Fire Protection
What SANS 10400: Part T – Fire Protection Says
What the Act Says
Essentially the legislation is concerned quite simply with the need for all buildings to be designed, constructed and equipped so that in the event of fire:
- the occupants or people using the building will be protected – including persons with disabilities;
- the spread and intensity of any fire within buildings, and the spread of fire to any other buildings, will be minimized;
- sufficient stability will be retained to ensure that such building will not endanger any other building: provided that in the case of any multi-storey building, no major failure of the structural system shall occur;
- the generation and spread of smoke will be minimized or controlled to the greatest extent reasonably practicable; and
- adequate means of access, and equipment for detecting, fighting, controlling and extinguishing such fire, is provided.
The requirements of the Act will be deemed to have been satisfied if the design, construction and equipment of buildings complies with SANS 10400 Part T and satisfies the local authority.
The Act also specifies several offences that owners of buildings need to avoid, including the need for fire extinguishers that comply with SANS 10105. Also, if people do anything to obstruct escape routes in buildings, they will be guilty of an offense.
What the Standard Says
The regulations for Fire Protection are contained in a 91 page document published by the SABS, SANS 10400: Part T Fire Protection. Much of the information is the same as that published in the 1990 version of the Standard that you can download from this site.
SANS 10400 Part T is broken down into several parts:
Requirements
The bulk of the Standard is made up of a vast number of different “requirements” that relate not only to dwelling houses, but to every other possible type of building, from hospitals to parking garages.
The requirements for effective fire protection include:
- general requirements,
- regulations relating to safety distances,
- fire performance,
- fire resistance of occupancy-separating and division-separating elements,
- fire stability of structural elements or components,
- tenancy-separating elements,
- partition walls and partitions,
- protection of openings (Note that the drawings in SANS 10400 – 1990 that illustrate this have not changed),
- raised access and suspended floors of combustible material,
- roof assemblies and coverings (the drawings remain unchanged in the new version of the Standard) including thatch,
- ceilings,
- floor coverings,
- internal finishes,
- provision of escape routes,
- exit doors,
- feeder routes,
- emergency routes,
- dimensions of components of escape routes,
- width of escape routes,
- basements,
- stairways and other changes of level along escape routes (the drawing that shows the position of doors in relation to a change in level has not changed),
- ventilation of stairways in an emergency route,
- pressurization of emergency routes and components,
- openings in floors,
- external stairways and passages,
- lobbies, foyers and vestibules,
- marking and signposting,
- provision of emergency lighting,
- fire detection and alarm systems,
- provision and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment, installations and fire protection systems,
- water reticulation for fire-fighting purposes,
- hose reels,
- hydrants,
- automatic sprinkler and other fixed extinguishing systems,
- portable fire extinguishers,
- mobile fire extinguishers,
- fire-stopping of inaccessible concealed spaces,
- protection in service shafts,
- services in structural or separating elements,
- smoke control,
- air-conditioning systems and artificial ventilation systems,
- lift shafts,
- lifts,
- firemen’s lift,
- stretcher lift,
- stage and backstage areas,
- eating arrangements in auditoriums or halls and on grandstands,
- parking garages,
- operating theatres and intensive, high or critical care units,
- installation of liquid fuel dispensing pumps and tanks,
- installation of other tanks,
- warehousing of dangerous goods,
- dangerous goods signage,
- access for fire-fighting and rescue purposes,
- resumed fire resistance of building materials and components,
- building materials,
- guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation (this is completely new),
- health care facilities (this is also completely new).
Safety Distances
Although there are other provisions, including the classification of the type of external wall, the table below may be used to establish safety distances where walls do not contain windows or other openings. For ordinary “dwelling houses” where the area of elevation facing any boundary is not more than 7,5 m2, such safety distance may be reduced to 0,5 m.
Fire Resistance
There are several tables (five in all) that indicate requirements for compliance with “Presumed fire resistance of building materials and components”.
This table shows what is required for “structural walls”.
This table shows what is required for “non-structural walls and partitions”.
Rational Designs
The design requirements include the need for a competent person to ensure that the level of fire safety is adequate. This is particularly important in large and public buildings.
This drawing shows the basic fire safety engineering process.
