ASSIGNMENT-15

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION-

FIRE PROTECTION
SYSTEM

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

AR. SURJEET SINGH FAIZAN ANSARI
B.ARCH, 3RD YEAR,
6TH SEMESTER
161331003008
INTRODUCTION

What is fire?
 Fire is the visible effect of the process of
combustion.
 It occurs between oxygen in the air and some sort
of fuel
 The reaction will keep going
as long as there is
enough heat, fuel and oxygen.
 This is known as the fire triangle.
FIRE SAFETY:
FIRESAFETYISA SUBJECTCONNECTEDNOTONLYWITHHUMANAND PROPERTYSAFETYBUTISRELATED
WITHDESIGNOFBUILDINGSANDTHEIRSERVICES.FIREALTHOUGHAGOODFRIENDOFHUMANITY,WHEN
IT SPREADS UN-CONTROLLED, IN BUILDINGS CAN BE VICIOUS ENEMY RESULTING IN HEAVY LOSSOF
PROPERTYANDLIVES.
THEREFOREFIREPROTECTIONMEASURES,BOTHIN RESIDENTIALBUILDINGS AND IN COMMERCIAL/
INDUSTRIALCOMPLEXES,HAVEASSUMEDAGREATROLEIN RECENTYEARSIN OURCOUNTRY.

FIRE SCIENCE
FIREISTHEPROCESSOFBURNING. IT ISINFACTACHEMICALREACTION INITIATED BYPRESENCEOFHEAT
ENERGYIN WHICHASUBSTANCECOMBINESWITHOXYGENIN THEAIRANDTHEPROCESSISACCOMPANIEDBY
EMISSION OF ENERGYIN THE FORM OF HEAT, LIGHT AND SOUND. THEREFORE, THREE ELEMENTS ARE
ESSENTIALFORCOMBUSTIONI.E.
 ACOMBUSTIBLEMATTERI.EFUEL
 OXYGEN
 SOURCEOFHEAT,SPARKFLAMEETC.

FIRE HAZARDS:
Small business fire safety
Small businesses need to have plans to prevent fires & to help their
business recover should an unforeseen emergency occurs.

Is your small business fire safe?

The Fire Brigades recommends this simple safety check-list to assist
your small business prevent damage that could be caused by fire.

• Teach your staff about workplace fire prevention and safety.

• Avoid storing or stockpiling flammable materials such as packaging materials or
waste where they could be accessed by the public, including areas immediately
outside your business premises

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRE AND FIRE EXTINGUISH METHODS:

There are several kinds of fire which may erupt any where. They are classified as
A class, B class, C class, D class, E class and K class respectively depending upon the
material causing fire.
• A class fire is due to sold i.e. paper, cloth andwood.
• B class is due to liquids i.e. petrol, oils etc.
• C class is due to gases i.e. acetylene and natural gases.
• D class is due to metal
• E class is due to electrical wiring,
switches, transformers etc.
• K class is due to vegetable oil or animal oil and fats.
FIRE PROTECTION:

AMETHODOFFIREPROTECTIONINVOLVESTHECONVEYANCEOFWATERI PIPESTOEXTINGUISHFIREWITHINA
BUILDINGFALLSINTOTHEFIELDOFPLUMBING.WATERMAYBESUPPLIEDTHROUGHRISERPIPESORSTANDPIPES.
ARISERORSTANDPIPESWITH HOSECONNECTIONSIN A TALLBUILDINGS MAYBEFEDFROMSTORAGETANK,
FROM PUMP OR FROM A MOBILE PUMPING ENGINE IN THE STREETCONNECTED TO A BREACHING OR
‘SIAMESEPOST’
AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERARETHEDEVICESTHATDISCHARGEWATERAUTOMATICALLYWHENTHETEMPERATURE
OFAIR SURROUNDING SPRINKLER REACHEsSAREDETERMINED LEVEL.

