Building Regulations 2006

1 Building Regulations 2006 Technical Guidance Document BFire SafetyAN ROINN COMHSHAOILP ublished by the Stationery Office, DublinTo be purchased from:The Government Publications Sale OfficeSun Alliance HouseMolesworth StreetDublin on recycled paper containing aminimum of 75% post-consumer waste Government of Ireland 200630-01 01/06 (5,000) Brunswick Press Ltd. (15659)ContentsPageINTRODUCTION2 IntroductionThe guidanceExisting buildingsTechnical specificationsMaterials and workmanship3 InterpretationThe Construction Products DirectiveProgress / ProspectStandards CitedPending European Standards4 Part B: The Requirement5 SECTION B0 FIRE Use of the Alternative approaches to fire safety Provisions common to Sections B1 to B59 SECTION B1 MEANS OF ESCAPE IN CASE OF Introduction to Means of escape provisionsfor different purpose groupsand Building Design for horizontal Design for vertical General provisions for means of Dwelling houses53 SECTION B2 INTERNAL FIRE SPREAD (LININGS) Introduction to Provisions meeting the Variations and special Thermo-plastic materials65 SECTION B3 INTERNAL FIRE SPREAD (STRUCTURE) Introduction to Load-bearing elements of Concealed spaces (cavities)

2 Protection of openings and fire Special provisions97 SECTION B4 EXTERNAL FIRE Introduction to Construction of external Space Roof coverings113 SECTION B5 ACCESS AND FACILITIES FOR THE FIRE Introduction to Fire Vehicle Personnel Areas requiring specialconsideration129 APPENDICESAP erformance of materials and structures133 BFire doors151 CMethods of measurement154 DDefinitions158 EAssessment of risk in industrial and storage buildings161 FReference standards163 GReference publications16812 Building Regulations 2006 Technical Guidance Document B - Fire SafetyIntroductionThis document has been published by the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government, underArticle 7 of the Building Regulations , 1997. It providesguidance in relation to Part B of the Second Schedule tothe Regulations , as amended.

3 The revisions to the 1997 edition of Technical GuidanceDocument B primarily relate to the implementation ofnew fire performance standards under the EUConstruction Products Directive CPD (89/106/EEC);and to consequential amendments of Part B (Fire Safety)of the Second Schedule to the Regulations , as inserted bythe Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations , general, Building Regulations apply to the constructionof new buildings and to extensions and materialalterations to buildings. In addition, certain parts of theRegulations apply to existing buildings where a materialchange of use takes place. Otherwise, BuildingRegulations do not apply to buildings constructed prior to1 June ArrangementsThis document applies to the design of works, or buildingsin which a material change of use takes place, where theworks or the change of use commence or takes place, asthe case may be on or after 1 June 2006 except where- (1) a planning application is made on or before 31 May2006 for planning permission or approval pursuant tothe Planning and Development Act 2000 (No.)

4 30 of2000), or(2) a notice pursuant to the provisions of Part 8 of thePlanning and Development Regulations 2001 (No. 600of 2001) is published on or before 31 May 2006, or(3) a Fire Safety Certificate under the Building ControlRegulations, 1997 has been granted on or before 31 May 2006provided substantial work has been completed on orbefore 31 May specific construction product complying with the CPDmust be accepted from the date of availability of 1997 edition of Technical Guidance Document B Fire Safety, ceases to have effect from I June 2006, exceptin the case of projects benefiting from the foregoingtransitional GuidanceThe materials, methods of construction, standards andother specifications (including technical specifications)which are referred to in this document are those whichare likely to be suitable for the purposes of theRegulations.

5 Where works are carried out in accordancewith the guidance in this document, this will, prima facie,indicate compliance with Part B of the Second Schedule ofthe Building Regulations . However, the adoption of anapproach other than that outlined in the guidance is notprecluded provided that the relevant requirements of theRegulations are complied with. Those involved in thedesign and construction of a Building may be required bythe relevant Building control authority to provide suchevidence as is necessary to establish that the requirementsof the Building Regulations have been complied with. Inthe case of an application for a fire safety certificate underthe Building Control Regulations , it is necessary todemonstrate compliance with Part B of the SecondSchedule to the Building BuildingsIn the case of material alterations or changes of use ofexisting buildings, the adoption of the guidance in thisdocument without modification may not, in allcircumstances, be appropriate.

