All About Building Fire Safety

Learn here all about building fire safety. When you study most of the fire incidents, you find they mostly occur in homes. Therefore, a properly designed fire protection system can significantly decrease financial and human loss. It not only prevents the overall death count but also minimizes the efforts of the fire department to put out a fire. Furthermore, taking proper fire safety measures for a building will also prevent smoke. As a result, it keeps both the residents and fire department officials away from harm.

Basic Principles of Fire Safety

The basic values of fire safety include detection, alarm, and suppression. These are the cardinal rules to abide by when preparing a building for fire security. If a building’s design does not adhere to these principles, then it is vulnerable to collateral damage by fire.

Thus, building fire safety is one of the essential aspects of interior and exterior design. Any discrepancies in fire safety can ultimately cost the lives of hundreds. Moreover, it can also be a huge blow to investors, causing them to lose thousands of dollars.

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Building Codes

Leading authorities on fire safety invented building codes to help prevent deaths from fire. Their main aim was to make buildings withstand fires long enough for residents to exit safely. The main code is the Life safety code; it dictates the minimum level of requirements for fire safety in buildings and structures. It includes means of egress, fire alarm system, and type and location of fire smoke detection equipment.

The Role of Interior Designers

Interior designers often use the building codes as a reference when fulfilling fire safety requirements. Interior designers have to rely very heavily on building code requirements. They keep the codes in mind at all times. Whether they are selecting the fabric for a commercial building or even checking the floor for the number of emergency exits, building codes are crucial.

Interior designers have to respect the fire safety codes, as any violation of the code can lead them to trouble. Before they can carry out a project, they need to ensure that the design meets all the applicable codes. Compliance with the codes helps keep the construction and building process smooth and free of accidents.

Common Fire Safety Objectives

The most common fire safety objectives are to protect life, property, and the continuity of operation. When it comes to the protection of the structure, the materials of the building matter the most. They affect how long the structure remains erect under fire. The columns of the building are the most vital elements of a property. Then come the girders, beams, and floor slabs.

You will note that most builders construct large buildings with reinforced concrete or protection steel. Even though steel does not burn, it is vulnerable to losing its structural strength under high temperatures. Hence, it is likely to sag and lose its shape under certain extreme temperatures. In terms of fire resistance, concrete structures stand out as the best amongst all.

Building Features that Offer Fire Protection

Certain structural components and installations help enhance the fire security in a building. These involve fire barriers, firewalls, areas of refuge, horizontal exits, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, and more.

Fire Barriers

To prevent the quick spread of fire, constructors can divide the areas of a building into compartments, which can then include the enveloping of a fire barrier. Building makers create them for occupancy separations between different building functions. They help create a barrier to places in a building that are most vulnerable to a fire outbreak.

Firewalls

You can also refer to firewalls as occupancy separations. Every space or room in a specific structure needs to have dividing firewalls. They offer continuous protection from the foundation of the building to the roof, including each exterior wall.

Additionally, they have structural properties that allow one side of the wall to stay upright even if the opposite side fails. Good firewalls need to withstand fires for about three to five hours. However, the presence of fire sprinklers can help reduce the amount of time the wall needs to be rated for.

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 Areas of Refuge

Areas of refuge are incredibly helpful in high towering buildings in which the people find it difficult to evacuate. They allow distressed people to wait in a safe space until rescue arrives. Their usual location is near a stairway, and these spaces remain free and clear of smoke and fire. Apart from fire, excessive smoke can also be fatal for an individual.

Fire Sprinklers

Fire sprinklers are crucial installations for fire-prevention. They can single-handedly extinguish a fire outbreak in just a matter of minutes. Sprinklers are essential tools that contribute greatly to fire suppression, which means that they keep the fire from getting out of control. A complete fire extinguisher system consists of a network of pipes at the ceiling level. As soon as they detect smoke or certain temperatures, they become highly active and begin to sprinkle water.

Building Fire Safety: To Conclude

If you require design & consultation services for a fire sprinkler system, look no further. At F2M we provide you with over 20 years of fire sprinkler system design services.

Visit our website for more information, or call us at (718) 928-3009.