United Arab Emirates

Ministry of Interior
General Directorate of Civil Defence

For the Protection, Guidance and Welfare

of
the Inhabitants and the City
of
Abu Dhabi

BUILDING FIRE PROTECTION CODE

Revision 10/ 2004

 Civil Defence Department
City of Abu Dhabi
Fire Protection Code
Proposal to be discussed with the
Special Commission

FORWARD

Abu Dhabi is a fast rising city containing some of the most beautiful
and
modern buildings in the world.
The density of the plots, the increasing height of the structures of the
buildings and the modern materials and construction methods are requiring
new / upgraded safety regulations.
It is mandatory for the authority to renew the existing codes for fire
protection
for the sake of the people, their properties and the city as a whole.
The new amendments to the code will give both the inhabitants and fire-
fighters a safer environment.
No code will prevent accidents, but the often disastrous outcome and
consequences of rather minor incidents can very well be minimized or
avoided.
The proposed amendments will follow the principal of having the latest
knowledge of fire protection combined with the existing code and the needs
for the City of Abu Dhabi, but giving strong recommendations on existing
problems with the intent of prevention and safety.
The closeness of the writer to the ‘’Quick Intervention Unit of Abu Dhabi’’
and their daily business in fire fighting will make this code very essential,
especially in it’s recommendations for the ever returning dangerous
situations.

May the City of Abu Dhabi keep on rising in a bright and safe future!
 United Arab Emirates
Ministry of Interior
General Directorate of Civil Defence

Fire Protection Code

Revised 2004

Part 1

Buildings

General Note:
All revised and/or modified text sections or parts are written in green
colour. All parts or section that will be removed will be written in
red colour. Only the titles of revised or new sketches are written
in green/red colour and are having the character of a proposal only
and are representing one solution only.

Page 1 of 239
Index of Chapters

Fire Protection Procedures

Chapter Subject Page

1 General Definitions 4

2 General Codes 12

3 Conditions of Location Planning 17

Classification of Buildings and Structures as per the

4 21
Hazard of Contents and Occupancy Description

5 Means of Egress 28

6 Safety Conditions of Building Engineering 59

7 Utility Services in Buildings 80

8 Conditions of Location Planning 90

9 Special Terms according to Occupancy Description 102

10 Private Buildings 222

11 Fire Protection in the Construction Fields 227

12 Fireman’s Elevator 237

Page 2 of 239
Index of Chapter One

General Definitions

Subjects Page

1.1 General 4
1.2 Definitions 4

Page 3 of 239
 Chapter 1
General Definitions
1.1 General
The following is a list of definition
Accepted:
Wherever this word is seen means acceptance by the administration
of Civil Defence.
One of the accepted standards:
Wherever this sentence is seen means one of the local, gulf or
international standards accepted by the administration of Civil Defence.
Accepted inspection authority:
Wherever this sentence is seen means one of the inspection authority
local, gulf or international that is accepted by the administration of
Civil Defence.
Special terms:
Wherever this sentence is seen means the terms mentioned in
section 9,10 and 11.

1.2 Definitions
Buildings
Any type of structure use for housing any type of occupancy.
High rise building (sketch 1)
Any building which rises over 28 meters from the level of the sidewalk up
to the floor of the last resident floor
Mezzanine (sketch 2)
It is a partial floor that is centralized in the space between the floor and
the ceiling of any room or floor and its area is not half of that room or
floor and if it goes beyond that then the mezzanine is considered as an
independent floor as far as this codes are concerned.

Low Level Buildings (sketch 3)

Low level buildings are buildings having room floors not exceeding 7m above
ground level.
Normal Buildings (sketch 4)
Normal buildings are buildings having room floors not exceeding 28m above
ground level.

Page 4 of 239
 Roof
Sketch 1

+ 28,00m F.F.L. Top Room

Ground Level 0,00

Sketch 2

Roof /Ceiling

Mezzanine

Ground Level 0,00

Sketch 3
Roof

+ 7,00m F.F.L. Top Room

Ground Level 0,00

Sketch 4 Roof

+ 28,00m F.F.L. Top Room

Ground Level 0,00

Page 5 of 239
Underground structure / basement (sketch 5)
Any floor or building or part of the building that has a floor under the level of
the sidewalk, with the exception of where the floor is enforced over the
length of two outer walls with at least one entry point every 15 meters
vertically with the need of minimum area of the entry point to be 9 square
meters and that all the entry points be over the level of the sidewalk.

Open air structure

It is any floor that contains outer walls which has openings of 20% or more
of the total area of the outer walls of the floor and it is required that the
opening be arranged in a way that guarantees good ventilation for all the
parts of the floor or the part considered.
Means of Egress
It is the means of evacuation that is available and useable for escaping
safely in the cases of emergency in a way where people that are situated in
any point inside the building has the ability of moving safely outside of the
building to the fresh air of the main road.
Exit access
It is that part of the escape means that leads to the entry point of the exit.
Exit
It is that part of the escape means that is separated of other parts of the
building by elements that are fire resistant to provide a safe way for reaching
the final exit, like escape stairs and the doors which open to the outside of
the building directly.
Exit Discharge
It is that part of the exit means which start from the end of exit to main road.
Stairs (sketch 5)
It is the means of evacuation between floors, and the stairs considered in
this codes are all the internal and external stairs used as means of escape.
Smoke proof stair
It is a stair that is protected from the passage of smoke produced by the fire,
and it consist of a contentious stair that is disconnected of the other parts of
the building by barriers that can resist fire for at least two hours.
Ramps
It is the sloped way that is used instead of the stairs to move from one level
to another, and the ones considered here are the ones used for means of
escape.

Page 6 of 239
 Sketch 5

Opening
of 9 m2

el
d lev
n
ou
15 Gr
15

Page 7 of 239
Horizontal exit
It is a horizontal means of moving from the building to a temporary sheltering
point in another building on the same level or means of moving through or
around a barrier that is fire resistant for passing to a temporary sheltering
point that is safe from fire and the smoke produced by it.
Locked door
It is the door that needs a key to open and escaping through, the key can be
a normal key or a mechanical or electrical mechanism that may be remote
controlled.
Closed door
It is the door that can be opened immediately for exit without the use of a
key.
Smoke Compartment
It is any space inside the building when it is surrounded by smoke barriers
including the upper and lower sides with the exception of the outer sides and
the final roof.
Fire Compartment
It is any space inside the building when it is surrounded by fire barriers
including the upper and lower sides. Some times the outer sides are not
considered in this code according to the position of the building relative to
other buildings.
Smoke Barrier
It is any architectural element used, horizontal or vertical like the walls and
the floor and the ceiling, floor and the final floor with the need for that part to
be designed to prevent the passage of smoke. It is not necessary for the
barrier to be fire resistant.
Dead end
It is that part of the passage or the space that does not lead to an exit, when
it is entered there will be a need to backtrack to reach the exit.
Common path of travel
It is that part of the way to the exits that need to be used before reaching two
separate ways for escape.
Travel distance
It is the length of the way connecting between any point in the floor and the
exit door, the distance of movement is measured on the axis of the real way
for escape.
Occupant Load
It is the total number of the people that are expected to be in the building or
any part of it at any given time.

Page 8 of 239
Occupant Load Factor
It is the area required per person to occupy within the building at any given
time (m2/ person)
Fire Door
It is a door and its parts designed to prevent the passage of smoke and fire
from the opening that it covers for a specified timeframe.
Interior Finish
It is the material of the finished surface of the internal building that is
exposed.
Fire resistance rating
It is the time span that the material, barrier or element is able to resist the
fire according to the inspections recorded in the accepted standards.
Flame Spread
It is the fast spreading of flame over some area.
Guard
It is a vertical barrier that is built over the length of the places that don’t have
stairs or balconies etc…
Handrail
It is a strip of material for guiding and/or supporting people.
Occupancy
It is the way that the building is used like housing, industrial or residential
etc….
Hazards of contents
The hazards of the contents are classified into low hazard, ordinary hazards
and high hazards.
Low Hazards
The contents have a low tendency for fire so there is a small chance of self
starting fire.
Ordinary Hazards
The contents gets fire on an average speed or it produces notable amounts
of smoke and it exists in most of the occupancies.
High Hazard
The contents are highly flammable catches on fire very fast, or it creates an
explosion.

Page 9 of 239
Automatic fire extinguishing system
It is a system that is designed and installed to detect /extinguishing fires
without human intervention.

Page 10 of 239
Emergency
It is the situation that threatens the safety of peoples or damage property.
Hazardous areas
It is the areas of the building, due to its content, has a high danger ratio than
the danger of the building that is made to occupy, for example the stores or
the usage of flammable or fast flammable or decomposing elements, boiler
rooms and fuel heaters, laundries etc..
Hose reel
It is a permanent hose mounted on a reel to be used primarily by building
occupants in the early stages of a discovery of a fire.
Dry risers
It is a permanent piping system that don’t have water but two connectors
diameter of 2.5 inch(BS) outside the building,the riser pipe must be
according to the system used by the civil defence ,distributed in the needed
places and is used for helping the people of the civil defence for pushing
water into the high floors.
Wet Risers
It is a permanent piping system that has a constant water supply that feeds
fire risers with the connectors diameter of 2.5 inch according to the system
used by the civil defence or by trained people and the diameters of the
pipes in accordance with the heights of the building.
Fire hydrants
It is an underground network of permanent pipes that has a constant water
supply that feeds fire risers with normal sizes according to the system used
by the civil defence for firefighting outside of buildings.

Page 11 of 239
 Index of Chapter Two
General Codes

Subjects Page

2.1 General 13

2.1.1 Target 13

2.1.2 Implementation 13

2.1.3 Change of Building Occupancy 13

2.2 Concerned Department 13

2.3 Adjustment 13

2.4 Examination and Maintenance 13

2.5 Minimum Requirements for Buildings and Structures 14

2-6 Other Precautions 14

2-7 Other Substitutes 15

Page 12 of 239
 Chapter 2
General Codes

2.1 General

2.1.1 Target
The target of these codes is to provide the minimum level of safety of souls
and properties from the dangers of fire and explosions and other dangers.

2.1.2 Implementation
These codes need to be implemented in the new buildings and the buildings
that are revised as for the building already existing will submit to later
specifications that will be announced by the general administration of civil
defence while maintaining the codes mentioned in 2.1.3

2.1.3 Change of Building Occupancy

It is not allowed for changing the type of occupation in any building or any
part of it without approval of the civil defence and after providing the
additional needs that have surfaced by the new situation to supply the
needs of the codes.
2.2 Concerned Departments
It is the authorized department for applying these codes and is represented
by the general administration of civil defence or from some representative of
its sub departments or any other department it finds suitable.

2.3 Adjustment
The general administration of civil defence has the right to change this
codes according to the needs.
2.4 Examination and Maintenance
Constant maintenance should be available to all the devices of protection,
alarms and fire fighting or any other devices used in this codes. In particular
all fire extinguisher should have a label of regular maintenance. The
maintenance should be made by the some accepted department that takes
into its responsibility doing examinations and maintenance over specified
time spans according to one of the accepted specifications with the addition
of the instructions provided by the general administration of civil defence.

Page 13 of 239
2.5 Minimum Requirements of Buildings and Structures
Every building should be built and prepared and be maintained and
operated in a way that avoids major dangers over souls, and to guarantee
the safety of it occupants from fire and smoke or the panic that happens
through the time of escape or the time needed for firefighting.
•Every building should be provided with the necessary means of escape and
other means of safety that a suitable type and quantity, taking into
considerations the type of occupation and the physical status of the
occupants of the building and the number of endangered occupant and the
means of protection allowed and the type and the height of the building and
other necessary factors for providing all the building occupants with the
needed level of protection.
•The means of escape should be arranged and maintained in each building
to provide the ability of escape from any part of the building without any
problem at any time that the building is being occupied according to the
occupant load factor that the building is designed for.
•All the exits should be marked clearly and easy to see, also there should be
some helping marks on the ways that leads to the exit so anyone who is
physically and mentally sound can know the way to escape from any
point.All signs to be in Arabic(top) and English(bottom), Pictograms are
preferable.
•When artificial lighting is needed in the building escape lighting should be
available and trustable too.
•An alarm system should be installed to alarm the occupants of the
presence of fire in each building that has the size and type of occupancy.
•There should be at least two independent ways of escape in each building
or fire compartment or sector, if the area or the type of occupancy or the
nature of the building can produce danger during the escape from one
escape or a blocking can happen to one of the escape routes, so there is a
need to have two escape routes at least to lower that chance.
•Every building that does not have the minimum level of safety codes and is
considered not safe because of the absence of the means of escape, or
being a threat of a huge fire, or the type of occupancy is not suitable for the
building should be removed or adjusted so it becomes safe according to the
codes and instructions of the civil defence.
2.6 Other Precautions
Applying these codes is not a reason for removing or reducing other
precautions that are necessary for the safety of the building occupants.

Page 14 of 239
2.7 Other Substitutes
Applying these codes does not prevent the usage of other ways of calculation
and examination methods and other systems of protection as replacements to
these codes if the alternatives is of better or equal quality and fire protection,
under the conditions of providing the technical and design data that proves it
and then the civil defence will accept those alternatives.

Page 15 of 239
 Index of Chapter Three
Codes of Location
Planning

Subjects Page

3.1 General Requirements 17

3.2 Streets and Roads Planning 19

3.3 Distance of Approach 19

Page 16 of 239
 Chapter 3
Codes of location planning

3.1 General Requirements

•When providing the plans for approval the plans for the site should be in a
suitable drawing scale pointing to the place of the project, the main
entrances, and the building or buildings that need to be approved, in
addition to the nearby buildings and their use, and the positions of the
external fire hydrants and the dry risers and the dimensions of the street and
the parking for the vehicles and the vehicles of the civil defence, mentioning
also the names of the street surrounding the site.
•There should be a street that is accessible for the vehicles and the devices
of the civil defence for reaching easily to the closest suitable point to the
building, from one or two sides according to this codes, this applies to single
buildings or buildings that are part of a complex.(sketch 6)
•It is allowed to specify specified parking in the road for serving the vehicles
of the civil defence for parking and maneuvering, it is also allowed for the
civil defence to use a whole ally in case of emergency.
•Suitable signs should be placed to prevent parking in the parking allocated
for civil defence and this is done with the coordination with the concerned
authorities in Abu Dhabi. There also need to be a guidance sign to specify
all the means and devices of fire fighting that is available in the yard of the
site according to the instructions of the civil defence.
•There should be a guidance plan inside a frame that is mounted at the
main entrance of the establishment and the main door of the building , that
specify all the needs of firefighting and fire protection in the project, most
importantly the main entrances of the establishment and the surrounding
buildings and streets including the internal ones, and the nature of use of
those buildings, as well as the dangerous places, external fire hydrants, dry
risers, water valves and water sprinklers, the position of the pump room,
ventilation openings and the necessary information about the fuel systems
used and other necessary information.
•The space percentage in the industrial zones and complexes specified by
the civil defence should be used for fire protection, like providing dividers
spaces between the buildings or the boundaries of the establishments, or
for providing space for the civil defence people and vehicles to operate, the
space between the building or establishments should be suitable to prevent
fire spreading to the nearby buildings according to chapter 6.

Page 17 of 239
 Sketch 6

Sample for areas for fire fighting

Set-up area
Strip of land without
obstacles
4
=3to=9
2

4,5
Driveway opening h=4,50m
w=4,0m

Set-up area

1,25
=9

4
1,25

32
11 =11 =1

6
11

Driveway for fire brigade 4

In places where no set-up of
vehicles can be expected, the
roads may be narrowed
11

6
32
32

Road

Page 18 of 239
3.2 Street and Road Planning
Enough roads should be available for the vehicles of the civil defence
to reach the building, and those roads should be according to the
following specifications:
1. The basic width of the road should be at least 6 meters, and this
applies to the road blocking gates too.
2. The height of the gates and bridges should not be less than 4.5
meters
3. The slope of the street should be no more than 10%
4. The radius of the horizontal curves of the internal roads should be at
least 16 meters
5. The roads need to be paved with asphalt and should be designed to
support the movement of the civil defence vehicles, and the load
factor of those roads is specified in accepter standards.
6. When the road leads to a dead end that has a length of more than 45
meters in any road allocated to the usage of the vehicles of civil
defence. A traffic circle should be made with a radius of at least 16
meters.
7. Any passage through a gate or underpass or tunnel of a building
required for the civil defence vehicles, must have a free space of 4.5
meters in width and 4.5 in height. Their should not be any curve
10meters before and after the passage or else the width of the
passage must be increased accordingly.

3.3 Distance of Approach

• Depending on the type of vehicle of the civil defence, the distance
and faces of the building and distance to the parking, all
measurements in table 3.1 will have to be applied to.
• When there is exit balconies and special windows for rescue the
distance of arrival to them should be around 10-15 meters, and this
applies for the emergency openings and special exit in the
underground floors too.
• In the case of the existence of dry risers the ability for the fire pump
car to arrive to them should be no more than 45 meter.
• There should exist a good paths with a minimum width of 2 meters for
the civil defence personals to walk through on the whole length of the
space separating between the vehicles of civil defence and the
specified points in this codes, whether this point are dry risers or
main exits or others.

Page 19 of 239
Table 3.1 The type of vehicles according to the distance and points of
arrival and the number of sides

Building Building Type of Maximum Points of arrival

height (In size (1000 civil distance and the number
floors) m3 ) defence of sides
vehicles

1 Any size Fire pump 43 Main exits

2 Less than Fire pump 30 Main exits

7

7-27 Fire pump 18 One or more

sides + Main
exits

More than Fire pump 18 Two sides +

27-57 Main exits

More than Fire pump 18 Three sides +

57-85 Main exits

More than Fire pump 18 All sides

85

3 or more Less than Mechanical 10-15 At least one side

7 ladder + + Main exits
Fire pump

7-28 Mechanical 10-15 Two sides +

ladder + Main exits
Fire pump

More than Mechanical 10-15 Three sides +

28-57 ladder + Main exits
Fire pump

More than Mechanical 10-15 All sides

ladder +
Fire pump

Page 20 of 239
 Index of Chapter Four

Classification of Buildings and establishments according to the Hazard

of Contents and Occupancy Description

Subjects Page

4.1 Classification According to Hazard of Contents 22

4.1.1 General 22

4.1.2 Hazard of Contents 22

4.1.2.1 Low Hazard 22

4.1.2.2 Ordinary Hazard 22

4.1.2.3 High Hazard 22

4.2 Classifications according to the type of occupation 22

4.2.1 Group A-A5, Assembly Occupancy 22/23

4.2.2 Group B, Educational Occupancy 23

4.2.3 Group C-C2, Juridical and Care Occupancy 23

4.2.4 Group D-D3, Habitation Occupancy 23/24

4.2.5 Group E, Administrative and Profession Occupancy 24

4.2.6 Group F, Trade Occupancy 24

4.2.7 Group G-G2, Industrial Occupancy 24

4.2.8 Group H-H2, Store Occupancy 25

4.2.9 Group I, High Hazard Occupancy 25

4.3 Other Buildings 25

4.4 , 4.4.1, 4.4.2 Separating Mixed Occupancies 26

Page 21 of 239
 Chapter 4
Classification of Buildings and Establishments according to the
Hazard of Contents and Occupancy Description

4.1 Classifications according to Hazard of Contents

4.1.1 General
•What is meant by the danger of the contents in this codes is the relative
dangers for starting and spreading fire in addition to the dangers of smoke
and gases that are produced by the fire as well as the dangers of explosions
and other accidents that can endanger souls.
•The authority that is responsible for specifying the level of contents danger
is the civil defence and this is done according to the nature of contents and
the type of work and the production operations done inside the building or
the establishment, some times with the help of the accepted standards.
•When there are multiple levels of danger in the contents of the building in
different parts the classification is done according to the highest level of
danger, unless those parts are separated from each others according to the
codes mentioned in 4.5.
4.1.2 Hazard of contents
The dangers of contents in the building are classified into low, ordinary and
high dangers.
4.1.2.1 Low Hazards
The contents have a low tendency for fire so there is a small chance of self
starting fire.
4.1.2.2 Ordinary Hazards
The contents gets fire on an average speed or it produces notable amounts
of smoke and it exists in most of the occupancies.
4.1.2.3 High Hazard
The contents get on fire very fast, or it can produce explosions.
4.2 Classifications according to the type of occupation
The buildings and establishments are classified according to the type of
occupation into the following groups:

4.2.1 Group (A), assembly occupations, and they are classified into:
A1. Theaters, they are assemblies of people for the purpose of watching
the acting artists and so, usually it contains permanent chairs, like theaters,
opera's, cinemas, television and radio stations which has chairs for viewers.

Page 22 of 239
A2. Assemblies of individuals in closed halls, with or without viewers for
the purpose of entertainment or fun in addition to some theatricals or
cinematic shows or lectures without the presence of a theater platform with
the exception of the normal platform, and usually it don’t have permanent
chairs, like lecture halls, show halls, wedding halls, dance halls, artistic
show halls, stations(bus, train, airports, harbors), halls of justice, libraries,
museums, restaurants, multi usage halls in schools and others, gaming
halls, bowling halls, gym halls and others.
A3. Assemblies of individuals in closed sports halls, with or without
seats (with the exception of the halls mention in group A2), like the closed
stadiums, closed swimming pools, skiing rinks.
A4. Assemblies of individuals in closed religious halls, like mosques
A5. Assemblies of individuals in open spaces, like entertainment cities,
open stadiums, Eid pray ground, open exhibitions.

4.2.2 Group (B), Educational Occupancy

It is a group of building used for the purpose of education until the end of the
high school which contains no less than 6 students on a time span of no
less than 4 hours a day and more than 12 weekly hours, like schools,
garden schools, babies gardens (more than 5 babies with an age of more
than two years and a half) mentioned in 9.2.1.1. and others.
4.2.3 Group (C), Juridical and Care Occupancy
They are classified into the following groups:
C1. Juridical and rehabilitation occupancy: it is the buildings that
contains different level of security control and it is occupied by individuals
that can't protect their well being, like jails, police stations jails, reformatories
with detention cells, mental disruption hospitals with detention cells,
quarantine places and others.
C2. Care occupancy, it is the buildings that contains people that needs
help because of there health or mental status (without limiting there
freedom), like care houses, children gardens (more than 5 babies with an
age of more than two years and a half), old age hospital , hospitals, health
care unit(with sleeping places), reformatories with detention cells, sanitarium
,mental disruption hospitals without detention places and others.
4.2.4 Group (D), Residential Occupancy
It is the buildings used for living and sleeping with the exception of the C
group, and is classified into the following groups:
D1. Hotels and Motels, and it contains all the buildings used for temporary
residence for more than 16 individuals with a maximum living period of 30
days, as well as the buildings used for group livings for more than 16
individuals that are not from the same family, like hotels, motels, furnished
apartments, internal houses in the schools and universities, singles houses,
barracks, workers houses and others.
Page 23 of 239
D2. Habitation Apartments and it consists of the buildings that contain at
least 3 residential independent units made for permanent residence, and
each unit should contain a kitchen and a toilet, this group contains the
furnished apartments used for permanent living too.
D3. Single or double family buildings, this buildings contain the ones that
has one or two permanent residence unit, and each unit is occupied by
individuals of the same family, like villas and public houses.
4.2.5 Group (E), Administrative and Profession Occupancy
It is the buildings used for administration and professions that are non-
industrial , like banks, barber and beauty centers, medical and dental clinics,
post office, administration offices, departments of civil defence,
municipalities, police offices, the buildings of telecommunications, the
stations of television and radio, watching posts in airports, cars show rooms,
cars washers, nurseries without sleeping places, printing shops, translation
offices, consultancy offices, veterinary hospital , educational buildings in
universities(including the rooms that has a capacity of less than 50
individuals), educational laboratories and others.

4.2.6 Group (F) Trade occupancy

it is the buildings where goods are shown and bought, like shops, malls,
trade exhibitions , supermarkets, markets, car service stations.
4.2.7 Group (G) Industrial occupancy
It is the buildings where individuals work with industrial assembly,
production of materials and other goods, and they are classified into the
following groups:

G1 Industrial occupancy with ordinary hazard level, like laboratories that

contains materials and liquids that are flammable, like power stations,
laundries, dry-cleans, bakeries, bicycles industry, ships and boats building,
industry of equipments and office equipments, cameras production, canning
including food goods, clothes, milk production both concentrated and dry,
disinfectants production, electronics production, the industry of machinery
and engines, plants of cotton and carpets and tents and sackcloth and
fabric, calyx industry, industry of vegetarian oils, carton industry, furniture
spraying and upholstery , tobacco industry, vehicles industry, photographic
films industry, food making, clothes laundries, industry of woodworks,
cartoon movie making, musical instruments industry, paper mills, plastic
industry, printing press, garbage burning ovens, shoes industry, soap
industry, sugar recycling plants, airplanes industry, sport equipments
industry. and others
G2 Industrial occupancy with low hazard level, like the industry of
mineral water, ice industry, gypsum and cement and bricks and porcelain
and glass materials, blacksmithing, production and assembly of metals,
small workshops(electronic workshops, plumper, lathes), water pumping
stations and others.
Page 24 of 239
4.2.8 Group (H), Store occupancy
It is the buildings used for storing of goods or products or cars or animals,
and is categorized into:
H1 Store occupancy with ordinary hazard level
It is the buildings used to store products which have ordinary hazard level,
like plastic bags, fabric, paper, jute, reed, chains, leather and fabric belts,
books, shoes, cartoon, clothes, ropes, furniture, fur, glue, leather, sheep
skin, used furniture stores, cars repair workshops, lubes stores with glowing
point of 93O or more, closed parking, silk, soap, sugar, tobaccos and
smoking cigarettes, beds, candles and others.
H2 Store occupancy with Low hazard level
It is the buildings used to store low hazardous products( it is possible that
these products are stored in cartoon boxes or carried on wood supporters,
but plastic covers should be kept minimal and should not surpass the level
of thin plastic covers and plastic handles), like juice and mineral waters,
bagged cement, chalk, cheese and yogurt products, dry batteries, electric
coils, electric engines, food products and food products in non-flammable
containers, vegetables and fruits in non-plastic containers, frozen foods,
glass, glass bottles that empty or full with non-flammable liquids, gypsum
boards, meats, metal safes, metal tables, metals, mirrors, empty metal
cans, electric converters including the ones that are full of oil in spite of
electric converters that contains oil that has a glowing point of more than 93o
but if this oil is petroleum based and is subjected to internal sparks of type
delta and corona inside the electric converters especially after a long
operation time in the climate of the our country where the temperature of the
electric converters could reach more than 50m and with the presence of the
oil disassembly gases this conditions calls for its classification as an H1
group, open parking from the sides, porcelain, electronic washers and
others.
4.2.9 Group (I) High hazardous occupancy
it is the buildings used for the occupancy of production or usage or storing
of hazardous materials in high quantities, like explosives, oxides, plant and
stores of gases and flammable or fast flaming liquids in high quantities,
stores for dangerous materials in high quantities, flammable dust, flammable
fibers, fast flaming solid materials, radiating materials, poisonous materials,
production and treatment of chemicals, alcohol materials filtering , mills,
harvest cells, plants of paint and varnish, treatment of rubber and plastic,
spraying paint, paper recycling establishments, rubber tiers in high
quantities and others.
4.3 Other buildings
Any building that is not considered in 2.4 is classified according to the
suggestions of the civil defence, according to the expected level of danger
and the nature of building usage.

Page 25 of 239
4.4 Separating Mixed Occupancies

4.4.1 Mixed occupancies should by separated by barriers that has a

resistance of no less than is mentioned in table 4.1
4.4.2 in case of mixed occupancies in the same building in away that it is
practically impossible to provide the necessary separation, the building
should be classified according to the highest danger occupancy, but in the
case of small occupancies that has a secondary role when taking into
consideration the primary occupancy of the building then the primary
occupancy could be used to classify the building.

Page 26 of 239
Table 1.4 barrier resistance between mixed occupancies (hour)

Page 27 of 239
 Index of Chapter Five
Means of Egress

Subject Page

5.1 General 30
5.1.1 Definition 30
5.1.2 Applications 30
5.1.3 Main components of means of egress 30
5.1.4 Separation of the means of egress 30
5.1.4.1 Exits 30
5.1.4.2 Passages 30
5.1.5 Interior finishing of exits 31
5.1.6 Net height of means of egress 31
5.2 Main components of means of egress 31
5.2.1 Doors 31
5.2.1.1 General 31
5.2.1.2 Special regulations 32
5.2.1.3 Mechanical doors 32
5.2.1.4 Revolving Doors 32
5.2.1.5 Automatic closing doors 34
5.2.2 Stairs 34
5.2.2.1 Dimensions 34
5.2.2.2 The stairs landing 35
5.2.2.3 Curved stairs 35
5.2.2.4 Spiral stairs 35
5.2.2.5 Stair discontinuity 35
5.2.2.6 Building conditions 35
5.2.2.7 Guiding signs 36
5.2.2.8 Fire and smoke protection 36
5.2.2.8.1 Internal stairs 36
5.2.2.8.2 External stairs 36
5.2.3 Smoke protected stairs 36
5.2.3.1 Definition 36
5.2.3.2 Protected stairs access 36
5.2.3.3 Ventilation 37
5.2.3.3.1 Natural ventilation 37

Page 28 of 239
5.2.3.3.2 Mechanical ventilation 37
5.2.3.3.3 Stairs pressure system 39
5.2.3.3.4 Operation 39
5.2.3.3.5 Reserve Power 39
5.2.3.4 Exit discharge (final exit) 39
5.2.4 Horizontal exits and the areas of temporary refuge 40
5.2.5 Bridges and balconies and outer windows 40
5.2.6 Ramps 41
5.2.7 Exit passages 41
5.2.8 Mechanical stairs and passages 41
5.2.9 Special means of egress 42
5.2.9.1 General 42
5.2.9.2 Straight Fixed Ladder 42
5.2.9.3 Sloped fixed Ladder 42
5.2.9.4 Automatic emergency stairs 42
5.2.9.5 Rescue and ventilation windows 42
5.3 Means of egress capacity 43
5.3.1 General 43
5.3.2 Occupancy load 44
5.3.3 Estimating the exit capacity 44
5.4 The number of the means of egress 45
5.5 Arranging means of egress 45
5.6 Dead end 46
5.7 Compulsory movement passage 46
5.8 Movement distance 46
5.9 Exit discharge (the final exit) 48
5.10 Handrails and falling guards 48
5.11 Means of egress guiding signs 49
5.12 Emergency lighting 49

Page 29 of 239
 Chapter 5
Means of Egress
5.1 General
5.1.1 Definition (also note page 2 general definitions)
Means of egress contains horizontal and vertical and sloped ways and it is
contains many components, like pass ways, stairs, balconies, ramps,
bridges, doors and many others.
5.1.2 Applications
All the buildings and establishments should contain suitable means of
egress according to this chapter in addition to special codes.
5.1.3 Main components of means of egress
Means of egress consists from three primary components which are:
Exit passage: it is the part which leads to the exit door.
Exit: it is the part that is detached from the rest of the buildings with fire
resistant elements, to provide safe passage to the final exit, like escape
stairs, and door that open to the outside in the ground floor.
Exit discharge (final exit): it is the part that starts from the end of the exit
to the main street.
5.1.4 Separation of the means of egress
5.1.4.1 Exits
All openings that connect between the floors and the exits should have min.
120 minutes fire resistant doors that submit to the codes mentioned in
6.3.6.2.
It is forbidden to make any other openings that go through the exit with the
exception of the openings used for electric cables which provide lighting to
the exit, escape doors, pressure calibration openings in stairs and the pipes
used for conditioning the exit or to provide feed for water sprinklers and fire
risers. Also there should be no openings to connect between nearby exits.
The exit should provide a continuous unit that is protected from fire to
provide continuous escape route until reaching the final exit.
Exits should never be used for other causes like storing.
5.1.4.2 Passages
Any escape route shall not be longer than 35m (sketch 10)
If passages were used as pass ways for reaching exits and it were serving
an area which has more than 30 occupants it should be separated from the
buildings with at least 1 hour fire barriers.

