Date

6-2021

Degree Name

MS in Fire Protection Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor

Frederick Mowrer and Christopher Pascual

Abstract

The following is an analysis of the fire protection systems and services at the Sole On The Ocean, Hotel (pronounced So-lay), Restaurant and Parking Building, located in Sunny Isles (Miami), Florida. Sole is used for temporary sleeping accommodations, business conference and restaurant purposes. The building is considered a high-rise building and is 24 Stories tall. The building occupancy classification is mixed used for Hotel (Residential), Restaurant (Assembly) and Parking (Storage). The prescriptive analysis was based on the Florida Building Code (FBC) which is identical to the International Building Code (IBC) with a few addendums. This report will adhere to the IBC requirements from this point forward.

The building is Type IA construction and meets the IBC requirements for structural integrity. The building is equipped with a Siemens addressable fire alarm control panel with manual pull stations at the fire exits. Smoke detectors are installed throughout, however smoke detectors throughout is not a requirement but is used to trigger the smoke control system for the main exit staircases, atrium, gymnasium and restaurant. The fire alarm system is installed per NFPA 72. The fire alarm system installation meets and exceeds the prescriptive code. The building is fully sprinkled. The automatic wet sprinkler system was installed per the 2006 edition of the NFPA 13. The system covers the entire building. To meet the demand of a 24 Story building, an electric fire pump was installed. The building is also equipped with a wet standpipe system in both main staircases. The building also meets the requirements for occupant load and egress requirements. The building is equipped with a standpipe system in staircase #1 and staircase #2.

The Performance Based report analyzed three design fires. Design Fire 3 was analyzed in detail. Design Fire 3 is similar to Design Fire Scenario 2 in the Life Safety Code (LSC), which involves the elimination of one main means of egress in the building. The Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) model showed that without an exhaust system in the Atrium, visibility would have dropped below a key level and made it difficult for occupants evacuating the building through staircase #1 in a fire. The Pathfinder Model showed that it would take 349 seconds to evacuate the building with all exits available and it would take 500 seconds to evacuate the building with the Atrium doors blocked. A recommendation was made to reconfigure the main staircase #1 on the main level (3rd Floor), to avoid having occupants enter the Atrium area during evacuation. Instead, occupants would exit into the west parking area on the main 3rd Floor level.

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