Passive Fire Protection
Passive Measures
Passive measures are more concerned with building structures integrity,
compartmentation and the integrity of the building envelope.
Passive Fire
Protection is an all encompassing fire safety concept which embraces the passive
measures in fire containment design and in addition augment the active measures.
It is a proactive approach taken at the building design stage, aimed at
addressing a comprehensive solution to the fire problem".
These systems
do not require power or water to operate in case of fire.
Applications
The scope of application for Passive Fire Protection is in following areas:
- Structural fire protection
- Safe escape routes and sage refuge for occupants.
- Compartmentation and containment of fire spread
- Preserving the function of active fire safety measures.
- Life safety of fire service personnel.
- Steel Protection : Steel looses its strength in temperature in excess of 5500C during a fire.
Risk of collapse of building structure is increased.
- Mechanical and electrical enclosures: Electrically operated active system should be well protected so that they are functional during fire.
- Fire rated partitions: Fire Sage lobby and sate escape passage ways are critical to life safety.
- Fire rates ceilings : Services passing above the unprotected ceiling - a source for fire propagation.
- Fire rated ducts (Ventilation, smoke extraction, kitchen extract):When the smoke temperature is so high that sheet metal ducts become distorted, making it unable to extract smoke.
- Fire stopping penetration seals : Fire barriers to prevent propagation through services penetrations.