meu-B

• Fire in Buildings
• Noteworthy Building Fire Catastrophes

  • Iroquois Theatre Fire (December 30th, 1903)
  • Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire (March 25, 1911)
  • Coconut Grove Nightclub Fire (November 28, 1942)
  • World Trade Center Attack (September 11, 2001)
  • The Station Nightclub Fire (February 20, 2003)
• Fire


  A combustion reaction that requires oxygen (air), heat, and a fuel

  
• Piloted ignition temperature


  The temperature at which a fire can start when a flame or spark begins the combustion reaction
• Autoignition temperature


  The lowest temperature at which a combustible material ignites in air without a spark or flame
• Progression of fire


  1. Ignition

  2. Flame spread

  3. Flashover

  4. Consumption
• Classifications of fires


  • Group A (Ordinary combustibles)
  • Group B (Flammable liquids)
  • Group C (Electrical equipment)
  • Group D (Combustible metals)

  
• Extinguishing a building fire


  • More complex than quenching a content fire
  • Spreading flames that are sometimes concealed must be located and disrupted in addition to extinguishing the original content fire
• Steel


  A noncombustible material, yet it displays a significant loss in strength at high temperatures
• Structural steel loses about half of its strength at a temperature of about 950°F (510°C). At temperatures of about 1350°F (730°C), steel loses about 90% of its strength.
• Lumber and timber


  Wood is a good insulator, but when it is exposed to fire at temperatures as low as 300°F (150°C), it will burn until it is destroyed
• Fired clay masonry


  Brick and other fired clay products are vitrified in a kiln (oven) at high temperatures during their manufacture, relatively stable in a fire endurance test, and display reasonably good thermal performance. The amount of solid material in the wall thickness is one of the more significant factors in the fire endurance of hollow brick masonry.
• Concrete


  Loses strength gradually during exposure to high temperatures, retaining about half its original strength at 950°F (510°C) and one-third of its original strength at about 1300°F (700°C)
• Building construction types


  • Fire-resistive (Type I) construction
  • Noncombustible (Type II) construction
  • Ordinary (Type III) construction
  • Heavy-timber (Type IV) construction
  • Wood-frame (Type V) construction
• Toxic gasses in smoke cause the majority of deaths and injuries. About half of all fatalities from fires are from carbon monoxide poisoning, and more than a third are from cardiopulmonary complications.
• According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 75 to 80% of all deaths by fire happen in dwellings. More than half of these deaths occurred in buildings without smoke alarms.
• The threat of a fire destroying lives and property can be reduced tremendously by proper installation of fire detection, alarm, and suppression equipment.
• Passive fire protection


  • Provide structural and thermal integrity of floor, wall, and ceiling assemblies during a fire for a specified time period
  • Compartmentalize a room or space to control the fire spread
  • Provide existing systems for occupants to safely and rapidly evacuate the building
• Fire-resistive construction


  A principal objective is to use materials and construction assemblies that contain the fire in a small area and confine the fire in the room or area for a specific period of time
• Fire-resistive construction elements


  • Fire walls
  • Fire separation
  • Firestop
• Gypsum wallboard


  A fire-protective covering that consists of approximately 21% water chemically bonded to calcium sulfate
• Intumescent material


  Swells, enlarges, inflates, and expands when exposed to heat. Fire-protective intumescent coatings are applied like paint to structural steel members at a thickness that ranges from 0.03 to 0.4 in (0.8 to 10 mm).
• Fire door


  Typically of steel or solid wood construction and are installed with specially tested components including closers, latching hardware, and fire-rated glass lites (windows)
• Fire-resistant glass


  Can be classified as insulating (contains flames and inflammable gas for a longer period of time and prevents transmission of heat) or transmitting (contains flames and inflammable gas for a short period of time but does not prevent heat transmission)
• Fire dampers


  Installed in the plane of the firewall to automatically close to obstruct smoke and fire from a building blaze upon detection of heat
• Smoke dampers


  Close upon detection of smoke, preventing the circulation of air and smoke through a duct or a ventilation opening, designed to control smoke migration using walls and floors as barriers to create pressure differences
• Fire and smoke ratings

  • Fire-resistance ratings
  • Fire spread ratings
  • Smoke developed rating
• Active fire protection


  Systems designed to extinguish the fire outright or delay its effects
• Types of standpipes


  • Wet standpipe
  • Dry standpipe with an automatic dry pipe valve
  • Dry standpipe with a manual control valve
  • Dry standpipe with no permanent water supply
• Classes of standpipes


  • Class I
  • Class II
  • Class III
• Conventional automatic sprinkler systems provide warning to occupants of building
• Dry Pipe Valve


  Used to prevent water from entering the system in a building that is not heated
• Control Valve


  No water is allowed unless it is manually operated
• Types of Standpipes


  • Dry Standpipe with a Manual Control Valve
  • Dry Standpipe with No Permanent Water Supply
• Classes of Standpipes


  • Class I
  • Class II
  • Class III
• Class I Standpipe


  Designed for use of occupants, usually 1½in thick
• Class II Standpipe


  Designed for use of professional firefighters, usually 2½in thick
• Class III Standpipe


  Can be used by either professionals or occupants, can be 1½ in – 2½in thick
• Conventional Automatic Sprinkler Systems

  • Provides warning to occupants of building
  • Notifies emergency personnel
  • Activate fire suppression systems
• Automatic Sprinkler Systems


  Consists of the sprinkler heads and a network of pipes placed in a horizontal pattern near the ceiling and is designed to automatically dispense water on a fire