CHAPTER 4

SITE PLANNING & EXTERNAL

FIRE FIGHTING PROVISION

4.1 GENERAL

4.1.1 The purpose of this Chapter of the Code is to make General

provision for space around buildings to enable effective
mounting of rescue and external fire fighting operations.

4.2 PROVISION FOR EXTERNAL ACCESS TO BUILDING FOR FIRE

FIGHTING AND ACCESSIBILITY OF SITE TO FIRE FIGHTING
APPLIANCES

4.2.1 Accessway shall be provided for accessibility of site to fire Introduction

fighting appliances. To permit fire fighting appliances to
be deployed, the accessway shall have a minimum width
of 6m throughout its entire length. Access openings shall
be provided along the external walls of buildings fronting
the accessway to provide access into the building for fire
fighting and rescue operations.

4.2.2 ACCESSWAY FOR FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES

(a) (i) For buildings under purpose group I, Provision of

accessway will not be required, irrespective accessway
of the building height. However, in cluster
housing developments, (Cluster housing is
landed housing with shared communal
facilities), fire engine access road with a
minimum 4m width shall be provided for
access by pump appliance to within a travel
distance of 60m from every point on the
projected plan area of any building in the
housing developments.

(ii) For buildings under purpose group II, no

accessway will be required for buildings that
do not exceed the habitable height of 10m.
However, fire engine access road having
minimum 4m width for access by pump
appliance shall be provided to within a travel
distance of 60m of every point on the
projected plan area of the building.

The requirement for fire engine access road

shall not apply to non-residential standalone
building, such as clubhouse, carpark, etc.
(excluding guardhouse and substation) that
are located within the housing development.
 (iii) For buildings under purpose group II that
exceed the habitable height of 10m, fire
engine access road having minimum 4m
width and designed to sustain the load of
stationary 30 tonnes fire engine shall be
provided within 18m of breeching inlets of
the building. The breeching inlets shall be
located on the external wall above ground
level nearest to the vertical run of the riser
stack.

(iv) For buildings under purpose groups III, IV, V

and VII not exceeding the habitable height
of 10m, accessway will not be required.
However, provision of fire engine access
road having minimum 4m width for pump
appliance will be required to within a travel
distance of 45m of every point on the
projected plan area of the building.

4.2.2 (b) (i) For buildings under purpose groups III, IV, V
and VII exceeding the habitable height of
10m, accessway shall be located directly
below the access openings to provide direct
outreach to the access openings.
Accessway shall be provided based on the
gross floor area (including toilets, stores,
circulation areas, etc.) of the largest floor in
the building as follows:

Minimum 1/
6 perimeter ( min 15m)
2000m2 to 4000m2 ¼ perimeter
>4000m2 to 8000m2 ½ perimeter
>8000m2 to 16,000m2 ¾ perimeter
>16000m2 island site access

For buildings protected by an automatic

sprinkler system, the floor area shall be
doubled as follows:

Minimum 1/
6 perimeter ( min 15m)
4000m2 to 8000m2 ¼ perimeter
>8000m2 to 16,000m2 ½ perimeter
>16,000m2 to 32,000m2 ¾ perimeter
>32,000m2 island site access.

(ii) Access road shall be provided to within 18m

of breeching inlet for buildings that exceed
the habitable height of 10m.
4.2.2 (c) (i) For buildings under purpose groups VI and
VIII, accessway shall be provided for fire
fighting appliances. The provision of
accessway shall be calculated based on the
following gross cubical extent of the building
as follows:

Minimum 1/
6 perimeter ( min 15m)
>28,400m3 ¼ perimeter
>56,800m3 ½ perimeter
>85,200m3 ¾ perimeter
>113,600m3 island site access.

For buildings protected by an automatic

sprinkler system, the cubical extent of the
building can be doubled as follows:

Minimum 1/
6 perimeter ( min 15m)
>56,800m3 ¼ perimeter
>113,600m3 ½ perimeter
>170,400m3 ¾ perimeter
>227,200m3 island site access.

(ii) Fire engine access road shall be provided to

within 18m of breeching inlet for buildings
that exceed the habitable height of 10m.

4.2.2 (d) (i) Accessway shall be metalled or paved or Accessway

laid with strengthened perforated slabs to
withstand the loading capacity of stationary
30 tonnes fire engine. Please see Appendix
(G) for technical data on fire engine.

(ii) The accesssway shall have a minimum width Width of

of 6m throughout. Such accessway must be accessway
able to accommodate the entry and
manoeuvring of fire engine, extended
ladders pumping appliances, turntable and /
or hydraulic platforms.

(iii) Accessway shall be positioned so that the Location

nearer edge shall be not less than 2m or
more than 10m from the centre position of
the access opening, measured horizontally.

