Buro Happold

Consideration for Fire Safety

Neal Butterworth
Buro Happold FEDRA
neal.butterwoth@burohappold.com

Fire Engineering Design and Risk Assessment

Leeds

London

Fire Safety Engineering

Manchester

Glasgow

New York

Sunday, November 8

Agenda
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Fire Safety Objectives

The Building Regulations
Prescriptive Guidance

Specific Considerations
Questions

Fire Safety Engineering

Image courtesy of Mandy

Reynolds

ADB - B1 to B5

Sunday, November 8

Objectives
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Life Safety
Building Regulations

Prevention of Conflagration
Included within life-safety requirements

Property protection
There are often synergies that can be achieved by
designing for life-safety and property protection
simultaneously.
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Sunday, November 8

Achieving the Building

Regulations

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Design Guidance
Building Regulations

Mandatory for all buildings

Approved Document B

Prescriptive guidance that

covers most building types

5588 Series

Cover specific building

types.
Fire-fighting.

Local Acts

Means of escape for people

with disabilities.
etc.

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Due to be replaced

Sunday, November 8

The Building Regulations 2000

Alternative approaches
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Prescriptive codes provide

a set of rules that are not
building specific
Prescribed guidance is
given on:
Travel Distance
Exit widths
Protection

Prescriptive
codes
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Building specific,
Regulations in
Britain are performance
performance
requirement
based.
are
defined

Approved
First principles
Document
approach
B;
base
science: guide for
is aon
prescriptive

achieving
the Building
Travel
distance
- time
Regulations
Exit widths -performance,
flow rates
is
not the building
Protection
- structural
regulations.
performance

Performance
Approach Sunday, November 8

Approved Document B
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Considers 5 key components

B1
B2
B3
B4
B5

Means of escape
Internal fire spread (linings)
Internal fire spread (structure)
External fire spread
Access and facilities for the fire service

Considers life-safety only

Trade-off is not normally allowed

Building regulations allow alternative

approaches.
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Sunday, November 8

Approved Document B
Features Common to all Parts
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Building Purpose Group

Office, retail, assembly, storage, industrial, residential
etc.
There may be ancillary areas.

Building Occupation
Floor areas and floor space factors.

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Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Principles
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The building shall be designed and

constructed so that there are
appropriate provisions for the early
warning of fire, and appropriate means
of escape in case of fire from the
building to a place of safety outside the
building capable of being safely and
effectively used at all material time.
Principle - All occupants should be able
to turn their back on a fire and make a
safe escape.
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Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Secretary of States View
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Sufficient routes appropriately located

Routes are protected where necessary
Routes are adequately lit
Exits are suitably signed
Facilities to limit ingress smoke or
remove it
Sufficient means of warning
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Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Horizontal Escape
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Travel distances to a place of relative

safety
Exit widths
ADB Approach
Based on 2.5 minutes

Example (office)
30m x 60m room

30
m

45m

45
m
60
m

300 people
Travel distance = 45m
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Sunday, November 8

Buro Happold

Fire Safety Engineering

Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Horizontal Escape
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Performance Approach
30m x 60m room
300 people

30m

61
m

Travel distance = 61m

60m

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Sunday, November 8

Buro Happold

Fire Safety Engineering

Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Horizontal Escape
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35% increase in Travel Distance over code

Only 4% (7 sec) increase in flow time
Horizontal escape inconsistencies
travel distance approach is simplistic and unreliable,
travel distance does not account for real untenebility,
2.5 minutes is based on a single historical
evacuation.

Fire Safety Engineering

Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Horizontal Escape
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Further considerations
Dead end distances
Divergence of less than
45O
Inner rooms
Storeys divided into
separate uses or
occupancies
Subdivision of corridors
External escape routes

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Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Vertical Escape
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Evacuation to a place of ultimate safety

Simultaneous Evacuation
Entire building evacuates
on detection or alarm.
Escape requirements
Number of stairs
Stair widths

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Phased Evacuation
Fire floor and floor above are
evacuated immediately.
Evacuation of subsequent
floors is delayed
Escape requirements
Number of stairs
Stair widths

Sunday, November 8

B1 - Means of Escape
Phased Evacuation
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Stair number and sizes can be reduced

Additional requirements
All floors compartment floors
Sprinklers are required
Automatic alarm and detection is required

Usually only used for large or tall buildings

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Sunday, November 8

B2 - Internal fire spread

(linings)
Principles

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To inhibit the spread of fire within the

building the internal linings shall adequately resist the spread of flame over
their surfaces; and
have, if ignited, a rate of heat release
which is reasonable in the circumstances.

In this paragraph internal linings mean

the materials lining any partition, wall,
ceiling or other internal structure.
Principle - Limit combustible material and
surface spread of flame where needed.
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Sunday, November 8

B2 - Internal fire spread

(linings)

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Main considerations

Upper surfaces of floors and stairs are not considered

Furniture is not considered within ADB
Wall and ceiling linings
Surface spread of flame characteristics are defined

Variations and special provisions

ceilings, rooflights, thermoplastic materials

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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Principles

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The building shall be designed and

constructed so that in the event of a fire, its
stability will be maintained for a reasonable
period.
A wall common to two or more buildings shall
be design and constructed so that it resists...
The external walls of the building shall
adequately resist the spread of fire over the
walls and from one building to another
unseen spread of fire and smoke...

