www.goldmancopeland.com Building Fire Safety in New York City s Existing Office Buildings
Daniel Colombini, PE, LEED AP Principal, Director of Plumbing/Fire Protection Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection Youngest Principal in 50 year history Specialist in fire code analysis, fire dynamics, egress systems and fire modeling. Educated in Mechanical and Fire Protection Engineering LEED AP Member NFPA, SFPE, ASPE Licensed Fire Protection Engineer
GO CO Goldman Copeland Engineers, PC Goldman Copeland (GOCO) has been providing Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Fire Protection (MEP/FP) consulting engineering services since 1968 and we have expanded our design practice to include energy analysis, commissioning, and IT & security consulting. SERVICE AREAS Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Plumbing Systems Fire Protection and Life Safety Energy Services/Sustainable Design Information Technology, Security & Communication Commissioning Local Law 26 (LL26) & 87 (LL87) Compliance Leasing and Real Estate Services FACILITY TYPES Commercial Office Buildings (Retail, Hospitality, Warehouse & Restaurant) Cultural (Museums, Places of Worship & Theaters) Educational (Colleges and Universities, K-12 Schools & Libraries) Government (Police Stations & Fire Stations) Healthcare Facilities (Hospitals, Medical Centers, Urgent Care Units & Clinics) Historic Transportation (Transportation Stations & Parking Garages)
Better achieve our fire protection goals Life Safety Property Protection Mission Continuity To improve our knowledge and understanding of fire protection features in existing buildings We will accomplish this by relating these features to safe egress time, or how long it takes a person to evacuate a structure after ignition. Review of select NYC fire protection regulations Focus on active fire protection systems, specifically fire suppression and fire alarm Architects, getting MEP engineers involved early to accommodate fire protection features Building owners and operators ongoing maintenance, education, code compliance Sources: FEMA, NFPA, SFPE
1 State of the Fire Problem in the US 8 Sprinkler Systems 2 Safe Egress Time 9 Standpipe Systems 3 Passive VS. Active Fire Protection 10 Alternative Fire Suppression 4 Means of Egress 11 Fireproofing/ Firestopping 5 Emergency Power and Lighting 12 State Local Laws / Building Bulletins 6 Fire Alarm Systems 13 Fire Prevention and Education 7 Smoke Control System 14 Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
1 State of the Fire Problem in the US
1 NYC and Fire Protection History The Great Fire of 1776 Resulted in British formation of fire brigade Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 Resulted in improvements to factory safety and working conditions Deutsche Bank Fire of 2007 Fire regulation improvements for buildings under construction/demolition World Trade Center Attacks on September 11, 2001
2 Safe Egress Time Available escape time Evacuation time Movement time Delay time to start Alarm Time Recognition Response Ignition Device detection Alarm, Cue, Or warning Evacuation completed Tenability limit Time
3 Passive VS. Active Fire Protection Passive Systems Active Systems Fire Alarm Systems Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems Smoke Management
4 Means of Egress Defined as A Continuous and unobstructed way of travel from any point in a building to a public way. Travel Speed, movement time Protect your means of egresss Keep free of obstructions Maintain fire rating (fireproofing) Keep doors closed, or on automatic release when approved Local Law 26/04 Photoluminesscent Path Markings (required for new and retroactively by 2006) FIGURE 4-3 Typical Exit Components within a Building. (Source: Arup/Li K)
5 Emergency Power and Lighting 90 Minutes EM Power for Egress Lighting Battery packs Generator Standby Power for High Rise (75 ft, except for R-2 125 ft) Elevators Fire alarm system Smoke Control Systems Fire Pumps Egress Lighting TPPN on voluntary standby generators for existing buildings Mission Critical Goals Additional standby power for other purposes an option, if minimum requirements are met
6 Fire Alarm Systems Smoke and Heat Detection (Detection time) Sprinkler alarm and monitoring (reliability, detection and alarm time) Fire Department Communications Warden Phones ARCS (Auxiliary Radio Communication System) Post 9/11 recommendations, survivability debate Occupant Notification Speakers Strobe Devices Intelligibility and Clarity important
