Big Project ME Fire Safety supplement for July

A NEED FOR ALARMBIG PROJECT ME FIRE SAFETY SUPPLEMENT

Saving time for more safety!

AUDAX-Keck GmbH GermanyPhone +49 70 51/16 [email protected], www.renitherm.com

� Reliable fire protection of structural steel, wood, electrical cables

� Tested according to British Standard 476:21� Top product quality. Made in Germany. � Approved building projects in GCC, e.g.

- New Doha Int. Airport Hangar, Qatar - Al Rafi Car Park, Dubai

Intumescent coatings for fire protection.

How RENITHERM works: In case of fire, intumescent coatings expand toform a foam barrier which is 30-50 times thicker.

Anz_Big-Project_250x310 21.11.12 15:53 Seite 1

3FIRE SAFETY SUPPLEMENT 2013 MID

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

The Villaggio Mall fire that killed 19 people last year, including 13 children, four teachers and two fire-fighters, was an unimaginable tragedy that shook the entire region and brought home the sobering reality of how inadequate our fire safety systems really are.

For this was a tragedy that could have been avoided if the right procedures and systems had been in place. Eyewitnesses reported that emergency exits were blocked, that the fire alarms and sprinkler systems weren’t functioning properly and that rescue services didn’t have access to floor plans or layouts, which all hindered their efforts.

It’s clear that Qatari authorities agreed with this, given that they’ve recently announced that five people involved with the tragedy have been sentenced to six years in prison for the ‘negligence’ that caused the blaze.

Given that one of these people include the Qatar Ambassador to Belgium, it’s clear that the Qatari authorities have taken this extremely seriously and are willing to make an example of the offenders, no matter who they are.

While this may bring some small measure of comfort to the victims’ families, I’d hope that the decision to jail those responsible for the safety of the mall is indicative of a growing seriousness from the authorities to enforce and maintain fire safety in the region.

This fire safety supplement brings together some of the foremost fire and life safety experts in the region, if not the world, and our hope is that their knowledge and ability serves to help educate and energise the construction industry so that tragedies like the Villaggio Mall don’t happen again.

Gavin Davids, Deputy Editor

Publisher Dominic De SouSa

GrOuP COO naDeem HooD

ManaGinG DireCtOr RicHaRD JuDD eDiToRiaL

GrOuP eDitOr STepHen [email protected] +971 55 795 8740

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seniOr GraPhiC DesiGner ReBecca Teece JuniOr GraPhiC DesiGner peRciVaL manaLaYSaY

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Saving time for more safety!

AUDAX-Keck GmbH GermanyPhone +49 70 51/16 [email protected], www.renitherm.com

� Reliable fire protection of structural steel, wood, electrical cables

� Tested according to British Standard 476:21� Top product quality. Made in Germany. � Approved building projects in GCC, e.g.

- New Doha Int. Airport Hangar, Qatar - Al Rafi Car Park, Dubai

Intumescent coatings for fire protection.

How RENITHERM works: In case of fire, intumescent coatings expand toform a foam barrier which is 30-50 times thicker.

Anz_Big-Project_250x310 21.11.12 15:53 Seite 1

CONTENTSA NEED FOR ALARMWhat can be done to raise fire standards in construction?

TAMWEELBREAKDOWN

FIRE AND FACADES

FROM THE GROUND UP

PUTTING SAFETY FIRST

Intercontinental & Crown Plaza Hotel, Festival City, Dubai

Client Al-Futtaim Group Architect Cox Crone ArchitectsConstruction 2003 – 2007Application of FOAMGLAS® behind stone cladding facade 8000 m²

Build-up1 Stone cladding2 Rail support system for

cladding fixed in concrete3 FOAMGLAS® mechanically fixed4 Structural wall concrete

Long term investment in safety and durability.Web: www.foamglas.ae Email: [email protected] Dubai office Tel: +9714 434 7140 Doha office Tel: +974 465 5360

FOAMGLAS® Insulation

The Intercontinental and Crown Plaza Hotel are part of Festival City project which, once finished, will be one of the largest mixed-used developments in Dubai. FOAMGLAS® is used behind the stone cladding because of the unique property of being fully resistant to any kind of water and vapour and therefore can be applied on the wall structure without any additional protection against the high humidity. No additional foil for vapour protection is required trough the closed cell structure of the material FOAMGLAS® itself. Result is the life time constant performance of the thermal insulation. Degradation through humidity absorption is the biggest problem in the Middle East for wall insulation next to fire issues. FOAMGLAS® is fully inorganic and will not support any fire. With no flame spread and no smoke development it provides, especially in hotel project with towers, the highest safety and ensures the highest standard. It contains 66% recycling glass content and is environmentally sound in it’s manufacturing, usage and eventual disposal.

Ventilated Facade

1

2

4

3

ASTM E84, E136

THE

BEST

FACA

DE FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

FIRE SAFE


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A NEED FOR ALARMA spate of fires has raised the importance of safety in the region. Big Project ME asks what can be done to ensure that lives and money can be saved?

They say that every

cloud has a silver

lining. And while

nobody would wish

for tragedy, a series of fires

over the past year have

placed the fire and safety

industry at the forefront of

change.

Certainly a fire safety

consultant or solutions

provider would find that

more potential clients

are now listening more

carefully. Fire safety is a

curious beast. It sits with

other building systems but

is easily the most important

of them. And in many

cases, you only find out

how good it is once.

