Page 43 - Insurance Times January 2024

So what is the difference between firewalls and fire I. FRAME STRUCTURES: If framed structure, it should be
barriers? Basically, firewalls are thick exterior walls with made of reinforced concrete &/or steel structure. Steel
a higher fire- resistance rating, while fire barriers are structures commonly manage to reduce the damage
interior walls with a lower fire-resistance rating. Both under serious fire [Steel melts at 1400oC], provided they
structures are important to the building's fire protection have shielding layer of metal lath or plaster. Brick
system as they are designed to help contain the fire to concretes or tiles may also be used & their dimension
one location as well as allowing occupants to evacuate of thickness should be of bare minimum of 100 mm.
safely.
J. WINDOWS: As the windows are made of glass, wood,
C. FLOORING: The flooring materials are usually prepared steel& other types of material as they can catch fire
from fire bricks, concrete stone, tiles etc. as they are easily. So to avoid these issues extra attention should
regarded as fire resistant construction. However if the be given. The window can be used as Emergency Exit
usage of such material are not feasible, wooden flooring during fire. Thus material used should be fire resistant
that are more exposed to fire ought to be used. For and the wire-messed glasses to be used in it.
wooden floor, thicker joints should be set at a more K. REFUGE AREA: The refuge area should be provided on
significant distance apart. Alternatively, protective the periphery of the floor or preferably on a cantilever
covering of insulators can be used over the flooring.
projection to air. For floors above 24 m up to 39 m one
D. PARTITION WALL: Usually Reinforced Cement Concrete refuge point immediately above 24 meter. For floor
(RCC), Reinforced Brick Concrete (RBC), asbestos, pre- above 39 meters, refuge point after every 15 meter.
stressed or hollow concrete, etc. are employed for The provision of escape lighting from an independent
building the fire resistant partition wall. However, when source for illumination is mentioned in section 4.17 of
wooden partition walls are constructed, they need to NBC. Similarly fire detection & warning system provision
be shielded with metal lath & plaster. is given in section 4.18 of NBC.
E. CELIING: Asbestos cement board, metal lath, plaster L. HIGH-RISE BUILDING HAZARDS:
etc. are generally employed in the ceiling framework Super high-rise buildings are booming in the recent
to maintain fire resistant structure. Also the ceiling & decade of years in the world, which bring challenges to
floor joists must be instantly connected to greater fire protection considering the high building density,
stability & strength. high occupant load and high fire load. The tallest
F. DOORS: The doors work as exit routes during fire buildings in Indian cities, respectively:
emergency& therefore assuring their integrity at the 1. Mumbai: Palais Royale
time of construction is very essential. They must be 2. Kolkata: The 42
glazed & fitted with reinforced glass panels as they have
3. Noida: Supernova Spira
higher thermal resistance from normal glass panel.
Utilizing metal frame for doors will provide extra fire 4. Gurugram: Raheja Revanta
safety to doors. 5. Lucknow: Prestigia Tower

G. STAIRS: For one storey or two building windows & doors 6. Hyderabad: Lodha Bellezza
can provide sufficient escape points in the event of Fire. 7. Chennai: SPR City
But for tall buildings, the location of stairs is important. 8. Pune: Amanora Gateway Towers
It should be equally available from various end points
of the floor. As far as the material of construction is 9. Navi Mumbai: Mahajan's Hospital
concerned, it is advisable to employ RCC material for 10. Bengaluru: CNTC Presidential Tower
construction of stairs. Also partition wall made up of fire
resistant material should be considered around the stair Mumbai has the highest number of skyscrapers and high-
case hall for further protection. rise buildings in India; more than 200 skyscrapers and 5,600
nos. high-rise buildings currently exist in the Mumbai
H. ROOFS: A flat roof is consistently better from the fire
safety point of view. This is because fire spreads more Metropolitan Region. Delhi-NCR has also witnessed a
rapidly on sloped surface in case of adverse wind massive construction boom in the last 20 years with around
circumstances. However, if making of sloped roof is 18 skyscrapers and 5,200 high-rise buildings already
needed, then, ceiling should be built on coated with fire constructed in the region. Kolkata has 14 existing skyscrapers
resistant material. and around 800 completed high-rise buildings. Bengaluru,

The Insurance Times January 2024 39