Introduction :

There are three components required for combustion to occur:

• Fuel – to vaporize and burn

• Oxygen – to combine with fuel vapor

• Heat – to raise the temperature of the fuel vapor to its ignition temperature.

There are two important factors in preventing and extinguishing a fire:

i) If any of the three components are missing, then a fire cannot start.
ii) If any of the three components are removed, then the fire will go out. It is important to
have a clear understanding of these three components and their inter-reactions in a fire.

Fuel
Fuel is necessary to feed a fire, and without fuel, the combustion process will terminate. The
fuel source may be in a solid, liquid or gaseous state.
Oxygen
Because the combustion process involves the oxidation of the fuel molecules, the availability of
oxygen is vital for the process to exist.
Heat
Heat for fuel molecules to undergo the oxidation process and result in a self-supporting fire,
the molecules must be at elevated temperatures (ignition temperature). Without this elevated
temperature, there will be no rapid oxidation or combustion of the fuel molecules.

Class “A” Fires

Class “A” fires involve three groups of materials commonly found .

 Wood and wood-based materials : Wood-based materials are those that contain
processed wood or wood fibers and include some types of plywood and paneling, paper,
cardboard and pressboard.
 Textiles and fibers : Textiles, in the form of clothing, furniture, carpets, canvas, ropes
and bedding are used extensively buildings .
 Plastics and rubber: plastics vary widely and depend upon the specific material involved,
as well as the form of the product (solid sections, films and sheets, foams, molded shapes,
synthetic fibers, pellets or powders). Most major plastic materials are combustible to some
extent, in a major fire, all contribute fuel to the fire.
Natural rubber is obtained from rubber latex, which is the juice of the rubber tree. Synthetic
rubbers are similar to natural rubber in certain characteristics.

Extinguishing of Class “A” Fires

Materials most often involved in fire, Class “A” materials, may best be extinguished by the most
available extinguishing agent, water and other types of extinguishing mediums, such as foam
and certain types of dry chemicals .

Class “B” Fires

Class “B” fires involve two groups of materials commonly found :

 Flammable liquids : all types of liquids that will burn are typically considered to be
flammable fluids, including oil-based paints and solvents. Petrol ,diesel, heavy fuel oil,
lubricating oil hydraulic oil .
 Flammable gases
Any gas that will burn in the normal concentrations of oxygen in air is considered a
flammable gas. They are in compressed, liquefied and cryogenic condition.

Extinguishing of Class “B” Fires

Flammable Liquid and gas fires can be extinguished with dry chemicals and chemical foam that
interrupt the chain reaction of the combustion (oxidation) process.

Class “C” Fires

Electrical equipment involved in fire, or in the vicinity of a fire such as :
• Generators. • Panel boards.• Switches. • Electric Motors. • Overloading of Conductors.
• Arcing.
Extinguishing of Class “C” Fires
When any type of electrical equipment is involved with fire, its circuit should be de-energized.
The fire must be extinguished using a non-conducting agent, such as CO2 or dry chemical or
inert gas:

Class “D” Fires:

Metals are commonly considered to be non-flammable. However, they can contribute to fires
and fire hazards in a number of ways. Sparks from the ferrous metals, iron and steel, can ignite
nearby combustible materials.
Extinguishing with sand, graphite, various other powder extinguishing agents and salts of
different types have been applied to metallic fires .

Class “F” Fires:

 Cooking oil are all kitchen flammable fluids.

 Flammable Kitchen Liquid fires can be extinguished with dry chemicals and chemical
foam that interrupt the chain reaction of the combustion (oxidation) process.
Fire system in buildings:
The earlier a fire is detected, the more time there is for evacuation and firefighting, and the less
damage can occur. Earliest possible detection is thus the key to minimizing damage and gaining
precious intervention time. The fire phenomena generated by fire propagate differently,
depending on the room size and the room conditions such as a high air circulation.