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Matt I think you need to refer to SANS 1253 Fire-doors and fire-shutters. SANS 10400-T: 2011 has a table (7 – page 30) that gives the “class” of fire doors/shutters. Looking at it, I think this would, in terms of type of wall, be “occupancy separation”, in which case if the minimum fire resistance of the wall is 60 min, a class A fire door is required; and if the wall is 120 min, a class B fire door may be used. It doesn’t give a classification for 30 min except for protected corridor and protected stairs, in which case the fire door should be class E; and for “openings in all walls” = class F. I presume that these classifications will be found in SANS 1253.
10400-T has a section on partition walls and partitions and this states that in dwelling houses and domestic residences, any separating elements (walls and floors) “between any garage that is not large enough to be classified as J4 [which is a parking garage] and any habitable room shall have a fire resistance of not less than 30 min and the wall shall extend to the underside of the roof”. And “any door between such garage and any such room shall have a fire resistance of not less than 30 min and such doorway shall require a threshold of not less than 10 mm” It also states that any “solid timber door constructed with double rebated joints, that have a thickness of not less than 40 mm, shall be deemed to comply with the requirement” (above) for a rating of 30 min.
This link might be helpful as it has specs of a wooden door and wooden frame that comply with 1253. Swartland is a highly reputable company too. And here’s a test report from the SABS.
Hope that helps.
Jan – I get your point, but you are only concerned with your property and not the neighbours, so surely you don’t double the distance if it is house to common boundary? You BOTH ensure that the specified distance is allowed. And there are other factors that need to be taken into account that may lead to a greater distance being required.
But you’ve just opened a can of worms because local authorities do allow people to build ON their boundaries and this seems that they are allowing a contravention of the fire regulations! What do you think? In fact the City of Cape Town’s new zoning by-laws – which came into effect in March this year – allow people to build on the boundary without neighbour’s consent. The smaller the property, the closer to the boundary they can build.
Mark, the previous version of this part – in relation to H2 – stated that if it had a height of more than 8 m then it should be “equipped with a fire detection system and an emergency evacuation system complying with SABS 0139” (which is now SANS 10139). So it seems that it will depend on the height of the building. The new legislation came into effect in 2008, though Part T of SANS 10400 was only published in March 2011. Since the Standard states “the appropriate standard will need to be considered on a case by case basis”, I think you need to query this with someone who is considered a “competent person” in terms of fire protection. Perhaps the local authority can advise.
Hi Penny
The definition of “safety distance” clearly states that when they use that term in SANS 10400-T:2011, that safety distance always means wall-to-boundary i.e. in the case of a real boundary or, in the case of a notional (denkbeeldige) boundary.
The values reflected in table 2 have to be doubled in both cases, otherwise roofs on either side of a real boundary (real boundaries between neighbouring properties do not reach past the roof overhangs, they are much lower and do not provide a fire break) would have a 1 meter – 1,2 meter gap (or even less) between roof overhangs, which is not nearly enough to satisfy the fire regulations.
Roof overhangs are sitting ducks when a fire breaks out and are also always the point of entry for fire….long before anything else catches fire.
If the fire regulations are applied correctly, (doubled) the distance between roof overhangs would increase and the chance of fire spreading from property to property would be reduced.
I’m not saying you cannot build 1 meter from your boundary, for instance, a neighbour’s house might be 7 meters away. In such a case the fire safety regulations would clearly be met, even if you build 1 meter from the boundary wall.
Safety trumps everything else. “Nobody wants to see their house or business premises go up in flames.”
Hi Penny
Thank you , just for clarity does this apply to new buildings only or existing building as well , these hostels were built 1996 – 2010.
Would stand alone smoke detectors suffice for installation in these hostels.
Mark, SANS 10400-T, Fire Protection, states that
“Any building containing an occupancy classified as
a) F1, with a floor area of more than 500 m2; or
b) H1, H2, E2 or E3, irrespective of height or floor area,
shall be equipped with a fire detection system and alarm system that is designed, installed and maintained by competent persons in accordance with SANS 10139.
