FIRE REGULATIONS

(NL, EU)
note: not included in the reader

Lecture CIE 5131: Fire safety design

Dr.ir. IJ.J.van Straalen (TNO) ijsbrand.vanstraalen@tno.nl
Ir. A. Breunese (Efectis)
arnoud.breunese@efectis.com

Legislation for fire safety

Relevant documents (NL)

Woningwet / Housing Act

(1920)
Bouwbesluit*) / Building Decree (2012)
NEN / EN documents
National recommendations of practice (NPR) guidelines

*) Including Regeling Bouwbesluit 2012

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Bouwbesluit types of rules (1)

Fire ignition
Escaping and escape routes
Smoke production and spread
Fire spread and controllability
Resistance to fire

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Bouwbesluit types of rules (2)

Prevention of ignition
Choice in materials
Maintenance
Escape
Escape routes
Information and training
Smoke production and spread
Smoke compartments
Fire spread and controllability
Sprinklers
Automatic fire alarm
Fire compartments
Fire ventilation
Resistance to fire: progressive collapse

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Performance requirements
Principles
Each requirement specifies

Subject / Part

Function

Acceptable value(s)

Method to determine the value

Example:
In order to limit the reaction to fire, a structural part shall be at least
of fire reaction class 4, to be determined using NEN 6065.
All rules are

Unambigious

Quantifiable
CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Requirements depend on

Condition of the structure

new structure
existing structure
Function
dwelling
hospital
office
shop

(12 x!)

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Fire ignition and reaction to fire

Systematic requirements

Basis: material behaviour

Properties:
Non-combustibility
( NEN 6064)
Reaction to fire
Walls and ceilings
( NEN 6065)
Floors
( NEN 1775)
Other parts such as roofs and chimneys

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Euroclasses (EN 13501-1)

Classification aspects

Burning behaviour:

Smoke production:

Flaming droplets:

heat release (not for Horizontal

Flame Spread test & Small Flame
test), flame spread
optical density (SBI & Horizontal
Flame Spread test only)
visual observations
(SBI & Small Flame test only)

CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Euro Class system overview

Class

Test methods

Classification aspects

A1

EN 1716: Calorific value

and
EN 1182: Non-combustibility

Burning behaviour

A2

EN 1716: Calorific value

or
EN 1182: Non-combustibility

Burning behaviour

and EN 13823: SBI

Smoke production

B/C/D

EN 13823: SBI
and
EN ISO 11925: small flame

Burning behaviour
Smoke production
Flaming droplets

EN ISO 11925: small flame

Burning behaviour
Flaming droplets

None

None

Note: For floor coverings (fl), SBI is replaced by Radiant Floor Panel
CIE 5131 Fire Safety Design

Euro Class System

Number of classes
aspect
number main classes
of
tests
sub classes

burning
behaviour
smoke
droplets

walls & ceilings

7

floors
7

3
3

2
-

Euro Class System leads to a large number of

reaction-to-fire classes in order to reduce need for tests, the so
called Classification Without Further Testing (= CWFT)* option
is introduced in EU regulations.
* Also referred to as Deemed to Satisfy option

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Smoke production systematic

requirements

Basis: material properties

Requirements:
Specific optic density
Class reaction to fire

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( NEN 6066)
( NEN 6065)

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Smoke production requirements for new

structures

L A
D
D
D log
V
I
I

10

spec

with:
- I0 is
- I is

light intensity without smoke

light intensity with smoke

Basic requirement: Dspec < 10 m-1

Escape routes:
Dspec < 5,4 m-1, in case of class 1
NEN 6065
Dspec < 2,2 m-1, in case of class 2
NEN 6065

Note: requirements are for the inside of walls, ceilings etc.

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Fire spread and controllability

Systematic requirements

Basis: structural behaviour

Properties:
Resistance against fire spread inside the building
Weerstand tegen branddoorslag (WBD)
Resistance against fire spread via facades
Weerstand tegen brandoverslag (WBO)

WBDBO NEN 6068

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Branddoorslag en Brandoverslag
Explanation
Fire extension A B,C:
- inside the building
(branddoorslag)

C
B

- via facade (brandoverslag)

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WBDBO Definitions

WBD: (fire resistance)

( NEN 6069, -- 71 t/m 73)
WBO: time after which radiation level > 15 kW/m2
( NEN 6068)

WBDBO: min (WBD, WBO)

Fire compartment: maximum fire extension area within x min.

