FIRE RATING REQUIREMENT OF

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STEEL CONSTRUCTION
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T 1. Objective:
The objective of this paper is to provide its user with adequate technical knowledge and
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guidance on standard fire rating requirement of steel construction in RMG industries of

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Bangladesh.
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T

2. Building classification & definitions:

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N

a) Existing Buildings- Buildings which are constructed and occupied prior 24 November
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2013.
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b) Interim Construction or Buildings- Buildings which are constructed and occupied from
24 November 2013 to prior 11 February 2021.
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c) New Construction or Buildings- Buildings which are constructed and occupied with
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approved design from the appropriate building approval authority from 11 February
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2021.
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S
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Buildings and construction

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Existing building
N

Constructed & occupied

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prior 24 November 2013

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E

Interim building
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Constructed & occupied from

24 November 2013 to prior
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11 February 2021
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Q
E

New building
Approved design, constructed
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and occupied from 11 February 2021

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N
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T
A

Figure 1: Building classification

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E
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Fire Rating Requirement of Steel Construction_Version 1.0_November 2021

 3. Protection of existing buildings:

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According to the RSC Technical Guidelines (Standard), all existing buildings with non- rated

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constructions shall follow the below table considering per floor area and building height.
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T
Existing building (occupied prior to 24 November 2013)
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Per floor area <22,000 sq. feet Per floor area >22,000 sq. feet
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No requirement of sprinkler No requirement of sprinkler

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No requirement of passive No requirement of passive fire

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2 Storeys or fire protection protection.

N

less Mixed occupancy separation according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 table 3.2.1.
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(Separation wall and floor/ ceiling assemblies)

C
L

No requirement of passive No requirement of passive

E

fire protection. fire protection.

E

More than 2 Active fire protection required- Active fire protection required-
Standpipe system when building sprinkler and standpipe system
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storeys up to
occupied level >33 feet.
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building
height 65 ft Mixed occupancy separation according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 table 3.2.1.
F

(Separation wall and floor/ ceiling assemblies)

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Passive fire protection required. Passive fire protection required.

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building
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height more Active fire protection-Standpipe Active fire protection required-

system Sprinkler and standpipe system
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than 65 feet
but less than
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75 feet. Mixed occupancy separation according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 table 3.2.1.
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(Separation wall and floor/ ceiling assemblies)

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Passive fire protection required.

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Active fire protection required- sprinkler and standpipe system.

Building
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height more
Mixed occupancy separation according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 table 3.2.1.
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than 75 feet
(Separation wall and floor/ ceiling assemblies)
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Table 1: Fire protection requirement of existing buildings in terms of height and floor area.
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T
A
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E
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Fire Rating Requirement of Steel Construction_Version 1.0_November 2021

 4. Protection of interim buildings:

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As per the RSC Technical Guidelines (Standard) Part 3 Section 3.3.6- all RMG factories

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will be considered as occupancy G2. (See BNBC 2006 Part 3 Section 2.1.7)
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All RMG factories must be of type 1 or type 2 construction (See BNBC 2006 Part 3
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Section 2.4.3 & Section 3.2.4)

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For type 2 construction, the maximum permissible height of the building shall be 4
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storeys or 14 meters. (See BNBC 2006 Part 3, Table 3.1.9)

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Interior bearing walls, bearing partitions, girders, trusses & framings must have
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minimum fire resistance rating: 2 hr. in type 2 construction & 4 hr. in type 1
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construction. (See BNBC 2006 Part 3, Table 3.3.1)

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C

Floor construction including beams must have a minimum 1.5 hr. fire resistance rating
in type 2 & 3 hr. fire resistance rating in type 1. (See BNBC 2006 Part 3, Table 3.3.1)
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E
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3 hr.
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4 hr. 1.5 hr.

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4 hr. 2 hr.
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4 hr. 2 hr.
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4 hr. 2 hr.
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N

Figure 2: Type 1 building schematic Figure 3: Type 2 building schematic

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diagram for fire rating of structural diagram for fire rating of structural
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elements elements
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Depending on the distance from the building to the property line the fire resistance
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rating of the exterior wall must meet BNBC 2006 Table 3.2.2.
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If the floor assembly is also a separation between occupancies, then BNBC 2006 Table
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3.2.1 must also be considered.

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N
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A
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E
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Fire Rating Requirement of Steel Construction_Version 1.0_November 2021

 Follow table 2 for the fire protection requirement of interim buildings.

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Interim building (occupied from 24 November 2013 to prior 11 February 2021)

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T Type- 1 construction (fire rated) Type- 2 construction (fire rated)
>14 meter of building height. Permissible height up to 14 meter or
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4 stories.
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Fire rating requirement- Floor including Fire rating requirement- Floor including
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beam- 3 hours; Interior bearing walls, beam- 1.5 hours; Interior bearing walls,
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bearing partitions, girders, trusses & bearing partitions, girders, trusses &
framings must have minimum fire framings must have minimum fire
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resistance rating- 4 hours. resistance rating- 2 hours.

N

Active fire protection required- Active fire protection required-

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Standpipe- occupied level >33 feet. Standpipe- occupied level >33 feet.
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Sprinkler & standpipe- occupied Sprinkler & standpipe- occupied

level>75 feet. level>75 feet.
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Mixed occupancy separation according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 table 3.2.1.

E

(Separation wall and floor/ ceiling assemblies)

E

Proximity between group of occupancies and exterior wall rating shall be ensured
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according to BNBC 2006 Part 3 Table 3.2.2

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Table 2: Fire protection requirement of interim buildings in terms of height and

construction type.
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O

5. Protection of new buildings:

According to BNBC 2020 Table 3.2.4; group- I: non- combustible construction is
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permitted for RMG industries.

N

Group I: Noncombustible, subdivisions are followings-

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Type I-A: 4-hour fire protected

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Type I-B: 3-hour fire protected

E

Type I-C: 2-hour fire protected

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Type I-D: 1 hour fire protected

Type I-E: Unprotected
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According to BNBC 2020 Table 3.1.7; building height and number of storey for non-
combustible construction group shall be complied with respect to road width and front
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open space requirement.

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For Type I-D and I-E of Group I construction, the maximum permissible height of the
building shall be 3 storeys or 11 m for values of two times the sum of the width of the
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front road and the front open space not less than 13.6 m.
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For exterior wall rating and proximity to surrounding occupancies group, BNBC 2020
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Table 3.2.2 shall apply.

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A

Fire rating requirement of opening protectives in exterior wall shall be in accordance

with BNBC 2020 Table 3.2.3.
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Fire resistance rating requirements for barrier walls and floor/ceiling assemblies
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between separated occupancies (hours) i.e. mixed occupancies separation follow BNBC
2020 Part 3 Table 3.2.1.
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Fire rating for structural and non- structural elements of group- I construction shall
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be in accordance with BNBC 2020 Table 3.3.1 (a).

In all new buildings, standpipe system shall be required if the highest occupied floor is
greater than 10 m height from grade level, and a sprinkler system is required where
the highest occupied floor is greater than 23 m.

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Fire Rating Requirement of Steel Construction_Version 1.0_November 2021