NATIONAL BUILDING CODE

PART 4

FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

Recent Fire Incidents

Recent Major Fire Incidents

December 29, 2017 - Kamala Mill

14 died

Oct, 2016 - SMU, Bhuvneshwar

22 Died, 120 Injured

December, 2011 - AMRI Hospital ,

Kolkata

89 Dead

April, 2006 – Meerut Trade Fair

65 died, 150 Injured

Fire – The Scenario

Between 2001 and 2014, a total of 3.16 lakh fire accident cases

were reported in the country

Fire – The Scenario

The data on fire accidents in India reveals that close to 3 lakh people lost

their lives in fire accidents between 2001 and 2014, averaging to 59

deaths a day.

About 22,500 fires per year

On an average 59 deaths per

day

Huge property losses

About 69% fires are

caused by electricity

Fire

All these can be prevented

Major Causes of Fire

Electrical 65 5 %

Drop light 18 3 %

Naked flames 03 1.5 %

Fire works 1.5 0.5 %

Others 12.5 %

Loss of life

Damage to property

Loss of business

Loss of goodwill

Environment pollution

Fire Accident – The Cost

Loss Due to Fire

LOSS OF PROPERTY

Direct 40% (Damage due to fire)

Indirect 60% (Damage due to heat, smoke, water &

breakage)

LOSS OF LIFE

Due to inhalation of toxic gases

Burning of body tissues

Nervous shock

Reasons for urban Chaos

NBC – 2016

Reasonably achievable

measures to provide that

degree of safety from fire.

Avoid requirements that

might involve unreasonable

hardships or unnecessary

inconvenience or interference

with normal use and

occupancy of buildings

Lack of foresightedness in city planning

- Continuous migration

- Pressure on services

Inadequate Resources / guidelines

Lack of political will

Failure of enforcement agencies

Lack of fire safety education

Multiplicity of authorities

What NBC Part 4 is all about

NBC Part4 Basically

Deals with Safety from

Fire

Fire Prevention

Life Safety

Fire Protection

Fire Prevention

• Building Classification / Mixed Occupancy

• Fire Zone Demarcations

• Type of Construction and Selection of materials

• Fire Performance of materials

• Maximum height of Buildings and Floor Area Ratios

• Open Spaces

• Horizontal & vertical compartmentation

• Planning of services - Electricity/water-supply/drainage/ventilation/approach/air-conditioning

• Minimization of fire load.

Building Classification

All buildings, whether existing or hereafter erected shall be classified according to use or the character of occupancy in one of the following groups:

Group A Residential

Group B Educational

Group C Institutional

Group D Assembly

Group E Business

Group F Mercantile

Group G Industrial

Group H Storage

Group J Hazardous

Mixed occupancies are more prone to violation of fire safety

norms

Building Classification

In case of mixed occupancy, so far as

fire protection is concerned, all the

occupancies/the entire building shall

be governed by the most stringent

provisions of the Code among those

applicable for individual occupancies.

Mixed

Occupancy

Fire Zone Demarcation

The city or area under the jurisdiction of the Authority shall, for the

purpose of the Code, be demarcated into distinct zones, based on fire

hazard inherent in the buildings and structures according to occupancy

Fir

e Z

on

e 1

• Residential (A)

• Educational(B)

• Institutional (C)

• Assembly (D)

• Small business (E-1)

• Mercantile (F)

Fir

e Z

one

2

• Business (E2 to E5)

• Industrial (G1 and G2)

Fir

e Z

on

e 3

• Industrial (G3)

• Storage (H)

• Hazardous (J)

Type of Construction – Fire Resistance

STABILITY

• Ability of building components maintaining their load bearing capacity for specified duration without fail during the conditions.

INTEGRITY

• Ability of building elements to withstand fire conditions without cracking through which heat and smoke can pass through.

INSULATION

• Ability of a building element to prevent transfer of heat from one side to another.

Type of Construction

For the purpose of the Code, the types of construction according

to fire resistance shall be classified into four categories

– Type 1 Construction

– Type 2 Construction

– Type 3 Construction

– Type 4 Construction.

The minimum fire resistance ratings of structural and non-

structural members for various types of construction shall be as

given in Table 1.

Type of Construction R

estr

icti

on

s o

n t

he

Typ

e of

Co

nst

ru

ctio

n f

or

New

Bu

ild

ings

Fire Zone No. 1 - construction of Type 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Fire Zone No. 2 - construction of Type 1, 2 or 3.

Fire Zone No. 3 - construction of Type 1 or 2.