Page 30 of 239
5.1.5 Interior finishing of exits
The materials used for the interior finish of exits should be non.flammable,
and the finishing for the walls and ceilings of the exits are from type A
according to the codes mentioned in 6.6 unless the special codes allows
something else.
5.1.6        Net height of means of egress
•The net height of the means of egress should be at least 220 cm, and when
there exist some protrusion in the ceiling the net length of the ceilings
should be no less than 200 cm with respect to those protrusions.
•The net height of stairs is calculated from any point of the slope of the step
to another point above it in the bottom of the sloped ceiling above them, and
the net height should be no less than 200 cm as in figure 5.1.

5.2          Main components of means of egress

5.2.1 Doors
5.2.1.1 General
•Any door mentioned in this part is the doors used in the means of egress
and it contains all door with all their components, from frame and bolts etc...
•Door width: to measure the width of the door the net width of the door is
measured when the door is opened to its fullest, like in figure 5.2 in case of
splitting the door into two or more pieces with a column, the net width of
each part is calculated alone in the same way and the net width of a single
door used as a component of the means of egress should be at least 85cm
and no more than 120 cm.
•The difference in the floor level on the sides of the door should be no more
than 13 mm.
With the exception of the cases allowed in the special codes the movement
of the normal doors should be done by side hinges and for the other types
of doors like sliding doors should not be used but for limited cases allowed
by the special codes and after the civil defence acceptance, with the
requirement of it to
•be easy to open manually, and signs to specify how should it be used are
hanged on it.
•All the doors that split between the floors and the exits and between the
exits and the main street and the doors that are used in high danger areas
or the ones that serves a room or an area that has more than 50 occupants
should open to the way of exit to be used as means of egress.
•The movement of the door should not affect the capacity of the
components of the means of egress that leads to the door, like in figure 5.3
in the following manner:

Page 31 of 239
1. The door movement should not prevent the usage of the means of
egress in general.
2. The door should not limit the size of the stairs or the pass or the
passage or any parts of the means of egress with more than half the
needed width. When the door is open to its fullest it should not take
space of more than 18cm from the side of the wall, like in figure 5.3
3. When the door is opened to a stair it should provide a path(landing)
with a width of no less than the width of the door.(sketch 9)
• The doors should be easy to open, and in general the strength need
to open it should be no more than 133 Newton(14 KG) applied on the
handle of the door.
• There should be provided easy means for opening the doors when
people are inside the building and the closing mechanism should not
need special key or knowledge to open it.
• The door hinges or any other mechanism used for holding the door
should have a handle or any other means of opening , that can be
operated in all lighting conditions, and the door should be opened
with one move only.
• No ropes or chains that could prevent movement be put in the means
of egress
5.2.1.2 Special regulations
If the nature of the building needed arrangements or special
procedures for security reasons or other reasons, that can prevent
the usage of the means of egress, then this is done after taking
approval of the civil defence and each case should be treated as a
single case, and when accepted there should be arrangements to
ease the use of the means of egress at emergencies, in all special
cases where electronic locks are used as means of door locking the
ability for lock opening in the following manner should be provided:
1. Automatically when the alarm or water sprinklers are triggered
2. Automatically when the electricity is cut
3. Manually after adding pressure to some manual opening mechanism.
Doors should not be locked with keys unless mentioned in the special
codes.
5.2.1.3 Mechanical doors
All the automatic doors that opens with light cell when it is
approached, or any other automatic mechanism should have a
manual way to open if the automatic mechanism stops working.
5.2.1.4 Revolving Doors
Revolving doors are not accepted as components of the means of
egress.
Page 32 of 239
Sketch 9
Depth Landing X(min.)

Width Door X

Sketch 10
5m
x. 3
ma

Page 33 of 239
5.2.1.5 Automatic closing doors
When the escape door should stay closed, like the stairs door, it should
have springs of the accepted type, to completely close the door after
opening it and if the nature of the door needs it to stay open it should have
some means of automatic closing.

5.2.2 Stairs
All the doors mentioned here are the internal and external doors used as
components of the means of egress and the net width of the stair is the net
width between the face of the wall and the hand rail. All doors towards
staircases must be fire resistant for 60 min. and made smoke/heat proof.
5.2.2.1 Dimensions
The dimensions of the stairs are specified according to the following table:

The least width of the stairs 110 cm

The most height of the riser 18 cm
The least height of the riser 11 cm
The least depth of the step 28 cm (with exceptions)

The least net height of the stairs 200 cm

•Some exceptions are noted:

•If the area of the repeated floor (multiple, identical floors) is no more than
600 m2 and when there exist 2 stairs for egress it is allowed for one of the
stairs to have a width of 100 cm
•It is allowed that the net width of the stairs to be 90 cm if the occupancy
load factor for the whole building is no more than 50.
Other specifications
In addition to the numbers mentioned in the preceding section the stairs
should have the following specifications:
1. The width of the stairs should be enough for serving the building
occupants at the time of egress.
2. The steps have to be arranged in groups and each group should end with
a landing, but the height difference between two landings should be no
more than 370cm.
3. The continuous steps in one group should have the same depth and
height and there should be no more than 5 mm difference in dimensions of
two nearby stairs, a 10 mm difference in depth and height is allowed
between the highest and lowest step.

Page 34 of 239
5.2.2.2 The stairs landing
The landing of the stairs should be leveled and it is not allowed for stairs to
be within the landing.
The minimum width of the landing should be no less than the width of the
stairs, with exception of the landing that split the straightness of the stairs
into two landing or more, where the width of the landing can be reduced into
120 cm.

5.2.2.3 Curved stairs

It is allowed to use curved stairs as a component of the means of egress but
the minimum depth of the step should be no less than 28cm on the length of
30cm from the tight end of the step, and the minimum internal half radius
should be the double of the stairs width, like in figure 5.4.

5.2.2.4 Spiral stairs

The spiral stairs should not be used in the means of egress but in special
conditions and according to the following codes:
1. The load occupancy of the area that the spiral stairs serves should be no
more than 5 persons.
2. The net stair width should be no less than 70cm.
3. The height of the step should be no more than 24 cm
4. The net height should be no less than 200 cm
5. The depth of the step should be no less than 20 cm in a point that is 30
cm away from the tight end of the step.

5.2.2.5 Stair discontinuity

When the stair continue to a level beyond the ground floor level the
continuity of the stairs should be cut with some barrier or door or any
effective way with the exception of the cases that the stairs continue for a
height of no more than half of height of a floor under the ground floor.

5.2.2.6 Building conditions

All the stairs should be built including all its components with fire resistant
material and it should be built in a sturdy and permanent way, and the
ground of the floor should be solid and doesn’t allow sliding and should
have no pores. The usage of stairs for other reasons like storing is
forbidden.

Page 35 of 239
5.2.2.7 Guiding signs
When the stairs are made to serve more than four floors guiding
signs should be hanged near the stairs doors from inside to point to
the number of the floor that the doors lead to, and these signs should
be on the height of 150 cm over the path and easy to see in the case
of the door is open or closed in Arabic and English or pictograms.
5.2.2.8 Fire and smoke protection
5.2.2.8.1 Internal stairs
• All the internal stairs used as exits should be separated from the
building with fire and smoke resistant, inflammable or height
flammable resistance barriers according to the codes mentioned in
5.1.4.
• The walls and the external openings surrounding the stairs should be
protected when there is a possibility for the stairs to get in fire
because of the danger of external spreading due to other parts of the
building with an angle of less than 180 degrees. The protection is on
a horizontal length of no less than 3 meters and with at least 1 hour's
fire resistance for the walls and 120 minutes for the doors and
windows like in figure 5.5.

5.2.2.8.2 External stairs

All the external stairs should be separated from the building with fire
resistant barriers in the same manner of the internal stairs, like in
figure 5.6.A and 5.6.B.

5.2.3 Smoke protected stairs

5.2.3.1 Definition
The stair that is protected from the passage of the smoke produced
by the fire and it consists of a continuous stair that is separated from
the rest of the building by fire resistant barriers that has a resistance
of no less than 2 hours, this special stairs is requested in places
specified by the special codes.
5.2.3.2 Protected stairs access
Accessing the protected stairs is through an external balcony or an
aired room, as in figure 5.7, with the exception of the stairs protected
by a pressure system.

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5.2.3.3 Ventilation
Ventilation is achieved by one of the following ways:
1. natural ventilation
2. mechanical ventilation
3. pressure system
5.2.3.3.1 Natural ventilation
In the case of using natural ventilation the following has to be noted:
1. The ventilated area and the balcony should be separated from the
rest of the building as in figure 5.7.
2. The ventilation opening in the ventilated area has an area of no less
than 1.5 m2 in a way that it is open to the outer wall or to an open
yard of 6 meters width at least, and the ventilation opening should be
completely exposed without windows on it.
3. The width of the ventilated area should have a width of no less than
the passage that leads to it and should have a length of no less than
185 cm in the way of egress.
4. The roof opening in a staircase should be 5% of the area of the
ground floor or min. 1m2.
5. The natural ventilation should be guide by technical equipment as
indicated in sketch 11.
5.2.3.3.2 Mechanical ventilation
In the case of Mechanical ventilation usage the following has to be
noted:
1. The ventilated hall and the balcony should be separated from the rest
of the building as in figure 5.7.
2. The width of the hall should be no less than 110 cm and the length
should be no less than 185 cm in the way of egress.
3. The hall should be ventilated in a ventilation average of no less than
one time a minute with air suction percentage of no less than 150%
from the air supply average, and there should be special pipes and
independent from each other for the air supply and air suction.
4. The ceiling of the hall should be higher than the entry door in no less
than 50 cm.
5. The supply opening should be no higher than 15 cm of the ground of
the hall and the suction openings should be no lower than 15 cm from
the hall ceiling.
6. The stairs should have from above a valve for ridding of the extra
pressure while supplying the stairs mechanically with air to rid of at
least 2500 square foot (71cube meter) per minute through the extra
pressure valve while keeping a positive pressure that is at least 25
Pascal (25 Newton/ square meter) inside the stairs and relative to the
hall when all the doors are closed.

Page 37 of 239
 2

Sketch 11
6
5

4
Smoke
Exhaust

4
Smoke
Exhaust

1 Central Switch box

2 Smoke exhaust flap(automatic)

3 Air intake flap(automatic)

4
Smoke
4 Emergency switch(manual)
Exhaust

5 Power supply for drives

6 Automatic alarm smoke/heat warning device

and automatic release
7 Electrical power connection (Fire
protected cables)
4
Smoke
Exhaust

Note:
Smoke exhaust flap(2) and air intake(3)
4
Smoke
Exhaust
must open simultaneously.

Emergency switch(4) to be located on every

floor or every mezzanine floor.
3 5

4 1
Smoke
Exhaust Central
Switch
Box
1.40

7
n.t.s.
Typical Section
Page 38 of 239
5.2.3.3.3 Stairs pressure system
A. When depending on a pressure system for protecting stairs from
smoke the use of accepted engineering system that produces a
positive difference in pressure inside the stairs compartment relative
to other places that is no less than 25 Pascal (25 Newton/ square
meter), and the system should maintain this pressure difference
under all circumstances like wind and fireplace effect and the
presence of two open doors and so on. Also the pressure difference
at doors should be no more than a limit where 133 Newton (14KG)
power is needed to open the door.
B. The equipments and the special tunnels for the pressure system in
one of the following places:
3. Outside the building and connected directly with the stairs through
special tunnels inside a fire proof establishment.
4. Inside the stairs compartment, in way that the air entrance and exit
directly out or through special tunnels that is situated inside a fire
resistant establishment that resist fire for no less than 2 hours.
5. Inside the building if it is separated by the rest of the building by fire
resistant barriers that have a resistance of no less than 2 hours.
5.2.3.3.4 Operation
The mechanical and pressure ventilation systems should be operated
through one of the following means:
1. With the use of a smoke detector placed at a distance of no more
than 3 meters from the protected stairs entrance.
2. With a manual operated switch, but it should be placed in easy to
reach position by the civil defence like in the lobby of the ground floor
or the control room.
3. By a signal of the water sprinklers in case of such a system exists.
4. By a signal of the alarm system in the building.
5.2.3.3.5 Reserve Power
The mechanical ventilation and the pressure system should be
connected to reserve power source (generator) in addition to the
main power source, and the reserve power system should be able to
provide power for at least 2 hours without the need for refueling.
5.2.3.4 Exit discharge (final exit)
With the exception of the cases that the special codes allow the
protected stairs should lead to the main street or into a passage that
leads out directly, and in the last case the passage should have no
openings but the door or the stair which leads to the main street, and
that the passage be surrounded by elements that has a fire
resistance of no less than the stairs resistance.

Page 39 of 239
5.2.4 Horizontal exits and the areas of temporary refuge
A. Horizontal exits is a horizontal mean of egress from the building to a
temporary refuge area in another building or from on fire
compartment into a temporary refuge area in another fire
compartment on the same level where a temporary and safe refuge
area is provided for the endangered individuals, like in figure 5.8.
B. The temporary refuge area that is reached by the horizontal exit
should be an independent fire compartment that has a fire resistance
of at least two hours, if the horizontals exit inside a fire resistant wall
then it should be covered with a door that has a fire resistance of at
least 90 minutes and it should be automatically locked and opens to
the exit way.
C. It is allowed for the horizontal exits to substitute half of the original
number of the exits at most, but the length and capacity codes have
to be noted and that for each temporary refuge area and that is
reached by the horizontal exit has at least one stair that leads to the
final exit.
D. When the codes of chapter 9 request the presence of outer windows
for rescue and ventilation then those windows should submit to the
codes of 5.2.9.5.
E. If both sides are considered temporary refuge area then another
horizontal exit should be provided in the reverse way of the same
barrier, in a way that both sides of the temporary refuge area in
relative to the other while providing the needed guiding signs in
Arabic and English or pictograms.
F. The temporary refuge area that is reached by the horizontal exit
should be used by one renter or user, and no locks or any other
barring means should be installed at any time with the exception of
the cases that is allowed by the special codes.
G. The area of the temporary refugee area should be enough to contain
all the people that are expected to be in both sides and an area of at
least 0.3m2 for each individual unless other setting is mentioned in the
special codes.
H. It is possible for the temporary refuge area to be outside of the
building, in another building or a bridge or a passage, in a way that it
leads to the main street.
5.2.5 Bridges and balconies and outer windows
• When the bridges and windows are used as means of egress , it
should apply to the special codes about external stairs as well as the
following codes:
• The openings that faces bridges and balconies should be protected
unless it is protected from sides with brick walls or the concrete
should have a height of at least 2 meters.
• The net width of the bridges and the balconies is calculated
according to the expected load factor but it should be no less than
110 cm.
• Protection from falling barriers should be installed on the empty sides
of the bridges and balconies according to the codes of 5.10.

Page 40 of 239
5.2.6        Ramps
Ramps are sloped ways that are used instead of the stairs to move from one
level to another and it can be considered as one of the means of egress, but
it should commit to the general codes of the stair with the addition of the
following codes:
1. The ground has to be sturdy and slide free, and that the slope is the
same over the whole length of the ramp that connects between two paths,
when changing the way of the ramp it should be done through a path.
2. Protection barriers should be installed in the empty sides of the ramps
according to the codes in 5.10 and when the slope percentage is more than
1:20 then hand rails should be installed.
3. The dimensions of the ramp are measured according to the following
table:
The minimum net width 110 cm
The maximum linear slope percentage 1:10
The maximum width slope percentage 1:5
The maximum height 76 cm

5.2.7 Exit passages

When passages and halls and others are used as components of
the means of egress then it should apply to the codes mentioned in
5.1 with the addition to the following codes:
1. The passages should be separated from the rest of the building
according to the codes mentioned in 5.1.4.
2. In the case of using the passages as an exit discharge in a way that
the final exit connect between the stairs and the main street then it
should be separated from the rest of the building by barriers that has
a fire resistance of no less than the stairs surrounding it.
3. The ground of the passage should be sturdy and should have no
pores or holes and its net width should be enough.
5.2.8    Mechanical stairs and passages
Mechanical stairs and passages are not considered as part of the
means of egress.

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5.2.9        Special means of egress
5.2.9.1  General
A. The special means of egress can be considered as means of egress
in special cases only and after getting the approval of civil defence,
and each case should be considered separately, the special cases
are:
2. Vertical buildings, where it is hard to implement suitable means of
egress according to this codes.
3. In some limited cases, to provide additional means of egress for
some places, like machinery rooms and roofs or watch or
communication towers and so on, but the load factor should be no
more than 3 individuals.
B. All the means of escape should be made from fire proof materials,
and it should be treated to be resistant to rust and climate status, as
well as being sturdy and connected to the building in a strong way.
5.2.9.2  Straight Fixed Ladder
In some exceptions , the usage of a straight Fixed Ladder to serve no
more than 3 individuals can be accepted under the condition that a
barrier should be installed from both sides at a length of 1 meter over
the surface that it ends to, if the ladder length is more than 9 meters
then it should be completely covered with a net barrier for protection
from falling.
5.2.9.3  Sloped fixed Ladder
It is allowed to use the sloped fixed ladder like in the preceding
section but the slope angle should be no more than 60 degrees and
the steps should have a width of no less than 13 cm and that the
distance between them is no more than 20 cm.
5.2.9.4 Automatic emergency stairs
In special cases it is allowed by civil defence to used automatic
working stairs which go down automatically when used and go up
again by the usage of a weight , when left, but it should be of the
accepted type.
5.2.9.5  Rescue and ventilation windows
The rescue and ventilation windows should be able to open to the
inside without the need for any special tool or equipments and a net
opening that has a width of at least 60 cm and an area of no less
than 0.55 m2 , in a way that any solid material that has the same
dimensions should be able to pass through them. Also the window
sill should be no more than 110 cm relative to the ground. The means
for civil defence people to reach them should be provided too and it
should face areas that are connected to the main road.

Page 42 of 239
5.3 Means of egress capacity

5.3.1 General
The capacity of the means of egress to any building or floor or any part of
the building should be enough for the occupancy load factor of the building
or the floor or any part of it like in table 5.2.
table 5.1 occupancy load factor

Occupancy group Occupancy load factor (m2/ person)

A.assembly
Medium concentration without fixed chairs 1.4
High concentration without fixed chairs 0.65
Waiting halls 0.3
Libraries- books stores 9
Libraries- reading rooms 4.5
B-educational
Lecture rooms 2
labs 4.5
C-Juridical
Sleeping wings 11
Treatment wings 22
Detention places 11
D-Residential 18.5

E- Administrative 9.5

F-Trade
Ground floor and underground floors 2.8
Other floors 5.6
Storing places 28
G-Industrial
Production and maintenance 9.5

H-Store
Car parking 18.5
Stores and other storing places 28
I-High Hazard
Production places 9.5
Stores 28

Page 43 of 239
5.3.2 Occupancy load
A. The occupancy load can be calculated for the floor or for a part of it by
dividing the area of the floor or the needed part by the occupancy load
factor.
B. In multiple floor buildings the load factor is taken for each floor
independently when estimating the exits capacity in this floor, with the
condition of keeping this capacity starting from the need ed floor in the way
of egress until reaching the final exits.
C. When the exits of the higher and lower floors meet in a middle floor , its
capacity should be no less than the sum of the two from the point of meeting
until the final exit.
5.3.3 Estimating the exit capacity
The capacity of the exit is estimated using the table 5.2 and in all cases the
net width of any part of the means of egress than the minimum accepted
limit:
table 5.2

Occupancy group Stairs (cm/person) Other components

of the means of
egress(passages,
ramps, balconies
etc..) cm/person

C2-care
With water 0.8 0.5
sprinklers
Without water 1.5 1.3
sprinklers
I-high hazard 1.8 1

Other groups 0.8 0.5

Page 44 of 239
5.4      The number of the means of egress
With the exception of the cases allowed by the special codes, every floor or
zone in the building should have at least two means of egress, and the
minimum number of the means of egress should be no less than the
numbers specified in the following table:

table 5.3
Minimum number of the independent Occupancy load
means of egress

2 500 or less

3 501-1000

4 More than 1000

5.5      Arranging means of egress

The exits and the passage to the exits should be arranged and have
the following conditions:
1. To be ready for use at all times
2. The exits should be as far apart as possible from each other to make
sure that it can’t get barred together during fires or any other
emergency, and the ability of egress through opposing directions,
with the exception of the cases where there is only one exit.
3. When there are two exits or two doors, the separating distance
between them should be no less than half the length of the floor or
the concerned area like in figure 5.9, When there exist a protected
passage between the two exits, the distance is measured on the
length of the distance on a straight line that connects between them,
like in figure 5.10, in any other condition the distance is calculated on
the length of a straight line that connects between the exit doors.
4. It is allowed to decrease the distance between the exits to the third of
the length in the following situations:
• The water sprinklers protected buildings.
• When there is a protected passage that connects between the exits.

Page 45 of 239
5. The values of the dead ends should not be over the values
mentioned in table 5.4.
6. The exit door and the door leading to the exit passages should be
arranged in a way that it can be easily recognized and it is not
allowed for the passages to the exits to be through kitchens or stores
or the workshops or the toilets or others or through any room that can
get locked by keys, also it is not allowed to hang curtains or mirrors
over the exit doors.
7. It is possible for the exit passages to be through an external balcony
or a roof or so with the condition of providing continuous and obvious
way for reaching the exits.
5.6      Dead end
It is the part of the passage or the space that does not lead to an exit,
eventually when passing through it there is a need for backtracking
to reach the exit, like in figure 5.11,and the length of the dead end
should be no more than the values mention in table 5.4.

5.7      Compulsory movement passage

It is that part of the passage or the space that is compulsory to move
through to reach two separate means of egress, like in figure 5.11.
The length of the compulsory passage should be no more than the
limits mentioned in table 5.4.

5.8      Movement distance
• Movement distance is the length of one passage from any point in the
floor until the exit door, and that distance should be no more than the
limit specified in table 5.4, unless other instructions are mentioned in
the special codes.
• The distance of movement is measured on the line of the real egress
axis, which means from the farthest point until reaching the exit door,
and it should be noted that the measurement line should pass
through a curve around the corners and other obstacles in way that it
is at least 30 cm far from them like in figure 5.11
• See also section 5.1.4.2 Passages and sketch 10

Page 46 of 239
Table 5.4 The maximum limits for the compulsory movement passage and
the dead end and the movement distance for different types of occupancies

Page 47 of 239
5.9 Exit discharge (the final exit)
A. All the exits should lead directly to the main street, in case it is not
possible then it should lead into a fire resistant passage that has the same
resistance of the exit, in a way that the passage is the connection between
the exit and the main street, and it is not allowed to for any additional doors
to be opened to the passage but the exit door.
B. In the following cases where the special codes allows that half of exits
to end in the ground floor but the following should be considered:
1. Reaching the main street from the exit should be easy and obvious
without any obstacles. and that the distance between the exit and the main
street is no more than 10 meters and the distance can be increased to 20
meters if the ground floor has full coverage of water sprinkler including the
lobby of the ground floor.
2. All the rooms that face the lobby should be of low hazard level and should
be separated from the lobby by barriers that has the same fire resistance
rating as the surroundings of the exit.
3. The ground floor should be separated from the floor beneath it by barriers
that has at least the same fire resistance of the exit surroundings.

5.10 Handrails and falling guards

A. Fall guards should be installed for protection along the means of
egress, in addition to the buildings roofs and the balconies and the
mezzanine and the glass fronts and others according to the following codes:
B. Barriers should be made of fire proof material with the exception of the
handrail handle, also there should be sturdy barriers to support pressure
and expected loads.
C. The spaces between the barriers should be no more than 10 cm while
noting that the bars should be installed in a suitable way so children cannot
climb it.
D. The minimum height for the barrier should be 110 cm for the outer
parts of the buildings like balconies and roofs and the side opening doors for
the stairs and the ramps and others.
E. In the case of the existence of a fixed handrail near the wall then the
net distance between the wall and the handle of the handrail should be no
less than 4 cm and that the height of the handrail should be no less than 90
cm and no more than 100 cm in a vertical scale over the slope line.

Page 48 of 239
 The barriers should have a minimum height of 120 cm for the outer
stairs that are open to the air outside the buildings that have a height
of more than 3 floors.
G. The ramps and the stairs should be separated by handrails. that has
no more than 150 distance between them.
H. With the exception of special cases agreed by civil defence the glass
should not be considered as an alternative to the fall guards, if the
height of the windows sills and the outer glass faces that face outside
the building is less than 90 cm relative to the floor then these
windows and glass faces should have fall guards that has a height of
no less than 95 cm.
5.11 Means of egress guiding signs
A. The means of egress should have the suitable and accepted guiding
signs that are easy to see from any way in the passages to the exits,
and when needed, an exit sign with an arrow could be used to clear
the way of the exit, like in figure 5.12, the guiding signs are placed on
the exit doors and near the way leading to the exits in away that no
point in the way to exit is away from the sign by more than 30 meters
in Arabic and English or pictograms.
B. The signs should be of a size, color , shape that is suitable according
to civil defence instructions, in a way that it is clear and distinct and
different from what is beside them from decors colors and lighting,
and it is not allowed to place any lightings that could bare seeing the
signs.All writing must be in Arabic (top) and English (bottom) or
pictograms.
C. All the guiding signs should be lit constantly all the time that the
building is occupied by people , and the lighting intensity should be at
least 54 lux on the surface of the sign, and that it should be powered
by the same source used for normal lighting, and also through a
reserve power source that works for at least 2 hours.
D. When any door or passage or stair or others that could get confusing
when used to egress and leads to unsafe place, a sign should be
placed that has the real usage of the object like to the underground,
fuel room and so on.
5.12 Emergency lighting
A. All the means of egress and other places that are specified by the
special codes should have enough lighting in the case of emergency
when the main power source is disabled, and the needed cabling that
is independent from the rest of the cables should be available to
provide power in emergency to those lights.
B. The emergency lighting should have a reserve power source in
addition to the primary source that has an operation time of no less
than two hours and works automatically in the case of emergency
with a time margin of no more than 10 seconds, the emergency
lighting should give a light intensity of no less than 10 lux as an
average.
Page 49 of 239
C. In big buildings, complexes, malls, hospitals, or other buildings that
are considered similar by civil defence, the emergency lighting should
have a central and approved system.
D. In the cases that the special codes allow, it is allowed to light the
emergency lights with independent lighting units that are powered by
the normal power source and are automatically recharged, in a way
that it works for at least 2 hours when the power is down, but it
should be of the approved type.

Page 50 of 239
Figure 5.1 The net height of the means of escape (Vertical)

Figure 5.2 The net width of the door ( horizontal)

Page 51 of 239
Figure 5.3 The movement of doors and the relation to the exit (horizontal)

Figure 5.4 Curved stairs (horizontal)

Page 52 of 239
Figure 5.5 Internal stair that faces the right outer side of the building, the wall
protection and the external openings that surround the stairs from external
spreading from inside the building (Horizontal)

Page 53 of 239
 Figure 5.6.A The External stair (horizontal )

Figure 5.6.B The facing of the external door (Vertical)

Page 54 of 239
90 B: a door with 90 minutes fire resistance
60 B: a door with 60 minutes fire resistance
30 B: a door with 30 minutes fire resistance

Figure 5.7 The smoke Protected stairs (horizontal) 

Page 55 of 239
 Figure 5.8 Horizontal exit and the temporary refuge area (Horizontal)

Figure 5.9 The separating space between the two exits should be no less than half  of the string 
(Horizontal)

Page 56 of 239
Figure 5.10 When there is a protected path between the exit the
distance is measured on the length of the path between them
(horizontal)

Dead end
Compulsory movement passage

Travel distance

Figure 5.11, Dead end, Compulsory movement passage and

travel distance (horizontal view)

Page 57 of 239
Figure 12-5 , Guiding signs for the means of egress (horizontal view)

Page 58 of 239
 Index of Chapter Six
Protection Precautions in the Construction Field

Subject Page

6.1 General Requirements 61

6.2 Construction classifications, Construction super structure 61
6.2.1 Classification 61
6.2.1.1 First type, fire resistant and fire proof 61
6.2.1.2 Second Type, Fire Proof 61
6.2.1.3 Third Type, Flammable and protected from outside 61
6.2.1.4 Fourth Type, Heavy Wood 61
6.2.1.5 Fifth Type, Wood frames 61
6.2.2 Classification into secondary types 61
6.2.3 Internal Wall Separators 62
6.2.5 Test Conditions 62
6.2.6 Protecting the elements of the metallic super structure 62
6.3 Classification into fire compartments 64
6.3.1 Compartment justification 64
6.3.2 Exceptions 64
6.3.3 Fire resistant barriers 64
6.3.3.1 Types of barriers 64
6.3.3.2 Size of barrier 65
6.3.3.3 Opening protection inside the fire resistant barriers 65
6.3.4 Fire compartments separation on the façade 65
6.3.5 Protection of external fire spreading 65
6.3.5.1 General 65
6.3.5.2 Openings 67
6.3.5.3 Protection of the outer walls openings 68
6.3.6 Fire resistant walls and windows 68
6.3.6.1 General 68
6.3.6.2 Resistance degree 69
6.3.6.3 Vision openings 69
6.3.7 Closing the openings 69
6.3.8 Protection air conditioners tunnels 69
6.3.9 Protection of Pipes Openings and Others 69
6.3.10 Protection of vertical openings 70

Page 59 of 239
6.3.10.1 General 70
6.3.10.2 The discontinuous openings 70
6.3.10.3 Resistance level 70
6.3.10.4 Exception 70
6.3.10.5 Moving stairs (escalator) and passages 70
6.3.10.6 The middle space connecting between 3 floors or less 70
6.3.10.7 The middle space connecting 3 or more floors 71
6.3.10.8 Hidden spaces 71
6.4 Smoke barriers 71
6.4.1 General 71
6.4.2 Doors and windows 72
6.4.3 Smoke damper 72
6.4.4 Protecting the pipes openings and others through the smoke barriers 72

6.5 Protection from dangers 72

6.5.1 General 72
6.5.2 Protection from explosions 73
6.5.3 Liquids and fast flaming gases 73
6.6 Interior finishing 73
6.6.1 General 73
6.6.2 Classification of the interior finishing of walls and ceiling 73
6.6.3 Classification of interior finishing for the floors 74
6.6.4 The usage of interior finishing 74
6.6.5 Special materials 74
6.6.5.1 Using fabric in the interior finishing of the walls and the ceilings 74

6.6.5.2 Pored or foaming plastic materials 74

6.6.5.3 Using stretched vinyl to cover walls and ceilings 75
6.6.6 Fire slowing paints 75
6.6.7 The water sprinklers role 75
6.6.8 Paints and wallpaper 75
6.7 furniture and décor 75
6.8 Protection of the insulating flammable materials 75

Page 60 of 239
 Chapter 6
Protection Precautions in the Construction Field
6.1 General Requirements

The minimum construction requirements should be available in all buildings and

establishments according to this chapter in addition to the special rules.