(iv) Accessway shall be laid on a level platform Gradients of

or if on an incline, the gradient shall not accessway
exceed 1:15.
 (v) Dead-end accessway and fire engine Turning
access road shall not exceed 46 m in length facilities
or if exceeding 46 m, be provided with
turning facilities as shown in Diagram
4.2.2(d)(v).

(vi) The outer radius for turning of accessway and

fire engine access road shall comply with the
requirements as shown in Diagram
4.2.2(d)(vi).

(vii) Overhead clearance of accessway and fire Overhead

engine access road shall be at least 4.5 m for clearance
passage of fire fighting appliances.

(viii) Public roads can serve as accessway Public road

provided the location of such public roads is
in compliance with the requirements of
distance from access openings.

(ix) Accessway and fire engine access road shall Obstruction

be kept clear of obstructions and other parts
of the building, plants, trees or other fixtures
shall not obstruct the path between the
accessway and access openings.

4.2.2 (e) (i) All corners of accessway shall be marked. Marking of

fire engine
accessway.
(ii) Marking of corners shall be in contrasting
colour to the ground surfaces or finishes.

(iii) Accessway provided on turfed area must be

marked with contrasting object (preferably
reflective) that is visible at night. The markings
are to be at an interval not more than 3
metres apart and shall be provided on both
sides of the accessway.

(iv) Sign post displaying the wordings ‘Fire Engine

Access – Keep Clear’ shall be provided at the
entrance of the accessway. Size of wordings
shall not be less than 50mm.
4.2.3 ACCESS OPENING TO BUILDING FOR FIRE FIGHTING

(a) Openings on the external wall for external fire Definition

fighting and rescue operation. Access openings
shall include unobstructed external wall openings,
windows, balcony doors, glazed wall panels or
access panels. Windows, doors, wall panels or
access panels must be readily openable from the
inside and outside, unless fitted with breakable
glazing. Inside and outside of access openings
shall be unobstructed at all times during the
occupancy of the building.

(b) Where an external wall which faces the

accessway has external openings on each storey
level that meet the requirements of sub-clauses
4.2.3(a), 4.2.3(e) and 4.2.3(f), there is no need to
designate any access opening.

(c) An external wall which faces the accessway and

is windowless or a blank-wall shall be provided
with access openings at each storey level.

(d) Panels to access openings shall be posted with Signage

either a red or orange triangle of equal sides
(minimum 150mm on each side), which can be
upright or inverted, on the external side of the wall
and with wordings "Fire Fighting Access - Do Not
Obstruct" of at least 25 mm height on the internal
side.

(e) Access openings shall be not less than 850mm Size

wide by 1000mm high with sill height of not more
than 1100 mm and head height not less than 1800
mm above the inside floor level.

(f) Number and position of access openings for

buildings other than residential:

(i) For buildings under purpose groups III, IV, V Buildings

and VII exceeding the habitable height of other than
10m up to 60m, access opening is required at residential
every storey level, other than 1st storey,
opening directly onto accessway.

(ii) For building under purpose groups VI and Access

VIII, access openings located over opening to
accessway shall be provided and evenly compart-
 distributed along the external walls up to a ment or
habitable height of 60m. spaces

(iii) Access openings shall be spaced at not Position

more than 20m apart measured along the
external wall from centre to centre of the
access openings.

(iv) For buildings under purpose groups III IV, V, VI, Additional
VII and VIII where an area or space has a openings
ceiling height greater than 10m, additional
high level access openings for smoke venting
and fire fighting purposes shall be provided
and located in the external walls opening
into the area or space.

(v) In a building with limited external wall and Internal fire

insufficient provision of accessway or access fighting
openings, installation of internal fire fighting provision
facilities such as rising main, sprinkler system,
shall be required.

(g) The provision of access openings shall not be

applicable to buildings under purpose groups I
and II, including buildings under purpose group II
that have non-residential uses located in the same
buildings.

4.3 ACCESS TO BUILDINGS WITH RISING MAINS

Buildings fitted with rising mains and automatic sprinkler Access to

system shall have fire engine access road for pumping buildings
appliances within 18 m of the breeching inlet. The with rising
breeching inlets shall be visible from the access road. mains

4.4 PRIVATE FIRE HYDRANT

4.4.1 REQUIREMENTS

(a) Every part of a fire engine access road and/or an Private fire
accessway in a private lot shall be within an hydrant
unobstructed distance of 50m from a hydrant.
Where a public hydrant conforming to such
requirement is not available, private hydrant(s)
shall be provided (see diagram 4.4.1(a)).
 (b) In situations where more than one private hydrants
are required, the hydrants shall be located along
the fire engine access road and/or an accessway
such that every part of the access road and/or
accessway is within an unobstructed distance of
50m from any hydrant (see diagram 4.4.1(b)).

