All building should satisfy certain safety requirements against fire, smoke and fumes.
1. Maximum Height
The height of a building is restricted depending on the number of storeys, the number of occupancy and the type of construction. Furthermore, all the above factors in turn depend on the width of the road in front of the building, floor area ratio and the local firefighting facility available.
2. Open Space
In general, every room for use by human beings should abutt on an interior or exterior open space or on an open verandah. The open spaces inside or outside should be able to provide sufficient lighting and ventilation. Further, the open space adjoining a road should be well inside giving scope for widening of the road.
3. Mixed Occupancy
When a building is used for more than one type of occupancy, for example, residential, godown, shops, etc., it should conform to the requirements for the most hazardous of the occupancies. Such mixed occupancy should be avoided as there is more risk for life of occupants. If mixed occupancy is separated by walls of 4-hour fire resistance, then the occupancy can be treated individually and safety measures can be taken.
4. Openings in Separating Walls and Floors
The openings in separating walls and floors should be designed in such a way that necessary protection is guaranteed to all such factors which may spread fire. For types 1–3 construction a door way or opening in a separating wall may be limited to about 6 m2 (i.e., height 2.75 m and width 2.1 m). Such wall openings should be provided with fire-resisting doors or steel rolling shutters. All openings in the floors shall be protected by vertical enclosures. In Type 4 construction, openings in the separating walls or floors should be fitted with 2-hour fire-resisting assemblies.
5. Enclosure on all openings
Wherever openings are permitted, they should not exceed three-fourths the area of the wall in the case of external wall and should be protected with fire-resisting assembles or enclosures. Such assembles and enclosures shall also be capable of preventing the spread of human or smokes.
6. Power Installations
Electrical power installations and gas connections for kitchen, if any, should be done as per norms and requirements from the point of view of fire safety.
7. Materials of Construction
The structural elements of the building such as floors, partitions, roofs, walls, etc., should be invariably constructed with fire-resisting materials. In general non-combustible materials like stones, bricks, concrete, metal, glass, clay products, etc., should be used in construction. Combustible materials such as wood and wood products, fibreboards, strawboards, etc., should be avoided or used only for the most essential places.
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