In National Building Code 2016 terms, compartmentation is designed
under part 4, clause 2.21 -
“A space within a building that is enclosed by fire barrier or fire-resistant
walls on all sides, including the top and bottom.”
The fire resistance capacity of the compartmentalized wall and, or
floor is its ability to:
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Maintain integrity
Provided insulation resistance against excessive heat transfer
Prevent the structure against collapse.
Compartmentation in a building is achieved by various systems,
however, the key systems to affect the compartmentalization are as
follows:
Fire Barriers - Fire Barriers are interior walls that extend from floor
to the roof or floor to floor, including concealed spaces. Fire Barriers
are intended to sub-divide the portions of the buildings for preventing
the spread of fire throughout the structure.
In terms of NBC 2016, Fire Barriers are defined as follows:
“A fire barrier is a vertically or horizontally aligned fire-resistant member
such as a wall or a fire curtain, or a floor. These may be with discontinuities
created by openings with a specified fire resistance rating, where such
members are designed and constructed with a specified fire resistance
rating to limit the spread of a fire that also restricts the movement of smoke.”
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