Fire safety for very tall buildings : engineering guide

SFPE Task Group on Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings
About SFPE
About ICC
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
	Scope
	Purpose
	Background
Chapter 2: History
	One New York Plaza, New York, USA – August 15, 1970
		Lessons Learned
	MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, USA – November 21, 1980
		Lessons Learned
	First Interstate Bank, Los Angeles, USA – May 4, 1988
		Lessons Learned
	One Meridian Plaza, Philadelphia, USA – February 23, 1991
		Lessons Learned
	World Trade Center Terrorist Attack, New York, USA – February 26, 1993
		Lessons Learned
	World Trade Center Buildings 1 and 2 Terrorist Attack, New York, USA – September 11, 2001
		Lessons Learned
	World Trade Center Building 7 (WTC 7) Terrorist Attack, New York, USA – September 11, 2001
		Lessons Learned
	Cook County Administration Building, Chicago, USA – October 17, 2003
		Lessons Learned
	Caracas Tower Fire, Caracas, Venezuela – October 17, 2004
		Lessons Learned
	Windsor Tower, Madrid, Spain – February 12, 2005
		Lessons Learned
	The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Fire, Beijing, China – February 9, 2009
		Lessons Learned
	Shanghai Apartment Tower Fire, Shanghai, China – November 15, 2010
		Lessons Learned
	Lacrosse Fire, Melbourne, Australia – November 25, 2014
		Lessons Learned
	The Address Downtown Hotel Fire, Dubai, UAE – December 31, 2015
		Lessons Learned
	Torch Tower Fire, Dubai, UAE – February 21, 2015 and August 4, 2017
		Lessons Learned
	Grenfell Tower Fire, London, England – June 14, 2017
		Lessons Learned
	Performance-Based Approach to Building Fire Safety
Chapter 3: Components of Performance-Based Design
	Peer Review
	Documentation
	Qualifications for Engineers
Chapter 4: International Practices
	Key Considerations in International Design
	Extreme Events in International Very Tall Building Designs
		Structural Hardening
		Robust and Redundant Life Safety Systems
		Egress
		Fire Fighter Access
		Building Materials
		Extreme Natural Events
Chapter 5: Unique Features of Very Tall Buildings
	Height Beyond Reach of Fire Department Ladders
	Extended Evacuation Time
	Pronounced Stack Effect
	Water Supply Limitations
	Greater Challenges of Mixed Occupancies
	Iconic Nature
	Communication
Chapter 6: Special Features and Attractions
	Types of Special Features
		Observation Decks/Restaurants/Night Clubs/Pool Decks
		Amusement/Entertainment Thrill Features
		Fireworks
	Special Life Safety Considerations
		Life Safety Systems
		Fall Hazards
		First Responders: Rescue and Recovery
Chapter 7: Hazard, Risk, and Decision Analysis in Very Tall Building Design
	Hazards
		Fire
		Technological Events
		Extreme Natural Events
		Terrorism
	Risk Analysis
	Decision Analysis
	Uses and Applications of Hazard, Risk, and Decision Analysis for Very Tall Buildings
		Fire Strategy Development
		Fire Safety Goals and Objectives
		Fire and Egress Scenario Development
		Fire Size and Structural Response
		Multi-hazard Extreme Event Analysis
		Evaluation of Possible Mitigation Measures
		Identification and Selection of Evacuation Strategies
		Emergency Response
Chapter 8: Integration of Building Design and Systems
	Interrelationship of Operation of Systems
	Emergency Response and Control of Systems
	The Building as a System
	Fire Safety Goals and Objectives
	Integrating Evacuation Strategies
Chapter 9: System Reliability
Chapter 10: Situation Awareness
	Situational Information
	Information Sources
	Effective Information Delivery
Chapter 11: Emergency Egress
	Design Considerations for Very Tall Buildings
		Fire Safety Goals and Objectives for Egress
		Evacuation Scenario Identification
		Human Behavior
		Occupant Functional Limitations [51, 80, 90, 91]
		Security and Fire Safety [73]
	Understanding Evacuation Times
		Why a Timed Egress Analysis?