The Precautions in the Construction Field are made to protect the super structure from
fire dangers which leads to longer building resistance for collapse which is caused by
fire, and for improving the ability of fire containment in the smallest spaces and
preventing fire from spreading to nearby areas or buildings.

Each building or part of the building should be constructed according to these rules and
generally it should be made from fire resistant/proof materials with the exception of the
cases that the special codes permits and also in special cases that are approved by civil
defence.

6.2 Construction classifications , Construction super structure

6.2.1 Classification
The buildings are classified in accordance to their resistance into four types which are:

6.2.1.1 First type, fire resistant and fire proof

The material of the construction are fire resistant and fire proof like buildings made from
concrete, it is possible to include few flammable materials.

6.2.1.2 Second Type, Fire Proof

The material of the construction are fire proof like buildings made from steel and
composite buildings which have reinforcement and concrete, with the exception of a few
flammable materials. They are not fire proof originally but after treating them they
become so.

6.2.1.3 Third Type, Flammable and protected from outside

It is made of wood and untreated metals may be used too, but for the outer walls should
be of fire proof materials like concrete or bricks.

6.2.1.4 Fourth Type, Heavy Wood

It is made from heavy wood but the walls inside and outside should be made from fire
proof material, like concrete or bricks.

6.2.1.5 Fifth Type ,Wood frames

All the construction materials including the outer walls are composed of wood.

6.2.2 Classification into secondary types

The types mentioned in 6.2.1 are classified into secondary types according to their fire
resistance. Table 6.1 specify the types of the buildings according to the resistance of
their super structure.

Page 61 of 239
6.2.3 Internal Wall Separators
It is allowed to use wood wall separators and other elements that have
similar properties of wood to separate the internal spaces in the
construction of type 1 and 2, and this is for all the occupancies with the
exception of the occupancies of groups C,D and I, under the following
conditions:
• The area of the fire compartment that contain the separator should be no
more than 600m2
• Those separator are not used in fire resistant barriers
6.2.5 Test Conditions
The samples of construction material should be tested under similar
realistic condition to the final purpose and specific standards should be
applied according to the function of the building.

.2.6 Protecting the elements of the metallic super structure

) When there exist a need for fire protection in the metallic elements of the
construction then it should be treated according to this rules to have the required
resistance.

)The metallic construction elements should be protected in a proper way. made

by dipping enclosing or dressing, or any other accepted way that produces the
needed fire resistance. In all conditions the protection should be done according
to the approved standards and according to the known engineering standards.
This should be specified in the drawings and the description of the project that
shall be approved by civil defence before starting the work.

)The plans should explain in detail the sizes of the metallic elements, the
thickness, the method and the type of the protection material including the
calculation and design tables to be approved by civil defence.

Page 62 of 239
Table 6.1Classification of buildings and establishments according to there architectural super
structure resistance to fire
Construction Type of Code Number (see page 4 ? )
Super Structure
Components

First Second Third Fourth Fifth

See also table 9.1.1,….

443 332 222 111 000 211 200 2 111 000

Fire resistance of the components (hour)

Outer load bearing

walls
1.Support more than 4 3 2 1 0 2 2 2 1 0
one floor
2.Support one floor
4 3 2 1 0 2 2 2 1 0
3.Support the final
4 3 2 1 0 2 2 2 1 0
roof

Internal load bearing

walls
1.Support more than 4 3 2 1 0 1 0 2 1 0
one floor
2.Support one floor
3 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
3.Support the final
roof 3 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0

Columns
1.Support more than 4 3 2 1 0 1 0 1 0
Heavy
one floor Sturdy
2.Support one floor wood
3 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 0
3.Support the final
3 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
roof

Normal roof
supports and net -
roof supports
1.Support more than 4 3 2 1 0 1 0 1 0
one floor
2.Support one floor 3 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 0
3.Support the final 3 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
roof

Roof Floor 3 2 2 1 0 1 0 - 1 0

Final Roof
height of
Roof
support and the roof
holders, -
frames, roof
floor
1.hold more
• less than 2 ½ 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
than one
floor 4.5m
2.Hold one • 4.5-6 m 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
floor
3.Hold the •more than 6
final roof m 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Outer non- 0 unless else there is danger of outer fire 0 unless else there is danger of
supporting walls spread outer fire spread
Notes for Table 6.1
1. The shaded areas are the components made of the approved type of
flammable materials.
2. When the final roof is loaded with additional load (with the exception of normal
loads like the objects used for servicing the buildings) then its super structure
must be fire resistant, like the roof which is less than 4.5 meters in height,
ignoring the actual height of the roof
3. As for the buildings made from one floor and the establishments is of type 1
and 2, then the components of the architectural structure can be made of
materials that are not fire resistant ignoring the roof height if the area is no
more than 2000 m2, but the roof should be covered with light material with
ventilation opening, that has an area of no less than 5% of the total roof area
and should be distributed evenly.
4. When it is allowed for the components of the final roof to be of type 1 and 2
which is not fire resistant then it is allowed for the roof to be made from any
fireproof material or from wood(type 4) but the building height should be no
more than 20 meter relative to the sidewalk.
5. It is allowed to treat the final roof in the same way as the outer wall if its slope
is more than 60 degrees to the horizon.
6. 443 or similar: is a short term to the degree of resistance for fire for some
component in hours and they are explained in the table above.
7. 12 W: is a short term for wood.

6.3 Classification into fire compartments

6.3.1 Compartment justification

The building or the floor has to be classified into fire compartments to contain
fire in its place and preventing its spreading inside the same building or into the
other buildings like in figure 6.1.
6.3.2 Exceptions
The following are considered an independent fire compartment with the
exception of other allowed situations:
• The area unit that is rented to one independent tenant like the apartment or the
office or the shop.
• The floor in multiple floor building.
• Various occupancies
• The vertical spaces in the buildings like the stairs compartment, the elevator
well, stretching separators.
• Some of the means of egress according to chapter 5 codes and the special
codes.
• Some of the special danger places while committing to the special codes.

6.3.3 Fire resistant barriers

6.3.3.1 Types of barriers
The fire compartments should be separated with barriers that have the needed
fire resistance, and there types are:
• Barrier that has a resistance of 3 hours
• Barrier that has a resistance of 2 hours
• Barrier that has a resistance of 1 hours
• Barrier that has a resistance of half an hour

Page 64 of 239
6.3.3.2 Size of barrier
The fire barrier should be a full barrier that can prevent smoke and fire from passing.
Should be continuous to cover the whole wall compartment from wall to wall going
through any void spaces from the floor up to the ceiling like in figure 6.2.

6.3.3.3 Opening protection inside the fire resistant barriers

The openings in the barriers should be protected by doors or windows that are fire
resistant and by smoke throttle which is approved by the civil defence and have a
suitable fire resistance. (sketch 12)

6.3.4 Fire compartments separation on the façade

A. The separation between the fire compartments on the facade should be
continuous according to these codes. For the exit sides, the rules of chapter 5 are
applied and the separations shall be done by providing a barrier on the outer side that
has a minimum fire resistance of one hour. The width shall be no less than the
following:
-200 cm on the horizontal level, if the fire compartments are nearby horizontally, like
in figure 6.3.
-100 cm on the vertical level, if the fire compartments are nearby vertically, like in
figure 6.4 except:
• in buildings with less than 4 floors
• in buildings completely protected by sprinklers.
B. All the openings which are situated in a vertical distance that is 450 cm or less
over the roof of another fire compartment in another nearby building and a horizontal
distance of 450 cm or less, unless the roof is fire resistant for at least 1 hour like in
figure 6.5.

6.3.5 Protection of external fire spreading

6.3.5.1 General
A. To limit the external fire spreading enough distance should be available between
the buildings or separating them with fire resistant walls.
B. The resistance of the outer walls should be according to table 6.2, and if the
outer walls are load bearing then it should submit to the rules in table 6.1 too.
C. In buildings which are fully protected by sprinklers, it is allowed to decrease the
numbers mentioned in table 6.2 with one hour with the exception of group I.

Table 6.2 The needed fire resistance for the outer walls in hours and its relation
to the separating distance between the buildings and the type of occupancy

The separation Type of occupancy

area between
the buildings (m) I E,F1,G1 A,B,C,D,F2,G2

0-1.5 3 3 3

More than 1.5-3 3 2 1

More than 3,4.5 3 1 0

More than 4.5-9 1 0 0

More than 9 0 0 0

Page 65 of 239
Sketch 12

Fire disconnection measures

Possible fire distribution
if not properly sealed of

Glass/Metal
facade

Space to be filled with Stone wool

Fixing Point

Fire proof material

Vertical Section

Page 66 of 239
6.3.5.2 Openings
A. The area of the unprotected and protected openings in any outer wall for any
floor should be no more than the percentages mentioned in table 6.3.
B. When there are unprotected openings in addition to the protected openings then
the overall area of the allowed openings are calculated according to the following
formula:
X/X1 + Y/Y1 <=1
X: The actual area of the protected openings
X1: The allowed area of the protected openings
Y: The actual area of the unprotected openings
Y1: The allowed area of the unprotected openings

Table 6.3 The allowed limits of the openings area as a percentage of the outer
walls of the building.

Opening The separation between buildings

type

Less than 1-1.5 More More More More More More

1 than than than than than than 9
1.5-3 3-4.5 4.5-6 6-7.5 7.5-9

Protected Not Not 10% 15% 25% 45% 70% 100

allowed allowed %

Unprotected Not 15% 25% 45% 75% 100 100 100

allowed % % %

Page 67 of 239
A. The following are excluded from the table:
1. The open parking on the sides where the unprotected openings can be 100%
but the separation distance should be 3 meters at least.
2. The group I buildings where its not allowed to have any unprotected openings
unless the separation distance is 4.5m at least.
B. The buildings which are fully protected with water sprinklers these percentages
can be increased but it should not go over the amounts accepted as protected
openings and that is for all the types of occupancy with the exception of group I.
C. It is allowed to have unprotected openings of 100% on the outer walls which face
the streets in the ground floor but the width of the street should be no less than 4.5
meters and that is for all the occupancies with the exception of group I.

6.3.5.3 Protection of the outer walls openings

A. The required protection should be provided to all the outer walls when it is
needed that these openings are from the protected type. The protection is achieved
by installing doors or windows that have the applicable fire resistant rating . Protection
is achieved by using water sprinklers according to one of the accepted standards.
B. The required fire resistance needed for protecting the openings is as follows:
• 1 ½ hour when there are openings within the walls and have a fire resistance of
more than one hour
• ¾ hour when there are openings within the walls and have a fire resistance of
one hour.
6.3.6 Fire resistant walls and windows

6.3.6.1 General
A. The fire resistant doors and windows that are the means of covering the
openings to prevent fire and smoke spreading and the fire resistant doors should be
according to these codes and if it’s a part of the means of egress then it submit to the
rules of chapter 5.
B. The fire resistant doors and windows should make a whole unit in all their
components to include: the door bolt,frame and any other accessories.
C. The design and production and inspection and installation of the fire resistant
doors and windows should submit to one of the accepted standards.
D. The fire resistant doors and windows with all there components should be of a
type that is approved by civil defence , with an inspection certificate from an
authorized inspection authority and according to the accepted standards.
E. The fire resistant doors should have a seal that shows the rating of fire
resistance, the license number, the maker of the door, other required info and the
seal should be made under the inspection authority.
All the fire resistant doors should be automatically closing either
automatically or mechanically with the exception of the residential apartment’s
doors, as for the fire resistant windows it should automatically close and it
should be fixed in a place with no ability to open it. Fire resistant windows should
not open at all.

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6.3.6.2 Resistance degree
A. The fire resistance of the doors should be like the following:
• 1.5 2 hours when it is installed on barriers that should have a resistance of 2
hours.
• 1 hour when it is installed on barriers that should have a resistance of 1 hours, if
these barriers are surrounding the exits and the vertical spaces.
• 45 1 hour when it is installed on barriers that should have a resistance of 1
hours (with the exception of the passages and smoke barriers).
• 20 30 minutes when it is installed on barriers that should have a resistance of
1/2 hour or in the passages and smoke barriers that has a fire resistance of no
more than one hour and the area of the window should be no more than 25%
of the barrier area.
B. It is allowed to use fire resistant windows only in the barriers that has a fire
resistance of no more than one hour and the area of the window should be no
more than 25% of the barrier are.

6.3.6.3 Vision openings

A. When a vision opening in the fire resistant door is needed then it should be
according to the following conditions:
• It should be covered with reinforced transparent glass that has the same
resistance of the door or any accepted glass.
• It is not allowed to have vision openings in the doors that should have more than
2 hours of fire resistance.
B. The area of the vision openings should be no more than:
• 0.065 m2 in the doors that has an hour or half an hour resistance
• 0.84 m2 in the doors that have 45 minutes or less fire resistance

6.3.7 Closing the openings

All the openings and void spaces inside the fire resistant barriers like walls
ceilings and floors should be closed and also on the sides and around the
openings and when it is met by another construction elements and that should
be done using accepted fire resistant materials.(sketch 12)
6.3.8 Protection air conditioners tunnels
A. When air conditioners tunnels pass through the fire resistant tunnels it should
be protected by automatic dampers.
B. Fusible links that has a high temperature should be used when installing the fire
throttles on the air condition tunnels that belong to the smoke control systems.
C. The automatic dampers should be of the accepted type and should be sealed
from the accepted authority.
6.3.9 Protection of Pipes Openings and Others
When the pipes and cables and the electric conduits and air tunnels and
others service components inside the fire resistant barriers then it should be
protected in the following manner:
• The space between the component and the barrier: it should be filled with a
material that can keep the barrier resistance to fire or it should be protected
with a mean that was designed especially for this purpose.
• When using a conduit for the passage of the element through the barrier then
the conduit should be attached firmly to the barrier. As for the space between
the element and the conduit then it should be protected in the following
manner:
Page 69 of 239
A. It should be filled with a material that can keep the barrier resistance to fire or it
should be protected with the materials and construction method to keep the
rating.
B. The insulator or other elements used in covering the pipes and the tunnels
should not pass through the barrier unless the barrier’s resistance is kept or it
should be protected by a mean that was designed especially for this purpose.

6.3.10 Protection of vertical openings

6.3.10.1 General
All the vertical openings should be protected like the stair compartment and
the elevator well and flexible separators by surrounding them with continuous
fire barriers of the needed level, with the exception of the special cases that
are mentioned in this code and when the special codes allow so.
6.3.10.2 The discontinuous openings
The vertical openings that does not extend in the buildings should be
surrounded by fire resistant barriers.
6.3.10.3 Resistance level
The resistance level of the barriers surrounding the vertical openings should
be as follows unless the special codes allows other ways:
• 2 hours for the openings connecting between 4 floors or more
• 1 hour for other openings.
6.3.10.4 Exception
It is allowed to leave the vertical openings that connect between two nearby
floors only, unprotected in a way that it passes through one ceiling ground
only, but it should not be used as an exit.
6.3.10.5 Moving stairs (escalator) and passages
The moving passages and stairs should be protected when they are used as
exits in the same way that the other stairs used as exits, but when they are not
used as exits then it should be protected like the vertical openings. The
surrounding protection can be ignored if these passages and stairs are within
large open spaces like the middle space and the malls.

6.3.10.6 The middle space connecting between 3 floors or less

When the special codes allow the existence of a middle space that connects
between the floors the following must be followed:
1. The height of the middle space must be no more than 3 nearby floors.
2. The lowest floor that the middle space covers is the ground floor , or the floor
directly above it or directly beneath it.
3. The area of the middle space should be open without obstacles for fire fighting
purposes.
4. The middle space area should be separated from the rest of the building with
fire resistant barriers of no less than 1 hour fire rating, like in figure 6.6. If the
building is protected with water sprinklers then separation can be protected by
smoke barriers.
5. The hazard level of the contents of the middle space should be low, and if the
contents are of the ordinary hazard then it should be protected with water
sprinklers.

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6. Means of egress, for the occupants of the middle space, have to meet the same
regulation by considering it one floor.
7. Every individual inside the middle space should have at least one exit that can
be reached without moving into another floor in the middle space
8) Every person outside the middle space should have at least one exit that can be
reached without passing through the middle space

6.3.10.7 The middle space connecting 3 or more floors

When the special codes allow the existence of middle space that does connect an
unlimited number of floors the following shall be applied:
1. The middle space must be separated from the rest of the buildings components
by fire resistant barriers of at least 1 hour unless then middle space connects
between 3 floors or less. It is allowed for the separation with glass bricks made from
hardened or reinforced glass but the glass has to be protected with water sprinklers.
2. It is allowed that the paths leading to the exits and the exits discharges are
through the middle space area.
3. The level of hazard in the middle space should be low or ordinary.
4. All the building parts should be protected by water sprinklers.
5. Smoke control system should be provided for the middle space, and the smoke
control system should submit to the accepted standards.(see sketch 11)

6.3.10.8 Hidden spaces

A. The hidden spaces should be protected unless it is of constructions type 3, 4 or
5 should have a fire spreading coefficient that is more than type A and the protection
should be as follows:
1. All the walls and the internal and external partitions should continue from the
ground up to the ceiling ground and it should contain fire resistant materials.
2. The void spaces that are located above the suspended ceiling should be
distributed into units with a maximum unit area of 280 50m2 and that should be done
with smoke screens.
3. The void spaces between the ceiling and the floor or the roof should be
partioned using smoke screens that continue to the whole height of the space. and
should have no more of the following areas:
• 93m2 for any space between the ground and the ceiling.
• 280m2 for any space between the ceiling and the roof
B. The following are exceptions:
• the spaces protected with water sprinklers
• the hidden spaces used for air distribution only or the spaces which are parts of
the central air conditioning system.

6.4 Smoke barriers

6.4.1 General
A. When the special codes require, the provision of smoke barriers for partitioning
the spaces of the building to minimize smoke spreading must be installed.
B. The smoke screen should form a continuous barrier that prevent smoke
movement and it should continue in a way that It cover the whole smoke
compartment from wall to wall going through any open joints and from the floor to the
ceiling.
C. It is allowed to use the fire resistant barrier as smoke barrier.
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6.4.2 Doors and windows
A. The doors that are installed in the smoke barriers should not allow smoke to
pass and it should not have any openings or gaps and it should close
automatically or mechanically.
B. When the smoke barriers are required to be fire resistant the openings should
be protected in the following manner:
• The fire resistance of the doors should be no less than 20 minutes and it
should close automatically or mechanically.
• The windows should be according to the codes of 6.3.6.

6.4.3 Smoke damper

Accepted smoke dampers should be installed on the air openings that exist on
the smoke screens and they should exist also when the condition tunnels pass
through the smoke screens unless these tunnels are part of a smoke control
system. The smoke dampers should shut automatically when smoke is
discovered by smoke detectors.

6.4.4 Protecting the pipes openings and others through the smoke barriers
When the pipes and cables and the electric conductors or air tunnels or similar
elements through smoke barriers it should be protected in the following
manner:
• Space between the component and the barrier: it should be filled with a
material that can keep the barrier resistance to fire or it should be protected
with a mean that was designed especially for this purpose.
• When using a conduit for the passage of the element through the barrier then
the conduit should be attached firmly to the barrier. As for the space between
the element and the conduit then it should be protected in the following
manner: it should be filled with a material that can keep the barrier resistance
to fire or it should be protected with a mean that was designed especially for
this purpose.

6.5  Protection from dangers

6.5.1 General
A. The places that has higher hazard level than the rest of the building should be
protected in the following manner:
• surrounding the place with fire resistant elements that has at least 1 hour
resistance and the doors should resist fire for ¾ 1 hour and should have a door
closer.
• Protecting the area with an automatic extinguishing system
• Both options when the hazard level is high or when the special codes request
that.
B. Some examples of the danger places: the areas used to store flammable
element or fast flaming elements and the areas that contain heat producing
equipments like boilers, or the places used for maintenance.
C. To protect some of the special danger areas that are not covered by this codes
like hospital laboratories or labs that chemicals are used within it, than one of
the accepted standards is referred.
D. When an automatic fire extinguishing system is requested only without asking
for portioning the area with fire resistant barriers then the protected place
should be surrounded by smoke barriers, and the doors should be smoke proof
too and springs should be installed on them.

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6.5.2 Protection from explosions
When the operations are dangerous and the storing has a nature that could
lead into explosions a ventilation against explosions should be provided, or an
extinguishing system should be installed but it should be designed to face such
dangers, in it and it should be according to the accepted standards.
6.5.3 Liquids and fast flaming gases
A. The places that contains fast flaming liquids and gases should be protected
according to the codes applied in civil defence.
B. It is not allowed to store or use the fast flaming liquids or gases in any place
that can endanger the evacuation process.

6.6         Interior finishing

6.6.1 Plastics
The usage of plastics for interior decoration is not allowed, unless it is
certified, that the material is hardly or not inflammable.

6.6.1      General

A. The interior finishing consist of the material for enveloping and engulfing that is
available at the surface of the walls and interior roofs in addition to the floors.
B. It is meant by the interior finishing for the walls and the floors is the exposed
interior surfaces for the elements of the building. Including the stationary and
portable walls and the separators and columns and ceilings.
C. It is meant by the interior finishing for the floors is the interior exposed surfaces
for the floors of the building.

6.6.2    Classification of the interior finishing of walls and ceiling

The interior finishing for the walls and ceilings are classified into categories
according to the flame spreading factor and the density of the smoke and this
is according to table 6.4.

Table 6.4 classification of the interior finishing of walls and floors.

Type Flame spreading factor Smoke density

A 0-25 0-450

B 26-75 0-450

C 76-200 0-450

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6.6.3      Classification of interior finishing for the floors
The interior finishing of the floors in classified according to averages of the over plus
of limits of the heat radiations according to table 6.5.

Table 6.5 classification of interior finishing for the floors

Type The minimum limit for the over plus of

limits of the heat radiations
1 0.45 watt/cm2

2 0.22 watt/cm2

6.6.4      The usage of interior finishing

A. the codes for the interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be submitted
for like mentioned in chapter 5 and the special codes while taking into considerations the
allowed exceptions.
B. Interiors of type c can be used for the places that need to be engulfed with materials
of type A or B if the area of these interiors is no more than 10% of the total area of the
walls and the ceilings.
C. The codes for the interior finishing for the floors should be submitted into only in the
following cases:
• When the floors have over normal hazards.
• When it is required by the special codes.

6.6.5       Special materials
6.6.5.1      Using fabric in the interior finishing of the walls and the ceilings
It is allowed to use the fabric materials of type A to cover the walls and the ceilings in the
following conditions:
• All the walls and the ceilings that are fully protected by water sprinklers even if the
walls do continue to the ceiling.
• The walls that have a height of no more than ¾ of the net height of the unprotected
places but the covering area should be no more than 240cm.
• Up to the height of 120 cm over the ground level when the walls are continuous to
the ceiling and without water sprinklers protection.

6.6.5.2 Pored or foaming plastic materials

It is not allowed to use pored or foaming plastic materials for the usage in the interior
finishing of the walls and ceilings when they are exposed without any protection, with the
exception of décor usage but its area should be no more than 10% of the total wall or
ceiling area, and should have a density of no more than 320 KG/M3 and its depth should
be no more than 13mm and it’s width should be no more than 10cm and it should be of
type A and B when going over the allowed limit of smoke density.

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6.6.5.3 Using stretched vinyl to cover walls and ceilings
it is allowed to use vinyl materials to cloth the walls in the following conditions:
1. It is allowed to use materials of type A to cover the walls and ceilings of the
rooms and the areas protected by waters sprinklers.
2. It is allowed to use the vinyl materials of type A to cover the walls that have a
height of no more than ¾ of the net height of the room or the opening which is
not protected by water sprinklers but this covering should have no more than
240cm.
3. It is allowed to use vinyl of type A to cover the continues walls the continue to
the ceiling of the rooms that are not protected by sprinklers but the covering
should no extend to more than 120cm over the floor level.

6.6.6       Fire slowing paints

It is allowed to use fire slowing paints in the buildings that are existing now to
provide the needed fire and smoke spreading factor for the interior surfaces of
these buildings, but these paints should be of the accepted type.
The fire slowing paints should have the needed continuity and it should be
kept in the way that it stays effective and do its needed role under the real
usage conditions that are required by the rules of the position and the climate
conditions.

6.6.7       The water sprinklers role

If the place is protected by water sprinklers then the following is allowed:
• using an interior finishing for the walls and ceilings of type C instead of type B
and this applies too to type B instead of type A unless something else is
mentioned somewhere else in these codes.
• Using a interior finishing for the floors of type 2 instead of type 1.

6.6.8       Paints and wallpaper

It is allowed to use paints and wallpapers in the interior finishing of the walls
and ceilings with the condition that it’s thickness is no more than 1 mm.

6.7 furniture and décor

When it is required by these codes that the curtains and blankets and similar
stuff to be of the type that resist fire then it should be according to the
accepted standards.
When the codes require that the furniture and beds to be of the type that is
resistant for cigarettes then it should be according to the accepted standards.
When the codes require that the beds should be of the type that emit limited
amounts of heat then it should be checked according to the accepted
standards.
It is not allowed to use furniture and decors of the fast flaming types or the
ones that can cause explosions.

6.8  Protection of the insulating flammable materials

The flame spreading factor for the foaming plastic materials should be no more
than 25, and for other insulating material it should be no more than 500.
All the materials that has a flame spreading factor of no more than 25 can be
kept exposed without protection with the exception of the foaming plastic
materials. Page 75 of 239
The foaming plastic materials and other materials that has a flame spreading factor of
more than 25 should be covered with one of the following materials:
• gypsum boards with a thickness of no less than 16mm and these boards should
be fixed over on fixing elements that are independent from the insulating material.
• The combination of metallic net and cement in a thickness of at least 4 cm that
are fixed over independent fixing elements from the insulating elements.
• Rock or concrete or bricks with a thickness of no less than 5cm.

It is allowed to use insulating foaming plastic materials that has a flame spreading
factor of no more than 500 when it is made from the factory as part of a pre-made
wall without spaces. But it should be only used for the outer walls and it should
provide the following too:
1. surrounding the insulating material from all sides with metallic boards that has a
thickness of no less than 0.38mm and these boards should stay in its place for a time
span of no less than 10 minutes when the wall is submitted into regular fire.
2. The flame spreading factor for the whole wall should be no more than the
allowed amount for the place surrounding the wall.
3. It should not be used in the occupancies of type C and D
4. The height of the building should be no more than 18 meter from the sideway up
to the ground of the final floor.

Page 76 of 239
figure 6.1 Separation into fire compartments- the barriers in black are fire resistant barriers 
(horizontal).

figure 6.2 Continuity of fire resistant barrier (vertical)

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figure 6.3, Horizontal separation between two horizontally nearby fire compartments
 

100cm

Figure 6.4, Vertical separations between two vertically nearby fire compartment

Page 78 of 239
 figure 6.5, Protection of openings that are situated above the roof of
another fire compartment- the protection can be either for the roof or the
wall that is above on the length of 450cm (vertical)

Figure 6.6, The middle space connecting between at maximum 3 floors (horizontal)

Page 79 of 239
 Index of Chapter Seven
Engineering Services in Buildings

Subject Page
7.1 Central air condition 81
7.2 Electrical connections 81
7.3 Garbage collection/ laundry 82
7.4 Chimneys 83
7.5 Ventilation and smoke discharging 83
7.5.1 General 83
7.5.1.1 Ventilation for the safety of people 83
7.5.1.2 Ventilation for controlling fire and to discharge gases and dust 83
7.5.2 Ventilation specifications 84
7.5.3 Smoke screens 84
7.6 Escalators 84
7.7 Liquid Fuel 85
7.8 Storing the liquid fuel 85
7.8.1 General 85
7.8.2 Storage inside the building 85
7.8.3 Storing outside the building over the ground 86
7.8.4 Underground storage 86
7.8.5 Tank specifications 86
7.9 Liquid fuel burning devices 87
7.9.1 General 87
7.9.2 Pipes and connections 87
7.9.3 Boiler and control devices 87
7.9.3.1 General requirements 87
7.9.3.2 Control Devices 88
7.9.3.3 Boiler room 88
7.9.4 Ventilation and gases discharge 88
7.9.5 Fire extinguishing devices 89
7.10 Cocking equipments 89

Page 80 of 239
 Chapter 7
Engineering services in buildings

Central air condition 7.1

A. When designing the central air conditioning system, the necessary fire and smoke
precautions must be taken through the conducting tunnels according to these codes.
B. When specifying the positions of the air intake of the central air conditioning unit, it
should not be located in such places where it can easily catch fire.
C. It is allowed for the administration of civil defence to require in special cases to install
an emergency key on the conditioning device in a place suitable for serving the civil
defence personals.
D. The main tunnels for the conditioning device should pass through vertical or
horizontal passages that are constructed of fireproof materials as a fire resistance
unit, with the presence of suitable openings with fire resistant doors to ease
maintenance procedures.
E. Fire dampers should be installed when condition tunnels go through walls or ceilings
that are fire resistant and the fire dampers should have the same resistance of the
walls and should shut automatically using a fusible link attached to a cable that
works at the heat level of (68-840 C) degrees or when the detectors detects smoke.
F. The tunnels of central condition should have smoke detectors that work automatically
to stop the operation of the device when smoke is detected and when necessary
operates a smoke exhaust fans.
G. The materials used for engulfing the air tunnels from inside and outside should be fire
proof and should have a thickness of no less than 3cm and it is not allowed to use
flammable materials in it.
H. It is allowed to engulf the tunnels with flammable materials in certain cases that are
specified by the general administration of civil defence and the following is required:
• The distance should be short
• It should pass through passages that are flame proof
I. The flexible cables for the air tunnels should have the following:
• It should be fire resistant for at least half an hour.
• It should not produce heavy smoke when it burns.
• Its length should be no more than 25cm if the start of the tunnels is near air
pushing fans.
• If the is in the end of the tunnels then its length should be no more than 4 meters
and should not go through a wall or a ceiling that is fire resistant and it should not be
situated in the special dangerous areas.
7.2 Electrical connections
• The electrical connections specifications should be according to the ministry of
electricity specifications.
• The electrical connections and installments should be safe and sound in general so
it wont be a direct or indirect cause for fire when it is used and the network should
have an electrical shock protection device that work automatically by ground
connection or by any other means that are accepted by the ministry of electricity.
• The cables are laid through protection pipes that are connected correctly so it won’t
allow tampering.
• The open electrical devices are not allowed but for small places and for short
distances that is no more than 3 meters but it should be fixed and without cabling.
• The cables that feed the devices and equipments with electricity should be situated
in protection pipes that are connected correctly.

