Sign & Symtoms of Collapsed Building During Fire Fighting and Rescue Operation on Fire Call on Old and Heritage Buildings for Fireman

ABSTRACT

Approximately 22% of the fire fighters killed at structure fires over the past ten years (not counting the World Trade Center towers) have been as a result of structural collapse & Now a days in india from 2012, yearly 2-3 our Indian fire fireman killed due to building portion collapsed on fireman and trapped under fire  building, for the small trying to aware and sharing knowledge of discussion for fire fighting and rescue operation for our beloved fireman and regarding the major fire incident happen in Mumbai Kalba-Devi Gokul nivas building, there was one Chief Fire Officer, one Dy. Chief Fire Officer, one Assistant Divisional fire Officer & one Station Officer was killed on 19.05.2015, and one fireman namely Amit Balyan, age about 27 Yrs old young firefighter was live lost and 14 others injures while dousing fire and carried out rescue operation, when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi’s peers Garhi on 02.01.2020. While during fire operation , fire Predicting and the potential of structural collapse is one of the most challenging tasks facing an incident commander at a fire scene.

Usually, the lack of information on the building construction, fire size, fire location, fire burn time, building condition, fuel load, and other factors makes the task nearly impossible. Over the last several years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with funding from the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has been examining potential tools and techniques for predicting structural collapse. During the course of this research project, the effects of thermal exposure and weight loading on various building construction types and materials have been studied. In addition, data on firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse were analyzed. The use of thermal imaging equipment, already in the hands of the fire services, to gather temperature data from roof surfaces and use of that data to provide warning of impending localized structural collapse was an initial focus of the work. The research results showed that there were many ways in which normal fire and fire fighting activities, such as hot fire plumes and water spray, could change surface temperatures significantly and reduce the usefulness of that measurement as a means of determining the safety of structures. Other techniques that have been studied during the course of this project include laser range finding, motion sensing, and acoustic monitoring. Acceleration data obtained from buildings have shown the best potential for providing information concerning building stability and collapse. These data have lead to the development of a prototype for monitoring the health of buildings. Additional research is underway to continue development of the building monitoring system and examine specific construction types and scenarios of concern to fire fighters.

INTRODUCTION

Every year in the world, approximately 100 fire fighters die in the line of duty and 90,000 to 100,000 are injured. In 2014, the Indian Fire Administration estimated that slightly more than 10 % of the fire fighter fatalities occurring on the fire ground resulted from something other than stress and heart attacks. Stress and heart attacks, accounting for almost half of the fire fighter fatalities, remain the leading cause of death. As part of this subject, data on firefighter fatalities due to structural collapse were analyzed using various factors. Among the trends discovered in the data was that the number of fire fighters lost annually in residential collapses has tripled since the 2010ths even though there has been a decrease in the average number of annual fatalities during the same time period. In early 2000, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with funding from the United States Fire Administration (USFA) started to examine potential tools and techniques for predicting structural collapse. Predicting a potential structural collapse is one of the most challenging tasks facing an incident commander at a fire scene. Usually, the lack of information on the construction of the building, fire size, fire location, fire burn time, condition of the building, fuel load, and other factors makes it nearly impossible. During the course of this project, the effects of thermal exposure and weight loading on various building construction types and materials has been studied. In addition, new measurement technologies, such as infrared cameras, lasers, sonar, and ultrasonic, have been investigated for use in the fire environment. Some of these technologies, such as infrared, are currently being used on the fire ground. This subject has been focused primarily on residential and light weight commercial construction. The potential collapse of high rise buildings and other mega-structures is being studied separately as part of the NIST research program instituted following the investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center.

How to calculate Collapse Zone in fire :

Crew Incharge to well known about the sign and symptom of burning building, while doing first rescue operation and firefighting approach is very cleared about SDP (Selection of fire fighting appliances/ equipments, Deployments (crew members/ Appliances / equipments),Placement  as per collapse zone

Collapse Zone = 1.5 mtrs X Height of the building (For example Build Ht 15Mtrs)

CZ= 1.5 X 15

CZ= 22.5 mtrs

So fire fighting and rescue operation must carried in 15mtrs height burning old building on opposite side  collapse zone and appliances will deploy 22.5 mtrs away from the scene of incident.