		Egress Plan and Timed Egress Analysis
		Elevators
		Timed Egress Analysis Tools
		Review of Evacuation Model Characteristics
	Evacuation Strategies
		Simultaneous Evacuation
		Phased Evacuation
		Defend-in-Place
		Progressive Evacuation
		Full/Total Building Evacuation
		Hybrid/Combined Strategies
	Design Features Affecting Evacuation Times
		Components of Egress
			Exit Discounting
			Horizontal Stair Transfers
			Effective Wayfinding/Exit Signage
			Egress Discharge Locations
		Elevator Evacuation
			Safety
			Controls and Operations
			Communication
			Training
			Maintenance
	Supplementary Escape Equipment
	Methods for Protecting Building Occupants in Place
		Evacuation of the Mobility Impaired
		Refuge Spaces
		Sky Lobbies
	Impact of Emergency Responders
	Evacuation Management
		Development of Egress Plan
		Implementation
		Changes and Absentees
		Occupancy Types
		Assisted Evacuation
Chapter 12: Fire Resistance
	Performance Objectives for Fire Resistance of Very Tall Buildings
	Impact on Fire Resistance of Extended Time and Effort for Egress and Fire-Fighting Operations
	Methods to Determine Fire Resistance
		Prescriptive Approach
		Performance-Based Structural Fire Analysis
	Metrics for Performance-Based Structural Analysis
		Stability
		Integrity
		Compartmentation
	Fire Scenarios to Consider in Fire Resistance Design
	Consideration of Cooling Phase
	High Challenge Fire Hazards
	Coupling of Gravity and Lateral Load-Resisting Systems
	Structural Systems for Reducing Drift and Other Lateral Accelerations
	Consideration for Timber: Combustibility
	Consideration for Concrete Spalling
	Consideration for Fire Protection Material: Robustness
	Post-fire Assessment
	Post-earthquake Fire Risk
Chapter 13: Building Envelope/Enclosure
	Recent Fire Incidents and Lessons Learned
	Fire Safety Goals for New Construction
	Facade Types
		Curtain Walls
		Double-Skin Facades
		Built-Up Walls with a Cavity
		Built-Up Walls Without a Cavity
	Mechanisms of Fire Spread
		Fire Initiating Events
		Mechanisms of Fire Spread After Initiating Event
	Building Enclosure Design Considerations
		Combustible Components of the Enclosure: Material Considerations
			Cladding
		Insulation
		Membranes
		Framing
		Gaskets, Sealants, and Thermal Breaks
		Fire Barrier Systems at the Envelope-Floor Intersection
		Cavities in Facade Systems
		Double-Skinned Facade Considerations
		Vision Glass Considerations
		Geometry, Exterior Projections, and Windows
	Balconies and Building Exterior Appendages
		Use of Combustible Materials for Decorative Purposes
		Specialty Facade Systems: LED Display Screens, Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, and Vegetative Walls
	Fire Testing of Designs
		Reaction to Fire Tests of the Constituent Materials
		Fire Resistance Testing of Perimeter Fire Barriers With or Without Spandrels
		Fire Resistance Testing of Fire-Rated Facade Systems
		Large-Scale Fire Testing of the Facade System
		Fire Testing of the Roofing System
		Certification
	Risk Assessments
Chapter 14: Suppression
	Risk Assessment
	Fire Strategy
	Reliability
	System Documentation
	Key Issues
		Water Supply
			Pressure Control
			Flow Control
			Fire Pumps
			Standpipe Systems
		Water Hammer
	Facilities for Testing
Chapter 15: Detection and Alarm
	Reliability/Robustness
	Survivability
	Nuisance Alarms
	Voice Communication
	Visual Notification
	Mass Notification
Chapter 16: Smoke Control
	Factors that Influence Smoke Control in Very Tall Buildings
		Stack Effect
		Wind Effect
		Piston Effect of Elevators
		Building Environmental Control Systems (HVAC)
	Fire Safety Goals and Objectives for Smoke Control
		Sample Goals and Objectives
	Smoke Control Design Methods
		Passive Methods of or Approaches to Smoke Control
		Active Methods of or Approaches to Smoke Control
	Factors that Affect Analysis and Design of Smoke Control Systems
		Wind
		Operable Windows
		Reliability
		Stairway Pressurization
			Stairway Wall Construction
			Vestibule: Natural Ventilation
			Vestibule: Mechanical Ventilation
			Height Limit
			Open Doors
			Stacked Atria
			Fire-Fighting Operations
			Duration of Operations
			Protection of Elevators
			Extreme Climates
Chapter 17: First Responder Considerations
	Command and Control
		Communication
	Building Access
	Initial Response
	Coordination with Building Egress
		Fire Control/Command Center
Chapter 18: Electrical
	Emergency and Standby Power
	Emergency Lighting and Exit Signage
	Elevators
	Stay- or Defend-in-Place Coordination
Chapter 19: Buildings Under Construction
	Fire Hazards
	Challenges in Buildings Under Construction
	Phased Occupancy
	Partial Occupancy
	Tenant Changes
	Change of Use/Occupancy
	Major Repairs
Chapter 20: Building Life Cycle Management
	Building Operations
	Fire Wardens and Incident Management
Chapter 21: Commissioning
	Commissioning Starts with the Design
	Commissioning and the Construction Phase
	Commissioning Prior to Occupancy
Chapter 22: Existing Building Considerations
	Renovations and Additions
	Adaptive Reuse and Change of Occupancy
Chapter 23: Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance
	Integrated Systems
	Operations and Maintenance Manual
	Codes and Standards
	AHJ Inspections
	Documentation
Chapter 24: Aerial Vehicle Platforms
	Egress and Fire-Fighting Considerations
	Protection from Fires
Chapter 25: ESS in Very Tall Buildings
	Electrochemical Technologies
	Thermal Runaway
	Hazards
References