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Fire Escape Design in Concept

The important concepts in designing a fire escape routes:

Primary Concept: This ‘designing for redundancy’ principle applies to all aspects of evacuation.

“Every floor space shall be provided with at least two exits on the basis that if one exit is inoperable, the other exit can serve the function.”

Distances:

Travel Distance: The maximum travel distance to an exit should be as short as possible. In most cases, it’s recommended to keep it under 100 feet (30 meters).

Dead-Ends: Avoid dead-end corridors or rooms without a second exit.(usually half of travel distance).

Evacuation Time:

Occupant Load: Calculate the total occupant load for the area (number of people). Divide this by the flow rate (typically around 50 people per minute).

Exit Width: Ensure exit doors are wide enough to accommodate the expected flow. A typical door width is 32 inches (81 cm).

Stairwell Capacity: For stairwells, plan for a minimum capacity of two people per foot of stair width and need to refer to designated table. (typical minimum width of staircase is 1100mm)

Additional considerations when designing fire escape routes:

Signage and Lighting:

Clearly mark exit paths with illuminated signs. Ensure they are visible even in low-light conditions.

Emergency lighting should activate during power outages to guide occupants.

Obstacles and Hazards:

Identify potential obstacles (furniture, equipment, etc.) along the escape route. Keep pathways clear.

Avoid placing escape routes near hazardous areas (e.g., chemical storage rooms).

Accessibility:

Design routes that accommodate people with disabilities. Consider ramps, wider doors, and accessible restrooms.

Elevators are generally not recommended for fire evacuation due to potential power loss.

Fire Doors and Compartmentation:

Install fire-resistant doors to prevent fire spread. These doors should close automatically during a fire.

Use compartmentation to divide the building into fire-resistant zones.

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