Ashok A Khedkar
How To Use Integrated Fire Mode Testing (IFMT) To Improve Occupant Life Safety and Compliance In 195 Countries Before 2024?
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Essential Safety Measures (ESMs) are the safety features required in a building to protect occupants in the event of a fire.
A leading cause of death in fires is not direct exposure to heat or flames but rather inhaling smoke. Smoke can quickly spread throughout a building via stairs, elevators, mechanical shafts, and other openings, creating devastating outcomes for occupants who become trapped and quickly overcome by the smoke.
Fire, life safety, and HVAC systems must be integrated by the engineer to achieve reliability in smoke control systems.
The Australian Standard AS 1668.1:2015 specifies how HVAC systems in buildings are designed for fire and smoke control. All new projects designed to NCC2016 must have their HVAC systems designed, installed and commissioned to the newly adopted standard.
The requirements for design and commissioning data to be provided at handover, known as Baseline Data, is now detailed in AS 1668.1:2015. Mandatory requirements for Baseline Data have been included to match the maintenance requirements of AS 1851. It includes the design information, operating instruction, smoke control schematics, commissioning data, testing results and fire and smoke damper schedules. This information must be provided to building owners to maintain their HVAC systems about fire and smoke control, and also to assist future designers making alterations to systems within the building.
It’s important to keep in mind that non-compliance not only puts occupants at risk, but also passers-by and adjoining buildings.
Annual ESM reports must be made available for inspection on request after 24 hours’ notice has been given by the fire brigade’s chief officer or municipal building surveyor. Auditors will be checking these Annual ESM reports as part of the Statewide Cladding Audit.
Owners need to make sure that ESM maintenance and inspection (including repairs) are carried out, and that records are made available. If they are not, owners could be fined.
An infringement notice can be issued by your Council or the Fire Authority. Fines can amount to over $35,000 for an individual and over $245,000 for companies prosecuted.
Integrated Fire Mode Testing (IFMT) is a comprehensive approach to the testing of integrated systems and involves the operational testing of the functional interfaces between systems in fire mode. Undertaken in conjunction with, or in addition to, individual system commissioning and testing IFMT will confirm that the integrated systems operate together as intended. A key aspect when considering IFMT is determining the extent of testing needed to achieve the required level of operational surety. Idyllically, each input device in the entire integrated system would be initiated and the operation of each output or response would be confirmed.
The appropriate level of testing to suit the installed systems and operational requirements must be determined for a particular facility. This may include testing a number of detection Alarm Zones and confirming operation of individual items of Equipment.
Testing of individual fire systems confirms the operation within the system but provides only limited confirmation of system interfaces and overall integrated operation. Typical interface tests in line with the requirements of Australian Standard AS 1851 Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems, confirms interfaces between a detection zone and a ventilation system zone or sub system level.
The most common building component in which truly dedicated smoke control systems are used is a pressurized exit or smoke-proof enclosure, such as a high-rise pressurized stairway. This is due to strict requirements imposed by codes and standards, which regulate how these building components are to be serviced and subsequently allowed openings within dedicated exit enclosures.
In the past, fire protection systems in buildings were relatively straightforward and generally operated independently of other systems. Over the last 10 years, due mainly to the introduction of performance-based solutions, these systems have become increasingly integrated with other building systems, especially air conditioning and ventilation systems.
fire and building codes have continually evolved to integrate improvements that protect lives during a fire event. This evolution includes incorporating smoke control systems. These systems manage and control smoke during a fire, exhausting and limiting its spread within a building. Smoke control systems offer occupants a critical period to escape
remain compliant with the relevant Australian Standards - statutory services and preventative maintenance regimes must remain in place – this is particularly important for annual certification to meet AS:1851 and AS:3666 Standards
It is important to remember that HVAC Systems for commercial, retail & industrial sites form part of the Essential Services for the Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) and are required to be maintained for occupancy. Along with Fire & Essential Electrical tasks (such as Emergency and Exit Light testing), scheduled statutory maintenance of these systems is mandatory.
when a fire alarm is activated, the HVAC system plays an integral part of the fire matrix - in smoke control and fire isolation as it applies to AS 1851 -2012. This varies building to building based on the specific fire matrix,
Under AS1851 – 2012: Routine Service of Fire Protection Systems and Equipment; it is essential that all owners and managers of properties ensure that their Fire Systems are Tested and Maintained in accordance with this Standard and in conjunction with other relevant authorities applicable within the Australian States and Territories.
