- Author
- Building Research Association of New Zealand
- Title
- Fire and Buildings: Control of Fires by Building Design.
- Coporate
- Building Research Association of New Zealand, Judgeford
- Report
- BRANZ Building Info. Bull. 200, August 1977, 5 p.
- Keywords
- building design | ignition | fire growth | fire detectors | sprinklers | fire resistance tests | containment | penetration | floors | walls
- Abstract
- There is a saying that goes "there are three causes of fire: men, women and children". It is often unwise to make sweeping generalisations, but it is safe to say that most fires originate from deliberate or careless actions of human beings, so, as long as we have people in buildings, we will have fires. Death by fire is terrible, and a major fire disaster always creates a considerable upsurge of interest in fire safety matters. To date our record of multiple death fires in New Zealand has been mericifully good in comparison with some major countries and we must be sure it remains that way. In the interest of life safety, and to limit destruction of property we need to minimise the effects of fire, so this bulletin aims to provide a background to how a fire develops and spreads, and to show how the design of a builidng can influence this fire behavior. By understanding of these processes it is hoped that designers and manufacturers of building materials can contribute to the continuing effort needed to control: fire losses.