Passive Fire Protection, Testing & Certification

NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF INDIA
Group C (Subdivision C1) Hospital Buildings, NBC 2016

Using building codes often becomes as complicated as creating them. A key reason is the spread of occupancy types and environmental

conditions clash very often with jurisdictions and their interpretation of the clauses. While the compliance to ‘Design’ and inspection of ‘Workmanship’ continue to get debated, one aspect of ‘code compliance’ is now very evolved globally. And this ‘Compliance of Materials’.

This article aims to shed light on the most critical aspect of the National Building Code of India, which was last revised in 2016 bringing forth many changes from its 2005 version. Products and materials are used to create the infrastructure that ‘Architects visualize and design; ‘Engineers design and build and ‘Government & Financial Institutions fund. The promise of “compliance with the code” relies heavily on the assurance of the materials produced in factories and their ability to provide the same materials repeatably. There are several properties of building materials: Physical, Mechanical, Chemical, acoustic, ‘Fire’, and the list goes on. The commercial impact of the inaccuracy of some of these properties can be very high. Sometimes an accident caused due to the lack of repeatability of a given property can be an immeasurable loss of life or lives.

Assurance Mechanisms

The assurance of the performance of any product is the primary promise for commercial transactions. The supply chains of products and raw materials continue to become more complex and susceptible to global events. These events can disrupt the availability of building materials leading to quick solutions from alternate suppliers. This could lead to dangerous outcomes if the performance is not as per requirements.

Governments and industries around the world have been evolving ‘Standard Mechanisms’ over the

decades with more strict and stringent systems deployed for products that have a higher risk to life. As an example, the assurance mechanism in place for ensuring that an electrical switchboard will not create a short-circuit-led fire is stringent in almost every country. Now whether an office chair or a piece of furniture supplied will break while in use or the vegetables sold in every market will contain certain banned chemicals is not necessarily checked or assured in the same way. These vary across countries and are often driven by awareness among people and the risk it poses.

Test Reports & Certification

The word ‘Tested’ is seen across many consumer products and even industrial products and often seeing this word drives some level of assurance. People relying on this should know when a product gets tested, the ‘sample’ often always knows that it will be tested. Hence a ‘test’ only demonstrates the ‘capability’ of making a product which can comply with a given test. To get an assurance that the product is being ‘supplied’ requires not only checking the ability to produce repeatable and consistently but also having a mechanism to establish traceability. This is where ‘Certification & Listing’ as a mechanism is used as it has the potential to keep a check on how this repeatability and consistency can be delivered. Figure 1 is from an ISO standard which is adopted in India by the Bureau of Indian Standards and republished as an Indian Standard as well. ISO/IEC 17067 which is part of Conformity assessment standards defines the ‘Fundamentals of product certification and guidelines for product certification schemes. It is referenced in ISO/IEC 17065 which is also for Conformity assessment and defines ‘Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. While ISO 17065 is used by government and private certification bodies (Like BIS, UL or Thomas Bell-Wright) to design certification programs; Figure 1 from ISO 17067 gives an overview of how levels of stringency can be driven in certification programs depending on the level of assurance needed. More about this is covered after introducing Building Codes.

Building Codes and Compliance

The aim of the National Building Code of India 2016 (NBC) is to provide guidance across various stages of conceptualization, planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and repairing the buildings. Keeping in mind substantial variations from region to region, the Code endeavours to meet the requirements of different regions of the country, both urban and rural, by taking into consideration factors such as climatic and environmental conditions, geographical terrain, etc. Part 4 and part 6 deal with two of the most critical aspects of any building infrastructure. Fire & Life Safety and Structural Safety.

The infrastructure should not fall down and should not catch fire causing harm to life!

The building code learns iteratively and progresses forward with each publication to assimilate learnings from accidents and new innovations. The code also uses published standards to quantify these guidelines and ‘specify the performance of building materials which will bring about these design guidelines.

Example Case Study: Implementing Compliance with Fire Safety using passive fire protection

Passive Fire Protection is a key enabler of Fire Safety in buildings. Passive fire protection installations consist of all the building components, systems and assemblies that provide containment of fire; and prevention from the passage of flames, deadly gases and toxic smoke. These installations which are critical to fire and occupational safety are not

just limited to Fire Doors & Partitions they also include the penetrations, joints and other breaches in fire-resistive walls, floors and floor/ceiling assemblies.