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F. The cabling and electrical devices that are situated in stores that are used to store
fast flaming/flammable liquids or powders shall be intrinsically safe.
G. The lighting in stores should have a protective cover made of glass with a net to
form a separator that prevent the passage of sparks to flammable material.
H. The cabling situated in the suspended ceilings or the internal separations should be
put into conduits, as for the heat radiating lights and other electronic devices then
they should be situated away of the ceiling tiles for a distance that is enough for
preventing the effect of sparks.
I. If the building contains a stand-by generator then it should be kept in a special room
that is constructed for this purpose and the room should be made from fire resistant
materials and the room shall comply to the following rules:
• Entrance should lead to the open.
• No openings shall be left unsealed between the room and any other parts of
the building.
• An oil separator shall be installed.
• Room should be well ventilated.

J. The keys and the distribution board should be situated in suitable places
The main distribution boards should be situated in a suitable position which
is accepted by the administration of civil defence and. it should submit to
the following:
• It should be near the main entrances.
• It should be in a room that is separated of the building and is open to the outside.
K. A distinct signs and sign board should be installed to guide to the position of the
main switches and keys with an explanation of there specifications and usage.Text
in Arabic and English.
L. An emergency light with an emergency shut-off key should be installed.
M. All installations must be grounded.
7.3 Garbage collection/ laundry
• The garbage/laundry chutes that extends between the floors of fireproof materials
shall have a fire resistance according to the codes mentioned in 6.3.
• The garbage collection room and the laundry collection room that are at the bottom
of the chutes should be made of fire resistant materials that has a fire resistance of
no less than 2 hours and its door should be fire resistant with at least one hour and
a half two hours and it should close automatically.

Page 82 of 239
C. The openings of the chutes should close in the floors with fire resistant doors
according to the codes mentioned in 6.3 and it should close automatically. The
doors should not face the exits directly or the passages that leads to the exits, so a
special room should be provided for this purpose and its barriers should have a
resistance of no less than one hour two hours.
7.4 Chimneys
A. Ovens and fireplaces and other similar cocking and heating equipments should have
exhaust ducts that lead to the outside and the chimneys should be made of fire
proof materials and should have a fire resistance according to the codes mentioned
in 6.3, while taking into considerations the codes mentioned in 7.9.4.
B. If the position of the chimney is inside the building then the internal surface should
be lined to ease the removal of carbon and other materials.
C. If the chimney is made of metal materials then it should have enough thickness and
it’s connections should be made correctly and they should be fixed to the walls by
strong cables.
D. The chimney should rise one meter above the highest point of the building and three
meters over the highest point in the nearby buildings taking into considerations all
the buildings situated in a circle which have a radius of 25 meters.

7.5 Ventilation and smoke discharging

7.5.1 General
Ventilation and smoke discharging should be classified as follows:
• Ventilation to discharge smoke for the safety of people
• Ventilation to discharge smoke for helping the civil defence personals in fire
controlling
• Ventilation to discharge gases and flammable powders.

7.5.1.1 Ventilation for the safety of people

Suitable natural and mechanical ventilation should be provided to the means of
egress and any other part of the building

7.5.1.2 Ventilation for controlling fire and to discharge gases and dust
Enough ventilation should be provided to control fire and to discharge gases and
dust, so it won’t reach a concentration in the air that could lead to flammable range and these
ventilation are in the following manner:
• By installing proper ventilation system where flammable atmosphere can be
expected
• By installing ventilation system in accordance with the protection codes for
these devices.
• When there is low natural ventilation or it is inefficient then mechanical
ventilation should be installed

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7.5.2 Ventilation specifications
A. The ventilation should be according to the accepted standards.
B. In big buildings that has one floor like the ones used for industry and storing, they
should have natural ventilation should be provided in the upper parts of the building
to discharge gases and hot gases and smoke in cases of emergencies and for
helping in controlling fire. Rooms containing hazardous materials and/or
atmosphere should be properly ventilated.
C. The vertical ventilation system should be in accordance with the accepted standard
and in case that the system is closed then it must to be opened in case of
emergency by any of the following means:
• Automatically: using a fusible link.
• Manually: Using a manual method that is kept at a suitable height in a place that is
easy to reach and should submit to the acceptance by the general
administration of civil defence.
• The openings should be covered by fast melting boards the melts by the heat
produced by the fire.
(see also Sketch 11)
D. The calculation of the area of the high openings depends on the nature and the
following
should be noted:
• The area of a single openings should be no less than 1 x 1 meter
• The distance between two nearby openings should be no more than 23 meter.
• The overall area of the openings should be no less than 1:50 of the total ground
area.
E. The place next to high openings should have openings on the level of the ground to
let air in and those openings should have the same area like doors and other.

7.5.3 Smoke screens

When the area of the fire compartment that has high ventilation openings that is more than
1600 M2 smoke screen shall be installed between the openings and should be of a fire
proof material. The following should be noted:
• The screen should reach the roof to make a true barrier for smoke
spreading
• The screens extends down with a depth of no less than one third of the floor
height.

7.6 Escalators
Escalators should be constructed smoke-proof and in accordance with the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10 and each cases to be individually studied.

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7.7 Liquid Fuel
A. In general the connections and equipments for fuel and oil burning appliances should
be designed and installed in accordance with accepted standards.

B. The connection for liquid fuel should be inside sturdy pipes that doesn’t allow leakage
and the connections should never pass or be put near a heat source and the device
should have the needed valves which should be in a suitable place so it could be
used easily and should have special characteristics, with the most important ones
mentioned below:
All canals for the piping system should be well ventilated, so no buildup of fumes in
case of leakage is possible.
1. Main shutting off valve near the tank.
2. Main shutting off valve at the fuel-burning device.
3. Automatic shutting valve that work by the heat effect outside the fuel burning device
and it is used for stopping the feed of fuel for the burning device in case of fires. And
it should work using a fusible link or any other suitable means.
4. Another manual method is required to stop the operation should the automatic valves
stop working.
B. The fuel-burning device should have the necessary means for fire protection when it is
operated.

7.8 Storing the liquid fuel

7.8.1 General
A. The liquid fuel that is used for the burning process should be kept in a tank that has a
capacity that is enough for average usage of two weeks.
B. The main tank should be placed in a suitable place that is agreed to by the general
administration of civil defence and it should be fixed on a sturdy base made of
concrete that would support the weight of the tank and its contents.
C. If the capacity of the main tank is more than 900 litters then a small tank should be
provided to serve the main tank and it should have a capacity of no more than the
main tank and it is connected directly to the burner to be as a link between the main
tank and the burner and this done to provide the following:
• Maintaining a regular flow due to the gravity without the need for lifting the main
tank.
• Minimizing the danger of fire in case fuel spilling.
• Keeping the main tank far from the danger of fire.
D. The service tank should be put in the boiler room to a suitable distance to make sure
the boiler heat doesn’t reach it.
7.8.2 Storage inside the building
A. if it is necessary to put the tank inside the building then it should be kept in a special
room constructed on fire resistant materials that have a fire resistance of no less
than 3 hours and its door should have a fire resistance of no less than two three
hours and it should close automatically and a special sign should be hanged on the
door and the room should face the outside wall while providing the needed natural
ventilation in the upper and lower levels to provide gases discharging to the outside
of the building.One wall of this room should be build in a way, that in case of an
explosion the pressure will be released into the open.
B. The doorstep should be built in the needed height to make a basin with the walls that
is enough to contain the amount of the stored fuel with an additional 10%.
C. All electric installation should be of a special type (flame preventive)
D. It is never allowed for the liquid fuel storage room to be in the cellar.

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7.8.3 Storing outside the building over the ground
A. The position of the tank should be suitable and agreed to by the general
administration of civil defence and it has to be at least 3 meters away from nearby
buildings and it should be away from any places that could start a fire.
B. The tank is fixed on a base of metal or concrete that will be able to support the tank
with its contents and a fence to prevent tampering should surround it, there is also a
need for suitable guiding signs. (in Arabic and English)
C. The tank should be surrounded by a burm made of concrete or suitable enviromental
standard that would have enough capacity for the stored liquid in case it spills on the
ground and it should allow for an additional 10%.
D. The tank should be painted with white and silver colors and The tank should have a
big and clear writing on it that says” Fast Flaming Liquids-No Smoking”in Arabic and
English.

7.8.4 Underground storage

A. When constructing the tank underground then the location should be suitable and
agreed to by the general administration of civil defence and the site should have
enough distance away from the nearby bases of the buildings.
B. The tank is installed on a base of concrete that has a thickness of 20 cm at least in a
way that it can support the weight of the tank and it’s contents. The tank should be
grounded, then it should be buried from all sides and above with clean sand and the
upper covering thickness should be no less than 70 cm.
C. In case there is groundwater in the tank area then the tank needs to be designed and
installed in a way that will guarantee it steadiness even if it is completely empty of
liquids, with the necessity to provide proof calculations.
D. It is allowed to install the tank inside a room that has walls made of bricks or concrete
and roof made of concrete and the roof should cover all the area of the tank while
leaving an opening for inspection and pipes passage, with the need to take the
necessary precautions to limit surface water leakage into the tank room.
One side of the room walls/roof should be of light structure to release the pressure
in case of explosion into the open.
E. In case the site has a car accident then the roof of the room should be able to support
the expected weight of the cars movement in addition to other weights.

7.8.5 Tank specifications

A. The tank should be made in accordance to accepted specifications standards.
B. One inspection opening should be provided for the tank and it should have a
compact cover in addition to providing the tank with the needed openings for
ventilation, filling, suction, measuring and discharging pipes.
C. The tank should have a ground connection to discharge the static electricity
charges.
D. The rust and crust should be removed from the outer surface of the tank and it
should be painted from outside with a rust preventive paint and it should be
quarantined with asphalt and this should be done before putting it down in the hole.
• The tank should submit to the hydrostatic pressure test and if the tank is
underground then the test should be done before burying it in sand, in all cases the
test should be done according to one of the accepted standards.

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7.9 Liquid fuel burning devices
7.9.1 General
A. These codes specify the necessary precautions for guaranteeing the safety of the
people and properties from fire dangers as well as explosion that are triggered by
liquid fuel burning devices.
B. Any fixed or portable device that has a feeding fuel tank of more than 230 200 liters
should submit to these codes.
C. The liquid fuel burning device is a complete system for heating that depends on liquid
fuel burning to reach the needed heat for heating and the main components of the
system includes:
• Fuel source and delivery pipe.
• Boiler and control devices.
• Ventilation and gases discharge.
D. After installing the device by the basic agreement it is not allowed to start using the
device before submitting an application for the general administration of civil defence
to get the final approval which is given after the inspection of the site and making
sure that the device is matching the submitted design in the basic agreement and it
has the needed standards.
E. The fuel-burning device submits to periodical inspection and maintenance according
to the manufacturer's instructions through a specialized technician.
F. The area around the boiler and the tank should be kept clean. and it shouldn’t be
allowed for any garbage or flammable materials or any other unneeded material to
accumulate there and when a leakage or fuel spilling is noticed the necessary
precautions should be taken to repair it and to limit fire danger.
G. The person in charge of the device should be trained on using the basic extinguishing
devices and on the necessary action in case of accidents or emergencies.
7.9.2 Pipes and connections
A. The tank should have an accepted mean for measuring the liquid inside in addition
to pipes for filling, suction and ventilation in addition to any necessary connections
according to the accepted standards.
B. Filling pipe that has a diameter of at least 7,5cm (3inch) and it should pass through
the roof of the tank and should extend for 5 cm(2 inch) over its bottom and it should
be connected into a pushing point that has a special connection that is connected to
the pump of the fuel truck that feeds the tank.
C. The ventilation pipe should have a diameter of no less than 50mm and it should
extend from the tank outside into the open air and it should be in a suitable place
that is far away from the fire or holes or basement dangers while noting the
following:
• The pipe should rise at least 4 meters above the ground.
• The pipe opening should be up or to the sides but not to the downside.
• The opening should have a protection net.
• The pipe should pass through the roof of the tank and to a depth of no
more than 2 cm.
7.9.3 Boiler and control devices
7.9.3.1 General requirements
A. The boiler should be made according to one of the accepted standards and by an
official certificate and the installation process should be done according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
B. It is not allowed to use any other type of fuel other than the type that the boiler is
made to use according to the manufacturer's instructions.
C. The boiler should have enough sources of air to feed the boiler with the needed
oxygen for burning.
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D. The boiler should have the following main components:
• Enough air sources with the suitable flow.
• Enough fuel sources with the suitable flow.
• A mean for converting the fuel into vapor or sprinkle and push it with the
suitable pressure mixed with air.
• A mean for burning the mix of water and fuel.

7.9.3.2 Control Devices

The control devices should provide the following needs:
1. Total control of the burning process and regulating it and stopping it when the water
temperature raises or when the water is fully vaporized or when the pressure of the
vapor raises in the boiler.
2. Completely stopping the boiler when there is a failure in the basic burning of the
fuel.
3. Completely stopping the boiler when the flame is cut during the work of the device.
4. Closing the fuel pipe when the temperature outside the room raises and this is done
using a melting connection that works at 650 C or by any other accepted mean.
5. In case of inproper function of the system all pumps, valves, ect. must close
automatically.

7.9.3.3 Boiler room

The room that will contain a liquid fuel based boiler should have the following:
1. The room should be on the outer wall of the building and its entrance should lead to
the outside directly and it should be away from the exits of the building.
2. The boiler room should be constructed from fire proof materials and should have a
fire resistance of at least three hours and it’s door should be of the fire resistant type
with a minimum resistance of two three hours and it should close automatically and
a special sign should be hanged on it. (in Arabic and English)
3. Enough natural ventilation should be provided for the boiler room.
4. The electricity connections should be intrinsically safe.
7.9.4 Ventilation and gases discharge
A. The natural ventilation means should be provided at the place of the boiler and the
storing place in an efficient way that does not allow the accumulation of vapors of
liquid fuel in a dangerous percentage that could lead to a fire and when enough
natural ventilation can not be provided then it is allowed to use mechanical
ventilation but it should be independent of any ventilation system in the building. The
ventilation needed for the boiler burning process should be calculated in addition to
the normal ventilation.
B. The boiler should have a natural mean (chimney) for discharging the gases produced
by the burning process and the area of the chimney is calculated in a way that it is
enough for discharging the produced gases according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
C. The chimney should rise one meter above the point it’s exit from the ceiling and three
meters over any other part of a nearby building falling into a circle that have a radius
of 25 meter.
D. The chimney is made of sturdy architect to be able to resist the climate processes and
outer effects and it is possible to be built of fire bricks or concrete and in this case
the internal space should be smooth to ease cleaning.

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E. The chimney can be made of metal boards with enough thickness and it’s
connections should be compact and fixed to the walls by sturdy connection cables
so it does not get effected by the winds and the external effects.
F. The chimney should have cleaning and inspection openings with suitable areas and
distances according to the nature of the place and especially at the curves.
G. The chimney should have at its topside a sparkle preventive device and if it is
necessary a carbon strainer.
H. The smoke pass should not pass near any flammable materials.

7.9.5 Fire extinguishing devices

A. The place should have enough and suitable manual extinguishers which are
suggested by civil defence, it is the right of the general administration of civil
defence to ask for any other necessary precautions.
B. An emergency shutoff valve should be installed on the pipe that feeds the boiler
with fuel for closing the pipe in cases of emergencies. The valve should work
manually or automatically by unnatural heat outside the stove and usually the
triggering temperature is at 650 C or more, or at any other degree that is calculated
on the base of the surrounding degree of the place with an addition of 20-300C.

7.10 Cocking equipments

A. All cooking equipment should be installed in accordance with manufacture’s
instructions.
B. The installation of the cooking devices and it’s connections should be done
according to the special codes for it.
C. The mechanical ventilation should be provided for the commercial kitchens and
protection of the tunnel by Karboloy system or by any other accepted replacement
system, an exception of this rule will be kitchens that don’t contain oil tubes or oil
baths.

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 Index of Chapter Eight
Firefighting and Alarm Equipment

Subject Page
8.1 General 92
8.1.1 Type of firefighting equipments 92
8.1.1.1 Portable manual equipments “first steps of firefighting” 92
8.1.1.2 Fixed manual equipments 92
8.1.1.2.1 Hose reels 92
8.1.1.2.2 Co2 extinguisher with hoses 92
8.1.1.2.3 Dry risers 92
8.1.1.2.4 Foam risers 92
8.1.1.2.5 Wet risers 92
8.1.1.2.6 Exterior risers 92
8.1.1.3 Fixed automatic firefighting equipments 92
8.1.1.3.1 Fixed automatic water sprinkler 92
8.1.1.3.2 Automatic CO2 system 93
8.1.1.3.3 Automatic dry chemical system 93
8.2 Portable fire extinguisher 93
8.2.1 General 93
8.2.2 Types of extinguishers 93
8.2.2.3 Co2 extinguisher 93
8.2.2.4 Dry powder extinguishers 94
8.2.3 Fire types and choosing the appropriate extinguishers 94
8.2.3.1 fire type A 94
8.2.3.2 fire type B 94
8.2.3.3 fire type C 94
8.2.3.4 fire type D 94
8.2.4 Distributing the extinguishers 95
8.3 Dry riser system 95
8.3.1 General 95
8.3.2 Network components 95
8.3.2.1 The vertical rising pipe 95
8.3.2.2 Fire department connection 96
8.3.2.3 Risers. 96
8.4 Wet riser system 96
8.4.1 General 96
8.4.2 Water sources 97
8.4.3 Pumps 97
8.4.4 System specifications 97

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8.5 External fire hydrants 98
8.5.1 General 98
8.5.2 The network 98
8.5.3 Water sources 98
8.5.4 Pumps 98
8.5.5 Pressure external fire hydrants 98
8.5.6 Risers 99
8.5.6.1 Definition 99
8.5.6.2 Vertical over ground risers 99
8.5.6.3 Underground risers 99
8.6 Hose reel 99
8.6.1 General 99
8.6.2 The network 100
8.6.3 The reel 100
8.6.4 The hose and its connections 100
8.6.5 Water sources 100
8.7 Fire alarm system 100
8.7.1 Manual alarm systems 101
8.7.2 Automatic alarm systems 101
8.7.3 General requirements 101

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 Chapter 8
Firefighting and alarm equipments

8.1 General
8.1.1 Type of firefighting equipments
The firefighting equipments used in the buildings are classified into:
• Portable manual equipments.
• Fixed manual equipments.
• Fixed Automatic equipments.

8.1.1.1 Portable manual equipments “first steps of firefighting”

It is used for firefighting in its first stages used by ordinary people that are in the building.
like:
• Manual firefighting equipments with all its different kinds.
• Manual water pumps
• Special fire resistant blankets.

8.1.1.2 Fixed manual equipments

It is a fixed fire extinguishing system, and it contains the following components:

8.1.1.2.1 Hose reels

Refer page 5.
8.1.1.2.2 Co2 extinguisher with hoses
It is similar to the previous type but it is used to limited firefighting areas and the
extinguishing material is CO2.
8.1.1.2.3 Dry risers
Refer page 5.
8.1.1.2.4 Foam risers
It is a fixed pipe that is used to deliver foam into hard to reach areas that are
usually used for storing or lighting fuel.
8.1.1.2.5 Wet risers
Refer page 5.
8.1.1.2.6 Exterior risers
Refer page 5.
8.1.1.3 Fixed automatic firefighting equipments
It is a fixed fire extinguishing system that has openings distributed in the places that need
to
be protected and feed a continuous source of extinguishing material and it is activated by
heat or smoke detectors automatically by the heat produced by the fire or by the smoke or
by both of them and it has other kinds that are listed below.
8.1.1.3.1 Fixed automatic water sprinkler
Refer page 5.
When the special codes request the presence of water sprinkler system in the areas and
rooms that contain materials that are not compatible with water as an extinguishing agent
(like aluminum powder, calcium carbide, calcium phosphate, magnesium powder etc…) the
water sprinkler should be replaced by another system which is suitable for those materials
but It should be of the accepted types.

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8.1.1.3.2 Automatic CO2 system
It is a fixed fire extinguishing system which is connected to a bank of Co2 cylinders that are
activated by heat or smoke detectors or by both.
CO2 systems may be replaced by FM-200 System or equal

8.1.1.3.3 Automatic dry chemical system

It is like the type mentioned above but the difference is in the extinguishing material.
8.1.1.3.4 Automatic foam system
It is like the type mentioned above but the difference is in the extinguishing material.

8.2 Portable fire extinguisher

8.2.1 General
• Portable fire extinguishers are used in the first stages of a discovery of fire.
• Manual extinguishers are required for any buildings and/or any site that has an
occupancy that require the civil defence approval in accordancee with the special
codes.
• The manual extinguishers should be of the approved type with an official permission
from the general administration of civil defence.
• The manual extinguishers should be kept ready for usage.
• All the inspections and periodical inspections should be according to the accepted
standards and they are:
• Half yearly: a visual inspection to make sure that the extinguishers are ready to use
• Yearly: checking all the extinguishers with all its contents and make sure it is ready
to be used.
• Each 3 years: total inspection in the factory or the workshop for all the parts of the
extinguisher and submitting the extinguisher to hydrostatic test every five years.
• After every fire check the extinguishers like in case 3.

8.2.2 Types of extinguishers

It is the extinguishers that uses the foam liquid as an extinguishing material and it has two
kinds:
• Chemical foam extinguisher: it is the type, which produces foam by the chemical
reaction and the foam is pushed using that reaction.
• Mechanical foam extinguisher: it is the type which produces the foam
mechanically by mixing the foam material with water and air and pushing using
compressed CO2 inside a small cylinder.

8.2.2.3 Co2 extinguisher

It is the extinguishers which uses CO2 as an extinguishing material, it has the same
principle but the sizes differ. The gas is kept under pressure in its liquid state and it
is ejected when operated by the valve on the head of the cylinder.

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8.2.2.4 Dry powder extinguishers
A. They are the extinguishers that produces a dry chemical powder as an extinguishing
material and for the chemical substance of the powder there are many types, the
most important is:
• Powder that has sodium bicarbonate as its primary material and it is
common commercially.
• Powder that has potassium bicarbonate as its primary material and it is not
used on a large scale.
• Multi purpose powder.
• Powders that are specially used for metal fires and it is not used normally
but in special cases.
A. Classification by the way of operation has two types:
1. Pressure based extinguishers: where the powder is pushed using
compressed CO2 gas that is kept under pressure in some small cylinder.
2. Maintained pressure extinguishers: where the powder is pushed by normal
air pressure or by compressed nitrogen in the cylinder kept with the powder.

8.2.3 Fire types and choosing the appropriate extinguishers

• When choosing the appropriate type of manual extinguishers the following is noted:
A. Extinguishers in on place are operated in the same way so no confusion can occur
when using these extinguishers.
B. In the sites where there is a high place or the places which needs a control of the
ejection angle the extinguishers that has hoses are used.
C. Choosing the type that suits the position according to the distance of shooting or the
type of ejection (stream or sprinkle).
D. Choosing the types which have suitable wrights and that is suitable for the
individuals that will use it.
E. Choosing the easy to use easy to maintain types.
The type of fire extinguishers must be according to the civil defence authority
• The fires are classified into four major types that are A, B, C, D and they will be
explained in the following with the suitable type of the manual extinguishers.
8.2.3.1 fire type A
It is the fires of the normal solid or carbonic materials like paper, wood and fabric and
thers and it can be extinguished by water or foam or multi purpose powder.
8.2.3.2 fire type B
It is the fast flammable or flammable liquids; it can be extinguished using foam or dry
powder or CO2 gas.
8.2.3.3 fire type C
It is the fires that happen in electric equipments and Co2 or dry powder can extinguish it.
Before cutting the electricity of these equipments it is not allowed to use water or foam to
put the fire off because it is connected to the electric current.

8.2.3.4 fire type D

It is the fires that happens with metals like magnesium, titanium, sodium, potassium and
others and they are extinguished using a special type of dry powder and there are
some metals that no other material should be used to extinguish and only a special type of
dry powder could be used and in every case the civil defence should be consulted about
this matter and following the instructions mounted on the extinguishers by the factory.

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8.2.4 Distributing the extinguishers
The extinguishers should be distributed in the places specified by the administration of civil
defence, in general the following has to be noted:
1. The extinguishers should be kept in special cabins to protect them from climate
effect and tampering, if it is not subjected to climate effects then it can be hanged on
the walls.
2. A sign should be hanged to specify where the extinguishers are while writing the
necessary instruction for using them and the warnings, all in Arabic and English or
as pictogram.
3. The extinguishers placement should make it easy to reach them and the following
should be noted:
• It should be as closes as possible to the exit
• The extinguishers should be no more than 22 meters apart.
• It should be no more than 1 meter in height.
• The extinguishers should be protected from climate effects.
• The number and the capacity of the extinguishers are specified according to the
accepted standards but also it should be no less than 2 per floor.

8.3 Dry riser system

8.3.1 General
This system is required in the following buildings (taking into considerations that when
there
is a wet riser system there is no need for the dry riser system):
1. The buildings that have 4 or more floors including the ground floor (or if the
height of the building is more than 9 meters relative to the sideway level to the floor
of the last occupied floor).
2. All the buildings that has a travel distance from any point within, to the closest
point where the civil defence equipment can reach is more than 120 meters with the
exception of the following cases:
• The buildings protected by water sprinklers
• Occupation groups A-4, A5, G2, H2, D3
• Buildings that has a floor area of more than 1500M2
3. All the other places and situations that are required by civil defence.

8.3.2 Network components

The dry risers network is composed of the following:
• The vertical rising pipe that feeds the risers
• The point of water pushing in the bottom of the network for pumping water
by civil defence.
• Dry risers outlets on every floor.

8.3.2.1 The vertical rising pipe

• The network including its pipes connections should be made from good metals and
according to the standards and the cods for water network that are accepted by civil
defence.
• If the pipe feeds two risers in each floor then its diameter should be no less than
150mm and if it feeds one riser in each floor then it diameter can be no less than
100mm.
• The pipe should have an inspector test valve at the highest point in the roof to let air
out of the network when using it to pump water.
• When changing the way of the pipes the usage of big radius curved connecters to
minimize friction losing.
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8.3.2.2 Fire department connection
A. The network is provided at the level of the ground floor by a riser for pushing water
by the pumps of the civil defence and it should have a male pressing plug with a
diameter of 64mm and it should have no less than 2 adapters.
B. Each fire department connection should be provided with a protection cover
connected with a chain that has enough length with a springing valve and a pipe of
25mm radius for water discharging from the network.
C. The fire department connection should be placed in a suitable position agreed by
the general administration of civil defence, where the following is noted taken into
considerations: the nature of the site and the fire hydrants and protection from glass
falling from the windows or any other materials during the fire while taking the codes
of chapter 3 into considerations too.
D. The fire department connection is kept inside a metal cabin that is situated within the
wall on the height of approximately 1meter relative to the sideway level and the
cabin should have a door that has a fortified glass and a lock that can be opened
from inside after breaking the glass and there should be a writing on the glass (fire
department connection) in large letters.(in Arabic and English)

8.3.2.3 Risers.
A. The main network has a riser that has a female adapter of 64mm 21/2 ‘’ which have a
valve for closing (according to the specifications and the model available at civil
defence) and these risers are distributed in all the floors including the basement and
roof.
B. No point In the floor should be more than 30 meters away from the closest riser (and
the distance is the length of the natural way), with the ability to increase this
distance by 9 meters which is the distance of water stream ejection, but there should
be no obstacles in the last 9 meters that could block the water stream.
C. The riser is placed at a location that is agreed by civil defence. and it should be 1
meter above the floor level or within a cabin of suitable size and there should be
writing on the glass (riser). (in Arabic and English)
D. The network should be connected to electricity and it should have a connection to
positive ground according to the accepted standards.
E. The system should be designed and implemented to handle the applied pressure
and in accordance to the codes of civil defence.
it should submit to the hydrostatic pressure test before it is painted and before the
building is used and this is made to assure its validity and for the possibility early
problem detection to make it easier to correct.
F. The system should be kept safe and protected from damage and tampering and it
should be maintained too to be useable at all times and it should submit to periodical
inspection to assure its validity.
G. The risers system should be installed during the implementation stage to rise with
the building and that is to provide a mean of helping the civil defence people in
fighting fire during the implementation stage.

8.4 Wet riser system

8.4.1 General
A. This system is required in the buildings composed of 10 or more floors including the
ground floor (or if the buildings height is more than 28 meter relative to the side way
level up to the last occupied floor), also in the other conditions that are required by
the special conditions.

