Fire resistance of buildings
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Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses, suggests that:
The fire resistance of an element of construction is a measure of its ability to withstand the effects of fire in one or more ways, as follows:
- Resistance to collapse, i.e. the ability to maintain loadbearing capacity (which applies to loadbearing elements only).
- Resistance to fire penetration, i.e. an ability to maintain the integrity of the element.
- Resistance to the transfer of excessive heat, i.e. an ability to provide insulation from high temperatures.
Other information about fire resistance in the approved document includes:
- Guidance in section 2 concerning the use of fire-resisting construction to protect means of escape.
- Guidance in section 9 about the fire resistance of external walls to restrict the spread of fire between buildings.
- Information in appendix A about methods of testing and the performance of elements of construction.
- Information in appendix B about fire doors.
- Information in appendix C about methods of measurement.
- Information in appendix D about purpose group classification.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Adhesives.
- Dry riser.
- Escape route.
- Fire.
- Fire and rescue service.
- Fire compartment.
- Fire damper.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire door.
- Fire safety design.
- Fire-stopping.
- Firefighting route.
- Joint fire code.
- Means of escape.
- Protected escape route.
- Protected stairway.
- Thermoplastic material.
- Unprotected escape route.
- Wet riser.
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