Deceptive phenomena
The fire detector has the task of detecting fire from fire aerosols, heat and radiation at an early
stage and to trigger an alarm. Aerosols, heat and radiation, however, are also generated by
production processes, by electrical equipment such as motors, or by environmental factors such
as sunlight. If these deceptive phenomena are sufficiently intense and exist over a certain
period of time, they may influence fire detectors enough to trigger an unwanted alarm. State-
of-the-art fire detectors are largely capable of distinguishing between deceptive phenomena
and genuine fires. If, however, massive deceptive phenomena are to be expected, it is often
needed to combine different fire detectors to provide a more suitable detection principle for the
application.

2.2. Fire detection system

2.2.1. The task of an automated fire detection system is to detect fire as early as possible, to
sound the alarm and to activate the preprogrammed control functions. State-of-the-art fire
detection systems are capable of detecting fire very early and as a consequence minimizing any
damage that may be caused. By optimal product selection and appropriate knowledge it is
possible to build systems that virtually rule out unwanted alarms. The principal requirement on
a fire detection system is early and reliable alarming in the event of fire. As a consequence of
this:
 All persons in the danger zone should be able to save themselves.
 Fire control systems can be activated to prevent the fire from spreading to more than
one fire sector.
 Firefighting can be initiated as early as possible, so that damage to property and
operational interruptions can be reduced to a minimum.

 Fire prevention is intended to reduce sources of ignition. Fire prevention also includes
education to teach people how to avoid causing fires. Buildings,
especially schools and tall buildings, often conduct fire drills to inform and prepare
citizens on how to react to a building fire. Purposely starting destructive fires
constitutes arson and is a crime in most jurisdictions.
 Model building codes require passive fire protection and active fire protection systems to
minimize damage resulting from a fire. The most common form of active fire protection
 is fire sprinklers. To maximize passive fire protection of buildings,
building and furnishings in most developed countries are tested for fire-resistance,
combustibility and flammability. Upholstery carpeting and plastics used are also tested.
 Where fire prevention and fire protection have failed to prevent damage, fire
insurance can ease the financial impact.

Building safety is largely determined by taking a multi-disciplinary approach to assessing hazards .

However, psychology is also a potent element.

The psychology at work is that a fire alarm in itself is not necessarily regarded as an immediate call to action.
It may be an alarm, but it’s not alarming. The alarm may have sounded, but no threat is apparent. There is no
visible fire and no detectable smoke. We know that the chances of it being a real fire are remote and,
mentally, we are hot-wired to think logically. Reason tells us that the situation is unlikely to be dangerous:
therefore, there is no need to evacuate.

There are other factors at work, such as familiarity with the escape route: that people are often more likely to
use a familiar exit that is further away than an unfamiliar exit nearby – again increasing evacuation times. This
was often attributed to panic, and behavior to an exit is perfectly rational: they are rationally seeking out an
exit with which they are familiar. Group dynamics also plays a part; how a number of people, in different
states of fear, influence one another. Evidence suggests, for example, that people evacuate buildings
alongside colleagues with whom they have an emotional attachment.
 Those escape routes – even if they’re not designated escape routes – and the likely numbers of people using
them, will also have an impact on the size of intermediate and exterior doors.

Fire, if controlled, can warm us and cook our food. Uncontrolled, it can be extremely dangerous, and the
safest strategy is to move away from it as quickly as possible. That’s what fire alarms are meant to warn us to
do, even if human psychology delays our response times.

When fires occur, behavioral reactions of human are affected by many factors, which are very complex.
In a building fire, human behavior mainly consists of five aspects: not moving, putting out the fire, informing
other people, finding more information and evacuating. On the basis of these references, when fires occur,
human reactions before evacuation can be generally concluded as follows:
Fire safety engineers worked under a simple assumption: When a fire alarm rings, people will evacuate
immediately. How quickly people manage to vacate a building, depends mainly on physical abilities, the
location of the nearest exit and the behavior of the fire.

