Fire load is an important factor in determining the potential fire risk in a building. Fire load refers to the amount of combustible materials that are present in a building or a given area. Calculating fire load is crucial for building owners, as it helps them determine whether their building meets the fire safety standards and helps firefighters anticipate the amount of manpower and resources needed to put out a fire. In this article, we will discuss how to calculate fire load.
Identify the Types of Materials
The first step in calculating fire load is to identify the types of materials present in the area. Combustible materials can be classified into various categories, including materials that are solids, liquids, or gases. The classification is important because different materials have different combustion characteristics. For example, wood and paper are easily ignitable and can burn rapidly, whereas liquids like oil and gasoline require a heat source to ignite, but once ignited, can burn for long periods. Identifying the types of materials will help you estimate the amount of combustible material present.
Determine the Amount of Combustible Material
Once you have identified the types of materials present, you need to determine their quantity. This can be done by measuring the area of the space and the height of the pile of combustible materials. For example, if you want to calculate the fire load of a storage room, you need to measure the dimensions of the room and the height of the pile of materials present in the room. The pile of combustible materials can be measured in either weight or volume. For example, the weight or volume of paper in a room can be calculated by knowing the thickness of each sheet and the number of sheets present.
Calculate the Heat of Combustion
The next step in calculating fire load is to determine the heat of combustion. The heat of combustion is the amount of energy released when a substance burns. Different materials have different heat of combustion values. Once you have identified the types of materials and their amount, you can find their heat of combustion values in a reference book. The heat of combustion value can be expressed in kilojoules per kilogram, megajoules per ton, or British Thermal Units (BTU) per pound.
Calculate Fire Load
Finally, calculate the fire load by multiplying the amount of combustible material by its heat of combustion. The fire load is usually expressed in terms of weight or volume. For example, if you want to calculate the fire load of a storage room containing 2 tons of paper, and each pound of paper has a heat of combustion value of 8,000 BTUs, then the fire load will be 32,000 BTUs. This means that if a fire ignites in the storage room, it will have 32,000 BTUs of energy to burn up and can easily spread to nearby combustible material.
Conclusion
Calculating fire load is an essential task for building owners to ensure that their building meets the fire safety standards. By identifying the types of combustible materials present, determining their quantity, calculating their heat of combustion, and finally calculating the fire load, building owners can assess the potential fire risks and take necessary measures to mitigate them. It is important to remember that accurate fire load calculations require expertise and experience, and in case of doubt, a professional fire inspector should be consulted.
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