Compartmentalization in structures, such as land-based building

Building

In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...

s, traffic tunnel

Tunnel

A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

s, ship

Ship

Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s, aerospace vehicles

Spacecraft

A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....

, or submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

s, is the fundamental basis and aim of passive fire protection

Passive fire protection

Passive fire protection is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors...

.

The idea is to subdivide a structure into "fire compartments", which may contain single or multiple rooms for the purpose of limiting the spread of fire, smoke and flue gases, in order to enable the three goals of fire protection

Fire protection

Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...

:

• life safety
• property protection
• continuity of operations.

The construction of such compartments and all its components is a matter of systems within systems, which use Listing and approval use and compliance to achieve fire-resistance rating

Fire-resistance rating

A fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail a host of other criteria, involving other evidence of functionality or fitness for...

s, all interdependent, forming part of an overall fire safety plan

Fire safety plan

A fire safety plan is required by all North American national, state and provincial fire codes based on building use or occupancy types. Generally, the owner of the building is responsible for the preparation of a fire safety plan. Buildings with elaborate emergency systems may require the...

. All components forming part of such a compartments are subject to stringent Listing and approval use and compliance in countries, where product certification

Product certification

Product certification or product qualification is the process of verifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications...

is mandatory.

External links

• Wisegeek.com article on fire compartments
• Province of Alberta Code Interpretation Concerning Fire Compartments
• National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Reseach in Construction Article entitled Fire Compartmentation and Fire Resistance
• Article by William E. Koffel entitled Fire compartments and building height