Transcript Approaches to Fire Safety through Building Design

Fire Safety through Building Design
 Three Different Fire Safety Methods
 Prescriptive Requirements
 Codes
 Standards
 Performance Codes
 Meeting fire safety objectives through performance measures
 Systems Analysis
 Integrated analysis method that addresses functional, structural,
mechanical, etc.
Pros and Cons of the Three Methods
 Prescriptive Requirements
 Pros and Cons?
 Performance Codes
 Pros and Cons?
 Systems Analysis
 Pros and Cons?
NFPA 550: Fire Safety Concept Trees
 Systems-based methodology examines the interrelation of
fire safety features and their effect on achieving specific fire
safety goals and objectives
 Can be used to analyze the impact of various fire safety
concepts and to identify gaps and redundancies in fire
protection strategies
Figure 4.3 of NFPA 550
Example Use of the Tree
 The following link is an example of the application of the Fire
Safety Concept Tree
 http://www.fpemag.com/archives/article.asp?issue_id=36&i
=208
NFPA 5000
 The primary goals of NFPA 5000, Building Construction
and Safety Code, are safety, health, building usability, and
public welfare, including property protection as it relates
to the primary goals
 NFPA 5000 contains provisions for every aspect of
design and construction of buildings and structures, as
well as the creation of building systems for health, safety,
comfort, and convenience
 Provides prescriptive and performance based options
 The code is organized by the occupancy or use of the
proposed facility
NFPA 5000 Four Safety Goals for
Building Construction
 Safety from Fire: (1)To provide an environment for the occupants inside or near a
building that is reasonably safe from fire and similar emergencies (2) To provide
reasonable safety for fire fighters and emergency responders during search and rescue
operations
 Safety from Structural Failure: The safety from structural failure goals of this Code
are to provide a high confidence of a low probability of structural failure resulting in
local or global collapse, or the creation of falling debris hazards that could threaten life
under any load or combination of loads that the structure could reasonably be anticipated
to experience, and to provide a high confidence that the structure will be capable of
resisting regularly occurring loads and combinations of loads without significant damage
or degradation.
 Safety During Building Use: The safety during building use goal of this Code is to
provide an environment for the occupants of the building that is reasonably safe during
the normal use of the building.
 Safety from Hazardous Materials: Facilities containing high hazard contents shall
have the goal of protecting people and property from the consequences of unauthorized
discharges, fires, and explosions involving hazardous materials.
Case Study #1
 You will have three tasks to complete in Case Study #1
 Task 1: Select of one of the three methods of fire safety design for
the new building as described in the Module (Prescriptive
requirements, performance codes, or systems analysis). Make your
case as to why the organization should apply your selected method
of fire safety design over the other two methods.
 Task #2: Develop Fire Safety Objectives for the new building
utilizing Figure 4.3 in NFPA 550. For each of the boxes in Figure
4.3, provide examples of how the organization can achieve the
Fire Objectives of both Preventing Fire Ignition and Managing the
Fire Impact.
Case Study #1 (Continued)
 Task #3: For each of the four safety goals described in NFPA
5000, provide an example of real situation which occurred from
not meeting the goal and provide examples of control measures
that should have been present in the workplace to meet the goal.