The Major part is to be considered during to analyze the sign and symptoms of collapsed building during fire and rescue operation are:

1) Building Materials

1. a) Timber, Stone, Bricks, Lime, Cements, Concrete, Metals, Building block,, Glass, Building board, Building slabs, insulting material, paint, plastic etc

2) Elements and Structure involved in the burning building

1. a) Building regulation, Columns, Beams, Walls, Floors, structure enclosing a protected shaft and galleries
2. b) Foundations, roofs, Non-Load-bearing partition walls, stairways, Doors, windows, roof lights, ceiling, hearths, flues and chimney.

3) Building Design

1. a) Separating Wall
2. b) Compartmentation
3. c) Space separation
4. d) Building construction methods
5. e) Services in building
6. f) Accesses for fire appliances to the building

4) Involved FIRE LOAD and OCCUPANT LOAD (GRAVITY LOAD)

As per the above aspect, being an fireman we should take care about the all for avoiding the firefighters death and injuries due to building collapsed during fire.Fire is one of the most significant loads that a building structure may see throughout its service life, with potentially major consequences such as partial or total collapse. Considering the high potential consequence of structurally- significant fires, it is important to understand and quantify the effects odf fire on structures, especially with reference to the progressive collapse of tall buildings. An unfortunate event of the building collapse due to a structurally significant fire provides a unique opportunity to studt the fire-induced collapse in the future. The Gokul Niwas Building, Mumbai,The Plasco Building, Iran, Theran, Bettery Factory building New Delhi building tragedy was most important significant examples of progressive collapse of a High rise and low rise building in fire. Therefore, a comprehensive study was conducted by the expertise to reconstruct the fire  performance of the all above building through the development of the detailed finite element model of the building structure system.

Latest Case studies of Indian and other country Fire personnel died while on fire operation and burning building collapsed

1. Chief, Dy Chief, Asst Div Fire Officer, Station Officer died in Mumbai Kalba-Devi Gokul nivas building, Bhendibajar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India on 19.05.2015

In the second shift i.e from 1500hrs to 2300 hrs duty control room fireman received fire call and number of people trapped inside the Gokul Nivas building  at about 03:50Pm and immediately dispatched this fire call to section jurisdiction fire station and near by fire station and turn out  fire appliances and aids , as per the intensity of fire at scene of fire, first arrival fire officer transmit the severity and serious fire ( i.e. No.1 Message fire call ) and carried out the rescue operation and simultaneously carried out fire fighting operation and asking more fire appliances and water browsers at scene of incident  and as per that senior officer arrived and transmit the major fire and asking more fire appliances and aids.

As per the structural aspect the M/s. Gokul Nivas Building is comprising ground plus upper five floored RCC structure abt 80 Yrs old part commercial and part residential building and fire was confined in electric meter cabin on ground and part first and part second floored engulfed  in fire and as per the structure involved building material like Timber, Stone, Bricks, Lime, Cements, Concrete, Metals, Building block , Glass, Building board, Building slabs, insulting material, paint, plastic etc and fire was started approximately 03:50Pm and confined to electric wiring, installation, wooden staircase, heavy storage of combustible material, various shops and residential flats house hold articles including domestic LPG cylinder and after the burning of 3-4Hrs and involved fire load the verticals and horizontal cracks occurred on building beams, columns and walls and that time approx 06:15pm CFO S H Nesarikar(54), Dy CFO S G Amin(53), ADFO S W  Rane(49) and SO M M Desai(48)  ( All Mumbai Fire Brigade, MCGM) was entered into the burning building for control on fire flame and investigation on ground floored but the gravity fire dead load consists of the weight of the composite concrete floor and the partition walls  which are distributed uniformly on the floors. The external walls were heavier, and their weight is applied on the external perimeter beams .The weight of the external walls on the east and west sides was more than north and south sides, because the Gokul Nival building part commercial units in the upper floors were wholesales stores and manufacturing purpose due that building part portion of east side i.e. staircase looby and part upper floors collapsed and four of them trapped inside the debris and burning material, immediately recued them and removed to burn hospital but ADFO and SO died on spot of incident and CFO and Dy CFO live lost at Airoli burn centre hospital after days.

Now, being an professional fire officers and fireman, we shall to verified the sing and symptom of burning building and as per the structural aspect and collapsed zone carried out the rescue and safely fire fighting operation, in this incident as per the investigation report, the burning building occurred several horizontal and verticals crack on beam, columns, wall of the building and no fire protection was applied. Four internal columns carried the loads transferred by the primary beams and box columns were constructed along the perimeter of the building as a braced tube for resisting seismic loading, Opensees fiber based sections and displacement-based beam-column elements are used to model the frames, while shell elements are as for the reinforced concrete floor slabs. The thermal properties and elevated temperature, mechanical properties are as recommended as per the MRTP rule, DCR state, NBC/BIS codes, hence the sign of symptom is Horizontal, Verticals cracks on beam, column, wall, so it must to calculate collapsed zone and carried out safe fire fighting and rescue operation by snorkel, Arial Ladder platform etc  appliances.