There is a major flaw in

any safety system, ironically

the people who buy the

system and rely on it are

the most likely to disarm

or disable it. At a recent

meeting of fire protection

experts there were horror

stories of fire exits being

locked because they were

being used for egress

by shoplifters. And fire

sprinklers being switched

off for days for no particular

reason.

Michael Kelly is director

of fire safety engineering

for Emaar Malls. He is a

distinguished fire officer

and an experienced safety

consultant, responsible for

Intercontinental & Crown Plaza Hotel, Festival City, Dubai

Client Al-Futtaim Group Architect Cox Crone ArchitectsConstruction 2003 – 2007Application of FOAMGLAS® behind stone cladding facade 8000 m²

Build-up1 Stone cladding2 Rail support system for

cladding fixed in concrete3 FOAMGLAS® mechanically fixed4 Structural wall concrete

Long term investment in safety and durability.Web: www.foamglas.ae Email: [email protected] Dubai office Tel: +9714 434 7140 Doha office Tel: +974 465 5360

FOAMGLAS® Insulation

The Intercontinental and Crown Plaza Hotel are part of Festival City project which, once finished, will be one of the largest mixed-used developments in Dubai. FOAMGLAS® is used behind the stone cladding because of the unique property of being fully resistant to any kind of water and vapour and therefore can be applied on the wall structure without any additional protection against the high humidity. No additional foil for vapour protection is required trough the closed cell structure of the material FOAMGLAS® itself. Result is the life time constant performance of the thermal insulation. Degradation through humidity absorption is the biggest problem in the Middle East for wall insulation next to fire issues. FOAMGLAS® is fully inorganic and will not support any fire. With no flame spread and no smoke development it provides, especially in hotel project with towers, the highest safety and ensures the highest standard. It contains 66% recycling glass content and is environmentally sound in it’s manufacturing, usage and eventual disposal.

Ventilated Facade

1

2

4

3

ASTM E84, E136

THE

BEST

FACA

DE FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

FIRE SAFE

the safety of around 100,000

people walking through

the Dubai Mall and the

inhabitants and staff of the

Burj Khalifa. In essence two

of his major responsibilities

are the tallest building in

the world and the largest

mall in the world. But what

keeps him awake at night is

not buildings.

“Construction is not the

problem. When people

see smoke in a mall they

panic. There is meant to be

smoke. That’s part of the

protection scenario.” His

other problem is not the

public but managers “most

managers will not have

read the fire procedures.”

Peter Holland, CBE, was

a fireman in Northampton.

He recalls a recent test

of an 8sqm construction

insulated with polyurethane

sandwich board, with a roof

and a crib in the corner.

He was not expecting an

exciting afternoon.

“I couldn’t see how this

was going to get out of

hand. After six minutes I

was bored. On the seventh

minute the fire changed

completely. The panels

started to delaminate

and the fire flashed over.

90 seconds later we were

literally running for our

lives.

“Fire safety is about

learning lessons but more

importantly learning

them quickly and feeding

them back into the

information chain. Because

construction methods

are changing all the time

and we need to bring real

world situations back into

planning very quickly.”

According to figures

revealed by civil defence

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“FIRE SaFETy IS abOuT lEaRNINg lESSONS buT MORE IMpORTaNTly lEaRNINg ThEM quICkly aND FEEDINg ThEM baCk INTO ThE INFORMaTION ChaIN”


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authorities in the UAE, 3,359

fire incidents were reported

in the first six months of

2012 alone. The majority

of these were in residential

buildings and high-rises.

Holland believes that each

fire should pose questions

such as how the building

behaved during a fire, how

the materials behaved

and finally how the people

behaved. If any of these are

outside of the expectations

then the first thing we

should investigate is why.

One of the hardest and

most important aspects

of fire is how to contain

it. Obviously objects that

are friends during normal

times become enemies

during inflammation,

doors for example. An

important part of arresting

fire is to stop it spreading

throughout the building

using systems such as fire

protection sleeves.

These essentially stop the

gaps around wired and as a

bonus works on an acoustic

level too. Sharib Rao, is

specification and product

manager for Geberit says

that, while the products are

not yet mandatory by UAE

civil defence, it is about to

change.

“We believe that as fire

protection is such a hot

topic in the region, and as

the recent amendment that

makes it compulsory in

new builds and properties

undergoing major

renovations, it will become

a common product in

construction.”

False alarms and

the poor selection or

maintenance of smoke

alarms in buildings has

encouraged occupiers of

buildings to assume an

alarm is a misfire or a joke.

How much safer would life

be if everyone who heard a

fire alarm took it seriously?

The UAE currently

adopts a lot of its fire

safety regulations from

Europe or the USA. It is a

young country drawing

on the experience of

older countries to draft its

regulations. But just as it did

with aviation, the UAE has

the possibility to become

world leaders in this field.

Abu Dhabi has the very

strong Estidama building

code. It is largely based

around green issues but

has the ability to strengthen

safety as well.

As a new boom takes

place we should allocate

more resources to making

our buildings more fire

retardant. Any money we

have left over can be used

to make then funny shapes.

It's not a question of

whether a fire can damage

a structure, but a question

of when. It simply takes

longer for fire to affect fire-

resistant materials. The key

is to construct a building

in which a fire would take

effect slowly, allowing the

occupants plenty of time to

escape.

“ThE paNElS STaRTED TO DElaMINaTE aND ThE FIRE FlaShED OvER. 90 SECONDS laTER wE wERE lITERally RuNNINg FOR OuR lIvES”


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Following the fire at

the Tamweel Tower

in Dubai calls for

stronger government

commitment to fire safety

have increased tremendously.