6 In particular, theadherence to guidance including codes, standards ortechnical specifications, intended for application to newwork may be unduly restrictive or of architectural or historical interest areespecially likely to give rise to such circumstances. Inthese situations, alternative approaches based on theprinciples contained in the document may be morerelevant and should be SpecificationsBuilding Regulations are made for specific purposes, toprovide, in relation to buildings, for the health, safety andwelfare of persons, the conservation of energy and accessfor people with disabilities. Technical specifications(including harmonised European Standards, EuropeanTechnical Approvals, National Standards and Agr mentCertificates) are relevant to the extent that they relate tothese considerations. Any reference to a technicalspecification is a reference to so much of the specificationas is relevant in the context in which it arises.

7 Technicalspecifications may also address other aspects not coveredby the reference to a technical specification is to the latestedition (including any amendments, supplements oraddenda) current at the date of publication of thisTechnical Guidance Document. However, if this versionof the technical specification is subsequently revised orupdated by the issuing body, the new version may be usedas a source of guidance provided that it continues toaddress the relevant requirements of the and WorkmanshipUnder Part D of the Second Schedule to the BuildingRegulations, works to which the Regulations apply mustbe carried out with proper materials and in a workmanlikemanner. Guidance in relation to compliance with theserequirements is contained in Technical GuidanceDocument this document, a reference to a section, sub-section,part, paragraph or diagram is, unless otherwise stated, areference to a section, sub-section, part, paragraph ordiagram, as the case may be, of this document.

8 Areference to another Technical Guidance Document is areference to the latest edition of a document published bythe Minister for the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment under article 7 of the Building Regulations ,1997. Diagrams are used in this document to illustrateparticular aspects of construction - they may not show allthe details of Products Directive (CPD)The Construction Products Directive (CPD) 89/106/EEC was adopted on 21 December 1988 ( L 40/12 ). The CPD is designed to removetechnical barriers to trade in construction products,within the European Economic Area (EEA), by replacing existing national standards for traditionalconstruction products with harmonised Europeanstandards (ENs), formulated by the European StandardsOrganisations (CEN and CENELEC); replacing national Agr ment Certificates for innovativeconstruction products with European TechnicalApprovals (ETAs) based on European TechnicalApprovals Guidelines (ETAGs), formulated by theEuropean Organisation for Technical Approval (EOTA),and, in exceptional cases, ETAs adopted in the absenceof ETAGs.

9 Construction products comprise Building materials,products and systems permanently incorporated inconstruction works (buildings and civil engineering works).The European Economic Area (EEA) comprises theMember States of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, andNorway. Construction products from Switzerland aretreated by the EU as if the Swiss Confederation were amember of the products complying with the CPD, andbearing the CE marking *, must be allowed to be placedon the market in any EEA Member State. In Ireland, the CPD was legally implemented by theEuropean Communities (Construction Products) Regulations 1992 ( No. 198 of 1992), which came intooperation on 1 January 1993. Updated Regulations on CEmarking * were made in 1994 ( No. 210 of 1994), andcame into operation on I January 1995.*Please see brochure on CE Marking of Construction Products (November 2002) published jointly by the Building RegulationsAdvisory Body (BRAB) and the Department of the Environment,Heritage, and Local CPD was the first of the EU New Approach Directives.

10 Annex 1 to the CPD specified six EssentialRequirements relating to construction works, including Safety in the Case of Fire leaving the details to bedetermined in technical specifications (ENs or ETAs) forspecific construction products. A construction productcompliant with the harmonised standards under CPDshould enable the relevant construction works, if properlydesigned and built, to meet the Essential Requirements ofthe has taken some years for harmonised European fireperformance standards, and related test methods, forconstruction products to emerge. This is due to thecomplexity of developing the relevant standards andrelated testing regimes; and of securing a European wideconsensus. The harmonisation process is now well underway and is expected to be substantially complete, by will be necessary to periodically review and updatetechnical guidance as European standards evolve; and asEuropean structural design EUROCODES are CitedThis Technical Guidance Document calls up harmonised European standards for traditionalconstruction products transposed in Ireland by theNational Standards Authority of Ireland with the EN; and for innovative construction products(ETAGs)- all published on the NSAI website( ); European fire performance classifications, and relatedtesting regimes for (a) Reaction to Fire and (b)Resistance to Fire.