FIRE SAFETY IN HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

FIRE SAFETY IN HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Abstract

In many respects, historic buildings have long been under-served by the fire safety engineering community and have not received the level of consideration warranted structures of significance and distinction. This can in part be explained by the idiosyncratic nature of these buildings that defy standard code and construction approaches given their archaic configurations and materials. This paper reviews current activity to address these issues including a comprehensive review of fire safety codes in the U.S. This review identified many disparate approaches to regulating fire safety in historic buildings. There are different administrative and technical components and different administrative and technical approaches. The 2001 edition of NFPA 914, Code for Fire Protection in Historic Structures, focuses on performance-based evaluation as an important alternative to prescriptive codes. Goals, objectives, and performance criteria are essential elements of the new code.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Chapter I3

1. Introduction:4

Chapter II11

2. Literature Review:11

2.1 Evolution of Part B of the Building Regulations11

2.2 Approved Document B17

2.3 Fire Safety Legislation and Regulations21

2.4 A New Approach in England25

2.5 New Flexibility in Regulations in England26

Chapter III29

3. Approaches:29

3.1 Administrative Approaches:30

3.2 Technical Approaches31

3.3 Fire Safety Management32

Chapter IV36

4. Performance-Based Evaluation:36

4.1 Performance-Based Fire Safety for Historic Buildings36

4.2 Historic Preservation Goals37

4.3 Fire Safety Objectives40

4.4 Performance Criteria:42

4.5 Non-Thermal Fire Damage:43

4.6 Design Fire Scenarios and Performance Evaluation:44

Chapter V46

5. Summary46

References48

Appendix55

Chapter I

1. Introduction:

Conservation of cultural Heritage" is a stated goal of the ISO Technical Committee on Fire Safety Engineering. Most societies recognize that the work of previous generations is an important part of their culture. Historic buildings are a valuable part of this environment. They have a special place in society and are appreciated and enjoyed. Their age, history, appearance, materials, and craftsmanship all combine to make each one a unique, non-renewable resource. The number of listed or designated historic buildings is unknown.

In Europe, there are millions. In the U.S., any building over fifty years old is eligible for historic status. Historic buildings are exposed to the same fire threats as other buildings, including arson, lightning, construction operations, faulty equipment and inadequate maintenance. Many specific aspects of the fire problem are unknown because, statistically, historic buildings are almost invisible. Fire loss data is typically collected only on factors that relate to fire cause and origin. There is usually no fire loss data by historic significance or even building age. The way we know about fire losses of historic buildings is by observing those that occur around us or from media attention to those that are of such importance that they are newsworthy, for example, Windsor Castle. A notable exception is in Sweden as reported by Kippes and Homberg.

Preserving our heritage from fire is a topic that is currently being addressed around the world, but especially in Europe. The CIB W014 Working Commission identified seven projects of highest priority for the 2001 CIB World Congress in New Zealand. One of these projects is a "guidance document on rational fire safety engineering approach to fire safety in historic buildings". This represents ongoing work that was initiated some ...