NOTE 1 The term ‘fire detection system’ is used here to describe any type of automatic sensor network and associated control and indicating equipment. Sensors may be sensitive to smoke, heat, gaseous combustion products or radiation. Normally the control and indicating equipment operates a fire alarm system and it may perform other signalling or control functions as well. Automatic sprinkler systems can also be used to operate a fire alarm system.
NOTE 2 The factors which have to be considered when assessing what standard of fire alarm, automatic fire detection or voice alarm or communication system is to be provided will vary from one set of premises to another. Therefore, the appropriate standard will need to be considered on a case by case basis.”
F1 occupancy = a large shop
H1 = a hotel
H2 = dormitory “Occupancy where groups of people are accommodated in one room.”
E2 = hospitals
E3 = Other institutions
So the short answer is YES!
Jan I presume you are referring to Table 2 that gives minimum safety distances in metres?
A couple of comments.
I agree with your interpretation/understanding of the definition. As I understand it, it is then up to the person drawing the plans to ensure that the distance is doubled if there are two buildings on the same site. And this distance will depend a) on the fire load; and b) on the occupancy class of the building.
I assume that the “other” tables you have seen have been developed by people who believe it makes it easier to interpret than having to do a simple times-two mathematical sum. The table in SANS 10400-T: 2011 is the table that applies. And if there are two buildings on one site, the distance must be doubled.
Hi,
I’m battling to find specific details regarding fire doors in the SANS 10400. This is regarding a Fire Door that is positioned internally in a fire wall separating a garage and living area of a small house.
My client did the alteration some years ago, however the door is currently a standard hollow core non-fire rated door. I’ve advised them that in this application they require a 30min fire rated door. So I need some clarity on the spec of the door and frame?In other words, can the existing timber frame suffice, and can a new solid timber fire-rated door leaf now be installed with in this frame in order to comply?
We’re in the process of submitting plans to the local council, and I’d prefer this to be corrected prior to the building inspector’s visit.
Thanks for any help…
Hi Penny, maybe Rudolf Opperman can weigh in here as well. I see he is from the the NRCS.
We have hostels at our schools do they require fire detection equipment by law? ( Smoke detectors )
Hi Penny
The definition of “safety distance” ( see definitions in the beginning of SANS 10400-T:2011) states that whenever they use the term safety distance, then safety distance means “distance provided BETWEEN ANY BUILDING AND THE LATERAL BOUNDARY of the site or, ….etc”.
That means that the safety values given in the table above are the minimum BOUNDARY DISTANCE between a house and a boundary wall and not the MINIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS/HOUSES . In other words, those values given in the table above have to double and not divided between two adjacent dwellings.
I have come across other tables and graphs of fire safety that showed the safety distances in more detail (values doubled-up as well )than the current table of SANS 10400-T: 2011, which is reflecting only one half of the overall distance.
What is your opinion, please?
Part T – fire protection – states that where there are two or more buildings on the same site:
“where any external wall of such building or division is of type N or contains windows or other openings, any circle of radius equal to the safety distance given in table 2 for the occupancy concerned, drawn from any point on any window or opening in the external wall of one such building or division, shall not intersect any circle of radius equal to the safety distance given in table 2 for the occupancy concerned in the external wall of such other building or division, drawn from any point in any window or opening in the external wall of such other building or division; provided that the intersection of such circles shall be permitted where
1) the included angle between such walls is more than 135°, or
2) the included angle between such walls is more than 90° and the distance between the nearest points on such windows or openings is more than 2 m.”
NB A type N wall is a combustible wall with full fire resistance.
Table 2 shows the safety distances. For a residential dwelling (classified as low fire load), if the area of the openings “in elevation” are less than 5 sq m then the distance is 1 m. The distance then increases according to the area of the openings. So if they are 10 sq m the distance increases to 2,4 m; if they equal 210 sq m, the distance increases to 6,3 m. Nothing less than 1 m is allowed.
I hope this helps.
No they don’t have to be enclosed at all. And the SANS (Part V) say nothing about needing an engineer. A built-in brick fireplace and/or brick chimney that is part of the structure would need to be on the plans, and so the “competent person” responsible for the build as a whole would be in charge. And if a brick chimney was added at a later stage you would need plans. I have added content to the page on Space Heating – this might be helpful to you.
Thank Rudolf, that would be great.