Fire Protection Design in Commercial Buildings
Fire protection is one of the most crucial systems every building should have. This consists of technical tools designed to detect fire and stop it from spreading. Fire protection can avoid or minimize loss and damage in cases of fire.
There are two kinds of fire safety systems–passive and active. Passive fire protection is incorporated into the building’s design and construction and creates compartmentalization to prevent fire from spreading. Fire doors, thermal insulation, non-combustible cable coating, fireproof cladding, and fire-resistant walls are a few examples of this system’s components.
On the other hand, active fire protection is a network of tools requiring activation, either by human intervention or motion detection. Some examples of active fire protection are fire extinguishers and sprinklers.
The primary purpose of passive and active fire protection is to safeguard people, properties, and valuables. Laws are put in place to see to it that these systems are appropriately incorporated and maintained
Compliance with these regulations can be confirmed through a commercial building inspection NJ. This comprehensive assessment is designed to evaluate the condition and safety of commercial property systems, including their fire safety components. Acommercial building inspector NJ also checks if the property’s structural integrity, electrical systems, plumbing, and HVAC, among others, are correctly installed.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) promulgated and published NFPA 220,which stipulates the standards for types of building construction. NFPA 220 categorizes building construction according to their structural elements’ combustibility and fire-resistance rating.
There are five types of buildings and structures based on NFPA 220’s standards. Type I refers to fire-resistive construction. This indicates that a building was constructed using non-combustible materials like steel or concrete. Buildings under Type I are designed to endure prolonged exposure to extreme heat without collapsing.
Type II is the category for non-combustible construction, composed of steel bolted, riveted, or welded together. Buildings under Type II can be vulnerable to steel members expanding and relaxing, causing them to collapse easily during a fire.
To learn more about fire protection, the types of building construction, and their implications on fire preparedness, check out this infographic by Lockatong Engineering.
