FIRE FIGHTING

STRATEGIES IN TALL
BUILDINGS
SERVICES IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS
 FIRE FIGHTING STRATEGIES IN TALL BUILDINGS

• A HOLISTIC FIRE SAFERTY STRATEGY FOR A TALL BUILDING IS ESSENTIALLY A FUNCTION OF TIME.
• IT CONTAINS TWO PRINCIPLE COMPONENTS
 EGRESS STRATEGY
 BUILDING PERFORMANCE

BUILDING PERFORMANCE

CAN BE FURTHER BROKEN DOWN INTO

 STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE

 FIRE SPREAD MITIGATION FOR EG. COMPARTMENTATION

EGRESS STRATEGY

 THIS IS BASICALLY CONCERNED WITH DEFINING THE TIME REQUIRED TO SAFELY EVACUATE
ALL BUILDING OCCUPANTS

KEY CONSIDERATIONS:

 EVACUATION PLAN
 COMPARTMENTATION WITHIN THE PLAN  3000 SQ. M FOR ONE COMPARTMENT
 FIRE SHAFT IS MUST IN SUPER TALL BUILDINGS
 BUILDINGS WITH 24M+ HEIGHT  REFUGE AREA OF 0.3 SQ. M PER PERSON

CORE CHALLENGES

 EVACUATION
 VISION - EMERGENCY LIGHTING
 SMOKE CONTROL
 FIRE FIGHTING AND RESCUE
 VIOLATION OF SAFETY BY-LAWS

PREVENTIONS
 Fire Safety Systems
 SAFE EVACUATION SYSTEM
 COMPLIANCE WITH FIRE SAFETY LAWS
 FIRE DRILLS
 REGULAR INSPECTION AND SAFETY AUDIT
 WATER SUPPLY IN CASE OF FIRE
 THE FIRE SAFETY CONCEPTS TREE

FIRE SAFETY CHALLENGES

 MODERN OPEN-FLOOR OFFICE DESIGN -

CUBICLE WORK STATIONS
DWARF PARTITIONS
 MOVEMENT OF SMOKE WITHIN BUILDING –STACK EFFECT
 CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM
 DIFFICULTY IN REACHING THE FIRE SEAT
 UPPER FLOORS EVACUATION ONLY FROM INSIDE
 ACCESS ONLY THROUGH INTERNAL STAIRCASE BEYOND AERIAL APPARATUS REACH
 STAIRCASES IS AVAILED BY FIRE-FIGHTERS AND OCCUPANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
 VENTILATION IS COMPLICATED AND CRITICAL.
 REACTION TIME IS HIGHER.
 COMMUNICATION CAN BE DIFFICULT
 MAINTENANCE OF IN-BUILT PROTECTION SYSTEM
 EVACUATION

 TIME REQUIRED TO EVACUATE

 FAILURE IN EFFICIENT EVACUATION PLAN RESULTS IN CLOGGING AT RELEASE POINTS AND EVEN
STAMPEDE.
 THE EVACUATION PROCESS MUST BE MANAGED IN STAGES SO THAT STAIRCASES AND
EMERGENCY EXITS CAN HANDLE A SAFE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC.

VISION

 EMERGENCY LIGHTING PANELS, SUCH AS LUX INTELLIGENT FROM ADVANCED, CAN SELF-TEST
EACH LUMINARY AND ENSURE THEY WORK WHEN THEY NEED TO.
 EMERGENCY LIGHTING IS NOT ONLY THERE TO ENSURE ESCAPE ROUTES ARE VISIBLE,
ILLUMINATION IS ALSO NEEDED TO ASSIST FIRE-FIGHTERS.
 IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, YOU ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE STANDBY OR ‘STAY-PUT’ LIGHTING TO
ALLOW FOR NON-EVACUATION IF IT IS NOT DEEMED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION OR WHERE
OCCUPANTS ARE MARSHALLED ON ‘REFUGE FLOORS’ AND AWAITING SAFE EVACUATION.

SMOKE CONTROL

 CONTROLLING SPREAD OF FIRE

 EVACUATION ROUTE TO BE KEPT CLEAR OF SMOKE
 IN HIGH RISE, CHIMNEY EFFECT OCCURS; FIRE AND SMOKE SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGH
STAIRCASE AND SHAFTS IN SHORT TIME.
 AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL SMOKE MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE DONE TO HANDLE AIRFLOW.

FIRE FIGHTING AND RESCUE SYSTEM

 INACCESSIBLE ZONES OF BUILDING, FAULTY OR LESS FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

FOR EXAMPLE, CLADDING SYSTEM OF MOST HIGH RISE IN CHINA IS COMBUSTIBLE, WHICH WILL
RESULT IN VERTICAL SPREAD OF THE FIRE BURNING ITS ENVELOPE.

VIOLATION OF SAFETY BYE-LAWS

 EVERY BUILDINGS NEEDS TO COMPLY WITH SOME CERTAIN GUIDELINES FOR FIRE SAFETY
(MANY STATES ADOPT NATIONAL BUILDING CODE)
 THE FIRE SAFETY RULES ARE DIFFERENT IN EVERY STATE.
 ASSESSING A FIRE SCENE

 SEAT OF FIRE
 HOW WILL ACCESS BE ATTAINED?
 LAY-OUT OF BUILDING – STAIR / ELEVATORS
 FIRE HYDRANTS – WET OR DRY?
 EQUIPMENT TO MITIGATE SCENE
 VENTILATION
 EVACUATION (SEARCH & RESCUE) PLAN

ATTACKING A FIRE

 IDENTIFY FIRE FLOOR

 ATTACK ON FIRE FLOOR
 LIFE SAFETY OF PERSONS IN
 IMMEDIATE DANGER ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
 ESTABLISH SUPPORT SYSTEM

VENTILATION

 SHUT-DOWN HVAC
 STAIRWELL PRESSURIZATION
 CREATING OPENING AT TOP AS NECESSARY
 HORIZONTAL VENTILATION – BREAKING OUT WINDOW

CHECKS / PRECAUTIONS

 FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM IN PLACE & MAINTAINED (EXTINGUISHER, RISER, FIRE ALARM)
 SAFE OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) IN PLACE
 STAFF MEMBERS AWARE OF FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEMS & SOPS
 STAIRCASE / LIFT LOBBY FREE FROM ANY BLOCKADE
 LOBBY PRESSURIZATION, IF ENCLOSED
 HVAC SHUT-OFF IN CASE OF FIRE
 BURJ KHALIFA

LOCATION OF WATER TANK, FIRE PUMP, PROTECTED ZONES, LEVELS & AREAS.
 FIRE SAFETY IN

HEIGHT > 24M BUT < 60M (DRY RISER)

HEIGHT > 60M (WET RISER)