COMPONENTS:
FIREPROTECTIONIN LAND-BASEDBUILDINGS,OFFSHORECONSTRUCTION ORONBOARDSHIPSISTYPICALLY
ACHIEVEDVIAALLOFTHEFOLLOWING:
 PASSIVEFIREPROTECTION- THEINSTALLATIONOFFIREWALLSANDFIRE
RATEDFLOORASSEMBLIESTOFORM FIRECOMPARTMENTSINTENDED TO LIMIT THESPREADOFFIRE, HIGH
TEMPERATURES,ANDSMOKE.
 ACTIVEFIREPROTECTION- MANUALANDAUTOMATICDETECTIONAND
SUPPRESSIONOFFIRES,SUCHASFIRESPRINKLERSYSTEMSAND (FIRE
ALARM) SYSTEMS.
FIRE RESISTING MATERIALS USED IN BUILDING

THE VARIOUS FIRE RESISTING MATERIALS USED IN A COMMON BUILDING ARE:

 STONE
 BRICKS
 TIMBER
 GLASS
 CONCRETE
 CAST-IRON
 ASBESTOS CEMENT
 DOOR
 WALL
 FLOOR
 PAINTS
 ETC.,
1.STONE
 Stone is a bad conductor of heat and it is also a non –combustible
building material.
 It suffers appreciably under the effect of
heat.
 The stone also disintegrate into
small pieces when heated and suddenly cooled.
2. BRICKS
 A fire brick is ablock
of refractory ceramic material used in lining furnaces,
klins, fireboxes and fireplaces.
 It is a poor conductor of heat.
 It can withstand a temperature of about 1200C to 1300C.
3. TIMBER

 As a general rule, the structural elements like TIMBER,

ignite & get rapidly destroyed in case of fire.
 To make timber more fire- resistant , the surfaces of timber
are coated with chemicals like ammonium phosphate &
sulphate, borax & boric acid ETC.

4. GLASS

 Glass expansion due to heat is small.

 When heated cracks are formed and then suddenly cooled.
 Reinforced glass with steel wire is more efficient than
ordinary glass.
5. CONCRETE
 The actual behaviour of concrete in case of fire
depends on the quality of cement.
 In case of reinforced concrete structure it also depends
on the position of steel.
 Reinforced concrete structure can resist fire for hours
with temperature 1000C
FIRE RESISTANT DOORS & WALLS:

 A fire door & Walls is a door & wall with a fire-resistancerating.

 These are used to reduce the spread

of fire or smoke between compartment.

 ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION:
ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION (AFP) = IS AN INTEGRALPARTOFFIRE PROTECTION. AFPIS CHARACTERISEDBY
ITEMSAND/ORSYSTEMS,WHICH REQUIREACERTAINAMOUNTOFMOTIONANDRESPONSEIN ORDERTO WORK,
CONTRARYTOPASSIVEFIREPROTECTION.

CATEGORIES OF ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION

FIRE DETECTION
FIREISDETECTEDEITHERBYLOCATINGTHESMOKE,FLAMEORHEAT,AND ANALARMISSOUNDEDTOENABLE
EMERGENCYEVACUATIONASWELLASTODISPATCHTHELOCALFIREDEPARTMENT.
HYPOXIC AIR FIRE PREVENTION
FIRECANBEPREVENTEDBYHYPOXICAIR.HYPOXICAIRFIREPREVENTION SYSTEMS,ALSOKNOWNASOXYGEN
REDUCTION SYSTEMS ARE NEW AUTOMATIC FIRE PREVENTION SYSTEMS THAT REDUCE PERMANENTLY THE
OXYGENCONCENTRATIONINSIDETHEPROTECTEDVOLUMESSOTHAT IGNITION ORFIRESPREADINGCANNOT
OCCUR.
REQUIREMENT OF WATER

THEQUANTITYOFWATERREQUIREDFORFIREEXTINCTIONDEPENDSUPON THEMAGNITUDE OFFIREAND

DURATIONTAKENTOEXTINGUISHIT.THEUSE OFNON-POTABLEWATERSHOULDBEAVOIDEDFORTHEFEAROF
CROSSCONNECTIONANDSUBSEQUENTHEALTHHAZARDS.
THESIZEOFMAIN RING, DRYRISERAND WETRISER,FORFIREFIGHTING WITHIN A BUILDING, ISDESIGNED
KEEPING IN MIND THAT A DISTANT HYDRANT WILL DISCHARGE ABOUT 1000 LITRES PERMINUTES AT 3.5
KG/SQ.CMPRESSURE.ANDATANYGIVENTIMEATLEASTTWOHYDRANTSAREIN OPERATION.

