Training Facility

Author

Andrew Kuharski, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoFollow

Date

6-2024

Degree Name

MS in Fire Protection Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor

Frederick Mowrer and Christopher Pascual

Abstract

The Training Facility is a two-story, 142,500 sq. ft. building constructed in 1994 at the Savannah River Site DOE complex. The facility primarily contains training rooms, office space, and a cafeteria. Fire protection features of the Training Facility are detailed in this report, including key life safety, suppression, alarm, and structural features. The building has several deficiencies; the second floor has an occupant load of 911 occupants but is only provided with an exit capacity of 800, and occupancy size per floor exceeds what is allowed for assembly occupancies on the first floor. The travel distance from the records storage room is 220 ft and does not meet the 100 ft requirement imposed by an ordinary-hazard storage occupancy. Conversely, the building has several over-designed features that enhance safety. Water supply consisting of two 600,000 gal tanks greatly exceeds water demand of 33,000 gal. Ordinary Hazard Group 1 criteria is applied where Light Hazard is typically acceptable, and Ordinary Hazard Group 2 criteria is applied where Ordinary Hazard Group 1 is typically acceptable. 2-hr fire barriers are provided in several locations where non-rated construction would otherwise be acceptable. Stairwells are pressurized to prevent smoke infiltration despite only being required if a floor is occupied greater than 75 feet above fire department vehicle access.

Two design fires are examined for impacts to life safety to evaluate whether tenability criteria are met. If a fire ignites in the east lobby, smoke passes through an open stairwell and impacts occupants on the second floor who are not intimate with the fire. The required safe egress time (RSET) is 449 seconds, and the available safe egress time (ASET) is 193 seconds without smoke control and 200 seconds with smoke control. ASET is not sufficient for the RSET. It is recommended that occupants are encouraged through an evacuation plan to use enclosed stairwells to egress, rather than use the unenclosed east stairwell. If a fire ignites in the food court and blocks both exterior exits, occupants have enough time to egress through the remaining interior passageways before untenable conditions are met. Untenable conditions are met at a single exit after 120 seconds and met at all exits after 225 seconds, resulting in a conservative ASET of 120 seconds, while the RSET is only 104 seconds. To ensure occupants continue to have enough time to egress it is recommended that significantly larger fuel loads, such as Christmas trees, are banned in the food court.