(c) Siting and types of fire hydrants shall comply with

the requirements stated in SS CP 29: Code of
Practice for Fire Hydrant Systems and Hosereels.

4.4.2 WATER SUPPLY FOR PRIVATE HYDRANT

Provision of water supply for private hydrant system Water supply

where required by this Code shall comply with one of for private
the following requirements: hydrant

(a) Private fire hydrants installed at reduced level 125

m and below can receive direct supply from
public water mains provided :

(i) The nominal bore of the hydrant pipe and

the bulk water meter shall not be less than
150mm in diameter; and

(ii) The running pressure/flow at the

hydraulically most unfavourable hydrant of
the private hydrant system shall comply with
the following :

• Running pressure >= 0.9 x (running

pressure of the nearest public hydrant –
pressure drop across the bulk water
metre); and

• Flow Rate >= 0.9 x water flow of the

nearest public hydrant or >= total flow
demand (as required in Table 4.4.2) of
the private hydrant system, provided
the running pressure at the remotest
private hydrant is greater than 2 bars.

Note :

(i) In calculating the frictional loss for the

private hydrant system, the design flow
rates shown in Table 4.4.2 shall be used.

(ii) Pressure drop across bulk water metre shall

 not be more than 1bar.

(b) (i) Where there is only one private hydrant in the

plot that is located above reduced level
125m; and

(ii) this hydrant is not the sole hydrant within 50m

from any breeching inlet(s) feeding into fixed
water based fire fighting system(s) including
automatic sprinkler systems, dry riser systems,
and wet riser systems for the building(s)
standing on this plot of land;

this hydrant can be in the form of a "dry" hydrant.

A "dry" hydrant shall be connected to a 150mm
diameter dry pipe, which shall be connected at
the other end to a four-way breeching inlet. This
breeching inlet shall be within 18m from any
accessway or fire engine access road having
minimum 4m width and within 50m from any wet
hydrant, private or public.

(c) Where more than one private hydrants are

located above reduced level 125m within the
same plot, storage and pumping arrangements
of water supply to these specified hydrants shall
comply with those for wet rising mains stipulated
in SS CP 29 and Table 4.4.2 – Water Supply &
Storage Requirements For Private Hydrant. The
water supply for hydrants serving residential and
non-residential developments shall be as follows:

Table 4.4.2 – Water Supply & Storage

requirements For Private Hydrant
Purpose Purpose Group Purpose Group (*) Purpose Group (*)
Group/Requirement I & II III, IV, V, VII VI & VIII

Minimum running 2 bars 2 bars 2 bars

pressure

Minimum flow rate 27 L/s <1000m² - 38L/s 500m² - 38L/s

<5000m² - 57L/s <5000m² - 57L/s
<10000m² - 76L/s <10000m² - 76L/s
(57L/s if sprinkler (57L/s if sprinkler
protected) protected)

Additional 19L/s Additional 19L/s

for subsequence for subsequence
5000 m² 5000 m²

Minimum duration 45 mins 45 mins 90 mins

* Based on the floor area of the largest compartment in the building

4.4.3 All hydrant mains which pass through a building shall have Protection of
its full length within the building protected with fire hydrant
resistance construction complying with cl.3.8.7 (c) of at mains in
least the same fire resistance as the element of structure, buildings
provided the following requirements are complied with :

(a) The hydrant mains shall be located in common

circulation areas, such as carparking spaces and
driveways; ie they shall not pass through private or
confined spaces;

(b) No services (except sprinkler pipes) shall be

located above or crossing over the hydrant
mains;

(c) The hydrant mains shall be located away from

explosion risk areas; and

(d) The protective enclosure to the hydrant mains

shall be labelled with the words “HYDRANT MAIN”
of minimum 50mm height at suitable intervals.
 Diagram 4.2.2(d)(v)

Turning Facilities for Pumper Appliances (24 tonnes)

Diagram 4.2.2(d)(vi)

U-Turn Radii of Pumper Appliances (24 tonnes)

 Diagram 4.2.2(d)(v)

Turning Facilities for Aerial Appliances (30 tonnes)

Applicable to buildings exceeding the habitable height of 10m

Diagram 4.2.2(d)(vi)

U-Turn Radii of Aerial Appliances (30 tonnes)

Applicable to buildings exceeding the habitable height of 10m
Diagram 4.4.1(a)
Provision Of Private Hydrant

Every part of a fire engine access road and/or an accessway in a

private lot shall be within an unobstructed distance of 50m from a
hydrant. Where a public hydrant conforming to such requirement is not
available, private hydrant(s) shall be provided.
Diagram 4.4.1(b)
Provision Of Private Hydrant

In situation where more than one private hydrants are required, the
hydrants shall be located along the fire engine access road and/or an
accessway such that every part of the access road and/or accessway is
within an unobstructed distance of 50m from any hydrant.