STORAGE OF WATER
A SUFFICIENT QUALITY OF WATERFORTHEPURPOSEOFFIRE FIGHTING OF THEBUILDING MUST BEMADE
AVAILABLEINANUNDERGROUNDTANK WITHINTHEPREMISES.TANKCAPACITYMAYBETAKENAS30 MIN WATER
SUPPLYAT1000 LITRESPERMINUTESTHEWATERTANKANDCOVERSHOULD BEDESIGNEDTOTAKELOADOF18
TONNESVEHICULARLOADIF FLUSHBELOWGROUNDLEVEL.
THEFIREFIGHTINGSTORAGEANDPUMPSREQUIREMENTSASPERDEVELOPMENTCONTROLREGULATIONOFTHE
MUNICIPALCORPORATIONOFDELHI
SYSTEMSOFFIREFIGHTING:

ITMAYBEBROADLYCLASSIFIEDASEXTERNAL(CITY)ANDINTERNAL( BUILDING)FIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM)
EXTERNAL FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM
FIREHYDRANTAREGENERALLYLOCATEDATADISTANCEAPARTOFABOUT90 M TO120 M IN INHABITANTAREA
ANDABOUT300 M INANOPENAREA. ONEFIREHYDRANTFOREVERY4000 TO10000 SQ.AREAISNORMALLY
PROVIDED.
HYDRANTSAREGENERALLYPROVIDEDATSTREETCROSSINGS,WATERDEMANDSOFONELITREPERHEADPERDAY
ISCONSIDEREDFORFIREHYDRANTS.FIREHYDRANTSAREOFTWOTYPESPILLARORPOSTHYDRANTANDSUNK
ORFLUSHHYDRANTS.
PILLARORPOSTHYDRANTTHESEHYDRANTREMAINSTANDINGABOVEGROUNDLIKEAPOSTBYABOUT0.9 M
TO1.2 M AND CONNECTEDTOA WATERMAIN UNDERGROUND.IT CONSISTSOFASLUICEVALVE,ADUCK
FOOTBEND,A65 MM DIAPOSTONE,TWOORTHREEOUTLETS.THESE OUTLETSARESPACEDAROUNDTHE
PERIPHERYOFTHEHYDRANTBARREL
FLUSHHYDRANT
 THESEHYDRANTAREINSTALLEDUNDERGROUNDIN ABRICKORCASTIRON
CHAMBERWITHITSTOPCOVERSLIGHTLYABOVETHESTREETLEVEL.LETTER
F.H. ARE INSCRIBED ON THE TOP OF COVER FOR IDENTIFICATION. A FLUSH HYDRANT CONSISTS OF
FOLLOWINGCOMPONENTS,ONESLUICEVALVE,A DUCK-FOOTBEND,A65 MM DIAINSTANTANEOUSTYPE
COUPLING.

INTERNALFIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM

THELOCALSELFGOVTI.E. MUNICIPALAUTHORITIESHAVEBEEN EMPOWEREDTOMAKEBYLAWSTOPROTECT

LIVES & PROPERTIESFORFIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMWITHIN THEIR MUNICIPAL LIMITS. THESEBYLAWSARE
GENERALLYBASEDONNFPA(NATIONALFIREPROTECTIONACT).

RESIDENTIALPREMISESFIREPROTECTIONSYSTEM
 FIREHOSESYSTEMDRYRISER/WETRISER
 AUTOMATICSPRINKLERSYSTEMS
 POTABLEFIREEXTINGUISHERS,
 FIREALARMSYSTEMS

INDUSTRIALFIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM
 HIGHVELOCITYWATERSPRAY
 MEDIUMVELOCITYFIRESPRAY
 FOAM
 DRYCHEMICALPOWDER
 CARBONDIOXIDE
 ALARMGONG
 PORTABLEFIREEXTINGUISHER
 FIREALARMSYSTEM
 FIREHOSESYSTEM