Selection of Material

Non-combustible materials for construction of buildings,

internal walls of staircase 120 min rating.

Protection against failure/collapse of structure in case of fire

- Load bearing steel beams and columns of buildings

having total covered area of 500 m2 and above.

Non Combustible - The false ceiling, including all fixtures

used for its suspension.

Selection of Material – Surface Materials

• May be used

in any situation

Class 1-Surfaces of very low flame spread

• Cannot be used on walls, facade of the building, staircase and corridors

Class2 - Surfaces of low flame spread

• May be used in Living room and bed room (but not in rooms on the roof )

Class 3 - Surfaces of medium low flame spread

Openings in Fire Resistant Walls and Floors

• Vertical Opening –

Doorway or opening in a fire resistant wall on any floor shall be

limited to 5.6 m2 in area with a maximum height/width of 2.75

m.

Every wall opening shall be protected with fire-resisting doors,

having the fire rating of not less than 120 min.

• Horizontal Opening –

• Provision of smoke barrier and sprinklers around the opening.

Fire doors in exits shall have required fire rating to meet the

requirement of integrity and stability; and the insulation criteria

shall be 20 min.

Insulation element was not a part of certification.

Fire doors in exits shall be provided with intumescent seal.

Fire curtains shall not be allowed as fire exits. If so provided for

compartmentation, independent fire door shall be provided meeting

the requirement for fire door in exits as above within the

prescribed travel distance requirement.

Fire Door

Service ducts and shafts

• Fire Rated Service Shafts with equally fire rated inspection

door

• The space between the electrical cables/conduits and the

walls/slabs shall be filled in by a fire stop material

• For plumbing shafts in the core of the building shall have

inspection doors having fire resistance rating not less than

30 min.

• Cable Barriers

• Fire retardant Painting on power cables

Electrical Installation

• Wiring and cabling are with flame retardant property.

• Medium and low voltage wiring running in shafts, and

within false ceiling shall run in metal conduit.

• Any 230 V wiring for lighting or other services, above false

ceiling, shall have 660 V grade insulation.

• The electric distribution cables/wiring shall be laid in a

separate shaft. The shaft shall be sealed at every floor with

fire stop materials

Emergency power - Fire & life safety systems

• Fire pumps.

• Pressurization and smoke venting dampers and actuators.

• Fireman's lifts

• Exit signage lighting.

• Emergency lighting.

• Fire alarm system.

• Public address (PA) system

• Magnetic door hold open devices.

• Lighting in fire command center and security room.

Lighting and Lighting Protection

Lightning protection of buildings - Routing of down Conductors

(insulated or uninsulated) of lightning protection through electrical or

other service shafts are not allowed as it can create fire and explosion

during lightning. For details, see Part 8 .Building Services, Section 2

Electrical and Allied Installations.

Escape Lighting and Exit Signage - Exit access, exits and exit

discharge shall be properly identified, with adequate lighting

maintained in the elements of the egress systems so that all occupants

shall be able to leave the facility safely.

Fire Command Center

• Fire command Centre shall be on the entrance floor of the building

having direct access.

• Shall have the main fire alarm panel with two way communication

system, P.A. System and details of all floor plans, details of

firefighting equipment and installations.

• Fire command Centre shall be constructed with 120 min rating walls

with a fire door and shall be provided with emergency lighting.

• All controls and monitoring of fire alarm systems, pressurization

systems, smoke management systems shall happen from this room.

Life Safety

• Fire Exits, Exit Routes, Exit Staircases - Open and enclosed, Fire

Exit Doors and Exit Requirements, Number of Exit - Occupant

Load, Egress Component, Travel Distance and Capacity Factor

• Refuge Area

• Signanges

• Smoke Control – Openable window in façade

• Fire Alarm and Detection

• Third Party Audit, Evacuation Drill, Training and Awareness

To calculate the number of exits required in a building the

capacity factor (width per person) for different occupancies

introduced in NBC 2016 version.

Sketches and Figures for better understanding of various aspects

of means of egress, corridors, Passageway, stairway and exits.

Conditions to fulfil for providing access control doors,

electromagnetic doors, revolving doors and turnstiles

Provision of Handrails on both side of stairs and ramp required

if width exceeds 1500mm.

Exit Requirements

• The number of risers shall be limited to 12 per flight. Earlier it was 15

per flight.

• The internal stair width for residential A1, A2 and A4 category

increased to 1250mm earlier it was 1000mm.

• The External stair width increased to 1500mm earlier it was 1250mm.

• Each fire rated door will have marking on the product of its

certification.

