Fire Ground Demonstration of the Formation of the Smoke Layer Undertaken in Industrial Building B - Assignment Example

THE FIRE GROUND DEMONSTRATION OF THE FORMATION OF THE SMOKE LAYER UNDERTAKEN IN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING B By (Student Name) Subject name January 20, 2009 Instructor Abstract In this lab, we determined the principles that govern the formation of a smoke layer. In addition, we also determined how this smoke layer can be effectively restricted to prevent the loss of life through smoke. The fire ground demonstration was conducted to showcase how to react in event of a fire and also the type of fire/ smoke behaviour that would arise from the fire. The report concludes with observations and lessons attained from the demonstration as pertains to the use and installation of a smoke control system. Introduction Fires in buildings are quite common all over the world and thus present a major problem to society. Prevention of fire spread and deaths as a result of the fire is thus of major concern to all. Architects, constructors, engineers and fire fighters all have to grapple with the problem of preventing the loss of life. Whereas many people tend to underestimate the effect of smoke on people, this is a major mistake. Research has shown that smoke is sometimes actually more dangerous than fire itself especially because it often contains very poisonous substances that kill almost instantaneously. It is thus important to prevent the formation of a smoke layer as this accumulation will likely kill occupants in a building even if they are not actually burned by the fire. Principles Governing the Formation of a Smoke Layer and its Control The formation of a smoke layer during a fire is dangerous and when it does form, can lead to death of people caught up in the layer. It is thus important to be well- versed with how exactly the smoke layer is formed so as to prevent it from happening in the first place. There are certain principles that govern the formation of a smoke layer and these include: the geometry, density, heat release and turbulence of the combustion materials that constitute the fire (Journal of Fire Sciences, 2007, p. 502). In addition, the room temperature and the amount of oxygen all also contribute towards the formation of a smoke layer. To control the formation and spread of a smoke layer is extremely necessary. This can be done by curbing the very principles that cause its formation. Smoke progression is to a great extent determined by the composition of the burning material, the combustion temperature and the supply and concentration of oxygen (RWA Today, 2009). Therefore, for instance, once a fire has started, efforts should be made to ensure that there is plenty of oxygen in the space. Apart from opening the doors and windows, a space needs to be constructed in a manner that it is well- ventilated to begin with. This is where the construction of smoke and heat vents in all buildings comes in as a very necessary aspect of fire safety in buildings. The main function of the vents is smoke/ fire control by releasing smoke and heat helping to reduce the fire load on building components. To be effective, the ventilation systems must be properly dimensioned and have well positioned inlet and exhaust ventilators which are correctly placed and installed within the building structure (RWA Today, 2009). In addition to this, the ventilators within the building/ space of the fire must open promptly with access to substantial amount of fresh air. This is where automatic venting comes in as this results in earlier venting as opposed to manual activation by building residents or the Fire brigade. This way, a building may be more easily prevented from becoming smoke logged through the automatic ventilation system. Thus, the use of smoke ventilators is evidently the most effective method of controlling the formation and subsequent spread of a smoke layer in the instance of a fire breakout and should be installed in all buildings to prevent the deaths of people through smoke poisoning and choking. The Fire Ground Demonstration and its Purpose The fire ground demonstration is a mock- fire created by fire fighters/ students to prepare them for the actual fire. It’s a control situation where the participants are required to control the fire as per the rules. The main concerns include fire stabilization; life safety; search and rescue; evacuation; ventilation; exposure protection; extinguishing; and conservation of property amongst other things. The main aim of fire ground demonstration is to equip fire fighters/ students to be properly prepared to control a fire in a building when it breaks out. Description of the Demonstration, the Building Arrangements and the Rig. Situation: The demonstration took place in the afternoon at an unoccupied single- story building near Leeds University. Within the building, the fire was venting from the floor while smoke was venting from the attic. There were exposures on the floors. Problems such as poor ventilation were quickly listed on the status board and this was important for strategic responsibility and planning. The building itself was single- storied and was made out primarily out of bricks. It has a good smoke control system with vents, inlet ventilators, fans, barriers as well as escape routes and exits that greatly help when in need of rescue. A test rig to reproduce the fire growth rates of stacked chairs as well as the fire mechanisms was used. Observations The accommodation area was quite small making the fire spread at a faster rate and the smoke also clogged up faster. It also meant that the space to escape was limited; restricting the escapees’ movements and making it difficult for the fire fighters to move with their equipment towards the scene of the fire. The environmental conditions were conducive to fire spread as it was dry and windy outside. As such, as soon as the fire was started, the fire began to gain momentum and caused the fire to make its way quickly onto some f the more flammable objects in the room such as plastic bags. The test fire arrangements were very basic. The room was deficient of oxygen since all the doors and windows were closed. In addition, a lot of flammable objects such as plastic bags, wooden furniture, and so on were used in the arrangement. A match was lit on a sofa set that was covered in a polythene seat cover. The fire caught on almost immediately spreading from the sofa sets to the carpet and table. On the table, it spread to a kerosene lamp that was there