THIS SYSTEMINVOLVES THE INSTALLATION OF VERTICALRISERPIPE WITH HOSE CONNECTIONS ATSTRATEGIC

POINTSTHROUGHOUTTHEBUILDING. THESTANDPIPEORRISERCANBEKEPTFILLEDWITHWATERISKNOWASWET
RISERSYSTEMOTHERWISEITISKNOWNASDRYRISERSYSTEM
DRYRISERSYSTEM
A DRYRISER SYSTEM OR DRY PIPE SYSTEM IS MADE OF COMPLETE WATER- DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WITH
SPRINKLERHEADORRISERSANDBRANCHESWITHHYDRANTSTHROUGHOUTTHEBUILDINGS IN WHICHTHEREIS
NO RUNNING WATER.
IN THESPRINKLERSYSTEMTHEDRYPIPESYSTEMISUSEDPARTLYTO PROTECTTHEINTERIOROFTHEBUILDINGS
AGAINSTHAZARDSOFBURSTANDLEAKYPIPETOAVOIDFREEZINGOFWATERIN THEPIPES.
WATER IS TURNED INTO WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM EITHER AUTOMATICALLY OR MANUALLY ON THE
OUTBREAKOFFIREORTHESOUNDINGOFALARMGONGTOSMOTHEROREXTINGUISHFIRE.
WHEN THE FUSEMELTS IN DUE TO THE HEATGENERATEDBYFIRE, WATER GUSHESIN AND AIR EXHAUSTED
THROUGHTHESPRINKLERHEADQUICKLY.
IN THEPREACTIONSYSTEMWATERIS ADMITTED TOTHESYSTEMBYA VALVE ACTUATEDBYA THERMOSTATIC
CONTROLLEDDEVICETHATFUNCTIONIN ADVANCEOFTHESPRINKLERSYSTEM.
THEDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMISLAIDWITHASLOPEOFABOUT1:200, SOTHAT THECOMPLETEWATERISDRAINED
OUTOFTHESYSTEM.
PROVISION OF NECESSARYPRESSUREGAUGES IS MADE ON MAIN WATER SUPPLY,DISTRIBUTION, AIR TANK,
PUMPS,ETC.

WETRISERSYSTEM
THEPROVISION OFWETRISERSYSTEM WHENEVERMADE FOR RESIDENTIALBUILDINGSHOULDHAVETHE
FOLLOWINGFEATURES:
THE WET RISER ARE DESIGNED FOR ZONAL DISTRIBUTION OF
WATER ACCORDINGTOHEIGHTOFBUILDING
THEFIRSTRISERUPTO60 M HEIGHTSHOULDBE10 CMDIA
THESECONDRISERUPTO100M HEIGHTOF15 CMDIA
THETHIRDRISERUPTO150 M HEIGHTOF15 CMDIA
THESERISERSARECONNECTEDTOFIREPUMPSSEPARATELYPROVIDED FOR
THISPURPOSEIN THEBUILDINGS
AWETRISERMUSTBEPROVIDEDNEARTHEENCLOSURESTAIRCASE.
THEPIPEFITTINGSHOULDBEAPPROVEDMAKEAND QUALITYBYTHECOMPETENTAUTHORITY.
 AUTOMATICSPRINKLERSYSTEM
AUTOMATICSPRINKLERSARECONNECTEDTOA WATERDISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.ASPRINKLERNOZZLEISCLOSED
BYAFUSIBLEPLUGTHATMELTSATA PREDETERMINEDTEMPERATURE,ABOVENORMALROOMTEMPERATURE,
RELEASINGWATERTOFALLONTHESOURCEOFHEAT.
SPRINKLERS HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF QUICKLY SUPPLYING WATERTO FIRE BEFORE IT GAIN DANGEROUS
HEADWAYANDOFPREVENTINGTHEACCESSOFAIRTOTHEFIREBYSMOTHERINGITWITHWATER.
IN SOMECASESANOPENHEADSPRINKLERSYSTEMFORTHEPROTECTIONOFTHEINTERIOROFTHEBUILDING
ISPROVIDED

SPRINKLERCLASSIFICATION
SPRINKLERBASEDONRELEASE
FUSABLEELEMENTSPRINKLERISOPENEDUNDERTHEINFLUENCEOFHEATBYTHEMELTINGOFEUTECTIC
METALORCHEMICAL

GLASSBULBSPRINKLERS
GLASSBULBSPRINKLERSAREOPENEDUNDERTHEINFLUENCEOFHEATBYTHEDESTRUCTIONOFTHEGLASSBULB
THROUGHPRESSUREOFTHEFLUID ENCLOSEDTHEREIN.