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B. The standards for the dry riser system is applied to this system too, as well as what
will be mentioned in these codes and the use of the system should be for firefighting
only.
C. The keys and the main valves for the system should be kept in special places that
are locked and a copy of the key is kept in a closed box that has a glass tablet and it
should be mounted at the entrance to prevent tampering.
8.4.2 Water sources
The system should have a water source in the form of a water storage tank that is
enough for at least 30 minutes 1 hour of firefighting.
8.4.3 Pumps
A. Every system should have two pumps one is the primary and it works by electricity
and the other is secondary for back up and it works by diesel (or electricity but it
should be connected to the power generator too), but the capacity should be no less
than 500 American galloons per minute and a pressure that is equal to the height of
the building with an additional 45m 2 1/2bar plus the friction loss.
B. The two pumps work in parallel in pumping the water from the tank to the feeder
which is connected to the main rising pipe that feeds the risers and every pipe
should be equipped with a one way check valve to prevent water from coming back
to the tank, the primary and secondary pumps should work automatically when the
static pressure in the network is lowered by 5% and it should automatically stop
when the pressure returns to normal.
C. An alarm should be installed to work automatically when the pumps start working
and it should be connected to the following:
• An alarm in a suitable position in the ground floor that is accepted by the
administration of civil defence.
• The main control board of the alarm system of the building if it exists.

D. The control board of the pumps must be situated in the ground floor and designed to
give the following in formations:
• The amount of water in the tank
• The pressure of the network
• A signal when the pump is operated
• Manual operation keys
8.4.4 System specifications
• It must be noted that the available pressure at any wet riser should be no less than
45 meters 2 1/2bar and no more than 70 meters.7bar
• The diameter of the rising pipe should be no less than 150mm if it feed two risers in
each floor and it’s height is more than 30 meters. If it feeds one riser in each floor
and its height is less than 30 meters then its diameter should be no less than
100mm.
• The piping system should not pass through hazardous areas or be subjected to
climate effects or any possible external conditions.
• The codes mentioned in 8.3.2.1 and 8.3.2.2 and 8.3.2.3 in all it parts with the
exception of the pipe diameter.
• The risers system should be installed during the implementation stage to rise with
the building and that is to provide a mean of helping the civil defence people in
fighting fire during the implementation stage.
F. The worker of the building should be trained on using the risers and maintaining
them according to a program that is accepted upon with the administration of civil
defence and the suitable arrangements should be taken to make periodical
inspection for the network to assure its validity.

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8.5 External fire hydrants
8.5.1 General
The purpose of the external fire hydrants is providing means of firefighting. from outside
the building or the establishment and they are placed in the squares and the internal street
between the complexes of buildings that need to be protected according to the
requirements of the special codes, As for the special network for the risers in the main
street of the city then it doesn’t submit to these codes. The external fire hydrant is
composed of:
• Water network that feeds the hydrants
• Water sources
• Fire hydrants

8.5.2 The network

A. The network is composed of main lines that are connected in between by branching
lines that have a smaller diameter, in a way that it provides as a whole a full circuit
and a full network that passes through the site to cover all the places that need
protection. It is noted while designing the network that it needs to be separated into
many sections with each having a closing section valve and that is for providing the
facilities needed for operation and maintenance, like the possibility to concentrate
pressure and guiding it to a fire compartment by closing the additional lines with the
addition to the ability to maintain part of the network without stopping the whole
network.
B. The network has to be designed in general (pipes, connections and valves) from
good metallic materials and according to the accepted standards.
C. The diameter of the pipes used depends on the design calculations for the network
like water sources and its flow and the number of risers that are feed, in all the
diameter of the pipe that feeds the riser should be no less than 100mm.
D. The needed signs should be placed to guild for the positions of the main and
secondary keys with the needed data.All signs to be in Arabic and English.
E. All the valves should be open and it should be connected and closed (in the opening
state) if it is in an open place or a place where it is possible to be tampered with.

8.5.3 Water sources

• The network should have enough water sources to provide the needed amount of
water according to the needs of the project and in all ways it should be no less than
250gallons/minute for at least one hour.
• If the external fire hydrants are a continuation of the internal network then it can be
feed by water form the same source.

8.5.4 Pumps
As for pumps they are normally like in 8.4.3 in a way that it provides the needed pressure
and flow.

8.5.5 Pressure external fire hydrants

The pressure is specified by the needs of the project and the suggestion of the civil
defence, but the pressure should be no less than 45 meter water column or 4.5 bar .

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8.5.6 Risers
8.5.6.1 Definition
A. The risers are the point connected to the water network and ends with an opening
(hydrant) that is connected to the hoses when there is a need for water for
firefighting and usually they are separated into two main types, the over ground and
the underground types.
The position of the risers is specified in suitable strategic places according to the
needs of the project to provide the needed protection for the needed places and the
following should be noted:
• It should not be situated in unpractical places
• It should not bock the equipment of the civil defence when used.
• It should be situated at 7 meter distance away from the perimeter of the
establishments.
B. At each riser there should be a guiding sign in Arabic and English according to the
standard model saved at the general administration of civil defence. This sign should
point to the number of the riser and it’s diameter and is mounted on the closest wall.
-if it is hard to mount on a metallic column.

8.5.6.2 Vertical over ground risers

A. It is a vertical fixed pipe that is connected to the bottom of the feeding network and it
ends up by a riser or more with a cover connected by a chain for each riser
according to the model specified by the general administration of civil defence and
the diameter of the pipe should be no less than 100mm.
B. Beside each riser there should be a valve with it and inspection hole according to
the accepted standards.

8.5.6.3 Underground risers

• It is a pipe made of cast iron that contains a valve and ends with a male riser (exit)
that has a round tip with a cover connected by a chain and it should be according to
the accepted standards and according to the model specified by civil defence.
• The underground risers have two types:
• A type which is connected to the feeding pipe horizontally
• A type which is connected to the feeding pipe vertically
• The risers are kept in an inspection hole according to the accepted standards and
the following has to be noted:
1. The roof of the hole should have two openings one for maintenance and
another for the riser
2. The riser opening should be directly over the head of the riser for easing the
use of the vertical connecting pipe and it should have a cover that is easy to open by
civil defence men and according to the British standards (750)used standards.
3. The distance between the head of the rise and the roof of the hall should be no
mote than 35-40 cm.

8.6 Hose reel

8.6.1 General
• The network of the rubber hose reel is an easy way for fire fighting and first aid fire
fighting by the residents, without the need for pre training. It is a rubber hose with a
diameter of 20 or 25 mm that are rolled on a reel that is mounted on the wall inside a
metallic boxe and is connected directly to the water network.

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B. It is requested in the places specified in the special codes and they consists of the
following components:1.The network 2. The reel 3. The hose and its connections 4.
Water source
C. The hose and the reel should be kept safe and ready to use and periodical
inspection should be made to assure their safety and the use of the hose reel should
be for fire fighting only.
8.6.2 The network
A. The network (pipes and connections) should be made from good materials and
according to the used standards and systems and the diameter of the main rising
pipe that feeds the hoses should be no less than 1.5 Inch.
B. A closing valve should be installed in the beginning of the section line that feeds the
hose and normally it is located right before the hose and is kept in the same box.
8.6.3 The reel
A. The reel should have is made of two cylinders made of metallic plates with a
diameter of approximately 55cm and must be in size , so it can take the full length of
the hose.the form the sides of the reel and they are separated by a distance of 18
cm and the axis is made from a hollow column that forms the pipe that connect the
network to the side of the hose.
The reel is connected to a metallic holder that is fixed on the walls in different shapes.
B. The hose should be put inside a metal wall cabinet closet that has door which cant
be opened or a door that is closed with a glass front, the lock can be opened from
inside after breaking the glass front, a copy of the key is kept in a box that has a
glass cover mounted near the closet
C. The reel should be put in a suitable place agreed by the general administration of
civil defence and it should be away from the fire danger and is easy to access using
the stairs and other exits.
8.6.4 The hose and its connections
A. The hose has to be made of rubber or any similar material and it should be strong
and unbendable or closeable when it is pulled or moving it around corners. The
diameter of the hose should be 20 or 25 mm and it length should be 30 meters and
there should be another hose cabinet installed if the distance coverage is further
than 30 meters from the closest hose (the distance is the length of the natural path)
and this distance can be increased by 6 meters which is the distance of the water
stream, but there should be no obstacles in the last 6 meters that could prevent the
water stream from reaching.
B. The side of the hose should be according to the technical standards tied to the axis
that forms too the pipe which connect to the network and the other side is connected
to a nozzle with a radius of 5 and 6 mm which are connected to a valve closing and
controlling the stream of ejected water.
8.6.5 Water sources
A. The network is connected to a continuous water source in the form of continuous
water line or a permanent tank with a pump or a elevated tank that provide water
flow through the gravity, the remaining pressure should be no less than 2 bar 21/2
bar.
8.7 Fire alarm system
The fire alarm systems are separated into two major types:
• Manual alarm systems
• Automatic alarm systems

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8.7.1 Manual alarm systems
It is a system which is operated manually using keys (calling points)that are distributed in
certain places and works on electricity, the manual alarm system is composed of:
1. Calling points
2. Alarm bells
3. Control board

8.7.2 Automatic alarm systems

It is a system that works on electricity by means of detectors hooked up to the alarm
system. It is composed of:
1. Fire detectors (smoke-flame-heat etc…)
2. Alarm bells
3. Control board
The system works by the following means:
1. When the automatic extinguishing equipments are operated by:
2. Fire detectors
3. Manually using keys (calling points)

8.7.3 General requirements

• The alarm system is requested and its type is specified according to the special
code and the type of occupancy too.
• The system should be installed and inspected according to one of the accepted
standards.
• The alarm system should submit to an accepted maintenance program and
periodical inspection to guarantee the continuity of the system work in the needed
way, but special records should be made for this purpose.

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 Index of chapter 9
Special codes according to the type of occupancy

Subject Page
9.1 Group A 104
9.1.1 General 104
9.1.1.2 Mixed occupancies 104
9.1.1.3 Arrival of civil defence equipments 105
9.1.1.4 The level of contents hazard 105
9.1.1.5 Construction requirements 105
9.1.2 Means of egress 105
9.1.2.1 Occupancy load 105
9.1.2.2 Means of escape capacity 106
9.1.2.3 Travel distance 106
9.1.2.4 Exit discharge (final exit) 106
9.1.2.5 Entrance/Main exit 106
9.1.2.6 Means of egress components 107
9.1.2.7 The number of exits 107
9.1.2.8 Arranging the means of egress 107
9.1.2.8.1 Arrangement of chairs 107
9.1.2.8.1.1 Fixed chairs 107
9.1.2.8.1.2 Soft chairs 107
9.1.2.8.1.3 Stair paths 108
9.1.2.8.1.4 Fixed group chairs (without side rest) 108
9.1.2.8.2 Assembly occupancy in open air with a fence 108
9.1.2.9 Protection barriers 108
9.1.2.9.1 General 108
9.1.2.9.2 Frontal barriers 109
9.1.2.9.3 Barriers in the wide paths 109
9.1.2.9.4 Barriers on the side and the back of the chairs 109
9.1.2.9.5 Areas excluded from barriers rules 109
9.1.3 Protection 109
9.1.3.1 Vertical openings protection 109
9.1.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 109
9.1.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 109
9.1.3.4 Protection from dangers 110

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9.1.3.4.1 Protection of special service rooms 110
9.1.3.4.2 Protection of other areas 110
9.1.3.5 Interior finishing 111
9.1.4 Special arrangements 111
9.1.4.1 Life safety review 111
9.1.4.2 Theater stage and platform 111
9.1.4.2.1 Platform construction 111
9.1.4.2.2 Construction of the theater stage 112
9.1.4.2.3 Additional rooms 112
9.1.4.2.4 Ventilation 112
9.1.4.2.5 Separation of the stage from the viewer’s area 112
9.1.4.2.6 Flame spreading 113
9.1.4.2.7 Protection of the stage by sprinklers 113
9.1.4.3 Projection rooms 113
9.1.4.4 Unordinary entertainment buildings 114
9.1.4.5 Additional precautions for exhibitions 114
9.1.4.5.1 Goods showrooms 114
9.1.5 Fire protection equipments and devices 114
9.1.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers 114
9.1.5.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments 115
9.1.6 Operation and monitoring 115
9.1.6.1 Kitchen equipments 115
9.1.6.2 Furniture and décor 115
9.1.6.3 Crowd management 115
9.1.6.4 Virtual evacuation exercises 115
9.1.6.5 Smoking 116
9.1.6.6 Chairs 116
9.2 Group D Educational occupancies 121

9.2.1 General 121

9.2.1.1 Definition of the educational occupancy 121
9.2.1.2 Other establishments 121
9.2.1.3 Mixed occupancies 121
9.2.1.4 Assembly occupancy 121
9.2.1.5 Arrival of civil defence vehicles and equipments 121
9.2.1.6 The level of contents hazard 121
9.2.1.7 Establishment requirements 122
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9.2.2 Means of egress 122
9.2.2.1 General 122
9.2.2.2 Occupancy load 122
9.2.2.3 Means of egress components 122
9.2.2.4 The number of exits 122
9.2.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 122
9.2.2.5.1 General 122
9.2.2.5.2 Internal passages 123
9.2.2.5.3 Passages inside the classes 123
9.2.2.6 Travel distance 123
9.2.2.7 Exit discharge 123
9.2.2.8 Ventilation and rescue windows 123
9.2.2.9 Means of egress capacity 124
9.2.3 Protection 124
9.2.3.1 Vertical openings protection 124
9.2.3.2 External fire spreading protection 124
9.2.3.3 Classifying into fire compartments 124
9.2.3.4 Protection from hazards 124
9.2.3.5 Kitchen equipments 125
9.2.3.6 Stage 125
9.2.4 Fire protection equipments and tools 125
9.2.4.1 Water sprinklers protection requirements 125
9.2.4.2 Alarm equipments and other tools for fighting fire 125
9.2.4.3 Utility services 125
9.2.5 Operation and monitoring 125
9.2.5.1 Evacuation training 125
9.2.5.2 Daily inspection 126
9.2.5.3 Furniture and décor 126
9.3 Group (C1) Judicial and care occupation 129

9.3.1 General 129

9.3.1.1 Definition 129
9.3.1.2 Implementation 129
9.3.1.3 Mixed occupancies 129
9.3.1.4 Total protection 130
9.3.1.5 Arrival of civil defence equipments and vehicles 130

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9.3.1.6 Level of contents hazard 130
9.3.1.7 Classification of judicial establishments according to the codes of usage 130

9.3.1.8 Smoke compartments alternative 131

9.3.1.9 Administration and security actions 131
9.3.1.10 Establishment requirements 131
9.3.2 Means of egress 132
9.3.2.1 General 132
9.3.2.2 Occupancy load 132
9.3.2.3 Means of egress components 132
9.3.2.3.1 Doors 132
9.3.2.3.2 Horizontal exits and temporary refuge area 133
9.3.2.4 Number of exits 133
9.3.2.5 Arranging the means of egress 133
9.3.2.6 Travel distance 134
9.3.2.7 Exit discharge 134
9.3.2.8 Means of egress capacity 134
9.3.3 Protection 134
9.3.3.1 Protection of vertical spaces 134
9.3.3.2 Protection from external fire spreading 135
9.3.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 135
9.3.3.4 Danger protection 135
9.3.3.5 Interior finish 136
9.3.3.6 Separation into smoke compartments 136
9.3.4 Fire alarm and protection equipments and tools 136
9.3.4.1 Detection and alarm and communications systems 136
9.3.4.1.1 General 136
9.3.4.1.2 Resident’s alarm 137
9.3.4.1.3 Fire detection equipments 137
9.3.4.2 Protection with water sprinklers 137
9.3.4.3 Manual extinguishers 138
9.3.4.4 Rubber hoses 138
9.3.4.5 Wet risers network 138
9.3.4.6 Utility services 138
9.3.5 Operation and monitoring 139
9.3.5.2 Emergency plan and virtual exercises 139
9.3.5.3 Books and clothes 140
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9.3.5.4 Heat producing equipments 140
9.3.5.5 Furniture and décor 140
9.3.5.6 Keys 140
9.4 Group C-2 Care Occupancy 141

9.4.1 General 141

9.4.1.1 Definition 141
9.4.1.2 Mixed occupancies 141
9.4.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 141
9.4.1.4 The level of contents hazard 142
9.4.1.5 Construction requirements 142
9.4.1.6 Total protection 143
9.4.2 Means of egress 143
9.4.2.1 General 143
9.4.2.2 Occupancy load 143
9.4.2.3 Means of egress components 143
9.4.2.3.1 Doors 143
9.4.2.3.2 Horizontal exits and areas of temporary refuge 144
9.4.2.3.3 Passages 144
9.4.2.3.4 External windows 144
9.4.2.4 The number of exits 145
9.4.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 145
9.4.2.6 Travel distance 146
9.4.2.7 Exit discharge 146
9.4.2.8 Means of egress capacity 146
9.4.3 Protection 146
9.4.3.1 Vertical openings protection 146
9.4.3.2 Protection from external fire spreading 147
9.4.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 147
9.4.3.4 Danger protection 147
9.4.3.4.2 Labs 147
9.4.3.4.3 Anesthesia rooms 147
9.4.3.4.4 Medical gas 147
9.4.3.4.5 Gift shops 148
9.4.3.4.6 Commercial kitchens 148
9.4.3.4.7 Helipads 148
9.4.3.5 Interior finish 148
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9.4.3.6 Separation into smoke compartments 148
9.4.4 Fire protection equipment sand tools 148
9.4.1.1 Protection with sprinklers 148
9.4.4.2 Other equipment for alarm and fire extinguishing 148
9.4.4.3 Utility services 149
9.4.5 Operation and monitoring 150
9.4.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings 150
9.4.5.2 Necessary precaution during the fire 150
9.4.5.3 Exits maintenance 151
9.4.5.4 Smoking 151
9.4.5.5 Furniture and décor 151
9.5 Group D-1 Hotel and motel occupancy 152

9.5.1 General 152

9.5.1.1 Definitions 152
9.5.1.2 Mixed occupancies 152
9.5.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 152
9.5.1.4 Level of contents hazard 152
9.5.1.5 Construction requirements 152
9.5.2 Means of egress 154
9.5.2.1 General 154
9.5.2.2 Occupancy load 154
9.5.2.3 Means of egress components 154
9.5.2.4 Number of exits 154
9.5.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 154
9.5.2.6 Travel distance 154
9.5.2.7 Exits discharge 155
9.5.2.8 Means of egress capacity 155
9.5.3 Protection 155
9.5.3.1 Vertical openings protection 155
9.5.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 155
9.5.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 155
9.5.3.4 Protection from dangers 156
9.5.3.5 Interior finishing 156
9.5.3.6 Furniture and decor 156
9.5.4 Fire protection equipments and devices 156
9.5.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers 156
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9.5.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments 156
9.5.4.3 Utility services 157
9.5.5 Operation and monitoring 157
9.5.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings 157
9.5.5.2 Necessary precautions during fire 157
9.5.5.3 Instructions for the safety of the residents 157
9.6 Group D-2 Residential apartments occupancy 160

9.6.1 General 160

9.6.1.1 Residential apartments occupancies 160
9.6.1.2 Mixed occupancies 160
9.6.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 160
9.6.1.4 Level of contents hazard 160
9.6.1.5 Construction requirements 160
9.6.2 Means of egress 162
9.6.2.1 General 162
9.6.2.2 Occupancy load 162
9.6.2.3 Means of egress components 162
9.6.2.4 The number of exits 162
9.6.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 163
9.6.2.6 Travel distance 163
9.6.2.7 Exits discharge 163
9.6.2.8 Means of egress capacity 163
9.6.3 Protection 164
9.6.3.1 Vertical openings protection 164
9.6.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 164
9.6.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 164
9.6.3.4 Protection from dangers 164
9.6.3.5 Interior finishing 164
9.6.4 Fire protection equipments and devices 165
9.6.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers 165
9.6.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments 165
9.6.4.3 Utility services 165
9.6.5 Emergency instructions for the residents 165
9.7 Group D-3 Single Family buildings/two families 167

9.7.1 General 167

9.7.1.1 Implementation 167
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9.7.1.2 Mixed occupancies 167
9.7.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 167
9.7.1.4 Level of contents hazard 167
9.7.1.5 Construction requirements 167
9.7.2 Means of egress 167
9.7.2.1 General 167
9.7.2.2 Types and number of the means of egress 167
9.7.2.2.1 Primary escape route 168
9.7.2.2.2 Secondary escape route 168
9.7.2.3 Arrangement of the means of egress 168
9.7.3 Protection 168
9.7.3.1 Vertical openings protection 168
9.7.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 168
9.7.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 169
9.7.3.4 Interior finishing 169
9.7.3.5 Protection from fire 169
9.8 Group E Administrative occupancy 170

9.8.1 General 170

9.8.1.1 Definition of administrative occupancies 170
9.8.1.2 Mixed occupancies 170
9.8.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 170
9.8.1.4 Level of contents hazard 170
9.8.1.5 Construction requirements 170
9.8.2 Means of egress 172
9.8.2.1 General 172
9.8.2.2 Occupancy load 172
9.8.2.3 Means of egress components 172
9.8.2.4 The number of exits 172
9.8.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 173
9.8.2.6 Travel distance 173
9.8.2.7 Exits discharge 173
9.8.2.8 Means of egress capacity 173
9.8.3 Protection 173
9.8.3.1 Vertical openings protection 173
9.8.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 173
9.8.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 173
9.8.3.4 Protection from dangers 174
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9.8.3.5 Interior finishing 174
9.8.4 Fire protection equipments and devices 174
9.8.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers 174
9.8.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments 174
9.8.4.3 Utility services 174
9.8.5 Operation and monitoring 174
9.8.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings 174
9.8.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments 174
9.9 Group F Commercial occupancy 177

9.9.1 General 177

9.9.1.1 Definitions 177
9.9.1.2 Mixed occupancies 177
9.9.1.3 Classification of commercial occupancies 177
9.9.1.4 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 178
9.9.1.5 Level of contents hazard 178
9.9.1.6 Construction requirements 178
9.9.2 Means of egress 178
9.9.2.1 General 178
9.9.2.2 Occupancy load 178
9.9.2.3 Means of egress components 178
9.9.2.4 Number of exits 178
9.9.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 179
9.9.2.6 Exits discharge 179
9.9.2.7 Means of egress capacity 179
9.9.3 Protection 179
9.9.3.1 Vertical openings protection 179
9.9.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 179
9.9.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 180
9.9.3.4 Protection from dangers 180
9.9.3.5 Interior finishing 180
9.9.4 Special arrangements 180
9.9.4.1 Commercial operations in open air 180
9.9.4.2 Buildings of malls 180
9.9.4.2.1 Means of egress in malls 181
9.9.4.2.2 Means of egress details 181
9.9.5 fire protection equipments and devices 181
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9.9.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers 181
9.5.5.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments 182
9.9.5.3 Utility services 182
9.9.6 Operation and monitoring 182
9.10 Group G Industrial occupations 186

9.10.1 General 186

9.10.1.1 Definitions 186
9.10.1.1.1 Normal industrial occupations 186
9.10.1.1.2 Special industrial occupancies 186
9.10.1.1.3 Industrial establishments in open air 186
9.10.1.2 Implementation 187
9.10.1.3 Mixed occupancies 187
9.10.1.4 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 187
9.10.1.5 Construction requirements 187
9.10.2 Means of egress 187
9.10.2.1 General 187
9.10.2.2 Occupancy load 187
9.10.2.3 Means of egress components 188
9.10.2.4 Number of exits 188
9.10.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 188
9.10.2.6 Travel distance 188
9.10.2.7 Exits discharge 188
9.10.2.8 Means of egress capacity 188
9.10.3 Protection 189
9.10.3.1 Vertical openings protection 189
9.10.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 189
9.10.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 189
9.10.3.4 Protection from dangers 189
9.10.3.5 Interior finishing 189
9.10.4 Fire protection equipments and devices 190
9.10.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers 190
9.10.4.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments 190
9.10.4.3 Utility services 190
9.10.5 Operation and monitoring 190
9.10.5.1 Emergency plan 190
9.10.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments 190
9.11 Group H Store occupancy 194

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9.11.1 General 194
9.11.1.1 Definition of partial store occupations 194
9.11.1.2 Definitions 194
9.11.1.3 High hazard store occupancies 194
9.11.1.4 Open store buildings 195
9.11.1.5 Mixed occupancies 195
9.11.1.6 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 195
9.11.1.7 Construction requirements 195
9.11.2 Means of egress 195
9.11.2.1 General 195
9.11.2.2 Occupancy load 195
9.11.2.3 Means of egress components 195
9.11.2.4 Number of exits 196
9.11.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 196
9.11.2.6 Travel distance 196
9.11.2.7 Exits discharge 196
9.11.2.8 Means of egress capacity 196
9.11.3 Protection 196
9.11.3.1 Vertical openings protection 196
9.11.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 197
9.11.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 197
9.11.3.4 Protection from dangers 197
9.11.3.5 Interior finishing 197
9.11.4 Additional codes for the car parking 197
9.11.4.1 Implementation 197
9.11.4.2 Mixed occupancies 197
9.11.4.3 Open side car parking 198
9.11.4.4 Classification of occupation 198
9.11.4.5 Means of egress 198
9.11.4.6 Ventilation and smoke discharging 198
9.11.5 Fire protection equipments and devices 198
9.11.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers 198
9.11.5.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments 199
9.11.5.3 Utility services 199
9.11.6 Operation and monitoring 199
9.12 Group I High Hazard occupancy 203

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9.12.1 General 203
9.12.1.1 Definitions 203
9.12.1.2 Implementation 203
9.12.1.3 Necessary information 204
9.12.1.4 General requirements 204
9.12.1.5 Mixed occupancies 205
9.12.1.6 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence 205
9.11.1.7 Construction requirements 205
9.12.2 Means of egress 205
9.12.2.1 General 205
9.12.2.2 Occupancy load 205
9.12.2.3 Means of egress components 205
9.12.2.4 Number of exits 206
9.12.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress 206
9.12.2.6 Travel distance 206
9.12.2.7 Exits discharge 206
9.12.2.8 means of egress capacity 206
9.12.3 Protection 207
9.12.3.1 Openings protection 207
9.12.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading 207
9.12.3.3 Separation into fire compartments 207
9.12.3.4 Interior finishing 207
9.12.4 Fire protection equipments and devices 207
9.12.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers 207
9.12.4.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments 208
9.12.4.3 Utility services 208
9.12.5 Operation and monitoring 208
9.12.5.1 Emergency plan 208
9.12.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments 208

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 Chapter 9
Special codes according to the occupancy type
9.1 Group A
Assembly occupancy

9.1.1.1 Definitions
Assembly occupancy
It is the buildings or its specified parts in (4.2.1) which contain assembly places for
50 or more people for entertainment, education, praying, sport, show or food and
other similar occupancies and they are split into 5 sub groups mentioned in (4.2.1)
Stage
It is a space inside the building that is used for entertainment with backgrounds
and decors and other theatrical effects and they are split into two main parts:
1. Legitimate stage
It is the stage where the height of the space above it from the lowest point in the
stage ground to highest point in the ceiling or the roof directly over the stage is 15
meters.
2. Regular stage
It is the stage where the height of the space above it is no more than 15 meter
Platform
It is a high point inside the building used to provide music shows and plays and
others entertainment means (like platforms of lecture halls and boxing platforms
and similar events) without the presence of décor or background or other theatrical
effects with the exception of the lighting.
Temporary platform
It is that is made for a specific time span of no more than 30 days.
Proscenium wall
It is the wall separating the theater stage from the viewers.
Special amusement buildings
Any temporary, permanent or portable building that contains a system for
transporting people in any direction for amusement in way that the means of
egress are not clear enough because of the sound and light effects or others, or
the means of egress are not available because of this transportation method in the
building or the establishment, like ghost city and roller coaster inside closed
buildings.
9.1.1.2 Mixed occupancies
A. In the case where there is assembly occupancies inside other occupancy buildings
like restaurants inside the commercial buildings and party halls in hotels and the
meetings halls in schools, the needed procedures needs to be taken to protect its
occupants from fire dangers that could happen in the other parts, the protection
can be achieved by using fire resistant barriers or by choosing the suitable
locations.
B. The exits can be used by all the occupancies of the assembly or the other
occupancies but it should bePage
able 114 of 239 all the occupancies at the same time
to evacuate
C. The mixed occupancies should be separated like in the codes mentioned in 4.5
D. The only means of escape for any residential unit should not pass through the
assembly occupancy in the same building.
9.1.1.3 Arrival of civil defence equipments
A. In addition to the codes mentioned in chapter 3, there should be a street or a path
around the assembly buildings in away that it is possible for the vehicles of civil
defence to reach from two sides at least of the building’s sides and one of them
should be from the main entrance side. (see sketch 6)
B. It is necessary to allocate parking to serve the vehicles and equipments of civil
defence and according to the codes in chapter 3.
9.1.1.4 The level of contents hazard
It is nessecary to classify the dangers of the occupancy contents according to the
codes mentioned in 4.1.
9.1.1.5 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these rules
• The types of allowed constructions in the assembly buildings are specified
according 9.1.1.
• The openings used for the passage of the pipes and the conductors and the
condition tunnels and others, should be protected by fire resistant barriers
according to the rules mentioned in chapter 6.
9.1.2 Means of egress
It is required to implement the general codes of the means of egress mentioned in
chapter 5, in addition to these rules.
9.1.2.1 Occupancy load
The allowed occupancy load in the assembly buildings is specified according to the
rules mentioned in 5.3 and this is according to the following load factors:
• Assembly areas for high concentration without fixed chairs like lecture halls,
mosques and churches, party halls: 0.65 m2/person
• Assembly areas for the usage of less concentrated assemblies like meeting rooms,
food courts, exhibitions, sports halls: 1.4m2/person.
• Waiting areas (lobbies and similar others): 0.3m2 0,65m2/ person.
• Stadiums or similar long group chairs: 1 person for each 45cm length.
• Fixed chairs: the actual number of chairs is calculated.
• Kitchens: 9.5 m2/person.
• Libraries:
• Book storage areas 9m2/person
• Reading areas 4.5 m2/person

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8. Swimming pools
• Pool 4.5 m2/person
• Pass way 2.8 m2/person
9. Stage 1.4 m2/person
10. Theater balcony and high level pass ways 9.5 m2/person.