According to eyewitness

reports, the fire started on the

roof of the building (situated

in Cluster U) and spread

down to the flats below.

Residents of the building

were seen gathering in the

street and inside their cars,

while the flames spread

down the building. Fire

alarms were said to have

woken up residents, not just

in the building, but also in

surrounding towers.

Eyewitnesses said that

slabs of concrete fell off from

the rooftop, leading to the

spread of the fire to different

floors. Some pieces landed on

resident’s balconies, setting

fire to those apartments.

“The falling pieces of

concrete fell to the ground.

A few of them fell on cars

parked on the ground floor.

The fire fighters were hard

placed to put them out

but the falling concrete

endangers their lives as well,”

witnesses said.

Although Civil Defence

sources confirmed that there

were no casualties from the

fire, the incident highlighted,

yet again, how vulnerable

high-rise towers are to fire

hazards. Photographs taken

during the fire showed that

the cladding along the sides

CALLS FOR FIRE SAFETY IN WAKE OF TAMWEELFollowing the outbreak of yet another fire, calls for stringent regulation and checks increase as government and industry work towards a unified fire safety code


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of the building went up in

flames, and in fact, helped

enable the spread of the fire

to the lower floors of the

residential tower.

With this in mind,

Stephen Lipscombe, senior

manager – Technical & QA/

QC at Emirates Glass, and

a fire safety expert, said

the industry, community

and government must

work together to increase

awareness about fire safety

and ensure that proper

standards are met and

followed to the letter.

“5,000m2 of aluminium

cladding with polyurethane

contains as much benzene as

a refill truck going to a petrol

station,” he told Big Project

ME on the sidelines of a fire

safety conference.

“We have pictures of

buildings out here, where

the glass has stayed intact,

but the aluminium cladding,

which self-combusts at

500°C, has burnt up, across

and come back down again.

The glass has stayed intact,

but the building is ablaze

from the outside.”

Lipscombe pointed

out that there needed to

be increased cooperation

between the three concerned

sectors, so as to ensure that

best practices are met and

workers installing equipment

are properly educated on fire

safety and systems.

“The ideal scenario should

be three-pronged: It would

be government commitment

in terms of its organs like

civil defence, planning

and building inspectors

(investigating systems),

industry commitment

where cheap products (are

forgotten) and we strive to be

ISO and upwards in terms of

standards and community.”

“That’s what it boils

down to, whether it’s safety

of the fire protection or the

safety of the system that

goes in it. We’re dealing

with other people’s families,

and I think we have a moral

responsibility,” he explained.

“Awareness generally

isn’t a problem; it’s the

inspection, the enforcement

(of regulations). Anyone can

write a law, a standard, it’s

about having the will or the

people to enforce it and make

it work. There have been

huge changes over the last

twelve months at the Federal

National Council and at the

municipality here in Dubai.”

“We’re pushing the

government to adopt

standards; we’re pushing

this all the time. If you look

at it from the point of view

that this is a developing

infrastructure and a

developing system, with all

the attached responsibility

that brings to the political

system, then we’ve learnt

so many lessons from our

communities,” Lipscombe

pointed out.

“We’ve learnt from our

mistakes, so why should the

learning curve here take

just as long? We bring this

experience and it must be

presented in a way that’s

practical, cost effective and

involves all sectors of the

community,” he concluded.

StEPhEn LiPScoMBE, EMIrATEs GlAss


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PUTTING SAFETY FIRSTThe Yas Viceroy Hotel played host to the 3rd annual Fire safety Technology Forum earlier this year. It took place under the patronage of His royal Highness lieutenant General sheikh saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

As mentioned elsewhere in

this supplement fire has

become a very real issue

in this region, given the

events in Qatar and the Tamweel

Tower. Dubai is very wary of

having its name, like London or

Rome, after the soubriquet ‘The

great fire of’.

There were some acclaimed

and famed speakers during

the conference. Major General

Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi is

director general civil defence.

It must be said that the civil

defence has acted strongly and

decisively to combat the fires

that have occurred in the UAE.

In some ways it is their most

pressing problem.

Peter Holland CBE, adviser to

the UK government, department

for communities and local

government, came next. He is

a fireman, and his firefighters

are affected every day by the

decisions that the construction

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“ENSuRINg pROpER FIRE SaFETy pROTECTION ShOulD bE ThE MaIN pRIORITy OF buIlDINg DESIgN aND OpERaTION”

industry makes. He made

the very valid point that

buildings are getting higher

and construction methods

are changing. He believes

that construction and

firefighters are reverse faces

of the same coin. In the end,

ensuring proper fire safety

protection should be the

main priority of building

design and operation.

Joseph Glitter, director,

division of risk assessment

in the USNRC’s Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation

was an interesting choice.

Bear in mind that new

desalination plants in the

UAE are probably going to

be driven by nuclear power.

There are several people

who think that nuclear

power is the future for the

UAE because it is more

provably effective than the

conventional power sources

currently in operation.

Major Jamal is head

of preventive safety

department responsible fire

safety codes, bringing the

first edition of UAE Fire and

Life Safety Code of Practice

to life.

He is the architect of UAE

safety and a much respected

figure in the region. He is

responsible for keeping the

residents of the UAE safe

and he daily faces decisions

that have massive effects

on the lifestyle, and indeed

lives of those in his care. He

is responsible for the UAE

emirates being much more

responsive to each other.

Indeed engineers have

regular meetings to make

sure that the emirates are

aligned in their response

and planning.

