Fire-resistant building designs and materials are essential to ensure the evacuation of residents, by minimising the spread of fire by providing safe conditions to the rescue team. Time is an extremely crucial point in rescue time, and rescuers must be able to control the fire and help occupants evacuate at the right time by ensuring passive and active fire protection systems.
One must find the right balance between using high-quality construction material and design, building escape routes and installing risk-proof zones which protect both lives and property in case of a fire. The right material and systems must be tested out in real-time conditions with due installation, maintenance and inspection to protect against unfortunate fire accidents.
What is a passive fire protection system?
- This system involves compartmentalising a structure with fire-resistant ceilings, walls and other factors to prevent the spread of fire. This allows the residents to escape and the rescue teams to put out the fire, without causing much property damage. The ceilings, walls, floors and other structures must be tested in real-time conditions to prove their dire-resisting efficiency. Moreover, there should be fire-rated access panels, fixtures, suspended elements and joints.
- Several escape routes, such as two staircases, are critical for people to escape without causing a stampede. These routes should be pressurised, made fireproof using non-combustible material and cleared of similar objects.
- Using fireproof material such as fireproof cladding, gypsum-based plaster, fire-rated plasterboard, mineral wool wraps and insulation are essential in a concrete-built structure.
- Joints, pipes, cables and holes must be made fireproof as these can trigger smoke and fire spread, thereby undermining the first principle. Openings and gaps in the floorings must be sealed with fire-rated access sealants, which might also extend to open spaces and to joints left open.
- Fire doors and windows should be installed in the fire barrier, with triple glazing, fire-rated plasterboard and glass that have been tested in real-time conditions. Smoke and fire dampers should provide extra protection in fire-rated or smoke-resistant spaces.
- Fire-resistant safety zones with fire-rated access panels should be built for evacuees to rest and for those with injuries of special needs, who can escape once the fire is under control.
What is an active fire protection system?
An active fire protection system requires action to efficiently control the cause and spread of a fire, which could either be manually operated or used with technology. As a result, they protect life and property. Examples include fire and smoke alarm systems, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, standpipe systems and firefighters. A smoke alarm system must function perfectly to alert occupants inside the structure. Sprinklers slow down the spread of the fire until the firefighters arrive with smoke ducts, fire-rated access sealants and roof hatch to prevent flashovers.
Which one is better?
Both active and passive fire protection systems are needed to make a fire-resistant building, for neither can work without the other. Passive fire protection systems prevent the spread of fire, while active fire protection involves a motion to control it. When both work together, people are instantly alerted to escape.
Therefore, if you are interested in fire protection in Sydney, send the experts at Trafalgar Fire an email to discuss fire safety for you and your loved ones.
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