Risk of Fire Spread in a Modern Building:
FIRE CAN TAKE PLACE ANYWHERE / ANYTIME.
INTRODUCTION
Fires in Modern Building Construction are a major hazard to human life and cause costly damage to the
infrastructure. The limited escape facilities and the difficulties encountered by intervention forces in gaining
access call for extensive safety arrangements which must be complementary and mutually coordinated.
Modern Building Construction Generally speaking, important buildings and Infrastructure projects are
expected to be operational without any restrictions and to operate smoothly round the clock. Interruptions due
to accidents, technical malfunctions or maintenance work quickly cause traffic jams and delays, and figure in
economic policy statistics as economic losses.
When considering the word Modern Building Construction can be slightly misleading, as the following details
apply equally to above and below ground constructions, in fact, to any concrete structure. Therefore although
this document will refer to Modern Building Construction throughout, all details apply also to underground
spaces of any description. It is usually assumed that because a structure is constructed using concrete that it
is inherently fire resistant, and therefore requires no additional fire protection measures to be taken.
Unfortunately, experience over the years has shown that this is not necessarily the case and consideration
must be given to the performance and behavior of concrete structures under fire conditions. In addition, where
Modern Building Construction and underground spaces are concerned, consideration must also be given to
the provision of services protection, e.g. smoke extraction systems, protection to cables and wiring servicing
emergency equipment etc. This document is intended to provide some background into the behavior of
concrete under fire conditions, to show proven methods of protecting structures against fire, and of providing
protection to services within Modern Building Construction and underground spaces. Minimizing/ delaying the
spread of a fully grown fire to different compartments to reduce / prevent the losses in terms of life and
property.
HOW?
A VITAL FACTOR IN REDUCING THIS RISK IS TO PROVIDE PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO THE SPREAD OF FIRE WITHIN THE
BUILDING BY DIVIDING IT INTO A SERIES OF COMPARTMENTS BOUNDED BY FIRE RESISTING WALLS AND FLOORS.
THE PROTECTION OF THE STRUCTURAL FRAME, THE ENCLOSURE AND PROTECTION OF VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL
OPENINGS, EFFECTIVE FIRE-STOPPING AT JUNCTIONS, PROTECTION OF SERVICE PENETRATIONS, USE OF LOW
FLAME SPREAD FINISHING MATERIALS AND NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS ARE ALL ECONOMICALLY VIABLE,
EFFECTIVE & IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS.
SOLUTIONS:
Listed below are few simple examples of fire spread and how this spread can be avoided using authentic, cost
effective & easy solutions.
„« Automatic Fire & Smoke Curtains
For effective Compartmentation ranging from 1 to 4 hours Fire rating without creating any hindrance and
physical obstruction to Pedestrian and vehicular traffic
„« Escape Chute for High Rise Buildings
More than 70 mtrs tall
For additional form of egress in case of emergency and areas where fire services cannot reach- it is an ideal
solution for immediate and fast evacuation.
The Escape Chute System consists of two major components:
1- Is the storage/deployment device, which will change to suit the circumstances in which the chute is to
be used.
2- Is the Escape chute its self, the only change to occur on the chute is its length, to suit the application.