Steve McGuirk,

county fire officer and

chief executive, Greater

Manchester Fire and

Rescue Service, UK is

an entertaining and

illuminating speaker.

He is outspoken and has

strong opinions and this

has caused controversy

in the past. Last year he

was attacked by the press,

when he said that many

government employees

were lazy and needed a

shakeup. He pointed out

that there was a great need

to engage with the public,

and that this could help to

prevent fires.

On previous occasions he

has spoken of the fire service

in ancient Rome, which

actually had an evacuation

plan and the ability to put

citizens to death if they

broke fire safety rules.

While we don’t have

floods, we do have fire and

we apparently still have

pestilence. Daniel Lucey

MD, MPH, is adjunct

professor of microbiology

and immunology -

PEtEr hoLLand, CBE


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Georgetown University

Medical Center and an

expert on deadly global

virus outbreaks

He is a physician who

completed his training in

infectious diseases and

public health at Harvard

University hospitals and

School of Public Health.

He has also worked at the

National Institutes of Health

in the US Public Health

Service as a Consultant

Physician. During the Severe

Acute Respiratory (SARS)

coronavirus outbreaks in

2003, he travelled to Asia

and worked in a “SARS

hospital” in Canada to

gain first-hand experience

with this new viral disease.

Similarly, from 2004-2012 he

travelled to Asia and Egypt

to better understand bird flu

viruses. His lecture acted as a

reminder that we are not safe

from anything ever.

As the day whizzed by

we also heard from Richard

Gordon MBE, director,

Bournemouth University

International Disaster

Management Centre, UK

and keynote speaker at UN

World 2nd International

Forum on the Integration

of Emergency Management

in 2012.

He’s trained Bangladesh’s

members of the armed

forces, civil administrators

and development partners

on disaster management.

The Armed Forces

Division, ministry of

disaster management,

department of disaster

management, Police, Fire

Service and Civil Defence,

ICRC, World Vision, ECGO,

UNDP, OXFAM, CDMP,

ADPC, and OCHA were

the organisations that took

part in the training. Richard

is living proof that fast

response and measured use

of resources can combat

even the direst of situations.

Russell Wood, global

director of solution sales,

Infographics UK, told the

conference how everyday

items such as phones are

used to administer large

numbers of emergency

response workers.

He gave several examples

of working technologies

in the field, and how their

use will become more

widespread in the future.

Nick Link, CEO at

FireBug Company, bought a

glimpse of how water-based

technologies could develop.

He is involved in misting

which is where ordinary tap

water is filtered down to five

microns (one tenth the size

of a human hair!) the water

is then pressurised to over

1000PSI by high pressure

fog machines.

This fog can drop the

outside temperature by

as much as 30 degrees.

Link has also intriguingly

“FaST RESpONSE aND MEaSuRED uSE OF RESOuRCES CaN COMbaT EvEN ThE DIREST OF SITuaTIONS”


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developed misting

decontamination capability

for MI5.

The conference also

featured the speaker

Rodrick Fraser, Fire

Commissioner – Boston Fire

Department – he controls

the Boston Fire Department

in the United States, an

entity boasting a staff of

over 1,400 firefighters.

FINDINg a NEw pERSpECTIvEConferences like these

are invaluable. Oddly the

principal aspects of fire have

not changed in centuries. It

is a chemical reaction. Yet

we keep devising ways of

making humans higher and

more in danger.

Putting a group of

professionals together

fosters a keen interchange

of ideas and opinions.

It gives participants a

chance to gain perspective

from seasoned professional

lecturers who are living with

fire technologies everyday

of their lives.

These conferences are

valuable and give rise to

new ideas and thoughts,

and bring stakeholders

together. Long may that

continue as governments

and industries continue to

demand better from and for

their fire safety industries.

alubOND aND al bakER TOwER 4

last year the Al Baker Tower 4 was gutted due to fire. The use of non-fire rated aluminium cladding led to a fast spread of fire, leading to the evacuation of almost 135 families. This prompted the sharjah officials to revamp the building codes to avoid such tragedies in the future. Alubond UsA, with its fire rated properties was the only possible and viable solution to fit out the building.

With a global presence in more than 80 countries, Alubond UsA is a market leader in fire-rated composite panel cladding systems. Alubond UsA was a Gold sponsor for the 3rd Annual Fire and safety Technology Forum; hosted by the Directorate General of Civil Defense.

Alubond UsA is a metal composite panel consisting of two layers of a metallic skin like Aluminum, stainless steel, Copper, Zinc, Titanium etc, sandwiching a fire rated core in a continuous co-extrusion process.

Let Intertek

clear a path™

for your nextinnovation

Get to market with greater speed and simplicity.

Whether you’re designing a new product or kicking off a building project, timing is always a critical factor in your profi tability. That’s why more and more companies are partnering with Intertek for quality, safety, and performance services.

We deliver fast, effi cient product testing and certifi cation – including our ETL certifi cation for electrical products and our Warnock Hersey certifi cation for building products – so manufacturers can show proof of compliance to local, national and international safety and

performance standards. This can give you more confi dence in your deadlines knowing that installed products have been properly tested and certifi ed.

Intertek has a growing presence in the Middle East, as well as 1,000 labs around the world in Europe, Asia, and North America. To learn more about how Intertek can help your next innovation come to life, visit www.intertek.com.

ClearAPath ad_3817r1.indd 1 5/31/13 11:02 AM

200 INDUsTrY AND GoVErNMENT proFEssIoNAls

ATTENDED THE EVENT.

Let Intertek

clear a path™

for your nextinnovation

Get to market with greater speed and simplicity.