CONVENTIONALSPRINKLER
THECONVENTIONALSPRINKLERHAVEASPHERICALWATERDISTRIBUTION DIRECTEDTOWARDSTHE
GROUNDANDTHECEILINGFORTHEDEFINITE PROTECTIONAREA

SIDEWALLSPRINKLER
THESIDEWALLSPRINKLERHASAONE–SIDEDHALF-PARABOLICWATERDISTRIBUTIONDIRECTED
TOWARDSTHEGROUNDFORADEFINITE PROTECTIONAREA
INDUSTRIALFIREFIGHTINGSYSTEM

THECAPACITYFORWATERSTORAGETANKFORFIREFIGHTINGOFAN INDUSTRIALBUILDINGISWORKEDOUTATA
RATEOF2.5 LIT/SQM. OF LATTABLEFLOORAREASUBJECTEDTOMINIMUM OF2,25000 LITRES.ASET OFTWO
PUMPSMUSTBEINSTALLEDTODISCHARGED2275 LITRESPERMIN ATAPRESSUREOF3.5 KG/CM2ATADESIRED
FLOOR.

LIGHT HAZARD OCCUPANCIES: BUILDINGSWITH LOWERHAZARDSUCHASSCHOOL,HOSPITALS,HOTELS.

ORDINARY HAZARD OCCUPANCIES: CONSISTINGOFTHEMAJORITYOFTHECOMMERCIALAND
INDUSTRIAaLBUILDINGS
HIGH HAZARD OCCUPANCIES: THESEOCCUPANCIESAREDIVIDEDINTO:-
 PROCESSRISKSSUCHASPAINT,FOAM,PLASTICANDFOAMRUBBER
 HIGHPILEDSTORAGERISESIN PETROLEUMPRODUCTS.
METHODSOFFIREEXTINGUISHING
FOAM SYSTEM
FOAM SYSTEM HAS EARNED RECOGNITION AS A EFFECTIVE
METHOD.FOAM SYSTEMSARE SPECIALLYSUITEDFORFIRESIN OIL
STORAGES, FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS SUCH AS BENZOYL, PETROL,
ALCOHOL,ANDLIGHTERPETROLEUM PRODUCTS.IN THISSYSTEM
FLUROPROTEINFOAMCOMPOUNDSISAPPLIEDFORCEFULLY.
TOBURNINHYDROCARBONLIQUIDWHICHPROHIBITSFIRESPREAD.THIS SYSTEMISGENERALLYOPERATED
MANUALLY
DRYCHEMICALPOWDER
DRYCHEMICALPOWDERUSEDTOCOMBATFIRESIN FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS, GASESAND GREASESINCLUDE
SUCHFIRESWHENINVOLVEDWITH ENERGIZEDELECTRICALEQUIPMENTISAPOTASSIUMBICARBONATEBASED
DRYCHEMICAL.THECHEMICALPOWDERISFREEFLOWING,WATERREPELLENTANDNONABRASIVEANDWHEN
USEDASA FIRE EXTINGUISHER AGENTWILL PRODUCENO TOXIC EFFECTS.BECAUSEOF ITS EXCELLENTFIRE
FIGHTINGEFFECTIVENESSTHISPRODUCTISWIDELYUSEDIN OTHERHIGH RISKAREAS.
CARBONDIOXIDEORNITROGENISUSEDASAEXPELLINGGAS.THISSYSTEM CANBEEFFECTIVELYINSTALLEDIN
RESTAURANTS,FUELSTATIONSETC