Chapter 3 under part 4 of the NBC details how buildings are classified under-occupancy types which are done based on how a fire accident will be differently perceived by a given building. The response preparedness of a school will differ from a mall or a hospital or a residential block and hence measures of Fire & Life safety are designed differently. Using ‘Fire Zones’ and ‘Types of Construction’ the code further details and guides the readers on the tools used to implement Fire Safety; and more specifically how containment and limiting of fire (Passive fire protection) are defined. Figure 2 reproduces Table 1 of this section which defines Fire Resistance Rating in hours. Simply put, for how long can the specific sub-unit of the infrastructure (like a floor or a room) contain the fire. The preparedness of the building type and location sets this time (published in the table) as a basis for evacuation time needed.

Fire Containment for One hour

Imagine you are in a low-rise (8-storey) residential building sitting next to a window working on your laptop in your home office. Your room consists of three walls, large glazing (part of the curtain wall system); a door to the room, a bathroom door, a false ceiling to hold the lights and move utilities in and out of the room and two openings for the HVAC system. The adjacent house is the same. And a fire breaks out in your adjacent house.

Now for the fire and smoke in the adjacent building to be contained for one full hour; it is required that at least the three walls, the door to the room, the penetrations across the false ceiling and the system sealing off the curtain wall system and the slab of the floor (Through penetration firestop) can withstand and contain a fully developed fire (~1000 Degree centigrade). The responsibility of the contractor is not only to have the means to check the suppliers of Fire Doors, and partition walls, through penetrations on the guarantee but also to assure that the installation and workmanship will last.

just limited to Fire Doors & Partitions they also include the penetrations, joints and other breaches in fire-resistive walls, floors and floor/ceiling assemblies.

Chapter 3 under part 4 of the NBC details how buildings are classified under-occupancy types which are done based on how a fire accident will be differently perceived by a given building. The response preparedness of a school will differ from a mall or a hospital or a residential block and hence measures of Fire & Life safety are designed differently. Using ‘Fire Zones’ and ‘Types of Construction’ the code further details and guides the readers on the tools used to implement Fire Safety; and more specifically how containment and limiting of fire (Passive fire protection) are defined. Figure 2 reproduces Table 1 of this section which defines Fire Resistance Rating in hours. Simply put, for how long can the specific sub-unit of the infrastructure (like a floor or a room) contain the fire. The preparedness of the building type and location sets this time (published in the table) as a basis for evacuation time needed.

Fire Containment for One hour

Imagine you are in a low-rise (8-storey) residential building sitting next to a window working on your laptop in your home office. Your room consists of three walls, large glazing (part of the curtain wall system); a door to the room, a bathroom door, a false ceiling to hold the lights and move utilities in and out of the room and two openings for the HVAC system. The adjacent house is the same. And a fire breaks out in your adjacent house.

Now for the fire and smoke in the adjacent building to be contained for one full hour; it is required that at least the three walls, the door to the room, the penetrations across the false ceiling and the system sealing off the curtain wall system and the slab of the floor (Through penetration firestop) can withstand and contain a fully developed fire (~1000 Degree centigrade). The responsibility of the contractor is not only to have the means to check the suppliers of Fire Doors, and partition walls, through penetrations on the guarantee but also to assure that the installation and workmanship will last.

Compliance to the Code: Measurement & Assurance

Below is a list of test methods from the Annexure of Chapter 4 of the NBC:

• IS 3614-2: Fire Doors
• IS/ ISO 834-1: Fire-Resistance Tests Elements: General Requirements
• IS/ ISO 834-4: Fire-Resistance Tests Elements: Load Bearing Vertical Separating Elements
• IS/ ISO 834-5: Fire-Resistance Tests Elements: Load Bearing Horizontal Separating Elements
• IS/ ISO 834-6: Fire-Resistance Tests – Elements: Beams
• IS/ ISO 834-7: Fire-Resistance Tests – Elements: Columns
• IS/ ISO 834-8: Fire-Resistance Tests – Elements: Non-load Bearing
• Vertical Separating Elements
• IS/ ISO 834-9: Fire-Resistance Tests – Elements: Non-load Bearing Ceiling Elements