Whether you’re designing a new product or kicking off a building project, timing is always a critical factor in your profi tability. That’s why more and more companies are partnering with Intertek for quality, safety, and performance services.

We deliver fast, effi cient product testing and certifi cation – including our ETL certifi cation for electrical products and our Warnock Hersey certifi cation for building products – so manufacturers can show proof of compliance to local, national and international safety and

performance standards. This can give you more confi dence in your deadlines knowing that installed products have been properly tested and certifi ed.

Intertek has a growing presence in the Middle East, as well as 1,000 labs around the world in Europe, Asia, and North America. To learn more about how Intertek can help your next innovation come to life, visit www.intertek.com.

ClearAPath ad_3817r1.indd 1 5/31/13 11:02 AM


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FIRE AND FACADESA number of serious building fires have triggered significant public concern over the safety of façade materials. Andy Dean, of Exova Warringtonfire, discusses the issues involved, how the industry might respond, and raises questions for the future

Spacing buildings

apart to prevent the

spread of fire is not a

new idea – it can be

traced back to the Great Fire

of London in 1666, when

the streets were narrow

and wooden buildings

close together. This allowed

flames and heat from one

building to set fire to others

across the street.

It is said that one of the

strategies used by King

Charles II to stop the fire

spreading was to demolish

perfectly good buildings to

create ‘fire breaks’.

This principle is still

widely used today, with

building codes all over

the world stipulating that

buildings must be spaced

apart to prevent a fire in one

building spreading to others.

The advent of high-tech

fire resistant façades is a

relatively new development

and means fire rated

buildings can be placed

much closer together.

Most buildings

don’t need such high

specification façade

materials because they are

appropriately spaced. This


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“MaNy CODES DO NOT REquIRE ThE FaçaDE TO bE FIRE-RaTED IF OThER SySTEMS aRE uSED”

level of fire rating is also

extremely expensive and

not economically viable for

ordinary buildings.

Many codes do not

require the façade to be

fire-rated if other systems

are used, such as internal

sprinkler systems or

perimeter fire stopping.

Firstly, it is important to

understand the difference

between ‘reaction-to-fire’

and ‘fire resistance’.

Reaction-to-fire mainly

deals with materials: if they

burn (combustibility); how

easily they burn (ignitability

and flame spread); and

what happens when they

burn (smoke development

and resulting toxicity).

Reaction-to-fire

focuses on the response

of materials during the

development of a fire, so,

for example, concrete,

paper, wood, plastic and

paint will each register

very different reaction-

to-fire performances. The

result is often a material

classification that is used by

designers to ensure the right

material is in the right place

with the aim of preventing a

fire from starting, or limiting

its spread.

Fire resistance, on

the other hand, mainly

addresses building systems

(such as walls, floors,

ceilings, and doors) and

their compartmentation

abilities – for instance, when

a fire is fully developed in

a space or room, how long

will it take for that fire to

burn through a system into

an adjacent space? Fire

resistance performance is

always measured in terms

of ‘time’ and is used by

designers to make sure

potential fire spread from

one compartment to

another is quantified. This is

an important consideration

when designing a building

because it will enable people

to get out in time, as well as

limiting damage to property.

why pERIMETER FIRE STOppINg IS CRuCIalWhether or not the façade

of the building has a fire

resistance capability, it must

also perform in at least two

other important fire-related

ways. Firstly, the materials

used have to limit flame

spread – and it is lamentably

apparent that some of

the materials used on the

buildings in the recent fires

were not suitable.

Secondly, where

‘compartmentation’ is

required by the fire safety

strategy, the gap between

the façade and the building

(typically at the floors),

must be sealed to limit fire

spread between rooms.

This is called ‘perimeter

firestopping’. It is extremely

important, but can become

ineffective if the materials

used in the façade enable

the fire to bypass this seal.

When looking into the

FACADE MATErIAl MUsT lIMIT FlAME sprEAD.

flame spread characteristics

of a façade, it is important

to evaluate the materials

used in its manufacture.

In particular, the

combustibility, ignitability

and spread of flame

across the surface must be

evaluated.

Some test methods

traditionally used to

determine a material’s

fire-related performance

may not be appropriate

for some façade materials.

For example, the ASTM

E84 (‘Steiner Tunnel’) and

EN ISO 13823 (the single

burning item or SBI) tests

that are used as part of the

classification systems in

key international regions

are not, in isolation,

sufficient to prove adequate

performance. The reason

for this is that these tests are

often not aggressive enough,

in terms of flame and heat,

to challenge the material

effectively.

For example, a common

material used in façades

is ACP, or aluminium

composite panelling,

which falls into the genre of

metal composite materials

(MCM). Non-fire rated

versions of ACP often

comprise a 2-5mm core of

low density polyethylene

(LDPE) sandwiched between

two layers of aluminium

(generally 0.5mm thick

on each side). The LDPE

typically burns ferociously

once lit, but the fire has to

get through the aluminium

before it can ignite the core.

The two tests cited above will

often not penetrate the skin

and therefore never ‘release

the dragon’ inside – as a real

life building fire might.

ThE NEED FOR MORE ThOROugh TESTINg TEChNIquESThe answer to concerns

over testing these types of

systems is a more aggressive

fire test. NFPA 285 or BS

8414 are two such tests.

These are performed on

full-scale mock-ups with the

wall system containing the

material fixed to a test wall

two storeys high.

The tests simulate a

fully developed fire, either

adjacent to the wall or

breaking out from a window.