CARBONDIOXIDE
CARBONDIOXIDEHASBEENUSEDFORMANYYEARS TOEXTINGUISHTHE
FLAMMABLE LIQUID FIRESAND FIREINVOLVING ELECTRICALLYENERGIZED
EQUIPMENT'S. CARBONDIOXIDEABOUTONEAND HALFTIMESASHEAVY
AIR, APROPERTYTHAT ACCOUNTSFORITSABILITYTOREPLACEAIRABOVE
BURNING SURFACEAND MAINTAIN A SMOTHERING ATMOSPHERE, IT IS
NONCOMBUSTIBLEAND DOESNOTREACTWITHMOSTSUBSTANCES.
a) SMOTHERINGEFFECT
•CARBONDIOXIDEISSTOREDUNDERPRESSUREASLIQUID, WHENRELEASED,IT ISDISCHARGEDINTO THEFIRE
AREAPRINCIPALLYASAGAS.WHENRELEASEDONBURNINGMATERIAL,IT COVERSTHENAND REMOVESTHE
OXYGENTOA CONCENTRATIONWHICHCANNOTSUPPORTCOMBUSTION
b) COOLINGEFFECT
•THE RAPID EXPANSION OF LIQUID TO GAS WHEN CARBON DIOXIDE IS RELEASED FROM STORAGE CYLINDER
PRODUCESA REFRIGERATING EFFECT THATCONVERTSPARTOFTHECARBONDIOXIDE INTO SNOW. THIS SNOW,
WHICH HAS A TEMPERATURE OF 80 0C SOON SUBLIMES INTO GAS, ABSORBING HEAT FROM THE BURNING
MATERIALANDSURROUNDINGATMOSPHERE

ESCAPECHUTE
•ANESCAPECHUTEISASPECIALKINDOFEMERGENCYEXIT,USEDWHERECONVENTIONALFIREESCAPESTAIRWAYSARE
IMPRACTICAL.THECHUTEISA FABRIC(OROCCASIONALLYMETAL)TUBEINSTALLEDNEARASPECIALEXITON AN
UPPERFLOORORROOFOFABUILDING,ORATALLSTRUCTURE.DURING USE,THECHUTEISDEPLOYED,ANDMAYBE
SECUREDATTHEBOTTOMBYA FIREFIGHTINGCREWSOMEDISTANCEOUTFROMTHEBUILDING.ONCETHETUBEIS
READY,ESCAPEESENTERTHETUBEANDSLIDEDOWNTOALOWERLEVELORTHEGROUNDLEVEL.
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION (PFP) IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE THREE
COMPONENTS OF STRUCTURAL FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE SAFETY IN A
BUILDING.

PFP INCLUDES COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF THE OVERALL BUILDING THROUGH

THE USE OF FIRE-RESISTANCE RATED WALLS AND FLOORS. ORGANIZATION
INTO SMALLER FIRE COMPARTMENTS, CONSISTING OF ONE OR MORE ROOMS
OR FLOORS, PREVENTS OR SLOWS THE SPREAD OF FIRE FROM THE ROOM
OF FIRE ORIGIN TO OTHER BUILDING SPACES, LIMITING BUILDING DAMAGE
AND PROVIDING MORE TIME TO THE BUILDING OCCUPANTS FOR EMERGENCY
EVACUATION OR TO REACH AN AREA OF REFUGE.

FIRE PREVENTION INCLUDES MINIMIZING IGNITION SOURCES, AS WELL AS

EDUCATING THE OCCUPANTS AND OPERATORS OF THE FACILITY, SHIP OR
STRUCTURE CONCERNING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF FIRE-RELATED
SYSTEMS FOR CORRECT FUNCTION, AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
INCLUDING NOTIFICATION FOR FIRE SERVICE RESPONSE AND EMERGENCY
EVACUATION.
THE AIM FOR PFP 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 DANGER OF LOSING ITS STRENGTH, LEADING TO COLLAPSE.

PFP MEASURES ARE INTENDED TO CONTAIN A FIRE IN THE FIRE COMPARTMENT

OF ORIGIN,

THUS LIMITING THE SPREAD OF FIRE AND SMOKE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF
TIME.
PPF MEASURES SUCH AS FIRE STOPS, FIRE WALLS AND FIRE DOORS ARE
TESTED TO DETERMINE THE FIRE RESISTANCE RATING OF THE FINAL
ASSEMBLY USUALLY EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF HOURS OF FIRE RESISTANCE
(E.G., ⅓, ¾, 1, 1½, 2, 3, 4 HOUR)ETC.

