PASSIVE FIRE SAFETY QUESTIONNAIRE

NO QUESTION ANSWER

 Life safety code is more important as the same will determine

In your view, how much influence of  Fire rating of the various structural elements such as roof, floor, beam
1 Life Safety Code is on the Cladding girders, trusses, external walls etc.
requirements  Will determine the fire compartmentation required for the various
spaces within the floor plate

 The perimeter barrier shall be intended to restrict the interior vertical

passage of flame and hot gases from one floor to another at the location
where the floor intersects the inside of an exterior curtain wall.
 The perimeter fire barrier shall remain securely in place and provide interior
joint protection for the time period no less than the fire resistance rating of
the floor assembly

 An evaluation of the field conditions which do not conform to or deviate

from an existing tested and listed assemblies.
 Engineering Judgment (EJ) shall be issued essentially by the original testing
What is an engineering judgement laboratory/Certification body that listed the system or registered Fire
2
and when it is used? Consultant, Fire Protection Engineer, or an independent certification agency
that provides certification services for such systems.
 EJ’s are not to be used as a substitute for a classified system if it exists. EJ’s,
when considered, shall be approved by Civil Defence.

3 Please state the difference between a

FIRE WALL FIRE BARRIER WALL
fire barrier wall and fire wall
 Create separate buildings  Provide fire protection for a
 Standalone structure designed to duration
NO QUESTION ANSWER
remain standing even if the
adjacent structure collapses
 Designed to sub‐divide portions of
 Require End Wall exposure
the building
protection
 Shall be continuous from exterior
 Shall extend from the foundation
wall to an exterior wall, floor below
to a point at least 760 mm above
to a floor or roof above, one fire
the surface of the roof except when
barrier wall to another fire barrier
the roof assembly is 2hr fire rated
wall
or in certain conditions in buildings
located above parking garages
 The perimeter barrier shall be intended to restrict the interior vertical
passage of flame and hot gases from one floor to another at the location
What is the purpose of a perimeter where the floor intersects the inside of an exterior curtain wall.
4
fire barrier system  The perimeter fire barrier shall remain securely in place and provide interior
joint protection for the time period no less than the fire resistance rating of
the floor assembly
 All fire rated swinging doors shall be closed and latched at the time of fire as
per NFPA 80.
Does positive latching is required for  Building fires are capable of generating pressures sufficient to force fire
5 the fire rated doors and what is the doors open if they are not held closed with positive latching, thereby
need for same? rendering the doors incapable of protecting the opening in which they are
installed and potentially allowing the fire to spread to an adjacent space and
beyond the compartment of origin.

 The panel can be used, if the same is tested and approved to be used. Most
Does the ACP used in the vertical wall
6 of the ACP panels available in the market is only tested for vertical
can be used in the Building Soffit
configuration.

Does curtain wall system provided

 Listed system shall not be required as there is drop beam provided for
7 with a drop beam of 915 mm, to be
distance of 915 mm.
used with a listed system or not.
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 The solid aluminum panels to be tested as per EN 13501-1. However, tested

What are the requirement for the
solid block aluminum is not readily available in the market. Hence as an
8 solid aluminum panels to be used on
alternative, solod aluminum to be coated with an approved material and
the façade.
shall be tested as per ASTM E 84 by the coating manufacturer.

 UAE FC-2018, recommends to provide “fire breaks” where cladding materials

are installed on exterior façade by restricting the vertical length of building
envelope of cladding materials to not more than 15 m, followed by 6 m of
9 What are fire breaks non-combustible material as envelope finish such as concrete or tiles or
materials approved as per Section 7.1.45, in an alternative manner along the
building envelope’s face.
 This is not widely followed in UAE

 Penetrations the electrical room walls

What are critical areas in the fire stop
10  Penetrions in the shaft walls
system inspections
 Major duct penetrations

Is there any civil defense requirement  If the provided GRC panel area less than 10% of the entire building envelop,
11 to consider GRP/GRFC and GRP a dispensation can be sorted from the DCD material approval department to
systems as decorative materials consider the same as decorative panels.

 Most of the GRC panels are custom design based on each building
requirement, so sorting a material approval / assembly test is very difficult as
What area problem faced while using the approval process is very long due to the various process involved such
12
GRP/GRFC and GRP Panels  Product approval
 Factory audit
 Assembly test
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Is it required to provide perimeter
fire barrier at for the granite / natural
cladding system?
13 Whether any product test / assembly
test is required or not.
Maximum cavity gap available on the
tested assembly in the market
Is any MEP services permitted trough
14
the cavity gap
ANSWER
 It is advisable to provide a perimeter fire barrier even for the granite
cladding system.
 No product test / assembly test is required
 Maximum cavity gap available in the assembly when tested as per NFPA 285
is 300 mm (lamatherm)
 No MEP services are permitted through the cavity gap as per code. However,
in certain situations, civil defense may permit drainage pipes to be routed
through the cavity gap. Also, if the same is penetrating a cavity fire barrier,
the same is provided with a tested and approved collar