Date
6-2014
Degree Name
MS in Fire Protection Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Advisor
Frederick Mowrer and Christopher Pascual
Abstract
The State of Georgia modifies the International Building Code through State amendments, to require a fire resistance rating between residential occupancies and all other occupancies. This fire and life safety analysis report will substantiate the necessity for the barrier in a mixed-use hotel occupancy. The first-half of the report addresses the prescriptive-based code requirements, reporting a compliant design was presented. Then the performance portions primary objective was established, maintain a tenable environment for egressing guest room occupants. Three conditions were evaluated to define a tenable environment, carbon monoxide levels, temperature, and visibility limits. Selecting the location of the fire required analyzing the fuel load while referring to Section 5.5 of the Life Safety Code, Design Fire Scenarios. The fire scenario selected was an ultrafast developing fire open to the primary means of egress with the interior doors open. A significant fuel load was located near the area requiring fire resistance separation, the storage room equipped with stacked cushioned chairs. Referencing fire test data the stackable chairs do present an ultrafast developing fire scenario. The storage room opens directly into the corridor serving as the exit access for the guest rooms on the main level. Through hand calculations and fire modeling using NIST’s Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) the report concludes that a barrier must be established or another equivalency must be implemented to provide an acceptable design.
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/fpe_rpt/30
Final Presentation
DOI
10.15368/fperpt.2014.14