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External fire spread
36NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The external walls and roof of a building shall be so designed and constructed that they afford adequate resistance to the spread of fire over them, and from one building to another, having regard to—
fire-safetyexternal-spaceExternal fire spread - Performance requirements
0.13NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
It is the view of the Department that the requirements of regulation 36 in Part E will be met – (a) if the external walls are constructed so that (i) the risk of ignition from an external source, and
fire-safetyexternal-spaceIntroduction to external fire spread provisions - Control principles
0.14NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The guidance in Section 5 which relates to the extent to which fire may spread over and between buildings depends on the size and intensity of the fire, the construction of the external walls and roof
fire-safetyexternal-spaceExternal Wall Materials Classification Requirement
Regulation 23(2)NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Regulation 23(2) limits components used in or on the external walls of relevant buildings to materials achieving European Classification A2-s1, d0 or Class A1 (see Section 5). Assessments cannot be us
fire-safetyexternal-spacehrbFire resistance of external walls adjacent to external escape routes
Diagram 2.11, para 2.58 and 2.76NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Fire resistance of external walls adjacent to external escape routes. Key requirements: Fire-resisting door (F.D.) shown in diagram. Window requires 30 minutes fire resistance. Within 1.8 m of the esc
fire-safetymeans-of-escapeexternal-spaceSection 5: External Fire Spread – Overview
5.1NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
This Section contains provisions relating to the design and construction of – (a) external walls in order that – (i) the risk of ignition from an external source to the outside surface of a building;
fire-safetyexternal-spaceCombustibility of External Walls – General Principle
5.2ANI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The external walls of a building should not provide a medium for fire spread if that is likely to be a risk to health and safety. Combustible materials, cavities in external walls and attachments to e
fire-safetyhigh-riseexternal-spaceCombustibility of External Walls – Applicable Buildings
5.2BNI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The external walls of buildings other than those described in Regulation 23(4) of the Building Regulations should achieve all the provisions given in paragraphs 5.3 to 5.4B which provide guidance on a
fire-safetyexternal-spaceExternal Surfaces
5.3NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The external surface of an external wall (i.e. outermost external material) should meet the requirements given in Table 5.1A relevant to the height of the building and the distance between the buildin
fire-safetyexternal-spaceMaterials and Products for High-Rise Buildings
5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Where a building has a storey the floor of which is 18 m or more above ground level, any insulation material, and any filler material (such as the core materials of metal composite panels, sandwich pa
hrbhigh-risefire-safetyexternal-spaceCavity Surfaces in External Wall Construction
5.4BNI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
In the case of an external wall construction, of a building which, by virtue of paragraph 4.40(d) (external cladding system with a masonry or concrete inner leaf), is not subject to the provisions of
fire-safetyexternal-spaceReaction to fire performance of external surface of walls
Table 5.1ANI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Table 5.1A Reaction to fire performance of external surface of walls Building Type | Building height | Less than 1m from the relevant boundary | 1m or more from the relevant boundary 'Relevant build
fire-safetyhrbhigh-riseexternal-spaceAcceptable alternatives for external wall materials
Table 5.1A notes (2) and (3)NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
(2) Profiled or flat steel sheet at least 0.5mm thick with an organic coating of no more than 0.2mm thickness is also acceptable. (3) Timber cladding at least 9mm thick is also acceptable.
fire-safetyexternal-spaceSpace separation and protection against external fire spread
5.6NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Protection against the external spread of fire from one building to another is related to – (i) the distance between a building and each of its relevant boundaries (see paragraph 5.9); and (ii) the ex
fire-safetyexternal-spaceprotection-from-fallingAssumptions for space separation calculations
5.6NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The assumptions for establishing space separation are – (a) that the fire will involve a complete compartment but will not spread to other compartments; (b) that the intensity of a fire is related to
fire-safetyexternal-spaceReduced separation distance through smaller compartments
5.7NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Where a reduced separation distance is desired it may be advantageous to construct compartments of a smaller size.
fire-safetyexternal-spaceUse of boundary distance in measuring separation
5.8NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The use of the distance to a boundary rather than to another building, in measuring the separation distance, makes it possible to calculate the allowable proportion of unprotected areas, regardless of
fire-safetysite-planningexternal-spaceUnprotected areas in external walls
5.10NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Any part of an external wall which has less fire resistance than that required by Section 4 should be considered to be an unprotected area. Where an external wall has the appropriate fire resistance
fire-safetyexternal-spacehrbhigh-riseExternal walls within 1 m of relevant boundary
5.11NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
An external wall situated within 1 m of any point on its relevant boundary should have no unprotected areas other than those shown in Diagram 5.4.
