Fire and Smoke Curtains and Why They are Beneficial to Your Building |
Posted: June 15, 2017 |
Throughout time, the one inescapable misfortune that can potentially bring down an entire household or even company is fire. Contrary to what some people may believe, it is not the fire that kills, but the smoke. During fires, noxious gases get emitted and within a short time, they build up to form a superheated dense blanket of thick fumes. Fires have been with us for quite a long time, but notably the efforts that have been made so far cannot completely eliminate the threat of fire. This notwithstanding, several innovations have come into the picture that have substantially limited the exposure and occurrences of fires. This has resulted in a decline in fires in the recent past. Legislative efforts together with compliance measures have contributed to reductions in casualties compared to the past. Fire and smoke curtains are among the latest additions to fire protection technology. Understanding the Structure of Fire Curtains Fire curtains are not entirely a new concept. Following fire incidences in the 19th century mostly in theatres, owners of those buildings realised the threat fires posed to their buildings. This is when the idea of fire curtains to save the lives of people came into being. For instance, when a blaze occurs backstage, patrons in theatres that have fire curtains can safely evacuate the attendees before smoke catches up with them. In the modern era, there is a significant departure in technology from the standard steel fire shutters that were used in the past couple of centuries to create a temporary barrier between people and the ensuing fire. Fire curtains can simply be described as motorised roller blinds which are placed inside galvanised steel housing. The fire curtain material remains retracted when not in use, but in the event of fire, it comes down to provide the match needed protective barrier. The vertical guides are responsible for creating a seal. The beauty with fire curtains is that they are less obstructive compared to fire rated glass, require minimal structural support, and they are much lower in cost. Furniture, fabrics, paint, appliances, and even flooring are progressively being manufactured through advanced technology which is a good thing. However, the challenge this brings to offices, homes, and entertainment venues is the risk of exposure to noxious fumes in the event of fires. Fire brigades and all other secondary mechanisms to fight fires are not as effective and critical to survival than fire curtains. This is because most of these mechanisms are deployed long after buildings are engulfed in smoke. Therefore, this justifies the safety net provided by fire curtains. If you have a large building with lots of open spaces, evacuation routes can be established in close coordination with fire marshals so that the fire curtains are installed in areas with the greatest fleeing footfall. Critical dependency units in hospitals are another beneficiary of fire curtains. In these places, the difficulty in evacuation can be overcome by well-placed fire curtains. How Fire Curtains Operate Fire curtains work through automatic activation. When there is a fire, the smoke or fire detector sends a signal which leads to the deployment of smoke and fire curtains. The curtains can also be activated by a loss of power, but during such times, they only fall to a predetermined level due to gravity. The fabric of the curtain forms a seal that resists pressures coming from the fires. At the bottom, a seal is formed between the bottom bar and the floor. The advantage with automatic fire curtains is that they have control panels that are much simpler to operate. These panels have features such as obstruction sensors, retract buttons, and audio-visual warnings. Instead of installing partition walls, building designers need to adopt fire curtains especially in spaces with large openings. Installation of fire curtains is easier because they can fit into existing structures. Through the help of fire prevention consultants, you can determine the best positions for effective use of these curtains. Just in case you want something bespoke, there are possibilities of designing fire curtains that fit even the most complex smoke control system. In addition to the above features and advantages, fire curtains can also add aesthetics to your building.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|