7 Smoke Control System Smoke Evacuation (Atriums, large spaces) Stair Pressurization or Fire Tower Extending time to untenable conditions Smoke Layer Height 6 feet Time FIGURE 3-12a Comparing Egress Times to Untenable Conditions: Smoke Movement. (Source: Arup)
8 Sprinkler Systems Wet-pipe sprinklers activate individually from exposure to heat Form of Property Protection as well as life safety Required in all office buildings 100 in height per LL 26/04 Wet-pipe sprinklers operated and effective in 89% of fires Usually 1 or 2 sprinklers operating controls fire Fire control, not suppression Protect occupants unable to evacuate
8 Sprinkler Systems Reliability of sprinklers critical NFPA 25 As reliable as human beings maintaining the system
8 Sprinkler Systems Local Law 26 Impact on General Construction Piping Installed Throughout Floorplan Impact on tenant operations Higher construction cost due to cutting and patching ceilings Higher sprinkler installation cost for off hours installation
9 Standpipe Systems Hose stations connected by piped network to an approved water supply 1968 Code Systems Vs. 2008/2014 Code Systems Existing tank water supplies may be limited Installation standardized by NFPA 14 (2008 and 2014 NYC Building Code)
10 Alternative Suppression Systems Data Centers, IT Rooms, Sensitive Equipment Pre-Action Sprinkler Systems Clean Agent Suppression Systems Halon phased out per Montreal Protocol FM-200, Inergen, Novec, etc. Rated based on ozone depletion potential and health impact May be appropriate for LL 26 protection of sensitive equipment
11 Fireproofing/ Firestopping Firestop penetrations are the most common code violation found by commercial building inspectors Don t let your building be Swiss Cheese All penetrations including low voltage such as carrier service distribution
11 State Local Laws / Building Bulletins Local Law 26/04 Retroactive (rare) Sprinkler requirement for office buildings 100 ft or more in height Previous (Local Law 5 of 1973) required sprinklers or stair pressurization World Trade Center Code Task Force Determined Compartmentation/Pressurization are not equivalent to sprinkler protection Deadlines is July 1, 2019 to file final report Local Law 58-09 Color Coding off Sprinkler and Standpipe Systems Result of recommendations made after the Deutsche Bank fire Buildings Bulletin 2012-009 temporary sprinkler protection Temporary Core Sprinkler Protection Loss of Compartmentation
12 Fire Prevention and Education Human Behavior Occupants familiar with building, voice communication alarm system, and evacuation procedures exhibit minimal delay time (Less than 1 minute) Don t Give Fire a Place to Start Waste Management and Housekeeping practices Control of Ignition Sources (Smoking, electrical hazards) Items to Prohibit in Your Building Fire Drills and Training (NYC FIRE CODE TABLE 405.2) Smoke alarms in residential occupancies.
12 Fire Prevention and Education
12 Fire Prevention and Education
13 Inspection, Testing and Maintenance NFPA 25 Regulates water based fire protection systems Inspection Requirements Range from Weekly to 5 years Can be handled by maintenance staff as part of regular rounds Testing To be performed by fire protection maintenance vendor Valves Alarms Fire Pumps churn and flow tests Maintenance Valves (annually)
13 Challenges with Accessory Occupancies Restaurants/Food Service Demanding Infrastructure Issues Grease Cooking requires fire suppression system Grease Exhaust Cleaning/Maintentance Retail Stores and Big Box Higher sprinkler water demand Storage Areas Higher sprinkler water demand
14 Summary Fire Protection Goals Life Safety Property Protection Mission Continuity All of the fire protection systems contribute to achieving life safety goals Fire Alarm System Detection and Notification Sprinkler System Controlling fire spread, delaying untenable conditions Standpipe System Supporting Fire Fighting Operations Maintaining existing fire systems is critical to life safety and property protection (NFPA 25) Complying with retroactive sprinkler requirements of local law 26 requires planning in advance Coordinate with other construction/remodel plans keeps cost down Fire safety education and training crucial to occupant and fire system performance
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