The heat release from these

tests is sufficient to properly

test the façade and evaluate

its performance in spread-

of-fire terms.

Turning to fire

compartmentation at the

perimeter fire stopping, it

is important to consider

a number of issues. The

idea of this system is to

stop elements of a fully

developed fire travelling


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ANALYSIS

“TESTS aRE OFTEN NOT aggRESSIvE ENOugh, IN TERMS OF FlaME aND hEaT, TO ChallENgE ThE MaTERIal EFFECTIvEly”


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ANALYSIS

vertically between floors,

through the gap between

the floor slab and the

façade. It is essential to

keep in mind that this is

not just a ‘smoke seal’. It

is generally expected that

the perimeter firestopping

should have the same fire

resistance performance as

the slab which it abuts.

a quESTION OF FIRE SaFETyA frequent question is:

“So what happens when

the glass of the façade

breaks (which it generally

will do in a few minutes

after flashover) and

the aluminium of the

façade melts (which it

will do some time shortly

afterwards)?”

This is a pertinent

question, but does not

remove the need to ensure

that the integrity of the

firestopping remains intact

once any façade system

failure starts to occur. If the

longevity and performance

of the perimeter fire stop

depends on the resilience of

the façade nearby, then this

resilience must be made

intrinsic to the design.

The firestopping and the

façade at this location must

act as a system in the case

of a fire. This may require

the selection of more

durable materials that are

not going to break or melt

once the fire starts such

as fire rated glass or steel

framing or panelling. An

alternative – and common

– solution is to protect the

façade area adjacent to the

fire stop so it is insulated

from the fire and retains

its integrity for a specified

length of time.

Tests such as ASTM

E2307 or EN 1364 (parts 3

or 4 depending on whether

the façade is fire-rated or

not) are examples of test

methods that can effectively

evaluate the fire stopping.

TESTINg, TESTINg, TESTINgAs implied above, the

way to establish the

reaction-to-fire, or fire

resistance characteristics

of a material or system,

is to test its performance.

Testing is performed in

specialised laboratories,

using both small-scale

and large-scale furnaces

specifically designed for

the purpose.

Another important

element in the testing

process is the durability

of a material. Many

specifications and regional

mandatory requirements

(including European ones)

stipulate that the durability

of systems and materials

is established alongside

fire and other such

performance criteria.

For instance, it would

be unsatisfactory to have

a fire door with hinges

that deteriorate after only

a few years, allowing gaps

to open between the door

and the frame such that

the original fire resistance

properties of the door

become ineffective.

kEy ISSuES OF FaçaDE DESIgNA well-thought-out fire

safety strategy and façade

design are critical. Making

the whole façade fire

resistant is usually not

necessary, provided that

the intended function

and performance of the

materials is understood in

relation to both reaction-to-

fire and fire resistance.

Appropriate testing of

the materials used in the

façade and the perimeter

firestopping systems are

two key aspects of ensuring

that the façade and its

interface with the building

performs adequately.

“aNOThER IMpORTaNT ElEMENT IN ThE TESTINg pROCESS IS ThE DuRabIlITy OF a MaTERIal”


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FROM THE GROUND UP Big Project ME talks to some of the leading fire experts in the UAE to examine the fire safety situation in the country and what needs to improve to protect our buildings and their occupants

Despite all of

humanity’s great

advances over

the thousands of

years that we’ve been in

existence, our greatest

achievement remains our

very first. Back in the mists

of time, when our earliest

ancestors learnt how to

tame fire to their own uses,

they had no idea it would

spark off our journey to

become the dominant

species on the planet.

However, although we

may have tamed fire that

does not mean that we’ve

mastered it. Indeed, it

remains one of the greatest

threats to modern life given

that once a blaze starts,

there’s only so much we can

do to stop it.

A measure of just how

terrifying fire can be can be

seen in the reaction people

have when the word is

shouted out in a crowded

area. Panic and mayhem

follows swiftly. It’s necessary

then, that all precautions

be taken to ensure that

buildings remain as fire

proof as possible and that

their inhabitants are safe.

SAFETY


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“SpRINklER SySTEMS ShOulD ONly bE TuRNED OFF whEN ThERE IS NO ChaNCE OF OCCupaNCy by huMaNS”

After all, nobody would

like a repeat of the Villaggio

Mall fire in Doha, where

tragically 19 people lost

their lives, and five are being

prosecuted by the Qatari

authorities.

“Over the recent years,

fire and life safety is

becoming more and more

important in the middle-

east. This is especially true

in the UAE, which is one

of the more advanced and

proactive countries in the

GCC and MENA region

as a whole,” says Afschin

Soleimani, director of Fire &

Risk Engineering at Ramboll

Middle East.

“This is due to a number

of factors. In particular,

over the years, the UAE has

enjoyed a significant influx

of fire engineering experts

from around the world.

These fire experts had a

major influence on creating

awareness of fire safety and

the understanding of the

latest regulations and the

intent of such regulations,”

he says.

Soleimani adds that

some high profile fires in

the region, in particular

the ones affecting public

buildings, have impacted the

perception of the public on

the devastating effects that

fires can have on people’s

lives and property.

However, while interest

and awareness is growing,

fire safety experts continue

to face challenges when it

comes to implementing

fire safety measures and

convincing owners to move

forwards with the times.


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“The biggest challenge

is educating the building

owners, consultants, and

officials about ongoing

safety protocols and

procedures. The region

is in its infancy stage on

regulation and enforcement

of product certifications,”

says Mike Luna, marketing

manager for Building

Products/Life Safety and

Security at Intertek, a US-

based firm that provides

safety solutions.