2) In Tehran killed 20 firemen and  06 civilian and 52 injured as M/s Plasco high-rise building collapses on 19.01.2017

In recent past year 2017 tragic fire incident, the palsco Tower Collapsed after an intense outburst of the fire lasting for three and half hours and claiming the lives of 20 firefighters and 06 civilians. As per observation the fire started at the 10th floor of basement plus ground plus upper 16th floors building and was also observed to have travelled along the floor horizontally and through the staircase and windows vertically. Palsco Tower was steel structure and all the steel sectional were fabricated by welding standard European Channel or angles profiles and no fire protection was applied. Four internal columns carried the loads transferred by the primary beams and box columns were constructed along the perimeter of the building as a braced tube for resisting seismic loading, Opensees fiber based sections and displacement-based beam-column elements are used to model the frames, while shell elements are as for the reinforced concrete floor slabs. The thermal properties and elevated temperature, mechanical properties are as recommended in the euro codes. The results in this analysis are based on rough estimations of the structures configurations.

Fig Shows how’s smoke and unborn particles travels horizontal as well verticles inhigh-riseblaze

3) One Firefighter Amit Balyan (27) live lost and 14 firefighters injured in Fire at Paper Factory Peera garhi in East Delhi , India on 02.01.2020 at 04:23am

In recent tragic fire incident, at the Paper Factory, Peera Garhi, East Delhi at early morning 04:23am of incident of paper factory Collapsed after an intense massive outburst of the fire lasting for two and half hours and claiming the lives of 01 firefighters and 14were injured. As per observation the fire started at the 1st and 2nd floored of  ground plus upper 5th floors building, as per the fire intensity and 63people were trapped insode the building, immediately rescue as well as fire fighting work started and all trapped people recued. It was also observed to smoke have travelled along the floor horizontally and through the staircase and windows vertically. Paper factory building was RCC framed, brick walled structure and all the beam and columns, walls sectional were fabricated by glass façade glazing and no fire protection was applied. Four internal columns carried the loads transferred by the primary beams and box columns were constructed along the perimeter of the building as a braced tube for resisting seismic loading, Opensees fiber based sections and displacement-based beam-column elements are used to model the frames, while shell elements are as for the reinforced concrete floor slabs. The thermal properties and elevated temperature, mechanical properties are as recommended in the MRTP rule, DCR of state, NBC/BIS codes. The results in this analysis are based on rough estimations of the structures configurations.

After the massive flashback the partial structure was collapsed and 15 firefighter were trapped inside the debris and fire.In that one Fireman AMit Balayan (27) were killed and 14 were injured.

Late Brave Fireman Amit Balyan(27)

Conclusion

It is extremely important for structural engineers to analyze major failure with great care and dedication, such as is routine in the aerospace industry. This will help the profession learn from these failure and help improve the robustness and resilience’s of building and urban infrastructure that may may be similarly vulnerable through appropriate strengthening and retrofit. While this particular analysis is not conclusive at this initial stage of investigation, at the initial stage the Gokul Niwas(Mumbai), structure considerably  has similarly to the Battery factory(New Delhi) structure, specifically ground and first floored and the palsco building has similarity to the Worl trade center tower(U.S.), specifically the two floors system.

This article first describes the development of the finite element model of the Gokul Niwas, Palsco building, and highlights some of its unique features. The article further outline the main causes of the collapse of Gokul Niwas, Palsco, Bettery factory building and discusses the major findings on the progressive collapse study of the structure. Finally, consideration for designing against fire-induced progressive collapse are proposed.

Important :- Fireman first observed and insured the structural stability and collapse zone of the old/Heritage structure and takecare while doing fire fighting and rescue operation

“Salute to those brave firefighters who  sacrificed life for civilian of country”

Jai Hind

By- Ravi S. Pawade, Fire Station Officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade

Refernces

1) Preliminary Modelling of Plasco Tower Collaspe,

2) Preliminary casestudies of Gokul Niwas building Mumbai

3) Journal Paper

4) India Fire & safety Security Magzine articles by CEO Mr N K Gupta sir

5) NBC, DCR, MRTP act, BIS etc

6) Professional experience of Directorate, MFS, CFO MFB  Dr. P.  S. Rahandale Sir