Principle - Limit fire size through

compartmentation and ensure structural
stability through fire resistance.
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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Compartmentation

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Maximum compartment sizes

Purpose group, sprinklers
Two compartments are not necessarily required per storey

Protected shafts and escape routes

Fire resisting risers and ductwork etc.
Atria may breach compartmentation
BS5588: Part 7 - smoke control etc.
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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)

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Structural Stability
Elements of structure are required to be fire
resisting for an appropriate period.
The fire resistance period is a function :
the purpose group,
the building height and size, and
whether sprinklers are incorporated.

ADB prescribes fire resistance periods of:

30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes.
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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Passive Fire Protection

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Cementitious Spray
only if hidden

Intumescent Coatings
on-site
off-site

Board
Mineral Wool

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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Structural Stability

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Simple prescribed approach

involving standard tests and
fully stressed members
Accounting for design stress
levels BS5950: Part 8
Advanced Techniques
Real / Natural Fire
approaches
Real / Whole-frame
structural performance

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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Passive Fire Protection

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Yellow Book or
Manufacturers
Failure temperature 550C
Approach is based on
Section Factor
Section Factor (Hp/A) is an
indication of the heating rate

Chunkier sections require

less fire protection
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Sunday, November 8

B3 - Internal fire spread

(structure)
Active Fire Protection

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Increasingly active fire

protection systems are
used
Active protection systems
prevent fire - detection
control or extinguish the
fire - suppression systems
remove heat from the fire smoke control systems

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Sunday, November 8

BS5950: Part 8
Methodology
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Limiting Temperature
<
Design Temperature
Limiting temperature is
the temperature at
which a member fails.
Design temperature is
the temperature of the
member at a given
time.
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Sunday, November 8

BS5950: Part 8
Limiting Temperature
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Fire condition is an accidental

load case
Factor of safety can be reduced
Alternative partial safety factors
are applied to characteristic
loads

Failure temperature increases

with reduced stress
Stress calculated by load ratio

Beams

Compressio
n

Tension

Limiting temperatures are

provided for values of load ratio
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Sunday, November 8

BS5950: Part 8
Design Temperature
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Unprotected steel
Table 6 and 7 in BS5950: Part 8
Test data
Calculation

Protected steel
Test data
Calculation

Benefits of using Part 8

Unprotected external steelwork
Unprotected 30 minute
steelwork
Reduced protection thickness
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Sunday, November 8

B4 - External fire spread

Principles
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The external walls of the building shall

adequately resist the spread of fire over
the wall and from one building to another,
having regard to the height, use and
position of the building.
The roof of the building shall adequately
resist the spread of fire over the roof and
from one building to another, having
regard to the use and position of the
building.
Principle - Provide sufficient separation
distance or fire rated construction.
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Sunday, November 8

B4 - External fire spread

Secretary of States View
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External walls are constructed so that

the risk of ignition is restricted
the amount of unprotected area is
restricted to limit the amount of thermal
radiation that can pass through the wall,
taking the distance between the wall
and the boundary into account
the roof is constructed so that the risk of
spread of flame and/or fire penetration
from an external fire source is restricted.
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Sunday, November 8

B4 - External fire spread

Considerations
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External walls and roof materials of construction

function of separation distance and building height

Space separation
for buildings on separate sites or under separate
ownership
distance to the boundary needs to be sufficiently large,
or the faade needs to contain protected areas

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Sunday, November 8

B5 - Fire service
Principles
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The building shall be designed and

constructed so as to provide reasonable
facilities to assist fire fighters in the
protection of life.
Reasonable provision shall be made
within the site of the building to enable
fire appliances to gain access.
Principle - Provide sufficient perimeter
access or fire fighting shafts for tall
buildings.

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Sunday, November 8

B4 - External fire spread

Considerations

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Sprinklers?
Fire Resisting Slabs

Fire Rated Glazing

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Sunday, November 8

B5 - Fire service
Principles
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The building shall be designed and

constructed so that in the event of a fire,
its stability will be maintained for a
reasonable period.
The external walls of the building shall
adequately resist the spread of fire over
the walls and from one building to
another
Principle - Limit fire size through
compartmentation and ensure structural
stability through fire resistance.
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Sunday, November 8

B5 - Fire service
Considerations
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Perimeter access
building area and height
percentage of perimeter access required
type of appliance

Higher buildings require fire fighting shafts

BS5588: Part 5
Protected shafts, fire fighting lifts, fire fighting mains
Construction

Basement ventilation
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Sunday, November 8

Brief
Important considerations
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Integrated design
service penetrations - compartmentation
service zone - beams in slabs etc.

Aesthetic qualities of steel

method of fire protection
can protection be eliminated

Common spaces
public / non-public

separated or ancillary

Recycles products
surface spread of flame and combustible materials
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Sunday, November 8

Conclusions
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Building Regulations
Primary concern is the design for life-safety

Approved Documents and British Standards

Provide guidance and recommendations but not regulations
Adopt ADB and British Standards for simple designs

As an alternative
Determine prescriptive design
Question reasoning behind provisions and if necessary
provide an alternative solution
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Sunday, November 8

Buro Happold

Questions

Fire Safety Engineering

Sunday, November 8