- Author
- Wu, S.
- Title
- Fire Safety Design of Apartment Buildings.
- Coporate
- University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Report
- Fire Engineering Research Report 01/10, March 2001, 138 p.
- Distribution
- For more information contact: School of Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. Telephone: 643-364-2250, Fax: 643-364-2758, Website: http://www.civil.canterbury.ac.nz
- Keywords
- apartments | fire safety | building design | residential buildings | fire statistics | occupants | human behaivor | fire departments | fire spread | fire fighting training | education | inspection | maintenance | evacuation | fire fatalities | injuries | fire detection | fire alarm systems | sprinklers | smoke control | high rise buildings | exit signs | building construction | stairways | refuge | emergencies
- Identifiers
- New Zealand; Australis; United States of America; occupant location; building height; number of exits, exit width and egress distance; passive protection; non-evacuation; staged evacuation; buildings greater than 25m; buildings greter than three storeys and less than 25m; buildings less than three storeys
- Abstract
- In Australia and New Zealand, residential buildings have the highest number office fatalities each year, compared to any other occupancy type. The majority of these fatalities occur in single family dwellings, but a proportion of these fatalities occur in apartment buildings. Apartment building fires also have the potential to be high fatality fires, due to greater occupant numbers and more complex egress paths. With the movement away from prescriptive building codes, building fire safety design can become more efficient and effective. This should ultimately result in equivalent or better fire safety for occupants, and economical savings with respect to the building codes. The objective of this research report is to discuss the primary issues concerning apartment buildings and to provide a guidance matrix for the fire safety design of apartment buildings, that comprehensively integrates all aspects of fire safety. The fire safety design matrix is presented as a three by two matrix, which recommends minimum fire safety measures based on building height, sprinkler protection and the building emergency plan. The selection of fire safety measures is based on providing multiple levels of protection for the occupants, and addressing the primary characteristics of different apartment buildings.