• Super High-rise Fire Incidents

• Overview of Super High-rise Fire Safety Requirements

• Update On Super High-rise Fire Safety Requirements

• Fire Evacuation Guidelines

• Evacuation Strategy

Scope

Super High-rise Fire Incidents

• 7 Jun 2015 - Portsmouth, United Kingdom, Tall building Fire

• 27 May 2015 - Melborne, Australia, High-rise Fire

• 19 May 2015 - Baku, Azerbaijan, High-rise Tower Block Fire

• 21 Feb 2015 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Skyscraper Fire

• 11 Dec 2014 - Dallas, USA, Skyscraper Fire - usatoday.com

• 8 Dec 2014 - Los Angeles, USA, Construction Site Fire

• 25 Nov 2014 - Melborne, Australia, High-rise Apartment Building Fire

• 30 Sept 2014 - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, High-rise Hotel Fire

Super High-rise Fire Incidents • 18 Jul 2014 - Mumbai, India, High-rise Fire

• 15 Dec 2013 - Guangzhou, China, Tall Building Fire

• 13 Dec 2013 - Mumbai, India, Tall Building Fire

• 18 Oct 2013 - Los Angeles, USA, Tall Building Fire

• 17 Jul 2013 - Istanbul, Turkey, Polat Tower Fire

• 9 May 2013 - Lahore, India, High Rise Fire

Link to info on high-rise fires: http://tallbuildingfiresafety.com/tall-building-fires.php

The Parque Central was a 56 storey government office building in Caracas , Venezuela. The fire started on the 34th floor and climbed to the 47th floor

Overview of Fire Safety Requirements for Super High-rise Buildings

• Definition:

-Super high-rise buildings refer to buildings having more than 40 storeys/levels

-High-rise buildings refer to buildings having habitable height more than 24 metres

Commercial Industrial Residential

Means of Escape (Table 2.2A)

Means of Escape (Clause 2.4.6)

Exit staircases – 2 nos. Exit staircases (Clause 2.4.5)

Compartmentation (size/height)

Compartmentation (size/height/separation)

Compartmentation (Separation)

Dry/wet risers/hydrant provisions

Site planning (based on area)

Site planning (based on cubical)

Site planning (Access to breeching inlet)

Fire fighting/smoke stop lobby

Nil Area of Refuge

Overview of Fire Safety Requirements for Super High-rise Buildings

• Detection -Fire alarm -Report • Contain fire - Sprinklers - Compartments • Contain smoke - Compartments - Smoke Control • Evacuation - Alarm activation - Stairs/refuge area • Fire fighting - Prevent collapse - Rescue

Exit

Sta

irca

se

Overview of Fire Safety Requirements for Super High-rise Buildings

• Beef up fire safety knowledge of security guards

• Correct operations of fire lifts

• Better manage common areas especially during

renovations

Arising from a tragic fire at Marina Bay Suites on 13 Jan 14,

Competent Persons (CPs) for such premises were appointed

to address gaps:

Update on Fire Safety Requirements for Super High-rise Private Residential Buildings

Update on Fire Safety Requirements for Super High-rise Private Residential Buildings

• On 26 Mar 2015, the requirement to appoint CP was

incorporated in the current Fire Code 2013

• The Competent Person such as managing agent’s

supervisor will undertake certain fire-safety related

duties

• Establish evacuation procedures, display and use of

refuge area, daily checks of common areas, briefing and

training of security guards etc.

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

Area of Refuge Concept

• Vertical fatigue>20 storeys

• Overcrowding in stairs for tall building especially high occupancy load

• Shorter distance to safety

• Shorter time to evacuate the occupants

• Prevent injury

• Study showing tendency of heat and smoke spreading upward

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

Fire Simulation Slides on High-rise Premises

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

1a) facilitate evacuation of occupants on the fire floor follow by 2 floors above the fire floor with immediate danger towards nearest staircase to ground level

Fire Simulations Conducted Showed The Need to Evacuate Upper Floors

Fire Evacuation Guidelines 1 b. facilitate evacuation of occupants on the fire floor follow by 2 floors above the fire floor with immediate danger towards nearest staircases to area of refuge at lower floor

Fire Floor

Refuge Floor

Protected Staircases

Movement of Residents

Less

than 20

Floors

Less

than 20

Floors

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

2) facilitate evacuation of PWD from holding areas to safety (not applicable to residential) 3) facilitate evacuation of any other floors if the fire spreads beyond 2 floors above the fire floor and any floor below the fire

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

4) facilitate evacuation of occupants from refuge to Assembly Area (AA) (if necessary) 5) if total evacuation is needed, to commence full evacuation of occupants

Assembly Area (AA)

• Size sufficient to accommodate occupants from the buildings

• Safe distance from risks such as falling debris and spread of the fire

• AA shall not interfere with the fire fighting operations

Fire Evacuation Guidelines

Evacuation Strategy for Super High-rise Building

Total Evacuation

• Evacuation of all building occupants at once from a building to an outside area of safety

• The large number of people, limited accommodation of stairwells, longer lead time before discharging from staircases

• Other considerations include slowing down the fire-fighting access to the fire floor via staircases when evacuation is on, fatigue of evacuees, dizzy, slipping on surfaces etc

Phased or Zoned Evacuation

• This strategy provides for immediate, general evacuation of the areas of the building nearest the fire incident

• May be appropriate when the building’s fire protection features assure that occupants away from the evacuation zone will be protected from the effects of the fire for a reasonable time

• Evacuation of additional zones may be necessary once the occupants of the involved floors have been relocated

• The decision whether to evacuate them further depends on the fire situation

Evacuation Strategy for Super High-rise Building

Delayed Evacuation/Area of Refuge • This strategy takes advantage of temporary holding

places like at an area of refuge, where occupants can remain in relative safety for a period of time

• Evacuation can either by themselves, others or with assistance from emergency responders

• It can be used for occupants with disabilities who are waiting for assistance to help them evacuate

Evacuation Strategy for Super High-rise Building

Total Evacuation

Movement (Travel

distance)

Protected Staircase

Refuge Floor (Reasonable

Safety)

Movement (Travel

distance)

Protected Staircase

Evacuation Timeline/Requirements for Total/Zone/AOR

Timeline

Area of Refuge

Zone Evacuation

Movement (Travel

distance)

Protected Staircase

Ground Level

Staircase capacity>occupants & low fire management

Occupants>staircase capacity & high fire management

Need refuge area, medium fire management and effective fire fighting

Protected Staircase

Determining Evacuation Strategy

• Depends on many factors like:

-fire protection systems

-size of building/usage

-height of building

-exit provisions

-management team

-maintenance of facilities, housekeeping etc.

End