Fire-fighting gates and curtains on underground parking lots of shopping centers and residential complexes
Fire protection requirements for high-risk facilities located in residential buildings and crowded places have always been extremely strict. A number of large and tragic violations of the rules developed by practice led to mass casualties. Fortunately, the cause of large-scale fires in no case were underground parking lots and parking lots. The merit in this is in the strict regulation by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the rules for equipping underground parking with fire protection systems, including, among other things, "passive" means – fire curtains and gates.
We will tell you in detail about what requirements fire-fighting gates and curtains should meet in the underground parking of the shopping center and the residential complex.
We will tell you in detail about what requirements fire-fighting gates and curtains should meet in the underground parking of the shopping center and the residential complex.
2 March 2022
Regulatory regulation
In relation to underground parking lots and parking lots, along with the general requirements of the PPB, there is a special regulatory document: SP (code of rules) 1.13130.2020 of 19.03.2020.
Since 2021, the new rules are mandatory for the design, reconstruction and operation of existing underground parking lots. They also set requirements for fire curtains, their locations, as well as for fire gates.
The document provides a decoding of the concept of underground parking – "... premises, all floors of which are located below half the height from the ground level." Thus, the Rules apply not only to parking lots located in basements, but also in the ground floors of buildings if their height is buried in the ground by 1/2 or more.
Locations of fire barriers
The danger of underground parking in terms of possible fire is due to the high level of fire load per unit area. Cars are located close to each other. Each car, by itself, is a source of increased danger, because it is filled with highly combustible fuel, contains a large number of polymer parts in the structure, which emit a large amount of toxic gases during gorenje. A particular danger is caused by the possibility of an explosion of gasoline (gas) vapors, as well as the high temperature of fuel gorenje, which can lead to the destruction of the parking structure and collapse.In order to prevent the negative consequences of a fire and to localize the hearth, fire barriers are placed, depending on the planning solution of the parking lot:
- With a manege layout, when cars are parked in a common large room with free access to a common passage leading to the exit, barriers between individual cars are not provided.
- In the case of a box layout, when each car is in a separate box with an exit to the inner passage leading to the exit to the outside, the delimitation of parking spaces by fire barriers is not allowed. Allocation of boxes in underground parking is allowed only by mesh barriers made of non-combustible materials (metal mesh chain link).
Thus, it is permissible to place fire barriers (curtains and gates) only in intersectional passages separating parts of parking spaces that have independent exits / exits outside.
If the underground parking has more than 1 floor, at the entrance to the car storage room, lock-in chambers are arranged, isolated by fire curtains or gates.
Construction of barriers in underground parking lots
The locations and requirements for fire resistance of barriers in parking lots are defined by Part 2 of Article 38 of FZ-123 (in the new edition). To separate the premises of categories B and D, bordering the premises of category D, a fire barrier of the 1st or 2nd type is provided, with a fire resistance of at least EI 60. Have a closing mechanism when the fire alarm is triggered by an automatic electric drive. In case of a power outage, it is possible to close the barrier using the built-in UPS (in the absence of 1 category of power supply at the facility). Especially popular are sliding fire gates, which do not require electricity to close. The gate leaf is closed under its own weight using a system of weights and cables. If there is a need for emergency evacuation of people who have stayed in the building, a gate with a closer can be provided in sectional and sliding types of fire-resistant gates. An additional function that simplifies fire extinguishing by firefighters is the presence of a hatch in the door leaf for fire hydrants. If there is a technical possibility, the fire lock barrier is equipped with a drainage water curtain. The water barrier reduces the cost of the fabric of the fire-resistant curtain.Fire–fighting gates made of metal lamellas, or sliding ones - made of an array of non-combustible material, are installed in fire barriers (openings) in those places where the installation of curtains or screens is impractical or cannot provide a reliable termination of access to the room.
Consequently, the gates are installed at the entrance to the parking lot, or separately at the entrance to each isolated section or floor, curtains – in the openings inside the room existing between the sections or in the interstory vestibules in which the installation of gates is impractical.
Resume
The use of fire curtains and gates in underground parking lotsis the most effective measure to localize fires. They effectively prevent the spread of smoke and toxic products gorenje – the most dangerous factor for people in enclosed spaces. With low cost and ease of installation, they are no less effective than capital fire barriers. They allow you to gain time for the evacuation of people and vehicles.
