Design approach to fire safety in buildings

The underlying principles of the present building code approach to providing fire safety in buildings are examined critically and the principal features of building fires reviewed. A new design approach is suggested. If followed from the early stages of architectural design, it will result in a higher degree of fire safety and often in considerable savings in building costs. It is shown that fire protection requirements depend strongly on compartment ventilation and that they can sometimes be waived without endangering the fire safety of the building. Some basic design rules are presented to guide the building designer in his preliminary deliberations.Les principes de base de l'utilisation actuelle du code du b\ue2timent pour assurer la s\ue9curit\ue9 au feu des \ue9difices sont \ue9 tudi\ue9s et comment\ue9s et les principales caract\ue9ristiques des incendies d'\ue9difices sont pass\ue9es en revue. On sugg\ue8re une nouvelle m\ue9thode ax\ue9e sur la conception qui, si elle est adopt\ue9e d\ue8s le d\ue9but du dessin architectural, entra\ueenera une plus grande s\ue9curit\ue9 au feu et des frais de construction consid\ue9rablement moins \ue9lev\ue9s. On montre que les exigences de la protection contre le feu d\ue9pendent beaucoup de la ventilation des trav\ue9es et qu'on peut parfois s'en \ue9carter sans r\ue9duire la s\ue9curit\ue9 au feu de l'\ue9difice. On pr\ue9sente des r\ue8gles de conception fondamentales afin de guider le dessinateur-projeteur dans son travail pr\ue9liminaire.Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye