Annex E(Clause 16)

Special Requirements for Low Income Habitat Planning in Rural Areas

1 SCOPE

1.1 This Code (Part 4) covers the requirements for fire prevention, life safety in relation to fire and fire protection of buildings. This Code (Part 4) specifies occupancy-wise classification, constructional aspects, egress requirements and protection features that are necessary to minimise danger to life and property from fire.

1.2 The provisions of this Part are applicable to,

a) all high rise buildings; and

b) special buildings, those are,

1. hotel, educational, institutional, business, mercantile, industrial, storage, hazardous and mixed occupancies, where any of these buildings have floor area more than $500 \, m^{2}$ on any one or more floors;

2. educational buildings having height 9 m and above;

3. institutional buildings having height 9 m and above;

4. all assembly buildings;

5. buildings, having area more than $300\mathrm{m}^2$ of incidental assembly occupancy on any floor; and

6. buildings with two basements or more, or with one basement of area more than $500 \, m^{2}$ .

unless otherwise mentioned specifically in the provisions.

NOTE — The owner of the building and parties to agreement, may however, decide to apply the provisions of this Part to buildings other than those given above.

2 TERMINOLOGY

For the purpose of this Part, the following definitions shall apply.

2.1 Assisted Evacuation — Strategy that exists during which a designated person or persons provide assistance, during an emergency, to another person(s) to leave a building or a specific part of the built environment and to reach a final place of safety.

2.2 Atrium — A large-volume space created by a floor opening or series of floor openings connecting two or more stories that is covered at the top of the series of openings and is used for purposes other than an

enclosed stairway; lifts hoist-way; an escalator opening; or as a utility shaft used for plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, or communications facilities.

2.3 Authorities Concerned — An organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving or accepting equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.

2.4 Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm System — A system comprising components and sub-systems required for automatically detecting smoke, heat or fire initiating an alarm and other actions as appropriate. This system also includes manually operated electronic fire alarm (MOEFA) system.

NOTE — MOEFA system (with or without automatic fire detection and alarm system) includes all or some of the components such as manual call stations (initiating an alarm for fire and other actions as required), talk-back system and public address system.

2.5 Building — Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever materials constructed and every part thereof whether used as human habitation or not and includes foundation, plinth, walls, floors, roofs, chimneys, plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, Veranda, balcony, cornice or projection, part of a building or anything affixed thereto or any wall enclosing or intended to enclose any land or space and signs and outdoor display structures. Tents, Shamianahs, tarpaulin shelters, etc, erected for temporary and ceremonial occasions with the permission of the Authority shall not be considered as building.

2.6 Building, Height of — The vertical distance measured in the case of flat roofs, from the average level of the ground around and contiguous to the building or as decided by the Authority to the terrace of the last livable floor of the building adjacent to the external wall; and in the case of pitched roofs, up to the point where the external surface of the outer wall intersects the finished surface of the sloping roof; and in the case of gables facing the road, the mid-point between the eaves level and the ridge. Where the building is located in a sloped terrain, height shall be determined from the lowest level (that is approachable by the fire service vehicles) to the terrace level. Architectural features serving no other function except that of decoration shall be excluded for the purpose of measuring heights.

PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

2.7 Combustible Material — A material which either burns itself or adds heat to a fire, when tested for non-combustibility in accordance with accepted standard [4(1)].

a) Gas based systems — Systems that use gaseous agents as fire suppression media, such as, all agents alternate to Halon gases, listed and approved for use by relevant Indian Standards; other methods/types of gas based systems where their protection is equal to or better than what is suggested above for the type of application subject to the acceptance of Authorities concerned may also fall under such systems.

b) Water based systems — Systems that use mainly water as firefighting media such as hydrant system, sprinkler system, water spray system, foam system and water mist system.

2.34 Fire Wall or Fire Separating Wall — A fire resistance rated wall having fire protected openings, which restricts the spread of fire and extends continuously from the foundation to the roof (and through the roof at least 1m above the roof in case of combustible roof), with sufficient structural stability under fire conditions to allow collapse of construction on one side or either side without collapse of the wall.

2.35 Floor Area (Gross)—The area of the floor within the inside perimeter of the outside walls of the floor of the building under consideration with no deductions for corridors and passage-ways, stairs, closets, thickness of interior walls, columns, lifts and building shafts or other features.

2.36 Floor Area Ratio (FAR) — The quotient obtained by dividing the total covered area (plinth area) on all

floors by the area of the plot:

2.37 Fire Exit Hardware — A door-latching assembly incorporating an actuating member or panic bar that releases the latch bolt upon the application of a force in the direction of egress travel, provided on exits.

2.38 High Rise Building — A building 15 m or above in height (irrespective of its occupancy).

2.39 Horizontal Exit — A defend in place or a staging arrangement, providing safety from fire and smoke originating from the area of incidence, by allowing alternative egress from a compartment to an area of refuge or another compartment at or near the same level. This also includes such egress from a compartment to an adjoining building. A horizontal exit shall be through a fire door of 120 min rating in a fire resistant wall. Horizontal exit require separation with the refuge area or adjoining compartment through 120 min fire barrier. The adjoining compartment of the horizontal exit should allow unlocked and ease of egress and exits for the occupants using defend in place strategy.

