As I am normally the one who is tasked to prepare ‘Fire Safety’ drawings for our company, I made here a guide or procedure on how we are usually preparing Fire Safety drawing for submission to QCDD. Note that this is just a simplified guide on the QCDD basic requirements (based on my experience) and was intended to help anyone who is also involved in fire safety planning specially here in Qatar.
Update: In Doha/Qatar, their Civil Defense Department have already issued ‘Guidelines for Building Plan Submissions‘ where most of their current requirements are enumerated therein.
Procedures on the preparation of ‘Fire Safety’ drawings:
- Calculate Occupant Load. Refer to NFPA 101 Table 7.3.1.2 (you can download the form I am using here).
- Indicate the Diagonal Distance in the plan/s and show that the remoteness or the distance between Exit Access (Stairs) is more than 1/3 of the diagonal distance (if the building has sprinkler system).
- If there is an OTS (‘open to sky’ shaft) with windows or openings, make sure that the distance between any of the openings is at least 5-m. If openings are not avoidable, you need to provide these openings with automatic fire rated shutter or any similar protection.
If the project is high-rise building (more than 28-m in height), indicate or provide Fire Stop Lobby.- If the project is high-rise (more than 36.6-m), provide a minimum of two ‘Fire Access Elevators’, each having a minimum 1590 kg capacity.
- Provide ‘Command Center’ Room if;
– If the project is high-rise
– If the project will be equipped with voice communication system
- Check Door Swing Direction.
– Swing out if used as exit access (most common error is on ground floor).
– Swing out if the room or area has >50 occupants.
– Provide Panic Hardware if the room or area has >100 occupants. - Show the Exit Discharge (capacity can accomodate at least 50% of occupant loads)
- If the project or building has basement floor, provide ‘Interruption Gate”.
- Check location of “Fire Pump Room”, it must have ‘direct access to outside’.
- Show that the Number of Stair/s and Stair Widths is more than enough for it’s required exit capacity. (check this NFPA reference)
- Indicate fire rating of the walls and doors required.
– Start with Vertical Openings like shafts, staircases, etc. (staircase wall fire ratings shall be 2-hours if >4 stories, 1-hour if <4stories) and (staircase door fire ratings shall be 90-minutes).
– Refer to Occupancy Separation Requirements for other wall/s fire rating. - Show location of Access Panels, Fire Extinguishers, Internal and external hydrants and hose reels/cabinets, etc.
- Choose and Show applicable ‘General Notes’.
- Indicate all the Essential Fire Safety Legends.
- On Building Section drawings:
-Include standard ‘wall-slab’ (downloadable) detail connection. Also provide Detail if there is curtain wall used or similar.
-Show ceiling void heights. Mention a note that ceiling void >800mm will have extended basis sprinklers.
- On Building Elevations, if project is high-rise building or more than 28-m, provide and indicate Access Panels as per QCDD requirements.
- Schedule of Doors.
- Details / Section of Stair/s.
Also check this ‘Safety Measures in Qatar‘ for QCDD requirements for special structures