Fire-resistant construction

Measures to reduce the impact of fire include active and passive systems. Active systems include automatic sprinkler, water deluge, water mist, gaseous agent, dry chemical, foam, and standpipe handle systems. Passive protection is provided by fire resistive construction, including spray-applied or cementitious fireproofing of steel, concrete/masonry construction, and water-filled steel columns. Chapter 7 provides details on the design of fire protection systems. 

For enclosed process structures, any inside stairs that serve as an exit or exit component require enclosure to provide personnel protection from smoke and fire during emergency egress. The stair enclosures serving as an exit way must have the following fire-resistive construction ... 

Generally, chemical warehouses whose contents classify them as hazardous occupancies should be constructed of fire resistive or noncombustible materials. Fire resistive construction should consist of materials that will withstand the anticipated fire exposure of a given duration without structural failure. 

Modification of carbamoylated and carbaminated starches by oxidation and crosslinking with formaldehyde was reported.2623 Crosslinking was used to produce fire-resistant construction boards.1360 A size for cellulose fabrics was produced by crosslinking poly(carbamoylethyl)ethers of starch with formaldehyde.1351... 

Fire resistive construction is typically tested and listed in accordance with ASTM El 19. This test method is suitable for fire resistive needs in most warehouses whose contents can be classified as ordinary hazard. 

Fire Resistive Construction utilizes materials that will withstand a specified fire exposure for a defined period of time. This time period is established either by a standard fire test procedure or recognized calculation methods derived from test data and experience. Type I (433) Type I (332) Type II (222) Type II (111)... 

Moderate Fire-resistant Construction. Buildings having masonry walls with heavy timber or unprotected metal support structures. 

Good Fire-resistant Construction. Buildings with masonry, protected steel, or reinforced-conCrete construction. 

Use as high a degree of fire-resistant construction as is economically feasible, considering all possible losses in a disaster analysis. 

Guarding of floor and wall openings Separation distances between structures Gasoline stations Institutions, hospitals, schools Public assembly places Residences, hotels, apartments Restaurants, dance halls Theaters, movie houses Fire-resistant construction Emeigency lighting Exits... 

The protected stairway is the stairway and final exit passage-way along which people travel from the end of the travel distance to the place of safety. It must be of fire resistance construction. Unless the building is less than 11 m in height or is less than 3 storeys high there should be at least two protected stairways serving all levels. Protected stairways should be so located that they are remote from each other and their width should be decided by the number of people who have to use them. 

Fire-resisting construction (fire resistance and stability)... 

Are floor or wall openings in fire-resistant construction provided with doors or covers compatible... 

Are exit stairways that are required to be separated from other parts of a building enclosed by at least 2-hour fire-resistive construction in buildings more than four stories in height, and not less than 1-hour fire-resistive construction elsewhere ... 

Storage areas must be well drained and well ventilated, and preferably of fire-resistive construction. Storage area temperatures must not allow cylinder temperatures to exceed 125 F (51.7°C). 

Fire-resistive Pertains to properties or designs that resist the effects of any fire to which a material or structure may be expected to be subjected. Fire-resistive materials or assemblies of materials are noncombustible, but noncombustible materials are not necessarily fire-resistive fire-resistive implies a higher degree of fire resistance than noncombustible. Fire-resistive construction is defined in terms of specified fire resistance as measured by the standard time-temperature curve. 

An HPM storage room needs to be separated with fire-resistive construction fi om the rest of the building and other occupancies. Depending on the HPM and the quantity stored or dispensed, separation distances may also be required. In addition, areas within the given storage or dispense room used for differing classifications of HPMs— toxics, acids, flam-mables, oxidizers, etc.—must also be separated, either by fire-resistive construction or (in some cases) approved hazardous material storage cabinets. Examples of separation requirements are included in UFC 8001.9.8. 

To inhibit the spread of fire within the building, it shall be sub-divided with fire-resisting construction to an extent appropriate to the size and intended use of the building. 

Total phased evacuation - phased evacuation Is a common approach that Is adopted In high-rise premises, where the floors are separated by fire resistant construction. It may also be adopted in a similar way to the progressive evacuation for hospitals and residential care homes (see below). In these cases simultaneous evacuation would be impractical due to the numbers of people involved, the travel distances and the limited numbers of stairs and exits. 

The occupants need to reach a place of safety, either by leaving the building completely or by being isolated from the fire by effective fire containment measures and fire resisting construction. 

The separation of high risk areas - all rooms and areas containing high fire risks, for example boiler rooms, kitchens, tea rooms or rooms In which high risk processes are carried out, should be separated from the remainder of the building by fire resisting construction of... 

Therefore all dead-end corridors that are longer than 2 metres must be constructed of fire resisting construction Including doors and door assemblies that provide at least 30 minutes fire separation. 

A door or doors that lead to another compartment enclosed by fire resisting construction - see progressive horizontal evacuation above >- An open staircase (accommodation stairs) where the length of the stair Is Included In the total travel distance... 

Any cupboards or service riser shafts should be enclosed with fire resisting construction. 

Any part of the building (including any doors) within 3m of the escape route from the stair to a place of safety should be provided with fire resisting construction... 

Glazing in areas of fire resisting construction should also be fire resisting and should be fixed shut >- Where a stair is greater than 6 m in vertical length, it should be protected from weather conditions. 

Are floor or wall openings in fire-resistive construction provided with doors or covers compatible with the fire rating of the structure and provided with a self-closing feature when appropriate ... 

Water-reactive chemicals. Certain chemicals, including sodium, potassium, and many metal hydrides, react with water, producing heat and flammable gases. Other chemicals may burn upon contact with water. Storage areas used to hold water-reactive chemicals should be designed to prevent accidental contact with water. For example, these areas should not be equipped with automatic water sprinkler systems. Segregate water-re-active chemicals from other combustible materials, and be certain that the area is of fire-resistant construction. 

Cylinder storage rooms should be well ventilated and dry and should be of fire-resistive construction. Storage room temperature should not exceed 55°C (depending on the cylinder contents). 

---