9.1.2.2 Means of escape capacity

The capacity of the means of escape is specified according to what is mentioned in 5.3.4
9.1.2.3 Travel distance
• The travel distance from any point to reach the closest exit should be no more than
the values mentioned in 5.8. In addition to these codes while taking into
considerations the maximum limits allowed for dead ends and the compulsory
passages mention in 5.8 too.
• The general codes for the pass ways should be provided according to chapter 5 in
addition to he following codes:
• The pass ways should be organized in such a way to facilitate a continuous flow of
people exiting in a way that it leads directly to the exits.
• The width of the passages should be enough to facilitate the flow of the people
using it.
9.1.2.4 Exit discharge (final exit)
All the exits should lead to the outside directly or to a protected passage that is
completely separated from the building by fire resistant barriers and it is allowed for
half of the exits to end in the main lobby of the building after providing the codes
mentioned in 5.9.
9.1.2.5 Entrance/Main exit
• A main entrance should be provided for every assembly occupancy in each floor to
be used as an emergency exit when it is needed.
• The width of the main entrance should be enough to facilitate half of the total
occupancy load and it should be on the level of the ground floor or directly
connected to an escape stair or a ramp that lead into the open. Also there is a
need to provide an additional exit of suitable width to facilitate the other half of the
expected occupancy load.
• The net width of the arrival ways to the exits should be no less than 110cm if it
serves 50 or more people.

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9.1.2.6 Means of egress components
The following components can be used in the means of egress: stairs and ramps,
doors, horizontal exits, pass ways, balconies, temporary refuge areas and this is
according to the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.1.2.7 The number of exits
The number of exit should be no less than the codes mentioned in 5.4 and this
apply to all the assembly occupancies with the exception of group A5.
9.1.2.8 Arranging the means of egress
A. The exits should be as far apart as possible from each other and they should be
arranged in a way to minimize the possibility of there damage or blocking during
emergencies and this is according to the codes mentioned in 5.5
B. The passages for entry and exit should be kept in good condition to facilitate
smooth and undisturbed movement for the administration staff, security staff,
police, civil defence and medical emergency team without any unneeded
obstacles.
9.1.2.8.1 Arrangement of chairs
The passages between the chairs lines and tables should be enough to facilitate
for all the occupants of the place. (minimum 60cm)
9.1.2.8.1.1 Fixed chairs
• The net distance between the lines of normal chairs should be no less than 30cm.
• The number of chairs in each line should be no more than 7 chairs in a row if they
are connected to the path from one side. If the number of chairs is increased then
the distance between the rows of chairs should be increased by 1.5cm for each
chair added. It is not required for the net width to go over 55cm. No chair should be
further away than 9 meters from the path that leads to two means of egress.
9.1.2.8.1.2 Soft chairs
• When the lines of chairs are connected to service paths from two sides or by doors
from each side then it is allowed to increase the number of the single line chairs up
to 100, but the net distance between the lines of the chairs should be increased by
0.8 cm for each additional chair other than the first 14 chairs and with a maximum
limit of 55cm.
• The travel distance from any chair to the closest door for the assembly hall should
be no more than 45 30 meters.
• The net width of the passages perpendicular with the lines of chairs should be no
less than the following:
• 120cm for the stair paths that serves the chairs from both sides
• 90cm for the stair paths that serves the chairs from one side
• 105cm for normal paths or ramps that serves the chairs from both sides

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9.1.2.8.1.3 Stair paths
A. When the slope of the path is more than 8:1 8% then it should be implemented as
stair path and the depth of the step should be no more than 28cm and the height of
the riser should be around 11 and 20cm. 15-18cm
B. The paths perpendicular with the lines of chairs should lead to a wide path or lobby
with an exit of enough to accommodate all the paths that ends within it. The length
of dead ends in these paths should be no more than 6 meters.

9.1.2.8.1.4 Fixed group chairs (without side rest)

A. The distance between the lines of chairs from one axis to another should be no
less than:
• 75cm for the chairs with a back
• 55cm for the chairs without a back
B. The net distance between the lines of chairs should be no less than 30 cm.
C. The theoretical number of chairs is calculated on the base of 45cm for each
person.
D. The number of chairs in a single line connected to the path by one side should be
no more than 7 for the chairs with a back and 20 for the chairs without a back.
9.1.2.8.2 Assembly occupancy in open air with a fence
A. The number of exits should be no less than two and they should be far from each
other as much as possible, if the occupancy load is more than 6000 then 3 exits at
least should be provided and if it is more than 9000 then 4 exits should be
provided.
B. The distance between the exits of the stair paths or the open stadium should be no
more than 25meters.
C. The escape distance calculated over the natural path of travel from the seat and
the exit or the playground should be no more than 45 30meters.
D. The number of chairs between any chair and the closest path should be no more
than 20.
E. The width of the path should be no less than 120cm and it should have no steps
unless it’s slope is more than 8:1 8%.
9.1.2.9 Protection barriers
9.1.2.9.1 General
A. Protection barrier should be provided where there is a chance of falling of people
because of pushing and other situations. The barriers should be according to the
codes mentioned in 5.10 in addition to these codes.
B. The barriers should be arranged so the openings within the barriers don’t allow the
passage of a ball that has a diameter of more than 10cm.

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9.1.2.9.2 Frontal barriers
When the height of the ground of the front of any stadium or balcony should be no
more than 75cm relative to the place under it and the height of the barrier should
be no less than the following, (as in figure 9.1.1):
• 65cm for the barriers in front of the chairs for all the assembly occupancies with the
exception of sport stadiums where the height should be no more than 90cm.
• 95cm for the barriers in the end of the path.

9.1.2.9.3 Barriers in the wide paths

A. Protection barriers should be installed with a minimum height of 65cm at the wide
paths existing between the lines of chairs unless the height of the chairs back on
the length of the front side of the wide path is no less than 60cm, figure 9.1.2.
B. If the height of wide path is more than 75cm relative to the level below it then fall
protection barriers should be installed according to the code mentioned in 5.10.

9.1.2.9.4 Barriers on the side and the back of the chairs

If the difference in level between the sides and the back of the seats and the paths
is more than 75cm relative to the theaters and cinemas and similar or 120cm for
the stadiums then fall protection barriers with a height of no less than 105cm.
9.1.2.9.5 Areas excluded from barriers rules
It is not required to install fall barrier for the following:
1. The theater stage and the ramps used for theatrical activities or for shows and this is
for the sides facing the viewers.
2. Vertical openings within the theater stage for the use of theatrical shows.
3. Open sky events e.g. religious assemblies.
9.1.3 Protection
9.1.3.1 Vertical openings protection
• All the vertical spaces should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.3.10 and it is allowed to use all the allowed exception mentioned in 6.3.10, in
addition it is allowed for the stairs and the ramps connecting between the main
area for the assembly hall and the mezzanine or the balcony and the lighting paths
to be left unprotected.
9.1.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.1.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
The buildings of hotels should be separated into fire compartments according to
the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes mentioned in this chapter.

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9.1.3.4 Protection from dangers
All the dangerous places should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.5 in addition to these codes.
9.1.3.4.1 Protection of special service rooms
All the rooms that contains high pressure boilers or big electric equipments should
be protected and this is done by separating them from the rest of the building parts
with elements that have a resistance of no less than one hour or by protecting
them with an automatic extinguishing system. Enough natural ventilation should be
provided too for these rooms through ventilation openings that face the outside
directly and these rooms can never be put near the exit or directly beneath it.
9.1.3.4.2 Protection of other areas
The hazardous areas should be protected in the following manner:
A. By separation from the rest of the building by fire resistant element that have a
resistance of no less than 1 hour or by an automatic extinguishing system and this
should be done for the following places:
• Boiler and oven rooms
• The rooms and the places used for storing or using the tools and supplies that are
flammable in amounts that are considered hazardous should be evaluated by civil
defence on their degree of danger.
• The rooms and places used for storing hazardous materials or flammable liquids or
fast flaming liquids in amount that are assumed to be hazardous according to
international standards.
• The rooms that contains fuel.
• Maintenance workshops including the wood workshops and the paint areas.
B. By separation from the rest of the building by elements which have a resistance of
no less than one hour in addition to protecting them by an automatic extinguishing
system and this is done for the following areas:
A. Laundry.
B. Areas and rooms used for treating or using hazardous materials and flammable or
fast flaming liquids in high amounts that are considered as hazardous by the
accepted standard.

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9.1.3.5 Interior finishing
A. The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following:
3. Of type A and B for the passages and the lobby
4. Of type A for the exits
5. Assembly areas with an occupancy load of more than 300: type A or B.
6. Assembly areas with an occupancy load of 300 or less: A or B or C.
7. Cinema screens: type A or B.
C. The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.1.4 Special arrangements
9.1.4.1 Life safety review
A study should be done to evaluate the safety of the lives if the occupancy load
goes over 6000 and it should be excuted by qualified experts that are approved by
civil defence, the study should contain written reports about the safety precautions
available in the buildings and they should submit for review on the yearly bases for
acceptance by civil defence and they should be modified when circumstances
change. The safety review contains evaluation of the following circumstances and
the needed safety precautions:
1. The nature of the activities and the workers and the viewers.
2. Medical emergencies.
3. Fire dangers.
4. Temporary and permanent buildings.
5. The harsh weather status.
6. Problems between the viewers.
7. Hazardous emergencies inside the building borders or near it.
8. Coordination between the building administration and other concerned authorities
including civil defence.
9.1.4.2            Theater stage and platform
9.1.4.2.1            Platform construction
A. The temporary platforms can be built from any materials but the space between the
platform and the ground should only be used for electric cabling needed for the
platform.
B. The permanent platforms should be made from the same materials as the building
superstructure they are within, with the exception of covering the ground that can
be done with wood. In all cases if the space between the platform and the ground
is used for any thing other than electric cabling and sewage pipes then the ground
of the platform should be fire resistant for an hour at least.

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9.1.4.2.2 Construction of the theater stage
A. The normal stage should be made of the same materials allowed for the
superstructure of the building they are within, with the exception of covering the
ground that can be done with wood that is allowed in all cases.
B. The high stage should be made of the materials allowed for the superstructure of
type 1.

9.1.4.2.3 Additional rooms

If the area of the stage is more than 93m2 then the workshops and store rooms and
clothes rooms and other areas which are near the stage should be separated from
each other and from other areas by elements that have a fire resistance of at least
one hour.
9.1.4.2.4 Ventilation
If the area of the normal stage is more than 93m2 or if the stage is of the high type
then they should be provided with a smoke and gas suction system. The ventilation
is done using one or more of the following means:
• Smoke control system to guarantee a smoke free area with a height of 183cm over
the ground of the highest elevation within the room. that contain chairs or over the
highest elevation that the moving stage reaches. The system should have a
secondary power source in addition to the primary power source. Also there should
be an ability to operate the system by all the following means:
• Automatically when the sprinklers over the stage are activated.
• Automatically when the smoke detectors over the stage are activated.
• Manually using a key that is put in a suitable area.
• Ventilation openings that are situated on the ceiling near the center of the stage
and they should be no less than two and there total area should be no less than
5% of the stage area and the ability to operate the ventilation openings
automatically using fusible links that works by heat, also a manual mean of
operating the openings should be provided. (in Arabic and English)
• Any other alternatives for smoke discharge and they should be of the accepted
type.

9.1.4.2.5 Separation of the stage from the viewer’s area

A. When the stage is of the high type then it should be completely separated from the
viewer’s area using a wall that has a resistance of no less than two hours and it
should be constructed of fireproof materials. And for the watching opening in the
wall then it should be protected using one of the following:
1. Water curtain.
2. Fire protection curtain.
B. The protection curtain should be accepted type and it should close in all of the
following means:
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1. Automatically when the sprinklers work.
2. Automatically when the alarms works.
3. Manually using keys that are put at the control board for the curtain and also at the
sides of the stage.
4. The area of viewers should be protected from smoke using a good system and the
separation needed by “A” can be ignored if this is available.
9.1.4.2.6 Flame spreading
All the theatrical props effects like clothes, blankets and dry plants and others
should be treated with flame slowing materials. It is not allowed to use foaming
plastic materials unless the acceptance of civil defence is taken and every situation
is taken alone.
Fire extinguishers and blankets should be available at close range for all the
personnel, actors,musicians as well as technicians and employees.
9.1.4.2.7 Protection of the stage by sprinklers
The stage should be protected by a sprinklers system that covers the whole stage
area in addition to the rooms that are connected to it, the sprinkler can be ignored
in the following cases:
1. Sprinklers are not required for normal stages that have an area of less than 93m2
but the curtains and other theatrical effects should be of the vertically pulled types.
2. Sprinkler are not required under the stage when the net height under the stage is
less than 1.2 meters and this space should not be used for storing with the
exception of chairs and tables.

9.1.4.3            Projection rooms
• The projectors (cinema and video movies) should be put inside special rooms that
submit to the codes mentioned in 9.1.3.4.2 and this is when those devices are of
the type that uses the light sources that produce particles or gases that are
poisonous or radiations or dangerous dust.
• The area of the room for one projection device should be no less than 7.5m2, an
area increase of 3.7 m2 should be provided for every additional device and the net
height of the room should be no less than 2.3m.
• The door of the room should open in the escape way and it should shut
automatically.
• The area of the show openings that are situated on the wall separating the
projection room of the hall should be no more than 25% of the wall area and those
openings should be protected with glass.
• A special store for the movies should be available.
• Mechanical ventilation for the room should be provided according to one of the
accepted standards.

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9.1.4.4           Unordinary entertainment buildings
A. Ignoring the occupancy load, the special codes for assembly occupancies should
be applied to all the unordinary entertainment buildings in addition to the codes
mentioned in this clause, with the exception of the buildings where the
entertainment establishments are not higher than 3 meters and the horizontal
distance between these establishments is no more than 15 meters.
B. The unordinary entertainment buildings should have a fire detection and alarm
system. When the alarm goes on all the visual and sound effects should stop in
addition to lighting up the emergency lights and the exit signs.
C. The interior finishing should be of type A.

9.1.4.5            Additional precautions for exhibitions

The shelves and the viewing goods should be arranged so they don’t block the
passage or reaching the exits or the signs of the exits or the extinguishing
equipments, like in figure 9.1.4.

9.1.4.5.1 Goods showrooms

• The maximum allowed travel distance between any points inside the show room
and the closest path should be 15 meters.
• At least two independent means of egress should be provided for every high floor
in the multi-storied show rooms.
• The projection rooms can be constructed from one of the following materials:
• Flame proof materials or limited flaming materials.
• Flame spreading resistant materials like treated wood or any other accepted
material.
• Fabrics and other wall covering materials that are allowed for the interior finishing
of walls and ceilings according to the codes mentioned in 6.6.
D. The curtains and blankets and décor materials submit to the codes mentioned in
7.6, the sound insulator materials and other décor materials like wool, straw,
sawdust and similar materials should be treated with flame retarding substances.

9.1.5 Fire protection equipments and devices

9.1.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers
• Groups A-3, A-4, A-5: are excluded from the sprinklers code.
• Groups A-1, A-2: are covered by sprinklers if the occupancy load is more than 300
on the following manner:

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1. Full covering for the floor that contains assembly occupancies and all the floors
below it.
2. When the assembly occupancy is in an underground floor then the ground floor
and all the underground floors should be protected.
C. The following cases are also excluded from the sprinklers code:
1. Assembly occupancies that are made of one multi purpose hall and the area of the
hall should not be more than 1500M2 and it should not be used as a showroom.
2. All the occupancies of group A-2, if the contents are of low hazard level and the
height of the ceiling relative to the ground below it is no less than 15 meters.
9.1.5.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments
The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be available
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.Alarms and fire-extinguishing
equipments should be supplied according to table 9.1.2 and 9.1.3
9.1.6 Operation and monitoring
9.1.6.1 Kitchen equipments
1. The cooking equipments and kitchens should be protected according to clause
10.7.
2. It is allowed to leave openings between the food preparation area and the food
halls unprotected.
9.1.6.2 Furniture and décor
1. The fabrics and the blankets used for décor and all the curtains should be of the
flame resistant type according to the codes mentioned in 7.6.
2. It is the right of the general administration of civil defence to specify the amount
and the method of arranging the flammable materials to provide the needed level
of safety.
9.1.6.3 Crowd management
With the exception of prayer areas if the occupancy load is more than 100 persons.
there should exist a supervising personals with an average of one supervisor per
250 individuals. The supervisors should submit to an accepted training session for
the techniques of crowd management.
9.1.6.4 Virtual evacuation exercises
Enough training should be provided for the supervisors and the employees of the
assembly occupancy and it should include the action to be taken in cases of fire or
panic or any other emergency for the purpose of evacuating the place. In addition,
training on the use of manual extinguishers and other basic extinguishing
equipments are mandatory.

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9.1.6.5 Smoking
Specified areas for smoking should be coordinated with civil defence and these areas
should have suitable ashtrays and no smoking signs should be hanged in the areas
where smoking is forbidden. Smoking permissions must follow government rules and
regulations.
9.1.6.6 Chairs
In the areas that are occupied with more than 200 individuals with the exception of
restaurants and similar areas the chairs should be fixed with each other into groups, the
number of chairs per group is between 3 and 7, in addition the chairs in the balconies
should be fixed too.
Table 9.1.1 Types of allowed establishments in the assembly occupancies
Type of Floor
Super
Structure Underground Ground Upper floors

1 2 3 or
more

First (443) One floor Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) only is
Second allowed
(222)
Second One floor Allowed Allowed Allowed, Not
(111) only is area no allowed
allowed more
than
1600M2
Second Not allowed Allowed Allowed, Not Not
(000) area no allowed allowed
more
than
1600M2
Third (211) Not allowed Allowed Allowed Not Not
Fourth allowed allowed
(2WW)
Fifth (111)
Third (200) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
800M2
Fifth (000) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
400M2

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1. The mezzanine is not considered an independent floor unless it covers an area of
more than 50% of the floors area.
2. It is allowed for the super structure of the roofs of a closed sport halls (Group A-3)
that are constructed of type 1 and 2 (including the normal roof holder and the net roof
holders and the frames and the ceiling floor) to be of type 4 or from any fireproof materials
that don’t have any fire resistance.
3. 344 and others: is a shortcut for the resistance of the construction element in hours
and they were specified in the table above.
4. 2WW means wood.

Table 9.1.2 Alarm and firefighting equipments for assembly occupancies

Type of equipment Group Areas concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All groups All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses A-1, A-2, A-3 All floors –high stage-

stage with an area of
more than 93m2
Dry riser A-1, A-2, A-3 According to 8.3.1

Wet riser A-1, A-2, A-3 According to 8.4.1

External fire For big complexes

hydrants

3-Fire alarm equipments

Manual and All floors

automatic alarm
system

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Table 9.1.3, Utility services for fire protection in educational buildings

Type of utilities Area concerned

Ventilation system Basement-stage according to

9.1.4.2.4

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress and basement and

assembly halls

Emergency lighting Means of egress and basement and

assembly halls

Precaution power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and chapter

5 and 6

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 Figure 9.1.1 Protection barriers

Figure 9.1.2, Protection barriers in horizontal paths

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Figure 9.1.3 Arrangement of shelves inside the showrooms (vertical)

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 9.2  Group D
Educational occupancies

9.2.1 General

9.2.1.1 Definition of the educational occupancy (look page 16 and 17)

The educational occupancies includes the buildings used for the means of
educating and baby nursing.until the end of the secondary school and the buildings
should have no less than 6 students for a time of no less than 4 hours a day and
12 hours a week, like schools, baby gardens, babies shelters and baby nursing
center (more than 5 babies, age over two and a half years).
9.2.1.2 Other establishments
A. When there exist other occupancies inside the educational occupancies then the
chapter describing them should be referenced.
B. The other educational establishments that the definition mentioned in 9.2.1.1 does
not apply to should be classified on the following manner:
• Educational buildings in universities and institute: group E.
• The educational classes with an occupancy load of less than 50 people: group E.
• The educational classes with an occupancy load of 50 people or more: group A2.
• Educational laboratories: group E.
• Laboratories that are not used for education: group G.

9.2.1.3 Mixed occupancies

When there exist other occupations with the educational occupancies the rules
mentioned in 4.5 are applied in addition to these rules.
9.2.1.4 Assembly occupancy
When there exist assembly occupancy with the educational occupancy like auditoriums,
big lecture halls and sport halls then these occupancies should submit to the codes in 9.1.
9.2.1.5 Arrival of civil defence vehicles and equipments
The access for the civil defence vehicles should be supplied according to the rules
mentioned in chapter 3 in addition to these rules.
There should exist special parking for civil defence vehicles and equipments according to
chapter 3.
9.2.1.6 The level of contents hazard
Referring clause 4.1 can specify the level of contents hazard in educational occupancies.

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9.2.1.7 Establishment requirements
A. In addition to the codes mentioned here the codes in chapter 6 should be applied.
B. Referring to table 9.2.1 can specify the types of allowed establishments in
educational buildings.
C. The opening for the passage of pipes and conductors and the conditioning tunnels
and others should be protected within a fire resistant barrier.
9.2.2 Means of egress
9.2.2.1 General
A. In addition to these codes the general codes for the means of egress mentioned in
chapter 5 should be applied.
B. All the educational classes allocated for the students of primary level 1or less
should be on the ground floor.
C. All the educational classes allocated for the students of primary level should never
be over the first floor.
9.2.2.2 Occupancy load
A. The occupancy load is specified according to the following load factors:
• Educational classes: 2 m2 /Person
• Workshops and labs and other workshops: 4.5 m2 /Person
B. When there exist a fixed chair then the occupancy load is calculated according to
the actual number of chairs.
C. The occupancy load in assembly places that has more than 50 individuals like
lectures halls and sports halls and cafeterias is calculated according to 9.1.2.1.
9.2.2.3 Means of egress components
The following components can be used in the means of egress: stairs and ramps,
doors, horizontal exits, pass ways, balconies, temporary refuge areas and this is
according to the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these rules.
9.2.2.4 The number of exits
The number of exit should be no less than the codes mentioned in 5.4.
9.2.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
9.2.2.5.1 General
A. The arrangement of the means of egress should be according to the codes
mentioned in 5.5.
B. The maximum limits for travel distance and dead end and compulsory movement
paths should be according to table 5.2.

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C. Two exit doors should be provided for each room or place that has more than 50
occupants or have an area of more than 93m2 and they should be as far apart from
each other as possible and they should lead into two independent exit in opposite
directions.
D. The door that opens to the passages should be arranged in a way that will not
prevent movement in passages and the doors should open with a 180 degrees or
any other acceptable method.
9.2.2.5.2 Internal passages
The passages should be separated from the rest of the building by walls that has
at least 1 hour fire resistance, with the exception of the following cases:
1. When each place occupied by students have at least one door that leads directly to
an exit or to a protected external balcony that leads to the exits.
2. The buildings fully protected by water sprinklers.
9.2.2.5.3 Passages inside the classes
A. When the number of chairs is more than 60 then the width of the passage that
serves the chairs from one side should be no less than 90cm and the passage that
serves the chairs from two sides should have a width of at least 110cm, but if the
number of chairs is 60 or less then the passage width should be no less than
75cm.
B. The number of chairs that separates between any chair and the passage should be
no more than 6.
9.2.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance should be no more than the values mentioned in table 5.2.
9.2.2.7 Exit discharge
A. The exit discharge should be according to the codes mentioned in 5.9 in addition to
these codes.
B. At least one independent exit per class should be available in the underground
floor and this exit should lead directly outside the building without passing through
the ground floor.
9.2.2.8 Ventilation and rescue windows
A. One external window at least should be provided for ventilation and rescue for
each class or educational room if its area is more than 23m2, with the exception of
the buildings fully protected by water sprinklers and the rooms and classes that has
a direct door leading to the outside of the building.
B. There should exist a ventilation and rescue window that is open able from inside
without the use of any tools or equipments and a net openings that has a width and
height of at least 60cm and it’s area should be at least 1,0 m2 in a way that a solid
object that has the same dimensions can pass through it. The sill should be no
higher than 10cm relative to the floor of the room. The ability for civil defence
personal to reach all the windows that faces areas that are connected to the open
should be provided.(see also 5.2.3.3.1/2)

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9.2.2.9 Means of egress capacity
A. In addition to these codes the means of egress capacity can be specified
according to the codes mentioned in 5.3.4.
B. The net width of the passages that leads to the exits should be no less than
180cm.
9.2.3 Protection
9.2.3.1 Vertical openings protection
The vertical openings should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.3.10 and it is allowed to use all the allowed exceptions mentioned in 6.3.10.
9.2.3.2 External fire spreading protection
The protection from external fire spreading is according to the codes mentioned in
6.3.5.
9.2.3.3 Classifying into fire compartments
A. The educational buildings should be classified into fire compartments according to
the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes of this chapter.
B. The educational buildings should be classified into secondary fire compartments by
smoke barriers that have a fire resistance of no less than 1 hour in the following
cases:
• When the area of the fire compartment is more than 2800m2.
• When the width or length of the building in more than 90meters.
With the exception of the following:
• When each area that has students has at least one door that leads directly
outside or to and external balcony that leads to the exits.
• Buildings that have one floor that are fully protected by water sprinklers.
Building that have ground floor level only
C. The area of on smoke compartment should not be no more than 2800m2 and it
width and length should be no more than 90 meters with the exception of the
buildings fully protected by water sprinklers where these limits can be overridden
but the number of smoke compartments should be no less than 2.
9.2.3.4 Protection from hazards
A. All the hazardous areas should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.5 in addition to these codes.
B. The following hazardous areas should be separated from the rest of the buildings
parts by fire resistant barriers of at least one hour or by using water sprinklers:
3. Boiler and oven rooms and maintenance workshops and wood workshops and
clothes laundries.
4. The rooms and the areas used for storing or using the tools and supplies that are
flammable in amounts that are considered hazardous and this is estimated by civil
defence.
5. The rooms and areas used for storing hazardous materials or flammable liquids or
fast flaming liquids in amount that are assumed to be hazardous according to
international standards.
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E. The rooms and areas used for treating or using hazardous materials and fast flaming
or flammable liquids in amounts that can be considered hazardous according to the
accepted standards, should be protected by separation from the rest of the building’s
parts by barriers that has a fire resistance of at least 1 hour in addition to protecting it
using water sprinklers.
9.2.3.5 Kitchen equipments
The commercial kitchens should be protected if they exist according to clause 7.10, it is
allowed to leave the openings between the food preparing area and the food courts to be
unprotected.
9.2.3.6 Stage
The stage needs to be protected if it exists according to codes mentioned in 9.1.
9.2.3.7 Interior finish
A. The codes mentioned in 6.6. Should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The interior finish for walls and ceilings should be from type A for exits and from type
A and B for other places.
C. The interior finish for the floors of the exits and passages should be from type 1 and
2.
9.2.4 Fire protection equipments and tools
9.2.4.1 Water sprinklers protection requirements
Water sprinklers should protect all the underground floors.
9.2.4.2 Alarm equipments and other tools for fighting fire
A. The alarm and fire fighting should be according to table 9.2.2
B. A general alarm tool should be installed in the form of a whistle or bell that can be
heard in all the school and with a distinct sound or by voice messages from the
administration.
9.2.4.3 Utility services
A. The protective precautions in the area of utility services according to chapter 7.
B. The utility services for fire protection should be available according to table 9.2.3.
9.2.5 Operation and monitoring
9.2.5.1 Evacuation training
A. Virtual evacuation trainings should be done periodically, at one time per 4 month
through the study year, no extinguishing operations should be done through the virtual
evacuation trainings, the class teacher should be responsible for his students for
organizing the evacuation without any panic or pushing or running and the most aware
and most able students should be allocated to help the others.

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B. An assembly place should be agreed upon beforehand so all students can be counted
then a search for missing students can be initiated if needed.The assembly point should
be away from the dangers of fire and should not affect the work of civil defence personals.
9.2.5.2 Daily inspection
The principal and teachers should do daily inspection on all exits to make sure that all the
stairs and doors and other exits area in a suitable condition and they should remove any
obstacles if it exists.
9.2.5.3 Furniture and décor
A. The curtains and similar objects should submit to the codes mentioned in 6.7.1
B. It is not allowed to store clothes or similar material in the passages unless the
passages are completely protected with water sprinklers and storing is done inside metal
closets.
C. It is allowed to hang educational materials directly on the wall but its area should be
no more than 20% of the wall area.

Table 9.2.1 Types of allowed establishments in educational buildings

Type of Floor
superstructure

Undergrou Ground Upper floors

nd
1 2 3 or more

First (443) One floor Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) only is
Second allowed
(222)
Second One floor Allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not
(111) only is area no area no allowed
allowed more more
than than
2100m2 2100m2
Second Not Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
(000) allowed area no area no allowed allowed
more than more
1400m2 than
1400m2
Third Not Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
(211) allowed area no area no allowed allowed
Fourth more than more
(2WW) 1400m2 than
Fifth (111) 1400m2
Third Not Allowed, Not Not Not
(200) allowed area no allowed allowed allowed
more than
1000m2
Fifth (000) Not Allowed, Not Not Not
allowed area no allowed allowed allowed
more than
500m2
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Table 9.2.2 Alarm and firefighting equipments for educational buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-fixed equipments

Rubber hoses network All floors if the total area is more

than 200 m2

Dry riser network According to 8.3.1

Wet riser network According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual alarm system In multipurpose halls and

administration passages and in
closed passages between all the
study stages

Automatic alarm system In workshops and labs and stores

and libraries and in multi purpose
halls and also in hazardous areas
and condition tunnels and the
basement and the closed passages
between the study stages

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Table 9.2.3, Utility services for fire protection in educational buildings

Type of utility Areas Concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted standards

of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress and assembly halls

Emergency lighting Means of egress, underground floors,

areas with no windows, workshops,
labs, lecture halls (with the exception
of study classes)
Precaution power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and chapter

5 and 6

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 9.3 Group (C1)
Judicial and care occupation

9.3.1 General
9.3.1.1 Definition
Judicial occupancies are the buildings that contains different levels of security
control and it is occupied by individuals that can't protect their well being, like jails,
police stations jails, reformatories with detention cells, mental disruption hospitals
with detention cells, quarantine places.
9.3.1.2 Implementation
This chapter is about the residence places and sleeping places in judicial
occupancy, as for the other occupancies inside these establishments like sports
halls and workshops and stores and other they are treated according to it’s own
occupancy type while noting the codes mentioned here when the doors of these
establishments is locked.
9.3.1.3 Mixed occupancies
When there exist other occupancies with the judicial occupancies then the specific
codes for each one should be referred individually, no matter if it is a sport hall or
reading hall or a store or a workshop or police office or others, but it should submit
to the following codes:
1. Enough means of egress should be available in other occupancies areas and if the
security needs the doors to be locked then there should be enough employees at
all times that these places are occupied and this is for opening the doors to start
the evacuation process during emergencies. The locked doors can be operated
either by a system that works remotely in a way that it opens the escape doors
automatically or by providing enough security personel that holds the keys and are
situated directly at the area that has locked doors.
2. The mentioned areas can be classified as other occupancies according to the
following codes:
• They should not be used for residence or sleeping
• They should be separated from the judicial occupancies according to table 4.1.
3. If the judicial occupancies are within a building that has other occupancies then the
judicial occupancies should be separated completely by elements that have 2
hours of fire resistance as a minimum.
4. When the means of egress of the judicial occupancies passes through other
occupancies then these occupancies should submit to the same codes of the
judicial occupancies.
5. High hazardous areas are not allowed to exist in the buildings which contains
judicial occupancies, for example it is not allowed to put a fast flaming or
flammable stores or wood stores inside these buildings and they should be put in
another independent building.