This doesn’t mean that

the market isn’t receptive

to new ideas though, Luna

adds, just that it’s still a very

young market when it comes

to fire prevention.

“(The UAE) is very

receptive to the types of

regulations seen in other

regions of the world. (But)

it’s sometimes difficult

as there’s no consistency

on which region of the

world the safety codes are

modelled after,” he says.

“For instance, some

European codes and

standards are used and

in other instances, the

US codes and standards

are used. Since the

standards writing

committees are different

and instrumentation

and procedures are

different, the testing can

sometimes be difficult for

manufacturers to meet all

the requirements. I think it

becomes more difficult for

manufacturers trying to sell

their products in the region

and understanding the

requirements to meet.”

Soleimani points out

that attitudes are changing,

albeit slowly, as authorities

and clients become more

aware of the pressing need

for adequate fire protection.

He points out that UAE

fire safety codes are more

comparable to the US codes

than codes from any other

region of the world.

“In 2011, the UAE Fire

and Life Safety Code

was published by the

Ministry of the Interior.

This code is intended

to be the applicable fire

legislation throughout the

UAE. It has adopted many

requirements from the

National Fire Protection

Association (NFPA)

Standards, in particular

FOaMglaS

Insulation and facades manufacturer, FoamGlas Building, says that its FoAMGlAs Compact roof product is amongst the most lasting and reliable products when it comes to fire safety, as evidenced by fire rating tests conducted by the company.

“FoAMGlAs is composed of pure glass, without binder or resins, and is therefore non-combustible. It is classified M0 in France, A1 in Germany, VI 3 in switzerland and non-combustible in the UK,” says Marco Vincenz, sales director Middle East, for FoamGlas Building.

“It maintains its physical properties right up to 430°C and the glass itself does not start to melt till after 750°C has been reached, at 1,000°C, a new foaming phase begins. The glass does not fuel, extend or propagate the fire in any way,” he adds.

Although the bitumen used in the construction of roofs is combustible, Vincenz says that with a FoAMGlAs Compact roof, oxygen is excluded from the build-up, thereby denying it a chance to spread through the building.

In addition, when installed on steel decks, the FoAMGlAs slabs are dipped in hot bitumen to ensure full adherence to the deck while reducing the required amount of bitumen (~600 to 800g/m2).

NFPA 101, which is the “Life

Safety Code”,” he explains.

“In some cases , such

as the section related to

the provisions for fire-

resistance ratings, the

UAE code has adopted a

more restrictive stance

than NFPA. For example,

while the NFPA requires

a 1/2-hour fire-resistance

rating for corridor walls of

a sprinklered apartment

floor, the UAE code

would require a 1-hour

fire-resistance rating in

that instance. The UAE

code also includes exit

stair and corridor width

requirements that are

slightly more restrictive

than NFPA,” Soleimani

explains further.

However, Gautam Arya,

managing director of

Procon Emirates, a leading

fire protection contractor

in the UAE, says that one of

his concerns is that certain

engineers may resist

using the local code as a

reference when selecting

fire safety products.

“There is some disparity

in the acceptable codes

more on a project basis,

although the ADCD and

DCD accepts internationally

recognized standards such

as UL/BS and EN standards

when approving products,”

he says. “Projects especially

will sometimes only accept

the codes/standards

of where the engineers

originate from or in some

situations who the client is

and where they are based.”

“This can cause

confusion as on some

projects the manufacturers

product may not be deemed

acceptable to be used

although it fully complies


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SAFETY

“ThE uaE IS NOw uNITED IN ITS RESpONSE. ENgINEERS FROM EvERy EMIRaTE MEET TO ENSuRE STaNDaRDS aRE hIgh”

gEbERIT

recent amendments to the UAE Fire and life safety Code of practice have suggested the use of fire sleeves in existing buildings and make their installation compulsory in new builds and properties under renovation.

As such, swiss sanitary ware manufacturer Geberit has decided to promote its Geberit Fire protection sleeve rs90 plus EN in the region, believing that the market for the product will be significant in the near future.

“Geberit provides intumescent fire sleeves. Intumescent collars can be fitted using any means of installation,” says stefan schmied, managing director and head of Gulf region, Geberit. “Collars are to be installed using metal wedge-style staybolts. Each has four fixing locations and any gaps between construction and pipe penetration are to be filled with a fire rated intumescent mastic,” he adds, explaining the installation process of the sleeves.

With these sleeves able to be retrofitted into older buildings, schmied believes that there’s going to be a significant uptake in the market following the amendment to the safety Code.

“We believe that as Fire protection is such a hot topic in the region, our Fire sleeves will become a common product in construction.”

For more information onWIWA pumps and systemsvisit our website at

www.wiwa.com

WIWA DUOMIX 333 PFP

Systems for Passive Fire Protection

Plural Component Systems

Customized Equipment

Standard Airless Pumps

Polyurea and Foam Equipment

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application of passive fire

protection material.

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WIWA Middle East General Trading LLC Jebel Ali Industrial 1 DUBAI United Arab Emirates

Phone: +9714-884-8220 [email protected]


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SAFETY

with the locally acceptable

product requirements

of the authority having

jurisdiction,” he warns.

As such, he suggests that

there be a clear code in the

region that ensures that

all engineers, contractors,

clients and suppliers are on

the same page, in regards to

fire safety.

“There is no one

clear guide for fire rating

periods, some projects

will follow the NFPA codes

but it is not used on every

project. Certainly in the

structural steel market the

norm over the last 5 years

has been generally 120

minutes fire protection

regardless of the building

use or size,” Arya explains.