PFP ATTEMPTS TO CONTAIN FIRES OR SLOW THE SPREAD, THROUGH USE OF

FIRE RESISTANT WALLS, FLOORS, AND DOORS (AMONGST OTHER EXAMPLES).
 AS THE NAME SUGGESTS PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION (PFP) REMAINS INACTIVE
IN THE COATING SYSTEM UNTIL A FIRE OCCURS.
THERE ARE MAINLY TWO TYPES OF PFP: INTUMESCENT FIRE
PROTECTION AND VERMICULITE FIRE PROTECTION.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE, THE STEEL
STRUCTURE WILL EVENTUALLY COLLAPSE ONCE THE STEEL ATTAINS THE
CRITICAL CORE TEMPERATURE (AROUND 550 DEGREES CELSIUS OR 850
DEGREES FAHRENHEIT).

PFP SYSTEM WILL ONLY DELAY THIS BY CREATING A LAYER OF CHAR BETWEEN
THE STEEL AND FIRE. DEPENDING UPON THE REQUIREMENT, PFP SYSTEMS
CAN PROVIDE FIRE RATINGS IN EXCESS OF 120 MINUTES. PFP SYSTEMS ARE
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS THEY CAN SAVE
LIVES AND PROPERTY.

SUCH PROTECTION IS EITHER PROVIDED BY THE MATERIALS FROM WHICH THE

BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED, OR IS ADDED TO THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
TO ENHANCE THEIR FIRE RESISTANCE. IT IS VITAL THAT THESE PROTECTION
MEASURES ARE CORRECTLY DESIGNED, SPECIFIED AND INSTALLED IF THE
BUILDING IS TO BEHAVE AS EXPECTED SHOULD FIRE BREAK OUT.
PFP IS VITAL TO THE STABILITY AND INTEGRITY OF A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE IN
CASE OF FIRE. THESE ARE DESIGNED TO RESTRICT THE GROWTH AND SPREAD
OF FIRE ALLOWING THE OCCUPANTS TO ESCAPE OR THE FIRE FIGHTERS TO
DO THEIR JOB.

BY THEIR NATURE THEY ARE ‘PASSIVE’ UNTIL THERE IS A FIRE AND ONLY THEN
WILL THEIR FIRE PERFORMANCE BE DEMONSTRATED. THE OCCUPANTS OF A
BUILDING WILL ATTEND TO THEIR DAILY BUSINESS, VISITORS WILL SHOP, BE
ENTERTAINED, OR ENJOY RECREATION WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PFP
MEASURES THAT WILL PROTECT THEM IN FIRE. HOWEVER, IT IS ESSENTIAL
THAT THESE MEASURE WILL WORK IF AN EMERGENCY OCCURS.
 Fire-resisting door set: A complete installed door assembly comprising door frame, door
leaves, building hardware, seals and any glazing that, when closed, is intended to resist
the passage of fire and smoke in accordance with specified performance criteria.

Fire-resisting glazed screen: Glazed structure or window incorporating fire-resisting

glass and designed to resist the spread of fire and the gaseous products of combustion
for a stipulated period of time.
Fire-resisting glass: A glass that demonstrates its ability to meet the defined heating and
pressure conditions specified in Fire resistance Test (or any other National or
International fire resistance test method). Typically, the glass will be clear, textured,
toughened, laminated or wired and may incorporate special features such as coatings or
laminations that enable the glass to achieve a particular fire performance in terms of
integrity and insulation.

Fire-resisting ductwork: Ventilation or extraction ductwork designed to contain fire and

the products of combustion in a manner that does not allow passage to other parts of the
building from the compartment of origin for a stipulated time period.
Fire-stopping: Sealing products that take up imperfections of fit or design tolerance
between the fire resisting fixed elements of a building to restrict the passage of fire and
smoke. They continue to take up the imperfections of fit at all times and have the same
fire rating as the fixed elements of which they form a part. In reaction to a fire condition
they swell, spread or deform to achieve their performance.

Fire-resisting luminaries: Lighting structure or fitting for suspended ceilings designed to

resist the spread of fire and the products of combustion for a stipulated period of time. It
is required to be tested for integrity when fitted to an individual manufacturer’s
suspended ceiling.
PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM:
 EMERGENCY EXIT ARRANGEMENT IN BUILDINGS:

 An emergency exit in a building is a special exit for emergencies such as a

fire.

 The combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it
also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc.
 These are mainly provided in theatres, hospitals etc.