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9.3.1.4 Total protection
A. The total protection in the detention center should provide the means of “in-place
protection”. To make this strategy work the availability of some special
requirements could help in minimizing the need for evacuating the establishment of
its residents and this is done by limiting the spreading and growing of the fire and
limiting it to its origin.
B. The residents in the establishments are protected by making the suitable
arrangements and providing training to the administration staff by improving and
making new maintenance, safety and operational standards which are composed
of the following:
3. The architectural design for the building: construction, separation into fire
compartments.
4. Fire detection and alarm in addition to firefighting,
5. Protection of fire and planning and training and performing virtual exercises for
containing fire in its place and limiting its spreading and then moving the prisoners
into temporary refuge areas or evacuating the whole building or protecting the
prisoners in there places.
6. Security precautions in the needed level to provide the safety of all the people in
the establishment
9.3.1.5 Arrival of civil defence equipments and vehicles
A. Providing a street or a path around the judicial buildings in way that the vehicles
and equipments can access the sites according to codes of chapter 3. (see
sketch6)
B. Allocation of parking for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence according to
the codes of chapter 3.
9.3.1.6 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazards is classified according to the codes mentioned in 4.1.
9.3.1.7 Classification of judicial establishments according to the codes of usage
The residence areas in the judicial establishments are classified into five types
according to the codes of usage according to the freedom of movement for the
residents. The five types are as follows, like in figure 9.3.1
1. Codes of usage number 1 (freedom of getting out)
The residents can get out of their sleeping rooms and other places freely and
without any locked doors. This situation is treated in the same way as hotel and
motels, group D1.
2. Codes of usage number 2 (allowed to move thorough compartments)
The residents can move freely in sleeping places and other inhabited smoke
compartments to another smoke compartment or to many other nearby smoke
compartments and for moving outside the building through the final exit situated on
the outer wall then it is constrained by closed doors which can be opened manually
by keys when needed. Like in figure 9.3.1, the residents have the freedom to move
inside the building and through smoke barriers to another smoke compartments, as
for the movement outside the building then it is constrained by closed doors on the
outer walls that can be opened manually using normal keys.

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3.Code of usage number 3 (going out is allowed inside the compartment only)
The residents has the freedom to move from and to their rooms but they cant get out of
the smoke compartment surrounding there rooms. The movement to another smoke
compartment is restricted by locked doors situated on the smoke barrier, these doors
must have an electronic or mechanical way of opening remotely, the movement outside
the building through the final exit situated on the outer wall is restricted by locked doors
that can be opened manually using manual keys.
4. Code of usage number 4 (going out is restrained)
The residents are held in there sleeping rooms and these rooms have locked doors. The
locks in these doors have an electronic mechanism that is remote controlled. The
movement toward a nearby smoke compartment is restricted by closed doors that have
also an electronic or mechanical mechanism for remote control. The movement to outside
the buildings is through the final exit that is situated on the outer wall and it is restricted by
locked doors that are opened manually using keys.
5.Codes of usage number 5 (total containment)
There is no type of movement freedom where all the locked doors do not open in anyway
other than normally keys and each door is opened independently. The people
supervising the place hold special keys for all the rooms and smoke compartments, all the
doors can be opened manually in case of emergencies.
9.3.1.8 Smoke compartments alternative
It is obvious in the codes of usage 2 to 5 that the smoke compartment are used for
evacuating the residents from the compartments that they exist in into the nearby
compartment, with the existence of a suitable mechanism for opening the doors situated
at the smoke barriers. It is possible to give up a smoke compartment then we can give up
a smoke compartment if another equal alternative to be used for evacuation the residents
like:
•Another building that is separated from the place using fire resistant barriers or by a
suitable safe distance.
•Open yard outside the building but it should be situated at a suitable and safe distance.
9.3.1.9 Administration and security actions
The needed security and administration actions should be taken to evacuate the residents
into a safe place (like another smoke compartment, open yard, another building) in
emergencies in the fastest possible way.
9.3.1.10 Establishment requirements
A.The rules of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these rules.
B.The types of allowed establishments in the judicial buildings are specified in table 9.3.1
C.All the walls and the internal partitions should be made of fire proof materials.
D.The openings for the passage of pipes and conductors and condition tunnels and
others through fire resistant barriers should be according to the codes of chapter 6.

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 Table 9.3.1 The types of allowed establishments in the judicial buildings

Type of Floors
Super
Structure Underground Ground First Second

First (443) Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332)
Second (222)
Second (111) Not Allowed Allowed Allowed Not Allowed

Second (000) Not Allowed Not Allowed Not Allowed Not Allowed

Rest of the
types Not Allowed

9.3.2 Means of egress

9.3.2.1 General
The general codes for the means of egress that are mentioned in chapter 5 should be
applied in addition to these codes.
9.3.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load in any floor is calculated according to the maximum number of
individuals that are expected to be in that floor. But it should not be less than one person for
every 11 1 square meters of the total area of the floor.

9.3.2.3 Means of egress components

The following components can be used in the means of egress: stairs and ramps, doors,
horizontal exits, pass ways, balconies, temporary refuge areas and this is according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these rules.
9.3.2.3.1 Doors
A. The doors can be locked in a way that is suitable for the implemented codes of usage, but
the door width in any sleeping room should be no less than 70cm for normal people and no
less than 80cm 1 meter for handicapped people.
B. It is required to keep the keys of the doors that leads from the temporary refuge area to the
outside of the building safe and well, the keys should be available all the time and there
should exist a way to open the locked doors from outside of the building.
C. The security personeas should be trained on the use of the keys and where are they are
situated and it is necessary to give them the needed and clear clearance to directly open
the doors that leads from smoke compartments to outside of the building when it is required
due to emergency.
D. In the cases where a remote controlled opening mechanism is needed then there should be
an assured and available mean for opening the door, which should be away from the
residence of the residents. Like a watch point that has a mechanism for directly opening the
doors either mechanically or electronically.
E. The watch point should have a full surveillance system to monitor all the residents in sound
and picture; this can be done using cameras and audio system.

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F. All the remotely electronic doors and all the electronic locks should be equipped
with additional means of operation in way that they have the following:
• A manual mechanical mean of opening the door to be used if the electricity is out
and it should be installed near the door.
• Either a secondary power source for operating the door or a manual mechanical
way that can be operated remotely.
G. The mechanical sliding and the locks that works mechanically should have a
manual mechanical ways that can be used for opening the doors and they should
be installed near the doors.
H. All the electronic sliding doors and the electronic lock should have a secondary
power source, it is required that the secondary power source works automatically
within 10 seconds after the main electricity source is off and it should be enough
for at least one hour and a half.
9.3.2.3.2 Horizontal exits and temporary refuge area
• The horizontal exit should be according to the codes mentioned in 5.2.4 in addition
to these codes.
• Temporary refuge areas should be available on both sides of the horizontal exits
and the area should never be less than 0.56m2/person, in a way that is enough for
all the occupants for the nearby compartments.
• It is allowed for the horizontal exits to form 100% of the total needed exits, but an
additional exit that connect to outside of the building without passing through the
fire place, like in figure 9.3.2.
9.3.2.4 Number of exits
• There should be no less than two independent exits for each floor but it should be
easy to reach the exits from any part of the floor or from any fire or smoke
compartment.
• One of the exits at least should be arranged in each fire or smoke compartment in
a way that it is not needed to go back to the fire area to finish the escape process,
figure 9.3.2.
9.3.2.5 Arranging the means of egress
• Each sleeping room should have at least one door that leads directly to a main
passage which is connected to the exits and this can be overridden in the following
cases:
A. If the room is in the ground floor and its door open directly to the outside.
B. If the room door leads directly to an activity hall or similar room, but this room
should have a door that lead directly to the main passage.
B. The length of the dead ends and the compulsory movement paths should be no
more than the accepted limits according to table 3.5.

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9.3.2.6 Travel distance
A. The travel distance between any room and the closest exit should be no more than
30 meters, if the building is completely protected with water sprinklers or by a
smoke control system then this length can be increased into 45 meters.(see also
sketch 1)
B. The travel distance from any point in the room and the closest exit should be no
more than 45 meters, if the building is completely protected with water sprinklers or
by a smoke control system then this length can be increased into 60 meters.
C. The travel distance from any point in the room and the door of the room should be
no more than 15 meters, but this length can be increased to no more than 30
meters in quarters but the walls of the quarters should be smoke proof and every
quarter should have two escape doors that are far apart from each other, like in
figure 9.3.3
9.3.2.7 Exit discharge
A. It allowed for all the exits to lead to an open yard that is surrounded by fences or
walls. But the number of common walls between the building that is evacuated and
the yard should be no more than 2 walls.
B. The yards should be designed to contain all the building occupants over a length
that is no less than 15 meters from the building and an area of 1.4m2 should be
allocated for every person, like in figure 9.3.4 and 9.3.5
9.3.2.8 Means of egress capacity
A. The capacity of the means of egress is specified according to the codes mention in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
B. The net width for the passages used for escape in the means of egress should be
no less than 120cm.
9.3.3 Protection
9.3.3.1 Protection of vertical spaces
• All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the spaces for lighting or ventilation or the tunnels or any other
vertical spaces between the floors, should be protected with surrounding barriers
that have the following fire resistance:
1. One hour for all the buildings with an super structure that has a one-hour fire
resistance and this applies too to the vertical spaces that connects between 3 or
more floors.
2. Two hours for the spaces which connects between 4 or more floors
A. The following are exceptions of the rule:
B. The vertical spaces that connects between two nearby floors according to clause
6.3.10.4.
C. The middle space that connects between more than 3 floors according to clause
6.3.10.7

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9.3.3.2 Protection from external fire spreading
The protection from external fire spread potential is done according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.3.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
The building should be separated into fire compartments according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3 in addition to these codes.
9.3.3.4 Danger protection
A. The hazardous areas should be protected according to the codes mentioned in 6.5
in addition to these codes.
B. The special hazard areas should be protected according to table 9.3.2, noting that
this table applies only to the rooms situated inside residence and residents
sleeping areas and the rooms directly connected to it.

Table 9.3.2 The resistance of special hazard places in judicial establishments

(in hour).

Area or place description Surrounding/protection

Other buildings which are connected 2 hour resistance

to the sleeping places of residents
Fuel boilers 2 hour resistance

Commercial kitchens 2 hour resistance

Food courts 1 hour resistance

Employees clothes rooms 1 hour resistance

Workshops/maintenance workshops 1 hour resistance

Laundries with an area of no more 2 hour resistance

than 9m2
Cells filled with flammable materials 1 hour resistance

White goods Stores (blankets and 2 hour resistance

sheets)
Flammable materials stores

•Area of 4.5-9 m2
1 hour resistance
•More than 9m2
2 hour resistance

Trash rooms 2 hour resistance

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9.3.3.5 Interior finish
A. In addition to these codes the codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied.
B. The interior finish for the walls and ceilings of passages and the exits of type A and
the interior finish of the walls and ceilings of other areas of type A, B, C and the
interior finish of the floors of the passages and exits of type 1.

9.3.3.6 Separation into smoke compartments

A. Each floor that has more than 50 occupants and each floor that is used for
residents sleeping should be separated by smoke barriers forming at least 2 smoke
compartments which can be used as temporary refuge area according to the codes
mentioned in 9.3.2.3.2.
B. When smoke barriers are requested then it should be arranged as in the following:
• The occupant of any smoke compartment should be no more than 200 individuals.
• The travel distance for reaching to a smoke barrier door should be not exceed the
following:
• 30 meters measured from the door any place in the room (45 meters when water
sprinklers are used for protection)
• 45 meters measured from any point in the room (60 meters when water sprinklers
are used for protection).
A. There is no need for separation using smoke compartments when there exists a
direct exit that leads to the open or into another building separated using fire
barriers that has a 2 hours fire resistance (and it should be at least 15 meters
away), or into an open yard that is at least 15 meters away and has enough
capacity for all the residents of the building, but the arrangement of the exit doors
should be according to the codes of this chapter, like in figure 9.3.6.
B. The smoke barriers should be made of sturdy materials and its super structure
should be fire resistant according to the codes mentioned in 6.4.1. It is not allowed
to use fast flaming materials like plastic boards and other in making the smoke
barriers. The openings in smoke barriers can be covered with enforced fire
resistance glass. The doors of in the smoke barriers should be of the type, which
doesn’t allow the passage of smoke and it, should be closed automatically or
mechanically.
9.3.4 Fire alarm and protection equipments and tools
9.3.4.1 Detection and alarm and communications systems
9.3.4.1.1 General
• The judicial establishments should have an automatic alarm system for early
alarming and detection of fire.
• The alarm should trigger when any of the manual calling points is used and also by
the detectors installed in the building.
• When there are security personals for continuously monitoring the sleeping places
of residents then the manual points of calling inside these rooms is not needed, but
calling points should be outside near the security personals.
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9.3.4.1.2 Resident’s alarm
A. The residents should be alarmed automatically in the case of fire or any other
emergencies.
B. The alarm system should be connected to civil defence when such a possibility
exists, but the alarm signal should be transmitted only when the general alarm is
activated.
C. To minimize unneeded alarm possibility “positive alarm chain” can be used instead
of automatic alarm bells, where a time delay is accepted to make sure that the
alarm is correct, in a way that if the smoke detector catch some smoke then it
sends a direct alarm signal to the guarding point which have a highly trained
guards which are available 24 hours so these guard can inspect the signal source.
The positive alarm chain contains all the following:
• The signal needs to be received by the guards in a time span of 15 seconds if this
doest happen then the general alarm goes out.
• The trained personal are given a time margin of 180 seconds, called the inspection
time so they can inspect the circumstances of the fire and reset the system to its
normal status, if this is not during this time period then the general alarm goes out.
• When any other detector goes out during the inspection time like a manual calling
points (which proves the real alarm) then the general alarm must go out
immediately.
• When any other detector goes out during the inspection time like from manual
calling points then the general alarm must go out immediately.
• The system should have an override for the positive alarm chain
A. Exception to the codes mentioned in clause C, it is allowed to arrange the smoke
detectors in a way that the system sends a signal to the permanent guard point
without the need for trigering the general alarm, when the guards have direct
control over the general alarm and also has the ability of informing civil defence, or
they have the ability of directly calling the control room or any other site that is
specialized for letting out the general alarm and informing the civil defence.
9.3.4.1.3 Fire detection equipments
Smoke detectors should be installed in all the sleeping quarters and the areas
connected to it like the activity rooms and the passages and others, it is allowed to
arrange the smoke detectors in a way that it cant be tampered with, but it should
maintain its functionality and role in smoke detection by putting it inside smoke
vacuuming tunnels for example and other similar places, this depends on the
acceptance of civil defence.
9.3.4.2 Protection with water sprinklers
The judicial buildings need that has using conditions of 2-5 should be protected by
water sprinklers with the exception of two floor buildings and buildings with area of
no more than 2000m2 for each floor.

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9.3.4.3 Manual extinguishers
A. Manual extinguishers should be put in strategic locations that are approved by civil
defence.
B. When extinguishers are to be put inside cabinets of sleeping quarters then it is
allowed to put them inside locked cabinets, but they should be opened directly by
the guards.
C. It is allowed to put the extinguishers at the guard points instead of putting them
inside the quarters.
9.3.4.4 Rubber hoses
Hoses cabinets should be available for all judicial buildings, an exception to this
rule applies when there is a water sprinklers system.
9.3.4.5 Wet risers network
If the floors are more than 2 then a wet risers network should be installed for all
floors.
9.3.4.6 Utility services
• The Utility precautions should be taken according to chapter 7
• The Utility fire precautions should be taken according to table 9.3.3

Table 9.3.3, Utility services for fire protection in judicial buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the standards accepted

by civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Basement and means of egress

Emergency lighting network Basement and means of egress and

quarters and halls

Secondary electricity source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and chapter

5 and 6

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9.3.5 Operation and monitoring
A. Enough number of guards and employees should be available 24 hours.
B. Guards should be situated on a horizontal length of no more than 90 meters from
the entrance of the residence and sleeping places of the residents, if the building is
multi floor then there should be guard every 3 floors at most. In addition when
using the conditions of use 3,4 and 5 then the needed arrangements should be
done in a way that the guards can open the doors needed for evacuation and
rescue during emergencies in a time span of no more than 2 minutes, in addition to
other arrangements needed in emergencies, when the ability for opening the doors
automatically and remotely then there is no need for the presence of the guards at
the distances mentioned before.
C. The needed arrangements should be done so the residents of the building that
submit to the conditions of usage 3,4,5 have the ability to inform the guards of any
emergencies. This can be done through using electronic monitoring system with
picture or sound or by both of them or by other ways.
9.3.5.2 Emergency plan and virtual exercises
A. An emergency plan should be written in Arabic and English to guarantee the
protection of all residents from fire dangers and to evacuate them to the temporary
refuge area or evacuating them outside of the building when needed.
The plan has to be distributed to all of the supervising and security staff with the
necessity to give the clear instruction for all the employees like security guards and
other, it is also required to make virtual trainings that are needed to clarify the
responsibilities for each one according to the plan.
• The plan needs to be arranged in coordination with civil defence but it should
submit to periodical revising and when it is needed changing, this should be done
too with the coordination of civil defence.
• The plan should include clear and specified actions:
• Detection and containment of fire.
• The usage of alarm systems.
• Response to alarms.
• Fire fighting.Location of equipment for fire fighting
• Evacuating the resident that are situated directly in dangerous places.
• Informing civil defence
• Evacuation within the compartment.
• Total evacuation outside the building.-Escape routes
A. The plan should provide clearly and in a way that doesn’t leave room for doubt
what are the responsibilities of each person, while taking into considerations the
needed actions for night shifts and weekends in coordination with civil defence.
B. Virtual periodical trainings should be done for each group alone and the trainings
should cover the positions and the uses of the alarm system and the manual
extinguishers and other extinguishing and fire protection tools.

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f. Training for new employees should be provided, all the employee should have
training/retraining on annual bases in accordance with civil defence.
g. Special records are made to keep the emergency plans and the documents for
virtual trainings and the trainings given to the employees.
9.3.5.3 Books and clothes
All books and clothes and other flammable personal properties should be kept
inside closed metal closets or inside fire resistant bins.
9.3.5.4 Heat producing equipments
It is not allowed to use heat-producing devices like electronic heater and stoves
and iron and others in the bedrooms unless it is accepted and monitored by the
administration.
9.3.5.5 Furniture and décor
A. All the curtains and blankets and other hanging fabrics should be according to the
codes mentioned in 6.7.1.
B. The furniture should be according to the codes mentioned in 6.7.2 and the beds
should be according to the codes mentioned in 6.7.2 and 6.7.3.
C. It is not allowed to use flammable décor unless it is of the type that has been
treated with materials to minimize flame spreading.
D. The bins and trash cans should be made of fire proof materials and it should have
a fire proof cover for each bin that has a capacity of more than 76 liters.
9.3.5.6 Keys
The suitable arrangements should be done to identify the keys and the doors they
open either by touching or by looking.

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 9.4 Group C-2
Care Occupancy
9.4.1 General
9.4.1.1 Definition
Care occupancies are the buildings where people who needs caring because of
their health and mental status (With full freedom) are kept, like care buildings,
babies nursing areas and kindergartens (more than 5 babies, age less than two
years and a half), retirement houses, hospitals, health units (with sleeping places),
rehabilitation and treatment hospitals, reformatories without detention cells, mental
hospitals without detention cells.
9.4.1.2 Mixed occupancies
A. When there exists other occupancies within the care occupancy then it can be
treated in the same way as the occupancy it is within but it should provide all the
following:
• It should not be used for treatment or residence of the patients who can’t keep their
well beings.
• It should be separated from the care occupancies according to table 4.1.
A. Clinics and medical centers and other similar occupancies can be classified as in
group E but they should not contain sleeping places for there occupants and the
number of patients that needs to be transported over a stretcher should not be
more than 3 at the same time and they should be separated from other care
occupancies with barriers that have a fire resistance of at least 2 hours.
B. When the care occupancies exists within buildings that contains other main
occupancies then they should be separated by fire resistant barriers that have a
resistance of no less than 2 hours.
C. When the means of egress of the care occupancy passes through other
occupancies then these means should submit to the codes of care occupancy.
D. When the health situation of the occupants require the doors of the means of
egress to be shut, then there should be an employee that is available 24 hours a
day for monitoring and evacuation when it is needed.
E. There should exist means of egress for the lecture halls, prayer places and
residential places and other additional occupancies according to the special codes
for these occupancies.
F. It is not allowed for high hazardous occupancies that have no connection with the
care occupancy to exist within care occupancy buildings.
9.4.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
• In addition to the codes of chapter 3, there should exist a way or street around the
care occupancy buildings so the vehicles of civil defence can reach all the sides for
the sleeping wings.
• Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.

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9.4.1.4 The level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in care occupancies is classified according to clause 4.1.
9.4.1.5 Construction requirements
A. In addition to these codes the codes of chapter 6 should be implemented.
B. The types of constructions in care buildings are specified according to table 9.4.1.
C. All the internal walls and the separators in the buildings of the first and second type
should be flame proof or with a limited fire resistance.
D. The openings for the passage of pipes and conditioning tunnels and other should
be within fire resistant barriers according to the codes of chapter 6.

Table 9.4.1, The types of allowed constructions within occupancy buildings.

Type of Floors concerned

architectur
al
structure

Undergro Ground First Second Three and

und more

First (443) Not Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) allowed
Second
(222)

Second Not Allowed Allowed Allowed Not allowed

(111) allowed

Second Not Allowed Not Not Not allowed

(000) allowed allowed allowed

Rest Not
allowed

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9.4.1.6 Total protection
The design and the construction and the maintenance of all the care occupancies should
be done to limit fire probabilities, which needs the evacuation of the residents. Since
evacuation alone cannot guarantee the safety of the residents so there is a need for fire
protection by making the suitable arrangements for the buildings and establishments and
providing the needed and enough staff in addition to improving the maintenance and
operation measures and they should include the following:
1. The architectural and establishment design of the building: construction and
building, fire compartments separation
2. Precautions for detection and alarming and extinguishing.
3. Fire precautions, design, virtual trainings for fire containment and limiting its spread
and then transporting the residents into the temporary refuge areas or the total
evacuation of the building.
9.4.2 Means of egress
9.4.2.1 General
The general codes mentioned in chapter 5 should be implemented in addition to these
codes.
9.4.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load for any floor should be calculated according to the maximum number
of expected residents in the floor and it should not be less than:
•Sleeping wings: 11m2 /person.
•Treatment areas (without sleeping quarters): 2m2/person.
9.4.2.3 Means of egress components
It is allowed to use the following components in the means of egress: stairs and ramps,
doors, horizontal exist, pass ways, smoke compartments, temporary refuge areas and this
is according to the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.4.2.3.1 Doors
•It is not allowed to use keys to lock the doors of the sleeping wings and rooms or any
mean of egress with the exception of the following cases:
•When there exists a possibility to open the locked doors from inside without the usage of
keys.
•In the cases that the security and health conditions of the residents needs the doors to
be locked then employees for monitoring and evacuation should be available 24 hours.
•In special cases estimated by civil defence and after taking all the necessary precautions
for evacuating the residents in a fast and efficient way like remote controlled locks or by
locking all the doors with keys that are available with all the employees at all times, or by
any other trusted way and the number of locks installed on a single lock should be no
more than one lock per door.
• At least one main exit should be equipped with panic hardware.

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B. As for the doors, exits, stairs ,horizontal exits, smoke barriers, doors of the special
hazard areas in the means of egress (with the exception of boiler rooms and the
heater and the mechanical equipments) are allowed to be left open but they should
close automatically.
C. When a fire happens in any floor, all the doors should close automatically on all
floors.
9.4.2.3.2 Horizontal exits and areas of temporary refuge
• The horizontal exits should be according to the codes mentioned in 5.2.4 in
addition to these codes.
• Temporary refuge areas should be provided on both sides of the horizontal exits
and this should be done in low hazard level areas like passages and patients
rooms and treatment rooms. The area should be no less than 2.8m2/Person in
hospitals and 1.4m2/Person in other care occupancies. Floors that don’t have
sleeping places or patients that can’t move, then the area can be decreased to
0.56 m2/Person (like walk-in clinics).
• If the width of the passage on the sides of the exits is 180cm or more then the
opening of the horizontal exit should be protected by a double winged door with the
wings opening in opposite directions and each wing net width should be no less
than 80cm, or by using a horizontally sliding door with a net width of 160cm. If the
net width of the passages is 240cm or more then the net width of each side should
be no less than 105cm and when using a horizontally sliding door then it’s net
width should be no less than 210cm.
• The horizontal exits should have vision openings that are covered by reinforced
transparent glass of the accepted type.
• It is allowed to decrease the needed capacity for other exits like stairs, ramps and
outer doors to the half when there exists enough horizontal exit and temporary
refuge areas.
9.4.2.3.3 Passages
The passages should be separated from the other areas using smoke barriers to
limit smoke spreading without being fire resistant and all the passages doors
should be of the smoke resistant types. With the exception of the lobby and the
waiting places and nursing points and gift shops (with the condition that they are
not classified as dangerous).
9.4.2.3.4 External windows
An external window or an external door should be available for every room that is
used for the sleeping of the residents but the height of the window sill should be no
more than 90cm relative to the floor level, the windows that faces the hall can be
considered as enough for the external window requirment.

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9.4.2.4 The number of exits
• Floor and fire compartment should have at least two independent exits, taking into
considerations the codes mentioned in 5.4
• At least one of the exits in each floor or fire compartment should be of the following
types:
1. A door that leads directly outside the building.
2. Normal escape stair
3. Smoke protected stair
4. Ramp
5. Final exit passage
• Each smoke compartment should have at least two exits. The escape can be done
through the nearby smoke compartments with the condition of providing continuity
of escape without the need for going back to the fire area to complete the escape
action.
9.4.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
• Each inhabited room should have at least one door that leads directly to a main
passage that is connected to the exit with the exception of the following cases:
1. Any room that is on the ground floor and has a door that opens directly to the
outside.
2. Rooms and other wings that are not used for sleeping of the patients.
3. It is allowed for the doors of the patients sleeping wings to lead to the hall or the
nurse’s room that leads in turn into the main passage.
• There should exist at least two exits that are far apart from each other for each
sleeping room or sleeping wing with an area of no less than 93m2, also for every
room of other use with an area of no less than 230m2.
• The area of any sleeping wing should be no more than 430m2 and the area of any
other wing should be no more than 930m2.
• It is allowed for the wings that are not used for sleeping to lead to a room that
leads to the main passage without going over the allowed limits for the compulsory
movement passages.
• Each passage should lead to at least two independent exits according to the codes
of chapter 5 without passing through rooms and other places with the exception of
the main passages and the lobby.
• The exits and all the passages that leads to the exits should be arranged in a way
that the length of any dead end is not more than what is allowed in table 5.2.

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9.4.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance should be no more than the following:
1. From any point of the room the door that leads to the passage for the exit and the
exit: 30 meters (45 meter when sprinklers exist)
2. From any point in the room and the closest exit: 45meter (60 meters when
sprinklers exist)
3. From any point in the sleeping rooms and the door that leads to the passage for
the exit: 15meter.
4. From any point in the sleeping wing and the door that leads to the passage for the
exit: 30 meter.
9.4.2.7 Exit discharge
Exit discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9
9.4.2.8 Means of egress capacity
• The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3 in addition to these codes.
• The net width of the passages and the ramps used as passages for the exist
should be no less than the following:
• 240cm in hospitals
• 180cm for the places of other health care facilities.
• 110cm for other places that are not used for the sleeping and the treatment of
patients.
C. The net width of the doors that are used for the means of egress for the sleeping
places and the diagnostic and treatment room and the baby care rooms should be
no less than the following:
• 105cm for hospitals.
80cm for other places.
9.4.3 Protection
9.4.3.1 Vertical openings protection
A. All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected with barriers that have the
following fire resistance:
1. One hour for all the buildings with an super structure that has a one-hour fire
resistance and this applies too to the vertical spaces that connects between 3 or
more floors.
2. Two hours for the spaces which connects between 4 or more floors

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B. The following is excluded from this rule:
1. The vertical spaces that connects between two nearby floors according to clause
6.3.10.4.
2. The middle space that connects more than 3 floors according to clause 6.3.10.7
9.4.3.2 Protection from external fire spreading
The protection from external fire spreading is done according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.4.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
The building should be separated into fire compartments according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3 in addition to these codes.
9.4.3.4 Danger protection
1. The hazardous areas should be protected according to the codes mentioned in 6.5
in addition to these codes.
2. The following areas should be protected with fire barrier that have a resistance of
no less than one hour:
• Boilers and heaters operated by fuel or gas.
• Laundries that have an area of more than 9m2.
• Labs where hazardous materials are used.
• Maintenance workshops.
• Storing rooms for white clothes and blankets.
• Storing rooms for normal flammable stuff with an area of more than 9m2.
• Garbage collection rooms.
9.4.3.4.2 Labs
The labs where fast flammable materials or flammable materials or dangerous
materials that are considered a big source of danger are used should be protected
according to one of the accepted standards.
9.4.3.4.3 Anesthesia rooms
Anesthesia rooms should be protected according to the accepted standards.
9.4.3.4.4 Medical gas
Medical gases places should be protected including the storage and distribution
areas according to one of the accepted standards.