2.40 Lift Lobby — A space from which people directly enter a lift car(s) and into which people directly enter upon exiting a lift car(s).

2.41 Means of Egress — A continuous way of travel from any point in a building or structure to a public way, consisting of three separate and distinct parts, that is, exit access, exit and exit discharge.

2.42 Means of Escape — A way out of a building or structure that does not conform to the strict definition of ‘means of egress’ but does provide an alternate way out.

2.43.1 Concourse — Intermediate level(s) or area(s) connecting a station platform(s) to a public way through stairs, escalators or corridors.

2.43.2 Crush Train Load — The number of passengers inside a train when it is filled to maximum capacity permissible by rolling stock design.

2.43.3 Entraining Load –The number of passengers boarding a train at a platform.

2.43.4 Headway — The interval of time between the arrivals of consecutive trains at a platform in a station.

2.43.5 Mass Rapid Transit — Any station building or part thereof, permanent or temporary, through which people transit for the duration of time required to enter the building and board the train to depart the station platform or to alight from the train and depart from the station building.

2.43.6 Non-transit Occupancy — Occupancy not under the control of the system operating authority.

2.43.7 Point of Safety — One of the following: (a) An enclosed exit that leads to a public way or safe location outside the station, trainway, or vehicle, (b) An at-grade point beyond the vehicle, enclosing stations, or trainway, (c) A point on open track beyond the open or enclosed station or enclosed train-way, and (d) Any other location approved by the Authorities concerned.

2.43.8 Station — A place designated for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers, including service area and ancillary spaces associated with the same structure.

2.43.8.1 Composite station — A transit station that is constructed contiguous with non-transit occupancy.

2.43.8.2 Enclosed station — A station or portion thereof that does not meet the definition of an open station.

2.43.8.3 Open station — A station that is constructed such that it is directly open to the atmosphere, and smoke and heat are allowed to disperse directly into surrounding open atmosphere.

2.43.9 Station Platform — The area of a station immediately adjacent to a guideway, used primarily for loading and unloading passengers.

2.44 Mixed Occupancy — A multiple occupancy where the occupancies are intermingled.

2.45 Multiple Occupancy — A building or structure in which two or more classes of occupancy exist.

2.46 Occupancy or Use Group — The principal occupancy for which a building or a part of a building is used or intended to be used; for the purpose of classification of a building according to the occupancy, an occupancy shall be deemed to include subsidiary occupancies which are contingent upon it.

2.47 Occupant Load — Maximum number of persons that might occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time.

2.48 Place of Comparative Safety — Places within a building where people can stay little longer until evacuation, for example, refuge areas, terrace, fire/smoke separated compartments, etc.

2.49 Pressurization — The establishment of a pressure difference across a barrier to protect exit, stairway, lobby, exit passageway or room of a building from smoke penetration.

2.50 Pressurization Level — The pressure difference between the pressurized space and the adjoining area served by the pressurized space expressed in Pascal (Pa).

PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

2.51 Public Way — A street, alley, or other similar parcel of land essentially open to the outside air, dedicated, or otherwise permanently appropriated to the public for public use and having a clear width and height of not less than 3 m.

2.52 Ramp — The construction, in the form of an inclined plane that is steeper than or equal to 1 : 20 (5 percent) from the horizontal, together with any intermediate landing, that makes it possible to pass from one level to another.

2.53 Refuge Area — An area within the building for a temporary use during egress. It generally serves as a staging area which is protected from the effect of fire and smoke.

2.54 Roof Exits — A means of escape on to the roof of a building, where the roof has access to it from the ground through alternative stair case or adjacent building.

2.55 Site (Plot) — A parcel (piece) of land enclosed by definite boundaries.

2.56 Smoke Barrier — A continuous membrane, or a membrane, where such membrane is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.

2.57 Smoke Compartment — A space within a building enclosed by smoke barriers on all sides.

2.58 Stack Pressure — Pressure difference caused by a temperature difference creating an air movement within a duct, chimney or enclosure.

2.59 Travel Distance — The distance to be travelled from any point in a building to a protected exit or external escape route or final exit measured along the line of travel.

2.60 Ventilation — Supply of outside air into, or the removal of inside air from an enclosed space.

2.61 Venting Fire — The process of facilitating heat and smoke to leave a building as quickly as possible by such paths so that lateral spread of fire and heat is checked, firefighting operations are facilitated and minimum fire damage is caused.

2.62 Visual Strobes/Flashing — It is an audio-visual fire alarm for alerting persons with hearing impairment with flashing light. The strobe frequency should be from 0.5 Hz to 4.0 Hz.

NOTE — Care should be taken to ensure that overlapping strobes do not combine to result in a higher frequency of flashing.

2.63 Volume to Plot Area Ratio (VPR) — The ratio of volume of building measured in cubic metre to the area of the plot measured in square metre and expressed in metre.