ABSTRACT

1. Aims determine the fire load of the different types of occupancy in UP Diliman
namely Assembly, Residential, Office & Storage.
2. Field survey of 15 bldgs.
3. Weights of combustibles insid the sample rooms were obtained by either
direct weighing or by multiplying its volume to the corresponding desnity.
4. Highest fire loads: storage buildings
5. Assembly buildingsL lowest fire load
6. Majority of the type of fire load found in UP Diliman was movable w/ the
highest percentage o movable fire load found in residential buildings which is
95% and the lowest in assembly 67%

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. Fire Load, along with other factors, is used in several countrues to determine
the characteristics of design fires specifically the duration of the fire. It is part
of the key elements in developing Performance Based Fire Codes
(Bukowski&Babrauskas, 1994)
2. However, as of now, there are still no records of publishes surveys or
research about fire load in the Philippines. This study can be used as
reference and guide to future fire load surveys
3. The fire load obtained from the survey, along with other factors, couldbe used
to estimate design fires or possible fire scanrios. Knowledge about design
fires is essential in alleviation of fire safety in structures.
SCOPE & LIMITATIONS
Sample buildings were chosesn based on the assumed types of occupancy namely
Residential, Office, Assembly, and Storage
15 sample buildings were chosen in UP Diliman. The buildings were grouped into
four types of occupancy based on assumed general usage of the building. It must be
noted, however the other types of building occupancy exist within the campus and
the study will be limited to the identified four types of occupancy only.
METHODOLOGY

Field Survey
- Direct weighing of the combustibles
- Measuring the dimension of the ombustibles & the compartment
- Taking photos
Data Processing
- Multiplying the corresponding material densitites to the combustibles
(inventory)
Data Analysis
- Determining the mean, standard deviation of fir load for the diff
ocuuancies and the composition of fire load
- Comparison of the date with surveys in other countries
Floor area was computed using the floor plans of the bldg. samples
For bldgs. W/o plans, it was measured during site visit.

UNIVERSIT OF THE PHILIPPINES

Diliman Quezon City

FIRE LOAD SURVEY FORM

Building Name:
Address:
Name of Administrator
Type of Occupancy
Survey Date
Contact No.
Room
Dimensions

Item Dimensions Mass (KG) Quantity Remarks

(m)
QUANTIFICAION OF FIRE LOAD ENSITY IN LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL
BUILDINGS

Abstract
1. Assess the amount of fire load desnity in different compartments of low-rise
residential buildings
2. Fire load density was determined by conducting actual field surveys & addtl
data were gathered with the aid of questionnaire surveys.
3. In actual field survey, weights of the combustible materials within every
compartment of a residential building were obtained either by direct weighing
or by getting the volume of the material & multiplying it to its corresponding
density.
4. As for the questionnaire survey, questionnaire forms were given to selected
repondents through the internet.

Introduction
1. Design fires depend on the properties, amount & arrangement of the
combustible materials, the geometry of the room, the available ventilation
and the source of ignition. The material properties of the combustible
materials and t location within the building affect the growth characteristics
of the fire, while the amount of combustible materials and the room
ventilation greatly affetcs the intensity and duration of fire.
2. Fire load density is one of the parameters that estimate the intensity of fire in
case a fire incident happens.
3. To quantify the amount of fire load ensity for cerain tyeps of structures, fire
load survey are conducted. Currently, the Philippines have no record of
published fire load durveys (Clavecilla J.P, 2013).
SOP
1. As the human population increases, there is also an increasenin elements
exposed to hazrds. IN line to that, disasters occur more often, ths resulting to
more damages and losses to both life & non-life elemenrs. Preventive
measures are neccessray to avoid disasters from happening, or if could not
be helped, at least mitigative measures in that case to lessen the effect of
disasters.
Significance
Fire load surveys are conducted in several countries to determine the amount of fire
load density for certain structures, Fire load density, along with other parameters,
enables the development of structural design against fire for buildings. With that,
the results of this study could be used to develop a fire protection design for
buildings, more specifically for low-rise residential buildings.
This study could also provide references for related studies that would be conducted
in the future.

Fire Load Survey Methodologies

Inventory Method
- Physically enter the building to list the combustible materials within each
compartment of that building
- Weigh of all listed items can then be calculated using its densities or by
estimation with the used of pre-weighed data of items

Direct Weighing Method

- Physically enter the building & document contents and characteristics of
all the items within each compartment
- However, the masses of all the combustible materials will be obtained by
direct weighing unlike in the inventory method wherein the surveyor will
only list the materials and relate it with known densities of the materials
Questionnaire Method
- Involves distributing a questionnaire form to occupants of a particular
building type.
- Usually include the explanatory notes ofr the convenience of the
respondents to easily answer the questionnaire
- Method involves estimating the amount of fire load through indirect
measurements of the combustible materials
- Data obtained from the questionnaires are usually qualitative and cannot
be easily verified (Clavecilla, 2013). Problems using the questionnaire
method may include inputting wrong measurements by the reposndents
and the inability to provide accurate material characteristics of the
combustible materials.
Flowchart of Methodology
Characterization of parametes
1. Create list of the anticipated combustible materials for each comparyment
of a residential bldgs.
Development of survey tool
1. Develp a survey form that will be used on the actual field survey
2. Develop a questionnaire survey form using the list of anticipated
combustible materials within each compartment
Data Gathering
1. Conduct an actual field survey
2. Indicate In the survey form the combustible materials present within the
compartment
3. Measure the mass and dimensions od the combustible materials
4. Measure the floor area of the compartments
5. Deploy questionnaire form through the internet to selected respondents
6. Obain rsults form the questionnaire survey

Determination of fire load density

1. Compute for the mea fire oad density and standard deviation for each
compartment
2. Compare the obtained results from the results of the previous studies.

Combustible materials were also classified based on it materilas property; items

were classified into either cellulosic or non-cellulosic fire load.