Compartment floor
The spread of fire can be restricted by sub-dividing buildings into a number of discrete, contained compartments.
Fire compartmentation:
- Prevents the rapid spread of fire which could trap the occupants of a building.
- Reduces the likelihood of fires growing and creating a danger to occupants, fire and rescue services, and people in the vicinity of the building.
- Limits the damage caused to a building and its contents.
A compartment floor is horizontal component that forms part of the enclosure of a fire compartment.
Compartment floors are required to provide a minimum degree of fire resistance as set out in Appendix A of Approved document B2 and Appendix A of Approved document B1 (for dwellinghouses). This fire resistance is generally expressed in terms of the number of minutes of resistance that must be provided. Methods for testing fire resistance are set out in BS 476 Fire tests.
Joints between compartment floors should be fire-stopped to maintain the continuity of resistance; and openings for timber beams, joists, purlins and rafters, and pipes, ducts, conduits or cables that pass through any part of a compartment floor should be kept as few in number as possible, kept as small as practicable; and should be fire-stopped. See Fire stopping for more information.
Additional measures may be needed where an atrium, chute, stair, lift and so on passes through a compartment floor.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
A transformative shift in the design, construction and management of built assets.
Apprenticeship announcement by the Prime Minister
Welcomed but with call for more actionable detail.
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach 7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.