fire-safetyexternal-spaceExternal walls 1 m or more from relevant boundary
5.12NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
An external wall situated 1 m or more from any point on its relevant boundary may have unprotected areas provided that their total area does not exceed that given by the most favourable calculation me
fire-safetyexternal-spacehrbUnprotected areas which may be discounted
Diagram 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Unprotected area of not more than 1 m² which may consist of two or more smaller areas amounting to not more than 1 m² within an area of 1 m x 1 m; unprotected area of not more than 0.1 m²; external wa
fire-safetyexternal-spaceBuilding separation from relevant boundaries based on thermal radiation
5.13NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
A building should be separated from its relevant boundaries by at least half the distance at which the total thermal radiation intensity received from all unprotected areas in the external walls would
fire-safetyexternal-spacestructuralReference to Building Research Establishment Report on external fire spread
5.14NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Building Research Establishment Report – External fire spread: building separation and boundary distances (BR 187: 1991) gives the method by which the thermal radiation intensity should be calculated
fire-safetyexternal-spaceMethod 1 - Small residential buildings unprotected areas limits
5.16NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
This method may only be used for buildings in Purpose Groups 1 and 2(b) which do not exceed three storeys in height and are not more than 24 m in length. The maximum total area of unprotected areas in
dwellingfire-safetyexternal-spaceTable 5.2 - Unprotected areas in small residential buildings
Table 5.2NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Minimum distance between side of building and relevant boundary (m) | Maximum total area of unprotected areas (m2) 1 | 5.6 2 | 12 3 | 18 4 | 24 5 | 30 6 | No limit
dwellingfire-safetyexternal-spaceTable 5.4 – Permitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) for 9m and 12m high buildings
Table 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Table 5.4 Permitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) (cont'd) Width of enclosing rectangle (m) | Distance from relevant boundary for unprotected percentage not e
fire-safetyexternal-spacenon-domesticPermitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) for 15 m high buildings
Table 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Enclosing rectangle 15 m high Width of enclosing rectangle (m): 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, No limit Distance from relevant boundary for unprotected percentage not
fire-safetyexternal-spacePermitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) for 18 m high buildings
Table 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Enclosing rectangle 18 m high Width of enclosing rectangle (m): 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, No limit Distance from relevant boundary for unprotected percentage not
fire-safetyhigh-riseexternal-spacePermitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) – 21m and 24m high
Table 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Table 5.4 Permitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) (cont'd) Width of enclosing rectangle (m) Distance from relevant boundary for unprotected percentage not exc
fire-safetyexternal-spacenon-domesticcommercialindustrialPermitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) for 27m high buildings
Table 5.4NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Table 5.4 Permitted unprotected percentages in relation to enclosing rectangles (Method 3) (cont'd) Width of enclosing rectangle (m) | Distance from relevant boundary for unprotected percentage not e
fire-safetyhigh-riseexternal-spaceMethod 4 - Aggregate Notional Area for Unprotected Areas
5.19NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
This method can be used for a building or compartment of any purpose group. A building or compartment should be so situated that the aggregate notional area of the unprotected areas in the side of the
fire-safetynon-domesticdwellingflatsexternal-spaceTable 5.5 - Multiplication Factors for Aggregate Notional Areas
Table 5.5NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Distance of unprotected area from vertical datum (m) | Factor Not less than | Less than | 1.0 | 1.2 | 80 1.2 | 1.8 | 40 1.8 | 2.7 | 20 2.7 | 4.3 | 10 4.3 | 6.0 | 4 6.0 | 8.5 | 2 8.5 | 12.0 | 1 12.0 |
fire-safetynon-domesticdwellingflatsexternal-spaceCanopies and space separation exemptions
5.20NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The high degree of ventilation and heat dissipation achieved by open sided canopies means that the space separation required by paragraph 5.13 may be onerous. The provisions of paragraph 5.13 should
fire-safetyexternal-spacenon-domesticDiagram 5.5 - Effect of attached canopy on separation distance
Diagram 5.5NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Diagram 5.5 The effect of an attached canopy on separation distance not less than 2 m open canopy relevant boundary separation distance determined from side of building and not canopy Section side of
fire-safetyexternal-spaceSpace separation requirements for roofs
5.24NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
The minimum distance from any part of a roof, other than a plastic rooflight, to a relevant boundary (see paragraph 5.9) should be not less than that given in Table 5.7 for the relevant designation of
fire-safetydwellingexternal-spacemeans-of-escapePlastic rooflight distance from relevant boundary
5.25NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Where a roof incorporates a plastic rooflight, which is not designated AA, AB, AC, BA, BB or BC (National class), or BROOF(t4) or CROOF(t4) (European class), the minimum distance from that rooflight t
fire-safetyexternal-spacePlastic rooflights – Limitations on use and boundary distance
Table 5.8NI-wide·Technical Booklet E Fire Safety
Table 5.8 Plastic rooflights – Limitations on use and boundary distance Minimum classification on lower surface (1) | Space which rooflight can serve | Minimum distance (m) from any point on relevant
fire-safetyexternal-space