In HVAC, a fusible link fire damper is also known simply as a fire damper or FD. By default, it has a piece of metal holding the damper in an open position. During a fire, the high surrounding temperature will cause the metal to melt and thus, closing the damper. A volume control damper or VCD is a manually operated damper that allows the control of airflow in HVAC. It is usually installed in between ducts with a handle sticking out. Homeowners and HVAC technicians can turn the handle which in turn rotates the blades inside the damper to regulate airflow. A non-return damper or NRD only allows air to flow in one direction. In HVAC, non-return dampers are mostly found either before or after ventilation fans, especially for fans with a combined air plenum box. In HVAC, a motorized fire damper or MFD is a fire-resistance shut-off device that is usually paired with a fire-rated actuator to close completely within a short period of time to prevent fire from spreading from one room to another room.
A sample fire matrix for a commercial office building
यं यं यं यक्षरूपं दशदिशिविदितं भूमिकम्पायमानं
सं सं संहारमूर्तिं शिरमुकुटजटा शेखरं चन्द्रबिम्बम् ।
दं दं दं दीर्घकायं विकृतनखमुखं चोर्ध्वरोमंकरालं
पं पं पं पापनाशं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ १॥
रं रं रं रक्तवर्णं कटिकटिततनुं तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राकरालं
घं घं घं घोष घोषं घ घ घ घ घटितं घर्झरं घोरनादम् ।
कं कं कं कालपाशं ध्रुक्ध्रुक्ध्रुकितं ज्वालितं कामदाहं
तं तं तं दिव्यदेहं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ २॥
लं लं लं लम्बदन्तं ल ल ल ल ललितं दीर्घजिह्वाकरालं
धूं धूं धूं धूम्रवर्णं स्फुटविकटमुखं भास्करं भीमरूपम् ।
रुं रुं रुं रुण्डमालं रवितमनियतं ताम्रनेत्रं करालं
नं नं नं नग्नभूषं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ३॥
वं वं वं वायुवेगं नतजनसदयं ब्रह्मसारं परन्तं
खं खं खं खड्गहस्तं त्रिभुवनविलयं भास्करं भीमरूपम् ।
चं चं चं चं चलित्वाऽचल चल चलिता चालितं भूमिचक्रं
मं मं मं मायिरूपं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ४॥
शं शं शं शङ्खहस्तं शशिकरधवलं मोक्षसम्पूर्णतेजं
मं मं मं मं महान्तं कुलमकुलकुलं मन्त्रगुप्तं सुनित्यम् ।
यं यं यं भूतनाथं किलिकिलिकिलितं बालकेलिप्रधानं
अं अं अं अन्तरिक्षं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ५॥
खं खं खं खड्गभेदं विषममृतमयं कालकालं करालं
क्षं क्षं क्षं क्षिप्रवेगं दहदहदहनं तप्तसन्दीप्यमानम् ।
हूं हूं हूंकारनादं प्रकटितगहनं गर्जितैर्भूमिकम्पं
बं बं बं बाललीलं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ६॥
सं सं सं सिद्धियोगं सकलगुणमखं देवदेवं प्रसन्नं
पं पं पं पद्मनाभं हरिहरमयनं चन्द्रसूर्याग्निनेत्रम् ।
ऐं ऐं ऐश्वर्यनाथं सततभयहरं पूर्वदेवस्वरूपं
रौं रौं रौं रौद्ररूपं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ७॥
हं हं हं हंसयानं हसितकलहकं मुक्तयोगाट्टहासं
धं धं धं नेत्ररूपं शिरमुकुटजटाबन्धबन्धाग्रहस्तम् ।
टं टं टङ्कारनादं त्रिदशलटलटं कामगर्वापहारं
भ्रूं भ्रूं भ्रूं भूतनाथं प्रणमत सततं भैरवं क्षेत्रपालम् ॥ ८॥