What Is a Fire Partition?

Fire zone refers to the area separated by firewalls, floors, fire doors or fire shutters. The fire can be limited to a certain local area (within a certain period of time) to prevent the fire from spreading. Of course, the partition of the fire zone also affects smoke. Qi acts as a barrier. By adopting the method of dividing fire prevention zones in buildings, once a building has a fire, it can effectively control the fire within a certain range, reduce fire losses, and provide favorable conditions for safe evacuation and fire fighting. ^[1]

The purpose of the fire partition in the architectural design is to prevent the expansion of the fire. The building can be fire partitioned according to the purpose and nature of the room. The partition, such as firewalls, fire doors, fire shutters and other equipment should be installed in the partition. In the design of the building, it is generally stipulated that the parts forming the shaft, such as the stairwell, ventilation shaft, air duct space, elevator, escalator lifting path, etc., shall be used as the fire protection zone. ^[2]

Fire protection zones can be divided into: horizontal fire protection zones and vertical fire protection zones. Horizontal fire separation: firewalls, fire doors, fire windows, fire shutters, water curtains, etc. The walls of the building objectively play a fire separation role. Vertical fire separation: floor, refuge floor, fire eaves, function conversion layer, etc. Vertical fire partitions are used to prevent vertical fire spread between floors of a multi-storey or high-rise building. Horizontal fire zone to prevent the fire from spreading horizontally. ^[3]

From the point of view of fire prevention, the smaller the division of fire prevention zones, the better it is to ensure the fire safety of buildings. However, if the division is too small, it will inevitably affect the use function of the building, which obviously will not work. The determination of the size of the fire protection area should take into account factors such as the nature of use of the building, its importance, the danger of fire, the height of the building, the fire fighting capacity, and the speed of fire spread.

Fire partition firewall

The firewall is the main building component of the fire-resistant partition. Generally, there are several types of firewalls, including internal firewalls, external firewalls, and outdoor independent walls. It is designed to reduce or avoid the radiation hazard of buildings, structures and equipment and prevent the spread of fire. Vertical partitions or fire-resistant walls directly on the building foundation or reinforced concrete frame are provided. Among them, the building structure of the firewall should meet the following requirements ^[3] :

(1) The fire wall shall be directly installed on the building's foundation or frame, beam and other load-bearing structures. The fire resistance of the frame, beam and other load-bearing structures shall not be lower than the fire resistance of the fire wall.

(2) The firewall should be partitioned from the ground floor of the building to the base of the bottom of the beam and floor. When the fire resistance of roof load-bearing structures and roof panels of high-rise factory buildings (warehouses) is less than 1.00h, and the fire resistance of roof load-bearing structures and roof panels of other buildings is less than 0.50h, the firewall should be more than 0.5m higher than the roof.

(3) The structure of the firewall should be able to prevent the roof trusses, beams, floor slabs, etc. on either side of the firewall from being damaged by the fire, which will not cause the firewall to collapse.

(4) When the horizontal distance from the centerline of the cross section of the firewall to the skylight end face is less than 4.0m, and the end face of the skylight is a flammable wall, measures shall be taken to prevent the fire from spreading.

(5) Doors, windows, and openings should not be opened on the firewall. When it is really necessary to open them, Class A fire doors and windows that cannot be opened or can be closed automatically in the event of a fire should be provided. Pipes of combustible gases and liquids of Class A, B, and C must not pass through the firewall. There should be no exhaust duct in the firewall.

Fire partition fire shutter

Fire shutters are mainly used for walls that require fire separation, especially when fire doors need to be opened on the firewall due to production or use, but fire doors cannot be installed. In a certain period of time, the fire-proof rolling door together with the frame can satisfy the fire-resistant stability and integrity. It is mainly composed of a curtain plate, a reel, a motor, a guide rail, a bracket, a protective cover and a control mechanism. The building structure of the fire-resistant roller shutter installed in the fire-resistant partition shall meet the following requirements ^[3] :

(1) Except for the atrium, when the width of the fire partition is not greater than 30m, the width of the fire shutter shall not be greater than 10m; when the width of the fire partition is greater than 30m, the width of the fire shutter shall not be greater than the width of the site 1/3, and should not be greater than 20m.

(2) The fire shutter shall have the function of automatically closing by its own weight in the event of a fire.

(3) Fire-resistant rolling shutters shall have smoke-proof performance, and the gaps with floor slabs, beams, walls, and columns shall be closed with fire-proof sealing materials.

(4) Fire shutters that need to be automatically lowered during a fire shall have the function of signal feedback.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in this code, the fire resistance limit of fire shutters shall not be lower than the fire resistance limit requirements of the wall of the site where this code is set.

Fire partition fire door

Fire doors are doors that meet fire resistance stability, integrity, and thermal insulation requirements within a certain period of time. It is a fire-resistant partition with certain fire resistance, such as a fire-resistant partition, an evacuation stairwell, and a vertical shaft. In addition to the role of ordinary doors, fire doors have the function of preventing the spread of fire and smoke, which can prevent the spread of fire for a certain period of time and ensure the evacuation of personnel. The building structure of fire doors shall meet the following requirements ^[3] :

(1) Normally open fire doors should be used for fire doors installed in buildings where there is often traffic. Normally open fire doors shall be able to close automatically in the event of a fire and shall have the function of signal feedback.

(2) Except for the positions where normally open fire doors are allowed, normally closed fire doors shall be adopted for fire doors in other positions. Normally closed fire doors shall be provided with notice signs such as "Keep the fire door closed" at their obvious positions.

(3) Except for the inspection door of the pipe well and the household door of the house, the fire door shall have the function of closing automatically, and the double fire door shall have the function of closing in order.

(4) When it is set near the deformation joint of the building, the fire door shall be set on the side with more floors, and it shall be ensured that the door does not cross the deformation joint when the fire door is opened.

(5) After the fire door is closed, it shall have smoke prevention performance.

(6) Class A, B and C fire doors shall comply with the provisions of the current national standard "Fire Doors" GB12955.