“In more mature

markets like the UK fire

ratings are decided based

on a number of factors

(ie. boundary conditions,

buildings use and size and

time required to egress).

We are now starting to see

different areas within a

building looking in more

detail at fire rating periods,

roof structures protected

for only 60 minutes while

other areas may be 120

minutes. But there is still

no clear code within the

region,” he says.

While NAFFCO CEO

Engineer Khalid Al Khatib,

agrees that there is a still

a lot of work to be done

before the UAE and its

neighbours catch up to the

Western world, there are

promising signs for the fire

safety industry.

“Civil Defence and

government are working

hard on raising safety

awareness,” he says.

“However, it is the

responsibility of the

community as well to

ensure that all of us

respond to these initiatives.

For instance, we need

to see more fire drills in

compounds and towers.

(People) have to be trained

how to escape smoke – this

is everyone’s responsibility,”

Engineer Khalid suggests.

“We need to make sure

that residents and security

guards know how to use a

fire extinguisher effectively,

for instance.”

“IT IS ThE RESpONSIbIlITy OF ThE COMMuNITy aS wEll TO ENSuRE ThaT all OF uS RESpOND TO ThESE INITIaTIvES”

wIwaWIWA Middle East is a registered company in the UAE and has a facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai. This facility not only acts as a warehouse to stock equipment and spares, but also for training, demonstration, service, maintenance and rentals.The 250sqm facility houses offices for sales and technical staff, a conference cum training room and storage space for equipment. A purpos-built spray booth is being designed and will be set up in the near future, says robert Jansen, sales director of WIWA Middle East.

The concept has attracted the attention of coatings manufacturers and contractors alike. The company has already conducted training and certification for a potential client from Abu Dhabi and a major manufacturer has used the facility for almost a week, Jansen says.

“We have a string of requests in the pipeline and see the concept really gaining momentum and resulting in much better visibility for WIWA in this region. Material manufacturers are always keen to test their materials in the extreme climate of the Middle East and our facility gives them that option away from their r&D centers, which are predominantly in more temperate climates,” he adds.

He adds that WIWA Middle East were in the midst of tying up with some new partners in the region, whom we hope will share our ideology and concept of providing efficient solutions to our clients.

GaraLd toddWsp F&l sAFETY


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FSI

FsI (FM solutions) limited is a company that supplies building services and facilities management software to FM contractors, so as to help improve the lifecycle, operations and efficiency of buildings.

Amongst their building management solutions, the company offers technology that “compliments other technology within a building, such as automated monitoring systems within a building,” says Adrian Jarvis, general manager of FsI (FM solutions) Middle East.

“We’re a developer and implementer of a computer aided facilities management programme that are used by both service providers and the owners and stakeholders in buildings,” he explains. “We spend lots of time talking to people within the building services industry, people who need to manage buildings from a property management perspective, from a maintenance management perspective, to ensure that we understand what they need and to ensure that we’re not where they need to be just today, but tomorrow,” he adds.

“We can be capturing those requirements and bringing things into our software to help them.”

Furthermore, he points out that there has been significant changes in the way the UAE market is approaching the adoption of FM technologies, to make their buildings more secure.

“I’ve seen great changes in the last four years, people are understanding all these buildings that exist here, they’re not going to look after themselves, and they need information to help them manage them and extend the lifecycle of these buildings, and help manage them and keep the value of the buildings as an asset, as a piece of real estate,” Jarvis says.

“so this market is moving at pace, in terms of its maturity, with the UAE leading that understanding across the Middle East. other countries are coming up to speed at slightly different rates, but certainly the awareness is spreading very rapidly.”

However, if there

was one thing he would

insist on, it would be that

builders and consultants

use what he calls ‘quality

listed products’, which have

been fire rated and tested,

thereby creating an effective

tool for both passive and

active firefighting, he says.

“Awareness is improving all

the time, but it is a process

and must keep going on.”

This emphasis on

increasing awareness is

something that Garald Todd,

head of Fire & Life Safety at

WSP Middle East, can get on

board with.

He tells Big Project ME

that while the UAE’s Fire

and Life Safety Code is a

‘positive’ step in the right

direction, FM companies

also have to play their part

in ensuring buildings and

properties are kept safe and

secure from fire.

“Regardless of how old

a facility is, we recommend

that a complete assessment

is done on the existing

design and installation to

assess if there are any legacy

issues with the system

present. As the quality of

design and installation

throughout the region has

been varied, it’s important

to understand what the FM

teams actually have, first

and foremost,” Todd says.

“We’ve seen systems that

have been ‘maintained’ by

companies who check these

systems, but merely as an

operational test,” he adds.

“These tests do not actually

ensure the system will

operate as intended,” Todd

warns omniously.

His two main areas of

concern are the competency

of contractors installing

equipment and the

appropriate maintenance of

building systems.

“(As such), it’s a matter

of education. We work very

closely with Civil Defence

and contractors in raising

awareness for the need of

inspections throughout

the construction process

and ensuring competent

qualified third parties are

involved in witnessing the

testing and commissioning

to ensure the intent of

the strategy and system

installations is maintained,”

he explains.

FM 23.4x29cm Jan 2013_v2.pdf 1 6/4/13 5:37 PM

KhaLid aL KhatiB, NAFFCo CEo

FM 23.4x29cm Jan 2013_v2.pdf 1 6/4/13 5:37 PM

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Big Project ME Fire Safety supplement for July