Designing for Fire Safety - Case Study Example

This report is developed to assess up to what extent the Jones house design conform to the fire safety standard detailed in Volume 1 (Dwelling Houses) of Approved Document B. In the same manner, this report will offer suggestions as to how to improve the design to meet the specific requirements set by Fire Safety Office (FSO) to protect lives and properties. Means of Warning and Escape Approved Document B for dwelling houses requires that all dwelling houses must be equipped with warning devices and means of escaped that conforms to the details provided by the document. Document B makes it clear about its minimum requirement that building designs should be constructed so that there are appropriate provisions for early warning of fire and appropriate means of escape from the building to a place of safety outside the building, taking into consideration that the occupants of the building can get to safety in case of fire without relying on external help. No dwelling houses shall be approved for construction unless the requirements are met. Assessment This dwelling house is considered large because of its two storey feature and because it is more than 200m2 in floor area defined by Section 1.5. Currently, there are two smoke detectors included in the design of the dwelling house which are found in the circulation space in the hallway and in the second floor. The placement of the smoke detectors in the house is widely distributed to pick up fires starting from the kitchen, or the dining area, or the lounge, and while the design meets the requirement of Section 1.15a that there should be a smoke/fire detector in doors of every 7.5m of circulation space for every habitable room, the kitchen and the lounge area needs to have an additional smoke detector as well as the masters bedroom (due to relative isolation of some areas of the master’s bedroom). The Jones house design has much emergency egress where anyone inside the house during an event of fire can easily escape as required by Section 2.1. As can be noted, every room in the Jones house has a window no more than 4.5 meters from the ground level, which is exactly the minimum required height for safe escape via window in case of fire. Particular attention should be given on the dressing room in the masters’ bedroom because it qualifies as an inner room that is at high risk in case of fire emergency. The stud walls used in the second floor wall linings may impede emergency evacuations in case of fire as it may block people from coming out of the dwelling house in any event of fire. Conclusion and Recommendation The Jones house design has no problem when it comes to alternative exit points since it has provided all habitable rooms and bathrooms with windows no more than 4.5 meters from the ground which dwellers can use for alternative exit in case of fire. It was also mentioned that the Jones house needs at least two more smoke detectors/fire alarm systems in the area between the kitchen and the lounge and in the master’s bedroom. This is because these areas are considered high-risk of fire and it is best that fire can be detected in these areas at an early stage especially since fire hazards are present and concentrated in these areas. As a part of the emergency escape route, it is highly recommended that alterations be made on the materials that will be used on the internal wall lining of the second floor and that the materials used should be fire-resistant to avoid trapping people inside the house during evacuation or to avoid caving in. Internal Fire Spread (Linings) As Document B emphasized, it is very unlikely to have fires starting at two different points. Internal fires would only occur if the three elements of starting a fire which are source of ignition, source of fuel, and oxygen for combustion have been met. For the Jones house design, possible source of ignition to cause an internal fire spread are easily combustible materials such as paper and cloth where contact with hot surfaces and directly on naked flames can start fire, liquefied petroleum gases or other source of fuel that are used for cooking in the kitchen can leave leaks and slightest ignition could start a fire, and electrical failures and improper use of electrical equipments that may lead to fire. Assessment Internal wall linings should be able to inhibit fire from spreading althroughout the structure. This means to say that routes of escape should be protected from possible caving in of the structure and that fire shall be contained on one area as long as possible. There is no specific mention in the plan for Jones house as to what materials are to be used for internal walling and internal lining. The use of brick walls inside the house is not implemented on every wall and even though the presence of stud partitions in both upper and lower levels are minimal, the materials used for stud partitions may be easily combustible materials that need to be double checked and be fitted with fire-resistant materials that would resist fire to up to 30 minutes. Conclusion and Recommendation It will be for the advantage of the design if fire-resistant materials required by document B and other documents related thereof to control the internal spread of fire on the linings. The walls lining the area surrounding the stairs leading down from the second floor must be fire-resistant in order to ensure safe passage to the doorway downstairs. The materials that will be used on the brick walls and stud partitions must also appear in the draft of the blueprint in order to achieve full recommendation. Internal Fire Spread (Structure) Document B for dwelling houses greatly emphasized the control and containment of fire spread on the internal structures. This is generally done by fitting the structure with fire resistant materials on the walls, roofing and roofing support, stairs, and on other relevant areas in order for the structure to resist fire until it can be contained and to eliminate the possibility that the structure would fall apart or would cave in trapping people inside the structure. This is the very reason why the fire-resisting materials should be installed to support the easily combustible structures of the dwelling house. Assessment As with the internal lining of the structure, there are no specific mentions of the materials that are used in the plan for the Jones house. There is no indication in the plan what materials would be used in the roofing and how the roofing design should look like. Roofing structure is an integral part of any house design as it would indicate how solid and fire-resistant the structure is in case of fire. A weak and non-fire-resistant roofing structure may easily cave in and may trap the people from the inside of the house preventing them from escaping to the area of safety. Thus, it is just as important to include the roofing details in the Jones house plan in order to be approved. While there is no real issue when it comes to the brick layers lining the internal structure outlining the external wall from the inside, there are serious concerns on the interior of both floors where stud partitions are used. Details must also be provided on the fire-safekeeping measures done on ceiling cavities as detailed by Section 6. Conclusion and Recommendation The assessment has found out no major departure of the Jones house plan from Document B on the structural internal fire spread prevention although it is highly recommended that the design will clearly indicate the materials to be used on the internal walls and roofing materials. The approval of the Board of Regulation could not be attained if these concerns are not addressed earlier on. External Fire Spread The safety of the people inside and outside the building on fire is among the many concerns of Document B for dwelling houses. This is the reason why care is taken for the material used outside the building gas well to ensure that the dwelling house is protected from fires coming from the outside as much as it would protect the people outside the dwelling house from getting harmed in case of fire emergency. Assessment The house design of Mr. and Mrs. Jones has enough provisions for preventing the external spread of fire with the double solid wall enclosing the dwelling house so there is no further recommendation and negative comments on this area. Summary and Conclusion This report has found out some major and minor flaws in the Jones house design that stand in conflict with the standards set by Document B for dwelling houses. The document has found out and recommended that: (a) The Jones house needs at least two more smoke detectors/fire alarm systems in the area between the kitchen and the lounge and in the master’s bedroom. (b) Alterations be made on the materials that will be used on the internal wall lining of the second floor and that the materials used should be fire-resistant to avoid trapping people inside the house during evacuation or to avoid caving in. (c) The walls lining the area surrounding the stairs leading down from the second floor must be fire-resistant in order to ensure safe passage to the doorway downstairs. (d) The materials that will be used on the brick walls and stud partitions must also appear in the draft of the blueprint in order to achieve full recommendation. (e) The plan failed to make appropriate mention of the roofing design as well as the materials that will be used for roofing and roofing support (such as trusses, beams, and the likes). Thus, I would recommend that the architect working on the design of the building rework on the design to include these specific points cited in order to attain approval from the Board of Regulations. REFERENCES Butcher, E.G. & Parnell, A.C. (1983). Designing for Fire Safety. John Wiley, Chichester. Communities and Local Government. The Building Regulations 2000. Approved Document B. 2006 Edition. Derek, J. (1986). Fire Prevention Handbook. Butterworth & Co. Ltd., London. FSE (Fire Safety Engineering). (1995). A Research for the Fire Safety Engineering Design of Buildings. BRE Publications, Watford. Read More