And below two have been indigenously published by professionals in India after the code was published:

• IS 16947: Fire resistance tests for doors with glass panes, openable glass windows and sliding glass doors
• IS 16945: Fire Resistance Test for Glass Walls

The goal is to assess the repeatability. So, any laboratory that is reproducing the conditions (Fully developed fire with temperature & pressures) defined usually in these published test methods needs to be able to do it repeatedly. Accreditation bodies like the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) or the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration of India need specialist auditors who have experience in understanding the nuances of the tests to help decision-makers rely on the results of accredited laboratories. Thomas Bell-Wright International in Dubai is currently the only laboratory in the whole world to be accredited by UKAS to all the 10 standards mentioned above.

When a (fire) test is being conducted, the sample is installed by experts in the laboratory is aware that it has to face a fire test. So, there is a need for documentation of how the sample to be tested is manufactured and how it is getting installed. And then an audit regime of the manufacturing facility and installation inspection of the product at the site closes the loop. A test report from a lab that may not have even established its repeatability cannot establish any assurance mechanism on the supply & installation of the product. And if the product is a fire door, or a partition assembly using boards or a sealant system; which is responsible for creating a fire-safe containment; such an assurance is critical and invaluable.

Certification, Listing & Traceability

The type 5 system described in Figure 1 above is the typical routine used by select International Certification Bodies to provide a high degree of assurance of promised properties of products. Let us see how the Certification Program of Thomas Bell-Wright International offers this assurance for fire doors.

A Fire Door manufacturer would want to certify two or four commonly used door designs as per IS 3614. The assembly of these sample doors is witnessed at the manufacturing location by a qualified auditor who marks these doors for traceability. Their manufacturing processes also get audited to demonstrate the ability to produce these doors repeatably. The marked doors are sent to the lab and the fire resistance tests are conducted as per ISO 3008 which is the referenced test method in IS 3614. Based on successful fire resistance tests, the certification body will list the name of this manufacturer along with their address, identification details of these door-sets the test method and the number of hours it was able to demonstrate the fire resistance.

A similar process is faced by the certification body themselves as they get audited every year. Certification body auditors are shadowed in their audit routines and complete documentation and processes get checked by experts from International Accreditation Bodies who have expertise in doing this regularly.

Implementation in a building: Fire Doors

As the National Building Code guidelines define the design of the Fire Safety Plan; As the National Building Code guidelines define the design of the Fire Safety Plan; the design of a building would result in a list of the total number of Fire Doors (a few hundred maybe) which are needed. Ranging from doors of fire exits, main doors etc. this list would have details of door designs, sizes etc. This ‘Door Schedule’ would be the procurement document and here is where the contractors can use the ‘Certification & Listing” directory to look up suppliers whose factories are audited regularly for manufacturing such fire doors.

Also, suppliers who submit their offers can send proof of compliance with their proposed doors which are verifiable on the certification directory (like www.tbwcert.com). This is where, many times ‘Listed drawings’, may not match with the door schedule. And the deviation in sizes or designs needs a ‘verification’ or ‘evaluation’ by the certification body. And sometimes new fire test(s) is(are) needed as existing evidence is not enough to ‘assure’ proposed designs will meet the ones in the ‘door schedule’.

Fire Door Labels

Not all certification bodies issue ‘fire door labels’ as a traceability mechanism. In fact, not all certification regimes need to create a certification traceability mechanism. But the ones who do offer these do it well and should be preferred as they offer better assurance. See figure 3 as an image of a sample fire door label. One of the many ways this is implemented is as below. The manufacturer will maintain a record of each project/ job which is covered under the certification body’s assurance mechanism. So, the drawings of doors assembled and supplied get lined with specific serial numbers of fire doors which are issued. These are audited regularly to be within limits of what is ‘testing & listed’ design which is assured. The building owner, their contracted architect or consultant and any authority having the responsibility can easily look up the listed drawings of the doors on the certification body’s directory (see www.tbwcert.com as an example). The certification body is also obligated to dig out and share traceability data from audits if being queried by the authority or an inspection body.