and grew bigger and spread faster. In terms of the behaviour of the fire, it was a light and fast spreading one and the smoke quickly rose towards the ceiling. After three minutes fast spreading and without any intervention from the fire fighters, the smoke began to fill up the space nearest to the ceiling as it moved further and further away from the sofa and table. Soon enough, the entire room was filled with black, cloggy smoke that was extremely choking. When it became too much, the fire fighters came in with various equipment such as extinguishers, hoses and so on to put out the fire. The vents were promptly opened to let air in and activate the smoke control system that was in place. The fans were put on; all openings were opened and the escape routes were also opened. Results Initially, the fire spread very quickly because all conditions for its spread were in place. However, after the fire fighters came in and created the ventilation through various aspects of the smoke control system, the smoke build up subsided and spread became slower. The smoke escaped through the openings and gradually the fire was brought under control. In addition, the inlet ventilators helped with the oxygen supply to the room, causing the smoke to reduce greatly. The barriers were also hugely effective in preventing the spread of the smoke and fire to the rest of the building, helping in controlling the fire. Conclusions Smoke layer formation can easily be brought under control as long as the principles that encourage its formation are dealt with adequately and nipped in the bud quickly. This can only effectively be done if a building has installed a proper smoke control system to control the clogging of smoke. In addition, such a proper system makes it easier for people caught up in a fire to escape as well as quickening the entry of fire fighters to the scene of the fire. Other smoke containing apparatus such as smoke curtains are also hugely crucial in this and should thus all be installed to complete the system. The bottom-line is that the smoke control system should be installed by qualified designers and manufacturers to prevent any deaths that may occur due to the use of faulty smoke control equipment. REFERENCES Colt Group. 2009. Smoke Control in Single Storey Buildings and Warehouses. Accessed on 21st January, 2009 from http://www.coltinfo.co.uk/products-and-systems/smoke-control/single-storey-buildings-and-warehouses.html Journal of Fire Sciences. 2007. Visualization Study of the Vortex Behavior and Fluid Layer Formation of a Periodically Pulsating Jet under a Ceiling. Accessed on 21st January, 2008 from http://jfs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/25/6/509.pdf RWA Today. 2009. General Information on Smoke ad Heat Vents. Accessed o 21st January, 2009 from http://www.rwa-heute.de/en_rwa_02.php FIRE RESISTING DOORS By (Student Name) Subject name January 20, 2009 Instructor: Abstract In this lab, we delved into various aspects of a fire resisting door, focussing on aspects such as the materials used in its construction, the principle components of a resisting door set, and other integral aspects. The experiment further analysed an example of a glazed fire assembly set within the kitchen. Here, the type, suitability and condition of the assembly was assesses. In addition, its purpose and effectiveness was also analyzed in relation to its use in Leeds University as a method of fire safety. Introduction The use of fire doors as an effective method of control in the event of afire has gained popularity over the years. This is especially so with regards to major institutions such as government offices, multinational corporations, universities, and many others. Leeds University is no exception and indeed, it is one of the premier institutions that take fire safety very seriously. As part of its legislation pertaining to fire safety, the use of fire doors as a preventative/ controlling measure has increased. Moreover, the use of the fire resistant assembly with a glazed panel has likewise also increased due to its reputation as being highly effective. Observations on the Stand D in the Building Studies Room Components of a Fire Resisting Set Door A fire resisting door is an extremely important aspect of fire safety. The function of fire doors is, firstly, to provide resistance to the spread of smoke and all the other combustion products during the early stages of a fire. Its second function is to provide a barrier to a larger, better-developed fire without allowing fire and smoke to pass (The Fire Safety Advice Centre, 2008). As such, all measures should be put in place that every household/ building has a fire resisting door. That said, it should be noted that not any door can be a fire resisting door- they are constructed using very specific materials and in a specific manner. Firstly, a fire resisting door should preferably be constructed out of timber. This is because timber as a material has been discovered to delay the spread of smoke and fire without becoming an obstruction to the movement of people, goods and fire safety equipment (The Fire Safety Advice Centre, 2008). To be completely effective, all doors in the building should be made out of timber to act as an internal barrier of smoke/ fire spread. Secondly, a fire resisting door should have an intumescent strip attached to its edges so that when there is a rise in temperature, the material will swell and close the gaps. This is important in closing any passages that may allow fire and combustible substances/ gases to pass through. The strips should be about 10 mm wide and 4mm thick and placed inside a groove or frame edge. One strip has been found to be adequate for a fire lasting half an hour so for a tentative one hour protection, two intumescent strips should be used for added protection. A fire resisting door should likewise have cold smoke seals and intumescent fire seals which must be fitted to the back edge, head and stile of the fire resisting door sets. These seals work by exerting pressure against incoming smoke and combustion materials and also give some protection against the distortion of the door leaf that is under fire. In addition, fire resisting doors should have fire resisting glazing. The glazing is often varied and ranges from just a small vision panel within the door to even a glazed screen that is good for maximum light transmission. Glazing is important since ordinary glass cracks when exposed to a great amount of heat and can also easily fall out fairly early in a fire. Wired glass that