 Most people will try to exit through the door they entered. This is true even when emergency exit signs
are well marked. During an emergency, occupants don't want to use an exit they have no experience with--
they don't know where it will lead."
 People will move through smoke when necessary. Fire-safety engineers used to believe that people
would turn back when they encountered thick smoke. In reality, people will move through terrible smoke if
they feel they must in order to survive.
 Vocal alarms. A vocal alarm that instructs building occupants to evacuate is more convincing than a simple
bell.
 Automatic exits. An alarm system might automatically open emergency exit doors, showing people those
doors are safe to use.
 Comprehensive building orientations. Many cases in building, people has never tried to walk down the
emergency stairwells from their offices to the ground floor, and had no idea whether they could do so or how
long it would take. New-employee or new-tenant orientations in high-rises should include a comprehensive
introduction to the building's emergency-exit system.

FIRE PUMPS
HOOSE REELS ASSEMBLY

HYDRANT
Water Mist Sprinkler

Fire dampers
 3. Alarming, smoke control and evacuation

3.1. Introduction

Once a fire has been detected by an automatic detector, by sprinkler flow monitoring, or by a person
activating a manual call point, the fire detection system will generate the preprogrammed control and alarm
signals. A major factor that can affect the success of building evacuation is that many people do not take the
sounding of fire alarm sufficiently seriously or do not understand the meaning of the signal. This leads to
unnecessary delays in people’s reaction to the warning and may mean the difference between life and death.
The more clearly the information can be conveyed to the public, the better the situation will be understood and
the more quickly the necessary actions will be taken. A fast and efficient evacuation procedure is essential.
This not only saves lives, but once the evacuation of the building has been completed, the fire services can
concentrate on minimizing the damage to property.

3.3. Smoke control

3.3.1. Objectives Smoke presents the greatest danger to life in the case of a fire. This is not only due to
smoke inhalation injuries and asphyxiation, but also due to smoke-filled corridors and staircases, which make
evacuation considerably more difficult and raise panic levels. Many buildings are subdivided into fire
compartments by fire doors and fire-resisting walls and floors. Customized smoke control systems are
designed to restrict the spread of fire and smoke, conducting the heat and smoke through the installed
ducting into the external atmosphere.

The basic objective is to move those people in an endangered area to a place of safety. The evacuation of a
building, however, is a drastic measure and should only be initiated when absolutely necessary.

The evacuation should be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible.

3.4.5. Escape routes

Once the guests have understood that they need to evacuate the building, then following the appropriate
escape route must be made as straightforward as possible. Clear signage is essential. Fire escape plans (in
corridors and guest rooms) Clear fire escape plans should be displayed in all guest rooms indicating the
recommended escape route(s) from that particular location.
Extinguishing systems ( Protection )

Sprinkler systems :

These automatic systems use water as the extinguishing agent and provide a very effective protection both
for property and human life. The advantages of sprinkler systems are their high reliability and wide application
range in the protection of people and material assets. Not only do they stand out due to their relatively simple
and robust technology, there is generally a plentiful supply of the extinguishing agent – water.

Further advantages:

 Sprinklers only extinguish areas which need to be extinguished.

 Sprinklers outside the fire source remain closed.
 Extinguishing water released reduces smoke and dangerous gases.
 The cooling effect of extinguishing water increases the safety of rescue forces.
 Schematic of an automatic sprinkler system

Sprinkler systems consist of a network of water pipes with sprinkler heads distributed evenly on the ceilings
and positioned such that (in case of fire) all areas to be protected would be reached by the extinguishing
water spray. The sprinkler heads react individually to heat, opening to discharge a pressurized water spray
when the temperature is sufficiently high. In this way an incipient stage fire can be suppressed at its source as
only those sprinklers in the immediate vicinity of the fire will be activated, minimizing any unnecessary water
damage.