• The doors and assembly shall be certified with all prescribed

hardware such as hinges, locks, panic bars, door closer, and door

viewers.

Exit Requirements

Refuge Area – Additional area to accommodate one wheelchair

of an area of 0.9m² for every 200 occupants.

For Assembly occupancy (D-6) refuge area (10% of floor area)

to be provided immediately above 18m and then after 24m.

The refuge area may be divided into two or more separate refuge

areas with each having area not less than 100m².

Refuge area for apartment building of height above 60m while

having balconies shall be provided at 60m and thereafter every

30m.

Refuge Area

Fire and Life safety audit –

– shall be carried out for all buildings having a height of

more than 15m.

– Such audit shall preferably be conducted by a third party

auditor having requisite experience.

– Frequency of such audits shall be once in two years.

Third Party Audit

Fire Protection

• Passive Fire Protection -

• Pressurization of Staircases, Lift lobbies and Corridors

• Compartmentation

• Smoke Control

• Fire Doors

• Active Fire Protection -

• Minimum Requirement for Fire Fighting Installations Table 7

• Fire Suppression Systems – Gas Based, Foam Based, Water Mist

Facade sprinkler protection

Compartmentation criteria in different Occupancies

Provision for fire / smoke dampers

– At the fire separation wall

– Where ducts / passages enter the vertical shaft

– Where the duct pass through floors

– At the inlet of supply air duct and the return air duct of

each compartment on every floor

Passive Fire Protection

Pressurization and Smoke Exhaust System

• Pressurization (Smoke control of Exits) for lobbies and Corridors

• Smoke Exhaust and Pressurization system for floors above ground

floor and below ground floor

• Requirement of smoke exhaust system having make up air and

exhaust air for theatre and auditoria.

• The smoke exhaust fan in mechanical ventilation system shall be

fire rated i.e. 250º C for 120 min.

• Alternative option of impulse fan (Jet fan) introduces for basement

smoke extraction.

Ready Reckoner for Minimum Requirements of fire fighting Installations in

various occupancies. Table 7 is first of its kind.

Table 7 is designed in such a way that even a layman can get to know the

minimum fire protection requirement for various occupancies with different

heights.

All buildings depending upon the size , height and occupancy shall be

protected by fire extinguishers, hose reels, wet riser, down-comer, yard

hydrants, automatic sprinkler installation, manual/automatic fire alarm

system, etc, in accordance with Table 7 and the provisions of various clauses

given in NBC part4.

Active Fire Protection - Table 7

Underground Water tank Capacities are revised for various occupancies.

Requirement for Capacity of Pumps near Underground Water tank are

revised.

Requirement of wet riser system added for Educational Buildings for height

above 24m to 30m.

Sprinkler shall be fed water from both underground static water storage tank

and terrace tank. ( earlier this was required only for basement area exceeding

750 m².)

Institutional Building C1 ( Hospitals, Sanatoria and Nursing homes ) are

permitted up to 45m height.

Table 7 – Updates and Changes in 2016 Version

Fire Fighting Installations

• One set of pumps shall be provided for each 100 hydrants.

• In case of more than one pump set installation, both pump sets

shall be interconnected at their delivery headers.

• In high rise buildings 60 m or above are likely to experience

high pressure at lower level and therefore, it is recommended to

consider multi-stage, multi-outlet pumps (creating pressure

zones) or variable frequency drive pumps.

Fire Fighting Installations

• Alternative to provisions of additional set of pumps - the objective

can be met by providing additional diesel pump of the same

capacity and doubling the water tank capacity as required for one

set of pumps.

• Pressure at the hydraulically remote hydrant and at the highest

hydrant shall not be less than 3.5 bar. The pressure at the hydrants

shall however not exceed 7.0 bar, considering the safety of

operators.

• Use of Orifice plates and pressure controlled hydrant valves at

lower levels

Fire Protection Requirements for New

Occupancies

Fire & life safety requirements for specific occupancies

included for the first time. These occupancies include -

– Multilevel car parking

– Atrium

– Commercial kitchens & cooking places

– Metro rail stations

– Metro Train ways

We Believe in Continuous Improvement

Excellence in fire safety standard is not a destination , it’s a

continuous journey of improvement.

The objective was to make sure that the document cover wider

range of fire safety provisions, looks practical in context with

current scenario and easy to adopt.

To achieve the objective the discussion on various aspects of Fire

and life safety provisions must continue.

Comments, Feedbacks and suggestions with regard to any

opportunity of improvement of this code are most welcome.

THANK YOU