is glazed can withstand heating in a fire test for at least 60 minutes without softening after which the softening begins at a limited rate. This is because nearly 50 per cent of heat is transmitted through the glass by radiation so the glazing reduces this. Moreover, the size of the glass is also important in a fire resisting door as well as the method of its retention. As the temperature increases to the point that it actually begins to soften the glass, a larger glass sheet will tend to collapse earlier than a smaller one. Thus, smaller glass should be used when constructing a fire resisting door. If a door has a window (s) as some fire doors are, it should have internal windows which should also be fitted with a rating. The windows should be fire- resistive and hose stream impact resistance. Such a window must either have wire mesh; be made out of ceramic glass; borosilicate glass; or be filled with liquid sodium silicate in between the window panes (Wikipedia, 2008). All this will build the resistance of the window towards a fire. How to recognise the Intended Fire Resistance Standard of the Fire Set There are different types of fire resistant doors according to how long they can remain resistant to a fire. Recognising the intended fire resistance standard of a fire set is done by looking the type and quality of the materials that were used to manufacture the door. As touched on earlier, there can be half hour fire resisting types, one hour types up to three hour resistant doors. The three hour doors are the most resistant and are thus constructed out of materials that are more resistant to fire. Thus, to make a door of ones intended fire resistant depends entirely on the type of material one uses. Nevertheless, identifying the resistance of fire doors is very difficult, Responsible door manufacturers, however, label their doors. This helps identify the date of manufacture, the manufacturer and the design fire rating of the door type. One way they do this is that a colour coded plug may be fitted instead as the label on the top or edge of the door. On hospital fire doors, a disc is displayed at the top of door showing the design fire performance. 1. AN EXAMPLE OF A FIRE RESISTANT ASSEMBLY WITH A GLAZED PANEL IN LEEDS UNIVERSITY Situation in which it is used In terms of situation, the assembly is used on a daily basis in the kitchen since a fire may break out at any time. A fire-resistant glazing assembly is an integral aspect of fire safety as pertains to fire doors. It comprises of two glass sheets bound together along their edges by a water-containing interlayer and a spacer between the two panes. The spacer is made out of silicone rubber. In addition, a bead of a heat-activated foaming material is strategically placed between the spacer as well as an adhesive sealing material that serves in providing the peripheral seal (Free Patents Online, 2004). In Leeds University, an example of a fire resistant assembly with a glazed panel is found in the campus kitchen. The cafeteria is a high risk place because this is where fires can easily be started. As a result, fire safety is of utmost concern. The existing fire assembly panel is a three hour fire door thus allowing adequate protection in the event of a fire out burst. In addition, kitchens contain materials that are highly combustible such ah gas, fuels, oil, and so on thus the chances of a fire breaking out are very high. Moreover, kitchens are often adjacent to cafeterias and cafeterias contain many students/ staff. I f a fire were to break out, it would be disastrous as the casualties are likely to be extremely high. This would no bode well for the university thus preventative measures need to be put in place. Its suitability It’s a three hour type so it is very suitable for preventing fires. Having been installed only a few years ago and bearing in mind that no fire has broken out in the kitchen in the recent past; it is still in very condition and is almost as good as new. Its effectiveness has yet to be tested since no major fire has broken out in recent times. However, due to the fact that it is a standard three hour type containing the manufacturer’s label, it is very likely a highly effective fire assembly, tentatively capable of resisting a three hour fire. Results Following the analysis of fire doors within Leeds University and also in general, it is evident that fire doors are very effective in preventing deaths in the case of a fire outbreak. In summary, here are a few points outlining the importance of fire doors in fire safety efforts: It provides passive fire protection: this it does by providing barriers and breaks to the spread of combustion products, smoke and fire between buildings, within buildings and even to the outside environment (Department of Building and Housing, 2007). They burn at a specific rate thus slowing down the rate at which the fire burns and subsequently spreads. It also causes a slowing down in the formation of a smoke layer. As such, they give people who may be caught up in a fire more time to escape thereby saving more lives. They also help prevent the deformation of doors thus reducing potential costs of repair. Conclusions Whereas the benefits of a fire door and fire assembly cannot be gainsaid, it is important to understand that they are not foolproof. After a certain amount of time (according to the door type), the effectiveness of the door wanes and the longer the fire rages on, the higher the chances of deaths occurring. In addition, it is very important for those purchasing the fire doors to first ensure that the doors are standard by checking the labels. A door without a label may be faulty and in the process put many people in danger especially due to the false sense of security it may provide. All in all, fire doors are very important in fire safety and every major building should have them installed so as to prevent deaths as a result of fires and smoke. REFERENCES Department of Building and Housing. 2007. The Importance of Fire Doors. Accessed on 21st January, 2009 from http://www.dbh.govt.nz/codewords-12-article-3 Free Patents Online. 2004. Fire Resistant Glazing Assembly. Accessed on 21st January 2008 from http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6340508.html The Fire Safety Advice Centre. 2008, December 13. Fire Check and Fire Resisting Doors. Accessed on 21st January, 2009 from http://www.firesafe.org.uk/html/fsequip/firedoor.htm Wikipedia. 2008. Fire Doors. Accessed o 21st January, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_door Read More