INGENIEUR
Facade of solar panels .
horizontal fire compartmentation . Light pipes ( a variant of light wells ) have similar concerns . These design elements may impose building , fire and life safety code issues if not co-ordinated with fire protection engineers during the early stages of design because they can conflict with building code requirements .
Active Façade System
One of the earliest active façade systems was implemented in Malaysia ( circa 1999 ) for a sixstar Energy Efficient building . The fire safety and fire protection considerations adopted , included stringent compliance with vertical fire barriers for the inner façade , down to the detail of requiring the sunshade blinds to be automatically fully raised in the event of a fire alarm so as to enable visual identification of the fire floor from the exterior . The effect of the active air space acting as a vertical fire flue also needs to be addressed .
Meanwhile , recent proliferation of green buildings has witnessed the exponential use of double and triple glazed facades which pose challenges for the provision of ‘ breakable glass ’ at regular intervals mandated by certain jurisdictions .
Underfloor Air-distribution & Thermal Displacement Ventilation strategy
Underfloor Air-Distribution ( UFAD ) systems have become a common element in green building design . The concept utilises the under-floor plenum for supply air-distribution and the space above the ceiling as a return air plenum . Several code issues may need to be addressed when a UFAD system is proposed . The under-floor plenum is normally used for power and data cable distribution .
In a plenum space , power cables need to conform to electrical code requirements and be installed within electrical conduit / raceway enclosures , while data cables not installed in conduit / raceways need to be plenum-rated and comply with electrical code requirements . There can be issues regarding connections between power and data cables which are under and above a floor .
Depending on the floor plenum height , smoke detection may be required . When smoke detectors are installed within the floor plenum , they should be installed correctly below a soffit of raised floor panels and not resting on the floor bed . They must also be made accessible for periodic testing and maintenance .
22 VOL 91 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2022