FIRE SAFETY OF BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT

The article discusses the main aspects of ensuring fire safety of buildings and structures, analyzes the regulatory framework, the main elements of fire protection, as well as technical and organizational measures aimed at reducing the risk of occurrence and development of fires. Special attention is paid to innovative technologies in the field of fire safety, as well as problems and prospects for the development of this field.

Keywords: fire safety, buildings, structures, fire protection, detection equipment, evacuation, fire prevention measures, innovative technologies.

Fire safety of buildings and structures is one of the most important components of the general safety and life support system for the population. The occurrence of fires leads to significant material damage, loss of life, destruction of infrastructure and negative impact on the environment. Stationary facilities – residential, public, and industrial buildings – are subject to various risk factors, both from the technical characteristics of the structures and from the human factor.

Current trends in the development of the urban environment require close attention to fire safety issues not only at the design stage of buildings, but also during their operation. This article discusses the regulatory framework, various technical solutions, modern approaches and emerging problems, as well as ways to improve the effectiveness of the fire protection system [1].

Fire safety is defined as the state of protection of people, property and the environment from the effects of fire hazards. The main factors of a fire include an increase in temperature, the release of flue gases, a decrease in oxygen concentration and the formation of toxic compounds that can negatively affect human health and life.

According to the Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 123-FZ "Technical Regulations on fire safety requirements", a prerequisite for the operation of the facility is compliance with established standards, including providing conditions for timely fire detection, effective evacuation of people, as well as preventing the spread of fire and smoke.

The basic fire safety requirements include:

• Fire prevention;

• limitation of the spread of fire and gorenje products;

• ensuring timely call of the fire service;

• preventing people from being affected by dangerous fire factors;

• the possibility of successful and quick evacuation.

Special importance is attached to the classification of buildings according to the level of fire danger, the type of functional purpose, the number of floors and the degree of fire resistance of building structures. These factors determine the specifics of the application of fire protection measures and the choice of protective equipment [2].

The building's fire protection system consists of a set of technical, structural, and organizational measures used to reduce fire-related risks. In practice, the main components of such a system are:

1. Fire detection and warning systems.

Modern automatic fire alarm systems make it possible to quickly detect fires at an early stage thanks to temperature, smoke, flame and gas sensors. Central control panels provide data collection and processing, automatic transmission of alarms, as well as activation of warning and evacuation management systems.

2. Automatic fire extinguishing systems.

The most common are modular aerosol and gas extinguishing systems. Their task is to localize or eliminate the source of the fire before the arrival of fire departments, minimizing damage and risk to people.

3. Fire-fighting equipment of engineering infrastructure.

These include indoor and outdoor fire-fighting water pipes, low-pressure installations, fire taps, hydrants, and water storage tanks. In modern buildings, safety valves, ventilation shut-off units, fire doors and hatches are also used to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through building structures.

4. Evacuation support systems.

The most important aspect is the design of escape routes: corridors, stairwells, and exterior exits.

5. Organizational measures and staff training.

Regular briefings, evacuation training, provision of fire stations, and the availability of an emergency plan are the key to the effective operation of all technical systems and the diversification of the risks of the "human factor" [3].

The stringent requirements of the modern construction industry contribute to the emergence of new technologies in the field of fire safety. The last decade has seen exponential growth in the adoption of intelligent safety management Systems (BMS) integrated with other building engineering systems. Such solutions provide centralized monitoring, automatic fault diagnosis, event analysis, remote control and prompt notification.

One of the important areas of development is the use of innovative flame-retardant materials to increase the fire resistance of building structures: special plasters, paints, fillers reduce heat transfer and slow down the spread of fire. Modern methods of creating fire fighting compartments, sealing technological and engineering penetrations significantly minimize the likelihood of the spread of gorenje products between rooms.

Intelligent sensors based on artificial intelligence make it possible to distinguish false alarms of detection systems from real fires, increasing the reliability of the entire system and reducing the likelihood of unjustified evacuations.

The development of mobile applications for staff and residents of buildings integrated with automatic warning systems provides additional tools for timely response and obtaining critical information in the event of an emergency.

Despite the rapid development of technology, problems remain unresolved related to non-compliance with regulatory requirements at the operational stage, insufficient staff training, and a low level of fire safety culture among the population. Outdated equipment and lack of sufficient reserves of power supply are often encountered in practice [4].

Promising areas include the integration of fire safety equipment with smart city systems, increasing public awareness of the population, developing more effective regulations and improving procedures for auditing the safety of facilities.

Special attention is paid to the use of fire modeling technologies (CFD modeling), which make it possible to evaluate possible fire scenarios at the design stage and optimize building fire protection solutions [5].

Ensuring fire safety of buildings and structures is a complex task that requires an integrated approach and continuous improvement of technologies, regulatory frameworks and organizational procedures. Only the integration of all components of the fire protection system, the introduction of innovative solutions, a high level of safety culture and clear interaction of all participants in the process can ensure a reduction in fire risk, the preservation of human life and property.

References:

1. Technical regulations on fire safety requirements : Feder. Law No. 123-F3 of July 22, 2008 : adopted by the State Duma on July 4, 2008 : approved By the Federation Council on July 11, 2008, Moscow: FGU VNIIPO, 2008, 157 p.
2. Technical regulations on the safety of buildings and structures: Feder. Law No. 384-F3 of December 30, 2009 : adopted by the State Duma on December 23, 2009 : approved. By the Federation Council on December 5, 2009 [electronic resource]. URL : http://www.gost.ru (date of access: 06/21/2010).
3. About technical regulation : Feder. Law No. 184-F3 of December 27, 2002 : adopted by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on December 15, 2002 // Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation. - 2002. —No. 52 (part I). — St. 5140; 2005. — № 19. — St. 1752; 2007. —№ 19. — Article 2293; 2007. — No. 49. — Art. 6070; 2008. — No. 30 (part II). — Art. 3616.4.
4. GOST 12.1.004-91*. SSBT. Fire safety. General requirements. — Introduction. 1992-07-01. Moscow : IPK Publishing House of Standards, 2002.
5. SNiP 21-01-97*. Fire safety of buildings and structures : approved by Ministry of Construction of Russia on February 13, 1997 : commissioning. effective from January 1, 1998 — Moscow: GUP CCP, 2002.