Abstract
Although there are laws in the Korea Building Act relating to exterior finishing materials, fireproof structures and fire-stop of curtain wall structures, the standards relating to and test methods on securing detailed fire safety functions for exterior materials of all buildings including high-rise buildings have not been prepared. This is due to the fact that test methods and standards to quantitatively evaluate the vertical fire spread of the exterior material of buildings do not exist. In addition, while semi non-combustible materials or non-combustible materials are required to be used to prevent fire spread in buildings which exceed 30-stories, it is necessary to review the standards and regulations in cases where fire blocking systems, capable of preventing the vertical fire spread within the curtain wall, are installed to consider permitting the utilization of fire retardant material following an assessment of the construction characteristics of high-rise buildings. The functional evaluation standards and test methods on the vertical fire spread introduced in this study will be a more effective method for performing evaluations to prevent fire spread compared to the currently utilized method of performing small scale tests.
Highlights
Following the development of construction technology in Korea, the construction of high rise buildings has increased due to their various benefits from the social and economic perspective, including the enhancement of a city’s image through the creation of landmarks and the effective utilization of vertical space
As can be seen from the fires that occurred in Knowsley Heights Apartment in Liverpool, England in 1991 and the Woosin Golden Sweet in Haewundae, Korea in 2010, fire can cause large scale damage if it starts from the inside of the building and grows to a flashover that spreads through windows in a rapid and vertical manner along exterior materials constructed in the building
According to fire-related statistics from the National Emergency Management Agency, exterior wall fire events in buildings in Korea numbered 1,681 in 2009, which accounted for approximately 3.6% of all fire events
Summary
Following the development of construction technology in Korea, the construction of high rise buildings has increased due to their various benefits from the social and economic perspective, including the enhancement of a city’s image through the creation of landmarks and the effective utilization of vertical space. According to fire-related statistics from the National Emergency Management Agency, exterior wall fire events in buildings in Korea numbered 1,681 in 2009, which accounted for approximately 3.6% of all fire events. In light of this issue being one with social importance, this study will analyze the relevant legal standards through case studies and introduce relevant research trends in order to propose the technical developments that are capable of preventing vertical fire spread in exterior materials
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