer so that oil spills if
any, is contained within the curb. There shall also be a suitable drain with a '
flame-arrester'
(vi) If in the basement, the transformers shall be adequately protected against fire
by a high velocity water spray or a CO2 flooder of suitable capacity, depending
upon the size of the transformer.
(vii) The switchgears, if any shall be housed in a separate room with suitable fire
resistance walls.
(viii) The transformers shall be located only in the periphery of the basement or
ground floor, observing suitable clearances.
(ix) DCP or CO2 portable fire extinguishers of a minimum capacity of 10 kg. shall
be kept near the doorway housing the transformer.
(x) All indoor transformers shall be subjected to periodic inspection and shall be
replaced in good time so that there is no fire risk.
(xi) The room shall be well ventilated so that the transformer remains cool.
(xii) The room shall have emergency and automatic lighting with independent power
supply.

Public Parking lot may be permitted in basement below the OSR.

Boiler Room.— The following aspects may be taken into account in the location of
Boiler or Boiler Room:
(a) The boiler shall not be allowed in sub-basement but be allowed in the first
basement away from the escape routes.
(b) The boilers shall be installed in a fire resisting room of 4 hours fire resistance
rating, and this room shall be situated on the periphery of the basement. Catch pit
shall be provided at the low level. Entry to this room may be provided with a
composite door of two hour fire resistance.
(c) The boiler room shall be provided with fresh air inlets and smoke exhausts directly
to the atmosphere.
(d) Foam inlets shall be provided on the external walls of the building at the ground
floor level to enable the fire services to use foam in case of fire.
(e) The furnace oil tank for the boiler, if located in the adjoining room shall be
separated by fire resisting wall of 4 hour rating. Entry to this room shall be
provided with a composite door of 2 hour fire resistance. A curb of suitable height
shall be provided at the entrance in order to prevent the flow of oil into the boiler
room in case of tank rupture.

Ventilation - In case of parking on ground floor, all sides shall be left open for
ventilation and lighting. In case of all floors above ground floor, adequate
natural ventilation and lighting should be provided. In case of basement or sub
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basement parking, adequate mechanical ventilation and adequate lighting
should be provided.

DUCTS

The electrical room shall have raised cement flooring with cable duct of
450-mm. width and 750-mm. depth, all around inside the room and close
to the exterior walls shutters. The flooring shall slope towards the cable
duct. The cabled duct shall be covered with RCC slabs of thickness not
less than 75 mm. (3 inches). The covered slabs shall flush with the
cement flooring. The radius of curvature of the cable ducts at the
turnings inside the electrical room shall not be less than one metre.

Architectural projection
& service ducts
Service ducts upto 1.0 mt. here and there and not
to the entire width and length of the building and
Architectural projection upto 0.60m. in width where
it is continuous and upto 1.0 mt. where it is discontinuous
are permissible, subject to availability of
minimum clear set back of 6.70 mts. where required
set back is 7.0 mts. and minimum clear set back of
7.70 mts. where required set back is 8.0 mts. and
minimum set back of 8.70m. where required set
back is 9.0 mts.and so on

For all High Rise buildings in addition to items specified in sub-rule (1), the following
additional information shall be furnished or indicated in the building plan:—
(a) access to fire appliances or vehicles with details of vehicular turning circles and
clear motorable access way around the building;
(b) size (width) of main and alternative stair cases along with balcony approach,
corridor, ventilated lobby approach;
(c) location and details of lift enclosures;
(d) location and size of fire lift;
(e) smoke stop lobby, door, where provided;
(f) refuse chutes, refuse chamber, service duct etc;
(g) refuge area, if any;
(h) details of building services – air conditioning system with position of fire
dampers and mechanical ventilation system, electrical services, boilers, gas
pipes etc;
(i) details of exits including provision of ramps etc., for hospital and special risks;
(j) location of generator, transformer and switch gear rooms;
(k) smoke exhauster system, if any;
(l) details of fire alarm system net work;
(m) location of centralised control connecting all fire alarm systems, built-in fire
protection arrangements and public address system etc;
(n) location and dimensions of static water storage tank and pump room along with
fire service inlets for mobile pump and water storage and tank;
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(o) location and details of fixed fire protection installation, such as sprinklers wet
risers, hose-reels, drenchers, etc;
(p) location and details of first aid fire fighting equipments or installations.

“Exit” means a passage channel or means of egress from the building, its storey or
floor to a street or, other open space of safety whether horizontal, outside and
vertical exits meaning as under:-
(i) Horizontal exit means an exit, which is a protected opening through or around a
fire well or bridge connecting two or more buildings.
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(ii) Outside exit mean an exit from building to a public way to an open area leading
to a public way or to an enclosed a fire resistant passage leading to a public
way.
(iii) Vertical exit means an exit used for ascending or descending between two
or more levels including stairway, fire towers, ramps and fire escapes;