12/14/2015

TheManageMentorKnowledgeUniverseManufacturingBenchmarkingPerformanceBasedDesignBringsBetterEngineeringIntoFireProtection(PartI)

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PerformanceBasedDesignBringsBetterEngineeringIntoFireProtection(PartII)
Acasestudyonhowperformancebaseddesignbecameanewapproachtodeterminefireprotection
strategies
AmajormanufacturingcompanyintheUShasdecidedtodesignfireprotectionfeaturesforitslarge
building.Notcompletelyconvincedwiththetraditionalprescriptiveapproach,thecompanydecidedtotry
aperformancebasedapproachtoevaluateinvestmentsinfiresafetystandards.
Thefirststep,whenimplementingtheperformancebasedfireprotectiondesignistosetupfiresafety
goalsandobjectives.Thescientificengineeringalternativesshouldthenbemeasuredagainst
predeterminedgoalsandobjectives.Thebuildingconstructor,theownerofthemanufacturingcompany,
HartfordSteamBoiler(HSB)ProfessionalLossControlconsultantsandtheAuthorityHavingJurisdiction
(AHJ)togetherestablishedgoals,objectivesandwaystoevacuatepeopleinthebuildingduringafire.
Forsafeevacuationofthebuildingoccupantsduringafire,thelocalbody,AuthorityHavingJurisdiction
(AHJ)recommendedautomaticsmokeandheatventsinthebuildingroofandalsoontheroofof
enclosedcorridors.Iftheengineeringteamcouldprovethatduringafireinthebuilding,withinthe
required15minuteperiodforevacuation,theresultingsmokelayerwouldnotcomewithin7feetofthe
floorlevel,thereisnoneedtoprovidesmokeandheatventsorenclosedcorridorsinthebuilding.
Theengineeringteamthensetupcrediblefirecircumstancesusingasimulationmodel.Heatreleaseand
firegrowthratesofbuildingmaterialstobeusedinthedesiredgeometryofthebuildingwererecorded.A
computerbasedfiremodelsuccessfullyevaluatedtheexpectedsmokefillingtimesinthebuilding.The
worstcasescenarioswereanalysedanda15%safetyfactorwasalsoapplied.
Thequantitativeanalysisofperformancebasedfireprotectiondesignrevealedthatthelifesafety
standardsinthemanufacturingbuildingscouldbemetwithoutadditionalconstructionrequirements.
Accordingtotheestimates,duringthe15minutetimerequiredforevacuationduringafire,thesmoke
layerwouldbeapproximately19feetabovethefloorlevelofthebuilding.Thisismuchhigherthanthe
minimumrequirementof7feetabovethefloorlevel.
Sincethesimulationsoftheperformancebasedmethodsensuredthatthebuildingoccupantscouldbe
safelyevacuatedduringafirewithouttherequirementofsmokeandheatventsorenclosedcorridors,the
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TheManageMentorKnowledgeUniverseManufacturingBenchmarkingPerformanceBasedDesignBringsBetterEngineeringIntoFireProtection(PartI)

AHJwassatisfiedandapprovedthisapproach.Hence,themanufacturingcompanyhasimplemented
performancebaseddesignandanalysismethodsforitsfireprotectionequipment.
Whentherisksarehigh,performancebaseddesignisapotenttoolfordecisionmaking.
Inthecaseofhighhazards,unusualshapedbuildingsorcomplexindustrialoccupancies,performance
baseddesignisapowerfulapproachtoestablishfireprotectionstrategies.Whenaplanthasbudget
constraints,thisapproachhelpstooptimisetheinvestmentsinfireandexplosionlosscontrol.While
makingcosteffectivedecisions,theplantownershouldbeinformedaboutthefireandexplosionrisks
duringplantoperationsandknowhowdependabletheinstalledfireprotectionsystemscanbe.The
mangersattheplantshouldbeeffectivelycommunicatedabouttheexpectedlevelofrisk.Therefore,
performancebasedapproachisalsocalledriskinformedanalysis.Theperformancebasedapproach
providesameansforquantifyingtheprobabilityofapotentiallossincaseoffireanditseffectssuchas
lifesafetyexposure,propertydamageorbusinessdisruption.Riskrankingallowstheselectionofoneor
manyoftheriskreductionalternatives.
Wiseinvestmentscanbemadeinoneoftheriskreductionalternativesbyassigningandfocusingthe
limitedresourcesofaplantonspecificareasofconsiderablerisk.Acasestudyontheapplicationofrisk
informedanalysistoalargeelectricpowergenerationfacilityisdiscussedinthenextarticle.
RelatedReading
Quantifyingrisk,Holmes,W.,ConsultingSpecifyingEngineer.

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