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Fire spread via facade - assessment

Verification procedure:
- determine the most irradiated location for each
window opening.
- verify: radiation level < 15 kW/m2
(zie NEN 6068)
Support tools:
- NPR (tables)
- software (BRANDO e.a.)

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Fire spread quantified requirements

Range WBDBO: (20), 30 of 60 minutes, i.e.:

between fire compartments:
between fire compartments and shaft:
...

Refer to document no. 7
...
Max. floor area fire compartment
Usually:
Hotel:

60 min.*)
60 min.

1000 m2
500 m2

*) In case of buildings with a height < 5 m: 30 min.

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Fire spread spiegelsymmetrie

Country-specific
Netherlands:

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Resistance to fire Type of requirements

Basis: structural behaviour

Properties: structural failure in case of fire exposure
concrete structures*)
( EN 1992-1-2 and NEN 6071)
steel structures*)
( EN 1993-1-2 and NEN 6072)
steel-concrete structures*)( EN 1994-1-2)
timber structures*)
( EN 1995-1-2 NEN 6073)
masonry structures*)
( EN 1996-1-2)
aluminium structures*)
( EN 1999-1-2)
other structures**)
( NEN 6069)

*) assessment via calculations

**) assessment via experiments (component approach & standard
temperature-time curve)
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Resistance to fire quantified requirements

Escape routes: 30 min.

Resistance of main load bearing structure:
dwellings

red: reduction of 30 min. in case

the permanent fire density < 500
MJ/m2
other buildings

no sleeping:
office
school
shop

no sleeping

other buildings

sleeping:
hospital
hotel
prison

sleeping

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Resistance to fire: main load bearing

structure
main load bearing structure: parts of

the structure whose collapse may

result in progressive collapse

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Resistance to fire: main load bearing

structure (1)

Blue bracings are part of the

main load bearing structure

Blue bracings are not part of the

main load bearing structure

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Resistance to fire: main load bearing

structure (2)

Columns: main load bearing structure*)

120 min
Floors: ?
60 or 120 min

13 m

WBDBO

*) except for columns at the upper floor

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Resistance to fire - summary

Types of requirements:
fire spread
structural failure
Point of departure Dutch regulations: Standaardbrand
Levels: (20), 30, 60, 90, 120 min

Differentiated approach FSE

(ref.: Part 11)

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Escape and escape possibilities types of

requirements

Basis: human behaviour

Point of departure: ability to manage for oneself
Properties:
number, types and lay-out of escape routes
dimensions and lay-out of smoke compartments
capacity of staircases

...

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Escape and escape possibilities Quantified requirements

Basic requirements
maximum walking distance through smoke: 30 m
escape time of an entire building: within 15 min
escaping in two directions min.

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Principle of equivalence
(Gelijkwaardigheidsbeginsel)
It is allowed to deviate from the performance requirements,
provided that alternative measures are taken that result in an
equivalent safety level

Principle:

Motivation: flexibility
Burden of proof: project developer / owner
Decision: municipality (Bouw-& Woningtoezicht) input from fire brigade

Examples: FSE (Chapter 12)

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European regulations
Aim and lay-out of the regulations

Aim: remove obstructions for trading building products within EU

Basis: Recommendations of practice and for building products: EN docs.

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EU versus old Dutch regulations

Fire testing
reaction-to-fire

Euro classes deviate from current Dutch classes

resistance-to-fire Fire resistance classes similar to Dutch classes

Calculation standards resistance-to-fire

loads
concrete
Eurocodes - similar to Dutch classes

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Eurocodes Fire - overview

EC (= EN 1990): Principles & combination of actions

EC1-1.2 (= EN1991-1.2): Actions

NEN 6702

EC2-1.2 (= EN1992-1-2): Concrete

NEN 6071

EC3-1.2 (= EN1993-1-2): Steel

NEN 6072

EC4-1.2 (= EN1994-1-2): Composite

EC5-1.2 (= EN1995-1-2): Timber

EC6-1.2 (= EN1996-1-2): Masonry

EC9-1.2 (= EN1999-1-2): Aluminium

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NEN 6073

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Eurocodes Fire
Levels

Note: NL approach:
- only components
Simple calculation models**)
- only standard fire
Advanced calculation models***)
Tabulated data*)**)

*) not for steel and aluminium (EC3, EC9)

**) based on standard fire
***) FSE; not for masonry (EC6)

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