Fire separation distances and firewall issues

This post was last edited by 479721652 on 2014-12-31 11:01. 1. It is necessary to determine what the facilities on the outside are; for Class A warehouses, refer to 3.5.1 and the annotations – nothing is mentioned regarding firewalls, so firewalls are not allowed. 2. Firewalls cannot be used to reduce the fire separation distance between workshops and warehouses; see note 3 in 3.4.1 – it refers to two factories, not a factory and a warehouse. So, one unit should be retained in Workshop 2# and the finished goods warehouse; otherwise, the spacing should be controlled according to 3.5.1. It’s not clear what the control building is used for. In the case of DCS control, the distance from Class A workshops and warehouses must be at least 25 meters. Additionally, the functional zones defined for this site layout are unclear. If a new project follows this plan, it won’t even pass the preliminary evaluation

It’s a renovation project; I wonder what the design team was thinking?

There is a problem with the fire separation distance. Has the fire approval been granted?

I’m not sure if the fire safety approval has been obtained. This is a renovation project that is still in the stage of safety assessment; I’m not aware of all the procedures that need to be followed. Please advise

Which one of new, modified, or expanded hazardous chemicals use, production, and operation projects does yours fall under? Find the corresponding provisions. All three have gone through the preliminary evaluation, right? Next is the design of safety facilities and the evaluation for acceptance, but your layout plan will definitely not be approved in Hebei Province; as for other provinces, it depends on how the experts and the relevant authorities decide. The design institute probably thinks this way in order to minimize the amount of work that needs to be done on your end, to stick to the regulations as much as possible, and to get by with any ambiguous aspects – it’s also for the benefit of you, the clients.

1. Are you using the construction codes or the petrochemical industry codes at present? The safety supervision authorities insist on using the petrochemical industry codes for project reviews; if those codes are applied, your project will not be able to proceed. But judging from your layout, building codes should be used. 2. Figure 1: For Class A warehouses, the distance from other buildings can be 12 meters only when the storage volume is less than 10 tons; otherwise, it must be 15 meters. And it’s the distance from the exterior wall finish. The distance between the fire escape and the building is too close; the original building codes did not specify a requirement for this, while the new codes stipulate 5 meters. 3. Figure 2: The distance between Workshop 2 and the warehouse cannot be reduced due to firewalls (for the same reasons as mentioned for the 2nd floor; the control building is similar in this regard), and it is also too close to the road. The road in front of the Class A workshop leads directly to the gate; in the eyes of the fire department, this is the main passage and should be 10 meters wide. 4. It’s best to clarify the spacing for external facilities; otherwise, liability in case of an incident will be significant.

We have already communicated with the design institute. Is there any way for you to come up with a more reasonable design within the limited space? The distance between buildings and roads within our factory area isn’t strictly regulated. There’s no specific requirement specified in the building codes regarding the distance between Class A workshops and the power distribution rooms; I’m not sure whether the value of 14.1 meets the requirements. The control building is planned but will not be constructed for now; if evaluated according to the fire resistance ratings for civil buildings of grades 1 and 2, it meets the requirements. No relevant guidelines were found in the building codes either (including regulations regarding the distance from office buildings), so my understanding is that it should be treated as a civil building.

It’s not easy to handle this due to the limited space. If there are no other buildings or storage tanks on the north side, Workshop 2 can be moved northward, but it is necessary to maintain distances of 5 meters from the surrounding walls, 25 meters from the control room, 12 meters from Class C warehouses, and 15 meters from the power distribution room. This will require changes to the dimensions of Workshop 2. If the storage capacity indicated on the plans for Class A warehouses is less than 10 tons, then the distance from surrounding areas is sufficient at present. However, the functional zones are not clearly defined and the layout is chaotic; this is the best it can be for an old factory. I can’t see where the accident pool is? There should be, otherwise environmental regulations won’t be met.

To the north of Workshop 2 is the road outside the factory, and the current distance is exactly 15.4 meters. What is the basis for 15 meters for the power distribution room and 25 meters for the control room? I still haven’t found it. Can Workshop 2 be built next to Workshop 1?