fire
heat/light energy that is released during a chemical reaction
fire wall
walls that divide a single building into two or more "buildings", if either side collapses the wall will not for the duration of its rating
fire barriers
make up rated assemblies/enclosures (e.g.: shafts, exit enclosures, exit passageways, horizontal exits, atriums, mixed use occupancy separation)
shaft enclosures
openings through ?oors/ceilings connecting adjacent ?oors. 1 hour rated when connecting less than 4 stories, or 2 hour if passing through a 2 hour ?oor assembly or if connecting 4 or more stories
fire partitions
demising walls separating tenants, residential units, corridor walls
smoke
collection of airborne solid and liquid particles and gasses emitted when a material combusts
smoke barrier
used as required to prevent the movement of smoke, have a 1 hour ?re resistance rating
smoke partition
like a smoke barrier, but does not have to resist ?re
incombustible
consisting of or made of material that will not burn if exposed to ?re
horizontal assemblies
?re resistance rating (1 or 2 hours) applied to ?oor and roof construction
means of egress
ability to exit a structure in an emergency
area of refuge
location in a building where ?re and smoke are excluded, and used to contain occupants during a ?re or emergency or until safe to evacuate. Has a steady supply of outside air, passive ?re protection, electrical integrity/emergency lighting, two way commun
fire resistance
values for how long a separation can resist the passage of ?re. Stated in terms of hours and can be increased with the use of sprinklers. (eg: walls, doors, windows, ?oors, etc.)
flame spread rating
measures the amount of ?ame and smoke a material generates. (e.g. Carpet, fabrics, etc)
incipient
invisible particulate matter like combustion gas is given off but no ?ame is visible, nor any smoke/heat generated. Sensors detect gas
smoldering
large particles become visible as smoke, but no visible ?ame or appreciable heat. Sensors are photoelectric
flame
appreciable heat is not immediate present, but follows very quickly. Sensors detect ?ame
heat
uncontrolled heat and rapidly expanding air is present and ?ames and smoke become major hazards. Smoke inhalation ultimately causes most injuries. Sensors detect heat.
compartmentation
� Critical, as it separates a building into sections
� Goal is to contain a ?re and limit its spread so people can escape and to protect other parts of the building that weren't originally subject to ?re
� Can serve as an area of refuge for occupants
smoke control
� The most important part of ?re protection because smoke moves so rapidly.
� Tricky to control because it can move in ways that ?re can't, and well beyond the location of ?re too
� Moves by natural convention forces between cool and warm air
� Goal is to
containment
same as compartmentation used to contain ?res is used here
� Eg: ?re dampers, gaskets on ?re doors, and automatic closing doors
passive smoke control system
a system of some barriers arranged to limit the
migration of smoke
active smoke control system
an engineered system that uses mechanical fans to
produce pressure differentials across smoke barriers or to establish air?ows to limit and direct smoke movement
smokeproof enclosure
a required exit which consist of a vestibule and continuous stairway enclosed from the highest point to the lowest point by 2-Hour walls and which exist into a public way or exit passage leading to one
stairways
pressurized to prevent smoke from entering them
vestibules
pressured slightly higher than the ?re ?oor, but less than the stairway
exit access
the portion of a means of egress system that leads from any occupied portion of the building to an exit
exit
the portion of a means of egress system that is separated from other occupied spaces by ?re-rated construction, and extends between the exist access and the exist discharge. Horizontal exist are ok.
exit discharge
the portion of a means of egress system between the exit and a public right of way
horizontal exits
a path of egress travel from one part of a building to another part of a building on the same level, which affords safety from ?re and smoke
exit passageway
similar to an exit, but horizontal, and leads to the exit discharge
area of refuge
required for each 200 occupants and must be 30" x 48" in an area protected from ?re and smoke
fire door
a fire resistive door assembly consisting of frame, door and hardware which provides a specific fire resistive rating when closed
fire assembly
a complete fire resistive assembly consisting of a fire door, fire damper, or fire window and its mounting farm and hardware. The entire thing must
be approved and labeled by a testing agency
fire containment
achieved through building materials, compartmentation and smoke control
fire suppression
achieved through sprinkler systems, standpipes, and other methods
standpipes
pipes that run the height of the building and provide water at each ?oor for ?re?ghting hose connection
fire sprinkler
the part of a ?re sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of ?re have been detected
flashover
when materials become extremely hot and combust suddenly after reaching their temperature limit
ball drip
automatic drain valve at the bottom of dry standpipe
deluge systems
� Used in high ?re hazard areas to ?ood area in case of a ?re
� Heads are always open and water is controlled by a sensor
� Sprinklers are activated all at once regardless of the location of the ?re
wet standpipe system
� Most common system
� Continually pressurized with water
� Have low initial cost
� Have quick response time, will work when a sprinkler head reaches 135?F - 170?F
� Susceptible to damage from freezing
dry standpipe system
� Used in areas subject to freezing because no water sits in the pipes
� Hold valves closed with compressed air, requires constant pressure else the system will leak
� Slower to deliver water if pipe runs are long
preaction system
� Reduce likelihood of a false start by requiring both a sprinkler head and ?re detection system to be activated
� Water is allowed into the system before a sprinkler head is opened
halon extinguisher
used when water damage might be bad for the room (e.g.: computer rooms)
foam extinguisher
used where ?ammable liquid ?res might occur (e.g.: industrial buildings, aircraft hangers)
intumescent paint
material expands rapidly when exposed to heat
insulating the surface
ionization detectors
used for incipient state
� Have two chambers: a reference and a measuring
� A small amount of radioactive material ionizes the air between the charged surfaces in each chamber which results in current ?ow
� When combustion particles enter the detector, it
photoelectric sensors
used to detect at smoldering stage
� React to visible smoke that blocks a beam of light
� Can measure a large volume of air
� Are useful when potential ?res may produce a lot of smoke before busting into ?ame
heat actuated sensors
used during ?ame stage
� Activated by temperature rise, and ?ames must be present before the alarm temperature is reached
UL
Underwriters Laboratory
ASTM
American Society for Testing Materials
NFPA
National Fire Protection Association
ANSI
American National Standards Institute
smoke developed rating
numerical rating of interior ?nish material derived from a standardized ?re test procedure. The larger the number the greater the density of smoke