Date
8-2021
Degree Name
MS in Fire Protection Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Advisor
Frederick Mowrer and Christopher Pascual
Abstract
The following report is a fire and hazard protection analysis of a new building. This new building is a multi-purpose building called MPB locates in Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The prescriptive requirements set by the codes and standards used at time of construction of the building have been met. The building has been properly classified with respect to occupancy as S1, Group B and F-1 and construction Type I A Sprinklered. Appropriate designs for interior partitions and exterior wall have been identified. Interior finish requirements have been analyzed for a better understanding of aesthetics guidelines. Based on the sprinkler drawing calculations, the fire sprinkler system has an adequate supply of water from the water reservoir tank plus a fire pump was added to meet the demand of the standpipes & sprinkler. Some of the calculations presented did not add up and mistakes were found on the drawings after review. The fire alarm system using sprinklers as initiating devices give a full coverage to the safety of the building protecting the property and stored valuables. Egress components are satisfactorily arranged for this low occupant building, but there is an issue with the egress capacity from the 3rd floor to stairwell, which is less than the required to code & standard.
A performance based analysis has been conducted. Activation of the fire suppression within the storage unit is the goal of the performance based analysis to confirm if the prescriptive requirements are enough to protect the storage unit, what is within the unit and the building itself. Fire scenario 6 from NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, was chosen. This fire was modeled by burning cotton fabric storage and polyester fuel stored separately inside a rack storage unit that can potentially be full of different items of clothing. The result of this study found that the ASET, available safe egress time, exceeded the RSET, required safe egress time. Overall this building is different in the fact that the overall goal is to protect the building itself not to protect the property inside the building. Only a handful of occupants will be present at any given time and they will have time to evacuate the building with enough time. The fire model is proof that in a scenario where a cotton / polyester fuel begins to burn inside a unit, the sprinkler system will activate leading the emergency team to respond.
Recommendations for this building are to reduce the occupant load from the factory occupancy on the second floor to the stairwells. Also it is recommended that different occupant load factors be used for the storage units to prepare for the worst case scenario instead of a N/A “value”. Lastly, it is recommended that the fire suppression drawing be updated in AutoCAD.
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/fpe_rpt/135
Final Presentation