The pipework which feeds the sprinklers is generally subdivided into sections. This enables parts of the
system to be taken temporarily out of service to allow maintenance and repair work to be carried out on
individual sections. Each of these sections is connected to the main water supply via an alarm valve, which
serves several purposes.

-pipe systems Wet-pipe systems should only be installed in situations where the water in the piping
network is not subject to freezing or overheating (+95 °C) during the year. This includes most applications in
heated buildings. Such systems are permanently filled with water, which is maintained under pressure so that
in case of fire the water can be immediately discharged from the sprinklers.
Typical Sprinkler Head

Sprinkler water throw area and Connection

Dry-pipe systems:

Dry-pipe systems should be installed in situations where there is a risk of frost. Typical applications
include unheated buildings, underground car parks, loading bays and commercial freezers. The pipework is
similar to that used in wet-pipe systems; however, the pressurized water is retained behind the dry-pipe alarm
valve. The piping on the sprinkler side of this valve is filled with air or an inert gas under pressure. In the case
of fire, the air must first escape before the water can reach the sprinklers, leading to an inevitable delay: this
is one of the disadvantages of this type of system.
Gas extinguishing systems:

The main application area for gas extinguishing systems is the protection of closed rooms. They are
particularly suitable for rooms that contain sensitive objects or equipment where water cannot be used. These
typically include all types of electrical equipment, computer rooms, archives and document safes. The gases
are stored in pressure tanks:

• The non-liquefiable inert gases Ar, N2

• In high-pressure systems CO and gas mixtures are stored in gas cylinders at pressures of 200 to 300 bar.
• Chemical gases are stored in gas cylinders, pressurized with nitrogen which acts as a propellant.
Extinguishing is controlled either manually or preferably automatically by means of a fire detection system.
Only a quick, faultless actuation prevents consequential damage, as a fire should be extinguished during its
formation phase. However, to prevent human casualties, an alarm must first be sounded to warn people of
the imminent flooding of the area. The gas will only be released after a predefined delay has given people
sufficient time to evacuate the area.

When the system is actuated, the cylinder valves of high-pressure systems (or the container valves of
low-pressure systems) will be opened. Doors and other openings are closed automatically and any other air-
handling equipment (e.g. ventilation systems and smoke dampers) are controlled to ensure that the area is
sealed off. However, the inrush of the extinguishing gas into a closed room will automatically increase the
pressure within the room.

To prevent damage occurring, overpressure relief dampers mechanisms temporarily open, before
reclosing again automatically.

The extinguishing gas is guided through a network of piping to nozzles that are evenly distributed on
the ceiling. The gas quickly fills the room and a homogenous concentration is built up throughout the room. To
completely extinguish the fire, this concentration must be maintained over a sufficiently long period of time. 34
Siemens Switzerland Ltd Building Technologies Division Figure
Fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are mobile or portable manual devices designed for preventing incipient stage fires
from getting out of control. The extinguishing agent is expelled under pressure. In some types of extinguisher
the agent is kept under constant pressure, while in others the pressure is generated by releasing a propellant
gas at the time that the extinguisher is activated. Extinguishing agents include water, foam, carbon dioxide
and powder. These substances function in different ways and are suitable for different types of fires.

Label and Colour Codes for Fire Extinguishers

4.4. Extinguishing in hotels. hotel is a complex building with diverse demands on the extinguishing
infrastructure to be provided. What is installed will be largely determined by:
• Local building codes • Insurance guidelines • Official fire safety reports
• Size of the property
Areas requiring special attention when planning the extinguishing, following areas should be given special
attention:
• Underground car parks
• Plant rooms
• Kitchens
In all cases, regular service and maintenance are crucial to ensure that the extinguishing systems and fire
extinguishers are in perfect working order whenever they need to be used.
DETECTION SYSTEM :
PIPING LAYOUT ( from plant room to risers for the floors)