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9.4.3.4.5 Gift shops
Gift shops should be protected on the base that they are hazardous areas if they
are used to store or show flammable materials in amounts that are considered
dangerous.
9.4.3.4.6 Commercial kitchens
Commercial kitchens should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
7.10.
9.4.3.4.7 Helipads
Helipads should be protected according to one of the accepted standards.
9.4.3.5 Interior finish
A. In addition to these codes the codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied.
B. The interior finish for the walls and ceilings of passages of type A or B and the
interior finish of the floors of the exits of type 1 or 2.

9.4.3.6 Separation into smoke compartments

• The buildings that contains care occupancies should be separated using smoke
barriers in the following manner:
A. Each floor that is used for treatment or sleeping of the residents should be
separated into at least 2 smoke compartments.
B. Each floor that has a load factor of more than 50 should be separated into at least
2 smoke compartments regardless to what it is used for.
C. It is not allowed for any smoke compartment to be more than 2100m2.
D. The travel distance from any point to the door of the smoke barrier should be no
more than 60 30 meters.
E. The smoke barriers should be established according to the codes mentioned in 6.4
and there resistance should be no less than 1 hour, as for the doors then they
should have a resistance of no less than 20 minutes 1 hour and each smoke
compartment is considered a temporary refuge area.
9.4.4 Fire protection equipment sand tools
9.4.1.1 Protection with sprinklers
All the care occupancy buildings should be protected with water sprinklers with the
exception of buildings that are composed of two or less floors and with an area of
no more than 2000m2 for each floor.
9.4.4.2 Other equipment for alarm and fire extinguishing
The alarm and fire extinguishing equipments should be provided according to table
9.4.2.

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9.4.4.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions utility services according to the codes of chapter 7.
B. Utility services for fire precautions should be available according to table 9.4.3.

Table 9.4.2, Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for the care buildings.

Type of equipments Areas concerned

1-manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-fixed equipments

Rubber hoses network All floors if the total area is more

than 2000 m2

Dry riser network According to 8.3.1

Wet riser network According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All floors

system

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 Table 9.4.3, Utility services for fire protection in care buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted standards

of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress

Emergency lighting Means of egress, underground floors,

sleeping places and halls

Secondary power source All care occupancies that contains

equipments and devices for life
support

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and chapter

5 and 6

9.4.5 Operation and monitoring

9.4.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings

A. An emergency plan should be written in Arabic and English to guarantee the protection of
all residents from fire dangers and to evacuate them to the temporary refuge area or
evacuating them outside of the building when needed. The plan has to be distributed to all of
the supervising and security staff with the necessity to give the clear instruction for all the
employees like security guards and other, a copy should be provided for the phone division
employee and another for the security division. All the employees should be told in a periodical
manner about there responsibilities in the plan.
B. Virtual evacuation trainings should be done once every 3 months for each group.
C. All the employees should be trained on the fire safety precautions and they should be
trained on the safety equipments too.

9.4.5.2 Necessary precaution during the fire

All the employees need to be trained on fast response for any fire emergency in a way that all
the people who are located in the danger area are removed to safety. Then sending the
needed alarm signal to warn the other people remaining in the building, in addition to closing
all the doors to isolate the fire area and to limit its spreading, then implementing the missions
mentioned in the emergency plan.
The plan should include clear and specified actions all in Arabic and English and when
suitable - pictograms.

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The plan should include the following:
1. Detection of fire.
2. The usage of alarm systems.
3. Informing civil defence.
4. Response to alarms.
5. Fire containment.
6. Evacuating the fire area.
7. Preparing the building for evacuation.
8. Fire fighting.
9.4.5.3 Exits maintenance
The exits need to be maintained in a good way. When approval by civil defence is
granted for locking the exit’s doors then the required staff must be available for
evacuation of the residents.
9.4.5.4 Smoking
Smoking should be regulated and the following minimum requirements needs to be
implemented:
1. Smoking is prohibited in any place that is used for using or storing fast flammable
liquids and gases or oxygen in addition to other hazardous places.
2. Smoking is prohibited for the people who can’t be responsible for their well being
without the help of others unless direct monitoring is provided.
3. No smoking signs should be hanged in places where smoking is prohibited.
4. Smoke ashtrays should be made from fire proof materials with the necessity to
provide metal bins that have auto closing covers to discharge the remaining of the
cigarettes and they should be distributed in every place that smoking is allowed in.
5. All smoking permissions must be in accordance with the latest guidelines given by
the government of UAE
9.4.5.5 Furniture and décor
1. All the curtains, blankets and other fabrics should be according to the codes
mentioned in 6.7.1.
2. All the furniture should be according to the codes mentioned in 6.7.2
3. All the beds should be according to the codes mentioned in 6.7.2 and 6.7.3.
4. It is not allowed to use flammable décor unless it is of a type that is treated with
flame retardant materials.
5. It is not allowed for the capacity of the garbage bins and the baskets for blankets
and white fabrics to be more than 121 liter and if the capacity goes over this then
they should be placed in places that are classified and protected as being
hazardous area.

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 9.5 Group D-1
Hotel and motel occupancy
9.5.1 General
9.5.1.1 Definitions
Hotel and motel occupancy
They are the buildings used for temporary residence and are listed under group D-
1 which is clarified in clause 4.2.4.
Sleeping room
It is a room in the hotel that is used for sleeping and living. It includes the sanitary
and storing facilities .
Sleeping wing
It is a wing in the hotel that is composed from two or more rooms for sleeping and
living and it contains the sanitary and storing facilities.
9.5.1.2 Mixed occupancies
• When other occupancies exist within the same residential hotel building then the
codes mentioned in 4.5 are applied unless something else was mentioned in this
chapter.
• As for the residential hotel occupancies mixed with assembly occupancies then the
codes mentioned in 9.1.1.2 and if it is mixed with commercial occupancies then the
codes mentioned in 9.9.1.2 are applied and if it is mixed with administrative
occupancies then the codes of clause 9.8.1.2 are applied.

9.5.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence

• The ability for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.
• Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.(see also sketch 6)
9.5.1.4 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in the residence hotel occupation as being a normal
hazard and this doesn’t apply for the designs and special calculations for the
sprinkler system if it exists.
9.5.1.5 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The types of allowed constructions in hotels are specified by table 9.5.1.
C. The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning tunnels and other through the
fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.

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Table 9.5.1 Possible structures for hotels and motels

Type of Floor
super
structure
Undergrou Ground Upper floors
nd
1 2 3 or
more

First (443) Allowed but Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) no
Second(222)
residence
use
Second(111) Not allowed Allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not
area no area no allowed
more more
than than
1400m2 1400 m2
Second(000) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
area no area no allowed allowed
more more
than than
800 m2 800 m2
Third(211) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
Fourth(2WW) area no area no allowed allowed
Fifth(111)
more more
than than
1200 m2 1200 m2
Third(200) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
800 m2
Fifth(000) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
400 m2
443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional
element in hours and they where cleared in the table

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9.5.2 Means of egress
9.5.2.1 General
A. The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
B. Enough and suitable means of egress should be available in all the sleeping wings
and rooms and they should lead outside the building according to the codes of
chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.5.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load should be specified on the base of 1 person for every 18.5 M2
of the total area of the place or on the base of the maximum number of expected
occupants or whatever is bigger.
9.5.2.3 Means of egress components
it is allowed to use doors and stairs and horizontal exits and ramps and passages
and temporary refuge areas in the means of egress and this is done according to
the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.5.2.4 Number of exits
At least two independent exits should be a available for each floor and they should
submit to the codes of clause 5.4 and one exit can be enough if all the following is
available if the second exit is provided by the fire brigades ladders:
• There is no more than 3 floors
• The overall occupancy load for each floor should be no more than 30 persons.
• The maximum travel distance is no more than 51 25 meter or 45 if sprinklered.

9.5.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress

• The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
• The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths which is mentioned in 5.2 should be considered. To measure the
length of the compulsory movement path the movement path inside the residential
unit is not considered.
• At least two exit doors should exist for every sleeping wing or room that have an
area of more than 185 m2 and they should be far apart from each other.
9.5.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance should be no more than the following:
1. From any point in the sleeping room or wing to the door that leads to the passage:
20 meters and this can be increased upto 30 meters if the buildings are protected
by sprinklers.
2. From the door leading to the passage and to the nearest exit: 25 meter and this
can be increased to 45meters in the buildings protected with sprinklers, or when
the paths for reaching the exits are an external balcony.

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9.5.2.7 Exits discharge
Exits discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.
9.5.2.8 Means of egress capacity
A. The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3 in addition to these codes.
B. The passages should have enough width to facilitate the passage of the expected
occupancy load and it should be no less than 110cm.
9.5.3 Protection
9.5.3.1 Vertical openings protection
A. All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10 and it may be accepted to use all the allowable exceptions
mentioned in 6.3.10 but the building should have at least two exits.
B. All the openings connecting between the underground floor and the ground floor
should be surrounded with fire resistant barriers if the underground floors are used
for storing or if they contain heating devices or boilers or car parking.
9.5.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.5.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
• Hotels should be separated into fire compartments according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes mentioned in this chapter.
• Walls of all paths leading to the exits should be fire resistant with a resistance of at
least one hour, resistance can be decreased into half an hour if the building is
totally protected with sprinklers, it is not allowed to leave any unprotected opening
in the walls of these passages including the conditioning openings and the doors
resistance in these passages should be no less than 20 minutes and they should
close automatically.

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9.5.3.4 Protection from dangers
A. All the dangerous areas should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.5 in addition to these codes.
B. It is not allowed to place rooms that contain high-pressure boilers or other
dangerous equipments. big cooling devices or big electric adapters or others of
exploding equipments near the exits or directly below them and these rooms needs
to be separated from the rest of the building according to the codes mentioned in
6.5.
C. The dangerous areas should be separated from the rest of the building using fire
resistant barriers or by sprinklers or by both as in table 9.5.2 and when it is allowed
to protect the place using sprinklers without asking for fire resistant barriers then it
is needed to use smoke barriers to place separation according to the codes
mentioned in 6.4.
9.5.3.5 Interior finishing
The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
A. The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A for the exits, from type A and B for the passages and the lobby, of type A or
B or C for other places.
B. The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.5.3.6 Furniture and decor
A. All the curtains and blankets and other hanging fabrics should be according to the
codes mentioned in 6.71.
B. It is not allowed to use flammable decor unless it is treated with flame retardant
material.
9.5.4 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.5.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers
Hotels should be protected by water sprinklers with the exception of the following:
A. The buildings consisting of no more than 3 floors and the area of one fire
compartment should be no more than 1000 m2.
B. The buildings where every sleeping room or wing has a door that opens directly to
the outside or to an external balcony that leads to the exits.

9.5.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments

Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.5.3

Page 166 of 239

9.5.4.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be available
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.5.4.

9.5.5 Operation and monitoring

9.5.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings
A. All the employees should be trained on the necessary actions to be taken during
fire and panic and other emergencies.
B. Virtual trainings should be done once every 3 months and it should cover the main
points like evacuation, operation and maintenance of basic extinguishing
equipments in the building, how to deal with alarm systems, studying and reviewing
the instructions of emergencies.

9.5.5.2 Necessary precautions during fire

When fire is detected the employees needs to do the following:
• Sounding the general alarm if it exists.
• Informing civil defence.
• Doing other necessary precautions.

9.5.5.3 Instructions for the safety of the residents

A layout of each floor should be done and it should show the shape of the floor and
the positions of the exist and the rooms and the sketch should be hanged on the
entrances of the rooms and wings, all the residents should be supplied with a flyer
about fire safety instructions in Arabic and English.

Page 167 of 239

Table 9.5.2, The resistance average for high hazardous places in hotel and motel
occupancies for fire in hour.

Area or place description Surrounding/protection

Fuel boilers which serves more than 1 hour resistance + sprinklers

sleeping room or wing

Commercial kitchens According to the codes mentioned in

7.10

Shops including gift shops 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

Employees clothes rooms 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

Workshops/maintenance workshops 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

Central Laundries 1 hour resistance + sprinklers

Laundries with an area of no more 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

than 9.3 m2 that are outside the
rooms or wings
Laundries with an area of more than 1 hour resistance + sprinklers
9.3 m2 that are outside the rooms or
wings
Store rooms 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

Trash rooms 1 hour resistance or sprinklers

Page 168 of 239

Table 9.5.3, Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for the hotels and motels

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-fixed equipments

Rubber hoses network All floors with the exception of the

two floored buildings, are of the
floor less than 2000m2

Dry riser network According to 8.3.1

Wet riser network According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All floors

system

Table 9.5.4, Utility services for fire protection in the hotels and motels.

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted

standards of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress and the basement

Emergency lighting Means of egress and the basement

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 169 of 239

 9.6 Group D-2
Residential apartments occupancy

9.6.1 General
9.6.1.1 Residential apartments occupancies
The residential apartment are all the buildings of group D-2 which that have no less
than 3 independent residential units for permanent residence and each residence
unit should have a kitchen and a bathroom. This group also contains the furnished
apartments used for permanent residence.
9.6.1.2 Mixed occupancies
• When other occupancies exist within the same residential building then the codes
mentioned in 4.5 are applied unless something else was mentioned in this chapter.
• As for the residential occupancies mixed with assembly occupancies then the
codes mentioned in 9.1.1.2 and if it is mixed with commercial occupancies then the
codes mentioned in 9.9.1.2 are applied and if it is mixed with administrative
occupancies then the codes of clause 9.8.1.2 are applied.
9.6.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
• The access for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.(see sketch 6)
• Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.
9.6.1.4 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in the residence occupation as being a normal hazard
9.6.1.5 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The types of allowed constructions in residential buildings are specified by table
9.6.1.
• The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning tunnels and other through the
fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.

Page 170 of 239

Table 9.6.1 The types of allowed constructions in residential buildings

Type of Floor
super
structure
Undergrou Ground Upper floors
nd

1 2 3 or
more

First (443) Allowed but Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) no
Second(222) residence
use

Second(111) Not allowed Allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not

area no area no allowed
more more
than than
1400 m2 1400 m2
Second(000) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
area no area no allowed allowed
more more
than 800 than
m2 800 m2

Third(211) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not

Fourth(2WW) area no area no allowed allowed
Fifth(111) more more
than than
1200 m2 1200 m2

Third(200) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not

area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than 800
m2

Fifth(000) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not

area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than 400
m2

443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional element
in hours and they where cleared in the table
2WW means wood.

Page 171 of 239

9.6.2 Means of egress
9.6.2.1 General
A. The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
B. Enough and suitable means of egress should be available in all the residential
buildings and they should lead outside the building according to the codes of
chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.6.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load should be specified on the base of 1 person for every 18.5 m2
of the total area of the place or on the base of the maximum number of expected
occupants or whatever is bigger.
9.6.2.3 Means of egress components
It is allowed to use doors and stairs and horizontal exits and ramps and passages
and temporary refuge areas in the means of egress and this is done according to
the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.6.2.4 The number of exits
At least two independent exits should be available for each floor and they should
submit to the codes of clause 5.4 and one exit can be enough in one of the
following two cases:
A. Buildings which the floor of it’s last inhabited floor is no more than 21 meters of
height relative to the side way and all the following should be provided
• The number of the residential units in one floor should be no more than 6.
• The area of one floor should be no more than 500 m2
• The distance from any residential unit entrance and the door of the stairs is no
more than 9 meters.
• The stair should face one of the external sides of the buildings and it should have
natural ventilation using open-able windows.
• Each residential unit should have at least one window for ventilation and rescue
according to the codes mentioned in 5.2.9.4, while providing the ability for the civil
defence vehicles to reach them.
• The net width of the stairs should be no less than 110 cm.

Page 172 of 239

B. Buildings which the floor of it’s last inhabited floor is between 21 and 28 meters of
height relative to the side way and all the following should be provided
1. The number of the residential units in one floor should be no more than 4.
2. The area of one floor should be no more than 500m2.
3. The distance between any residential unit entrance and the door of the stairs should
be no more than 6 meters.
4. The stair should face one of the external sides of the buildings and it should have
natural ventilation using operable windows.
5. Each residential unit should have at least one window for ventilation and rescue
according to the codes mentioned in 5.2.9.4, while providing the ability for the civil
defence vehicles to reach them.
6. The net width of the stairs should be no less than 120 cm.
7. The building should be totally protected by sprinklers on the bases of total coverage.

9.6.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress

• The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
• The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths which is mentioned in 5.2 should be considered. To measure the
length of the compulsory movement path the movement path inside the residential
unit is not considered.
9.6.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance should be no more than the following:
1. From any point in the residential unit to the door that leads to the passage: 20
meters and this can be increased into 30 meters in the buildings protected with
sprinklers.
2. From the door leading to the passage and to the nearest exit: 25 meter and this can
be increased to 45meters in the buildings protected with sprinklers, or when the
paths for reaching the exits are an external balcony.
9.6.2.7 Exits discharge
Exits discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.
9.6.2.8 Means of egress capacity
• The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3 in addition to these codes.
• The passages should have enough width to facilitate the passage of the expected
occupancy load and it should be no less than 110cm.

Page 173 of 239

9.6.3 Protection
9.6.3.1 Vertical openings protection
A. All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10 and it is allowed to use all the allowed exception mentioned in
6.3.10 but the building should have at least two exits.
B. All the openings connecting between the underground floor and the ground floor
should be surrounded with fire resistant barriers if the underground floors are used
for storing or if they contain heating devices or boilers or car parking.
9.6.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.6.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
A. The residential buildings of should be separated into fire compartments according
to the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes mentioned in this chapter.
B. The walls of all the paths leading to the exits should be fire resistant with a
resistance of at least one hour and the resistance can be decreased into half an
hour if the building is totally protected with sprinklers, it is not allowed to leave any
unprotected opening in the walls of these passages including the conditioning
openings and the doors resistance in these passages should be no less than 20
minutes and they should close automatically.
C. The residential units should be separated from each other using barriers that have
a resistance of at least half an hour.
9.6.3.4 Protection from dangers
All the dangerous places should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.5 in addition to these codes.
9.6.3.5 Interior finishing
• The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A for the exits, from type A and B for the passages and the lobby, of type A or
B or C for other places.
• The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.

Page 174 of 239

9.6.4 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.6.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers
All the residential apartments are exempt from the use of water sprinklers with the
exception of the requirements mentioned in 9.6.2.4.
9.6.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.6.2.
9.6.4.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be available
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.6.3.
9.6.5 Emergency instructions for the residents
All the residential units should be supplied with yearly emergency instructions that
shows the position of the manual alarm point, the means of egress and exits, as
well as the actions that needs to be taken in case of a fire inside the unit or outside
it and also when hearing the alarm bell.

Table 9.6.2, Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for residential buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-fixed equipments

Rubber hoses network All floors with the exception of the

two floored buildings, are of the
floor less than 2000m2

Dry riser network According to 8.3.1

Wet riser network According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All floors

system

Page 175 of 239

 Table 9.6.3, Utility services for fire protection in residential buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted

standards of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress and the basement

Emergency lighting Means of egress and the basement

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 176 of 239

 9.7 Group D-3
Single Family buildings/two families
9.7.1 General
9.7.1.1 Implementation
These codes covers the buildings that have no more than 2 residential units used
for permanent residence and people from the same family occupy each unit, like
the local residences and villas.
9.7.1.2 Mixed occupancies
When other occupancies exist within the same residential building then the codes
mentioned in 4.5 are applied.
9.7.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
• Access for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.
• Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.(see sketch 6)
9.7.1.4 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in the residence occupation as being a normal hazard
9.7.1.5 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• All the types of constructions mentioned in chapter 6 can be used in the buildings
for one or two families while committing to the following:
• Second Type (000) and third type (200): two floors only and the area of the floor
should be no more than 600m2.
• Fifth type (000): one floor only and its area should be no more than 400m2.
• Rest of the types: allowed without constraints.
9.7.2 Means of egress
9.7.2.1 General
Enough and suitable means of egress should be available according to the codes
of chapter 5 as well as these codes.
9.7.2.2 Types and number of the means of egress
• There should exist at least one primary mean of egress in addition to one
secondary mean of egress in each sleeping room and in each living room in any
residential unit that has more than two rooms, the secondary mean of egress can
be ignored if the room has a door that leads directly outside or the residential unit
is protected with sprinklers.
• It is needed to provide two main means of egress for each floor that have an area
of more than 185m2, or if the travel distance to reach a main egress route is more
than 23 meters.

Page 177 of 239

9.7.2.2.1 Primary escape route
The main escape route can be a door or a stair or a ramp, but the continuity of
escape should be provided from the residential unit and into the open.
9.7.2.2.2 Secondary escape route
The secondary escape route can be one of the following types:
1. Door,stair or a passage that are independent in away from the main escape route
should lead to the open.
2. A passage through any nearby and passable and independent of the main escape
route and it should lead into an accepted mean of egress.
3. An external door or an external window that opens from inside without the need for
using keys and the external windows should submit to the codes mentioned in
5.2.9.5, they are considered accepted when the provide one of the following
requirements:
• The height of the window or the door should be no more than 6 meter relevant to
the level of the side way.
• The ladders of civil defence can reach the window or the door.
• The door or the window faces an external balcony.
9.7.2.3 Arrangement of the means of egress
• The means of egress should be passable all the time and the ability to open all the
doors from inside without the usage of keys should be available.
• The ability to unlock the bathrooms doors from outside in emergency should be
available when needed.
• The net width of the doors should be no less than 70cm.
• The stairs and ramps and the fall protection barriers and handrails should be
according to the codes of chapter 5 and the net width for the stairs and the ramps
and the balconies should be no less than 90cm.
• It is allowed to use the spiral stairs according to the codes mentioned in 5.2.2.4.
9.7.3 Protection
9.7.3.1 Vertical openings protection
The vertical openings can be left unprotected with the exception of the openings
connecting between the underground floor and the ground floor they should be
surrounded by protection barriers with a resistance of no less than 1 hour.
9.7.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.

Page 178 of 239

9.7.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
A. The residential units should be separated from each other using barriers that have
a resistance of at least half an hour.
B. The underground floor should be separated from the ground floor by barriers that
have a resistance of at least one hour.
9.7.3.4 Interior finishing
The interior finishing of the walls and the ceiling should be of type A or B or C and
according to the codes mentioned in 6.6.
9.7.3.5 Protection from fire
A. At least two fire extinguishers should be available, one at the kitchen and another
near the main entrance.
B. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services according to the codes of
chapter 7.

Page 179 of 239

 9.8 Group E
Administrative occupancy

9.8.1 General
9.8.1.1 Definition of administrative occupancies
Look clause 4.2.8 Page 14.
9.8.1.2 Mixed occupancies
• When other occupancies exist with the administration occupancies then the codes
mentioned in 4.5 are applied in addition to these codes.
• The administrative occupancy should be separated from the rest of the
occupancies according to table 4.1.
• When there exists a residential occupancy (Group D) over the administrative
occupancy then it should be separated along with its exits of the administrative
occupancy by barriers that have a resistance of at least 1 hour.
• The escape routes of any residential unit should not pass through any
administrative occupancy in the same building.
• When car parking is shared between the administrative and residential occupancy
then they should be separated with barriers of at least 2 hours resistance.
• It is allowed to use shared exits between the administrative and residential and
other occupancies but they should have enough capacity to facilitate the load of all
the occupancies at the same time.
9.8.1.3 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
A. The ability for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.
B. Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.(see sketch 6)
9.8.1.4 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in the residence occupation are classified as being a
normal hazard and this doesn’t apply for the designs and special calculations for
the sprinkler system.
9.8.1.5 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The types of allowed constructions in administrative buildings are specified by table
9.8.1.
• The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning channels and others through
the fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.

Page 180 of 239

 Table 9.8.1 Types of allowed constructions in Administrative buildings

Type of Floor
super
structure
Undergroun Ground Upper floors
d

1 2 3 or
more

First (443) Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332)
Second(222)

Second(111) Allowed but Allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not

only one area no area no allowed
floor more more
than than
2100m2 2100m2
Second(000) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
area no area no allowed allowed
more more
than than
1400m2 1400m2
Third(211) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not
Fourth(2WW) area no area no allowed allowed
Fifth(111) more more
than than
1400m2 1400m2
Third(200) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
1000m2
Fifth(000) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not
area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
500m2
443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional element
in hours and they where cleared in the table

Page 181 of 239

9.8.2 Means of egress

9.8.2.1 General
A. The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
B. Enough and suitable means of egress should be available from all the parts of the
building and they should lead outside the building according to the codes of
chapter 5 in addition to these codes.

9.8.2.2 Occupancy load

The occupancy load should be specified on the base of 1 person for every 9.5 m2
of the total area of the place as for the area used for another uses it is calculated
according to each occupancy type alone.

9.8.2.3 Means of egress components

It is allowed to use doors and stairs and horizontal exits and ramps and passages
and temporary refuge areas in the means of egress and this is done according to
the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.

9.8.2.4 The number of exits

• With the exception of what is allowed in these codes, at least two independent
exits should be available for each floor and they should submit to the codes of
clause 5.4 and the ability to reach those exits should be available from all the floor
parts.

B. One
see exit can paragraphs
previous be enough in the following cases:
9.5.2

A. Buildings where is no more than 4 floors and the total occupancy load for the floor
is no more than 50 and the maximum travel distances to the exits is no more than
23 meter (30 meters if the building is totally protected with sprinklers).
B. Every room or area that has a occupancy load of no more than 100 and it should
have one exit at least which leads outside and the total travel distance from any
point in the building until reaching the outside of the building should be no more
than 30 meters and the height of the stairs if it exists should be no more than 4.5
meters relative to the side ways unless the stair is external and submits to the
codes mentioned in 5.2.2.8.2.
C. Mezzanine, but the compulsory travel distance should be no more than 23 meters
(30 meters if the building is totally protected by sprinklers).

Page 182 of 239

9.8.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
A. The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
B. The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths that are mentioned in table 5.2 should be considered.

9.8.2.6 Travel distance

The travel distance from any point until the closest exit should be no more than 50
30 meters (75 50 meters when the building is protected completely with sprinklers)

9.8.2.7 Exits discharge

Exits discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.

9.8.2.8 Means of egress capacity

• The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
• The passages should have enough width to facilitate the passage of the expected
occupancy load and it should be no less than 110cm.
9.8.3 Protection
9.8.3.1 Vertical openings protection
• All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10 and it is allowed to use all the allowed exception mentioned in
6.3.10 but the building should have at least two exits.
• All the openings connecting between the underground floor and the ground floor
should be surrounded with fire resistant barriers if the underground floors are used
for storing or if they contain heating devices or boilers or car parking.

9.8.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading

The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.8.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
• The administrative buildings should be separated into fire compartments according
to the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes mentioned in this chapter.
• The walls of all the paths leading to the exits should be fire resistant with a
resistance of at least one hour and the doors resistance in these passages should
be no less than 20 60 minutes with the exception of the following cases:
• When one renter (tenant)uses the place or the floor only.
• When the building is protected with sprinklers.

Page 183 of 239

9.8.3.4 Protection from dangers
All the dangerous places, like store rooms, boilers and heater which work by fuel,
electric generator, maintenance workshops including wood workshops and painting
place, should be protected using separators that have a resistance of at least one
hour or by using water sprinklers and in general all the dangerous places should
be protected according to the codes mentioned in 6.5 in addition to these codes.
9.8.3.5 Interior finishing
A. The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A or B for the exits and the passages, of type A or B or C for other places.
C. The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.8.4 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.8.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers
• All the underground floors should be protected using water sprinklers when they
apply to the codes mentioned in 10.1.3.
• The administrative buildings should be protected with water sprinklers if the area of
the fire compartment is more than 2000m2 with the exception of one-floored
buildings.
9.8.4.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.8.2.
9.8.4.3 Utility services
• The necessary precautions by the utility services should be available according to
the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
• The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.8.3.
9.8.5 Operation and monitoring
9.8.5.1 Emergency plan and virtual trainings
If there is more than 500 occupant of the administrative buildings or if the
occupants of the high floors or the underground floor are more than 100 then
employees should be trained on the evacuations the building due to fire. In addition
to the necessity to perform virtual evacuation training in a periodical way if it is
practical.
9.8.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments
All the employees of the administrative buildings should be trained on using the
basic extinguishing equipments available in the buildings.

Page 184 of 239

Table 9.8.2, Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for Administrative buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses network All floors with the exception of the

two floored buildings, are of the floor
less than 2000M2

Dry riser According to 8.3.1

Wet riser According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm system
All floors (with the exception of the
buildings that has a floor area of no
more than 2000m2 and the offices
that open directly to the outside or
to an open balcony which is
connected to the outside)

Page 185 of 239

Table 9.8.4, engineering services for fire protection in Administrative buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted

standards of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress

Emergency lighting Means of egress and the basement

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 186 of 239

 9.9 Group F
Commercial occupancy
9.9.1 General
9.9.1.1 Definitions
Commercial occupancies
They are the buildings or part of them where goods are shown and sold, like
shops, markets, malls, commercial exhibitions, supermarket, grocery stores, car
service stations.
Covered mall
It is a passage for people and is connected to many commercial shops inside a
building of central assembled shopping.
Covered mall building
It is a building that contains the covered mall and it contains many tenants and
many occupations like supermarkets and other commercial shops and restaurants
and entertainment establishments and offices and other, but the number of tenants
places that are connected to the covered mall should be no less than 2.
Anchor store (Building connected to the mall)
It is a main commercial shop that is situated at the side of the covered mall and it
has entrances to the mall and it should have independent means of egress.

9.9.1.2 Mixed occupancies

• The mixed occupancies should they should submit to the codes mentioned in 4.5
in addition to these codes.
• The commercial occupancy should be separated from the rest of the occupancies
according to table 4.1.
• When there exists a residential occupancy (Group D) over the commercial
occupancy then it should be separated along with its exits of the administrative
occupancy by barriers that have a resistance of at least 1 hour.
• When car parking is shared between the administrative and residential occupancy
then they should be separated with barriers of at least 2 hours resistance.
• It is not allowed for group I occupations to be with the commercial occupancies.
9.9.1.3 Classification of commercial occupancies
The commercial occupancies are classified into secondary types in the following
manner:
Type (1): All the commercial shops used for selling or have a total area of more than
2800m2 or which have more than 3 floors with the exception of the mezzanine.
Type (2): All the commercial shops used for selling or have a total area of 280m2-2800m2
or which have 2 floors with the exception of the mezzanine.
Type (3): All the commercial shops used for selling and are one floored and have a total
area of less than 280m2.

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9.9.1.4 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
A. In addition to the codes mentioned in chapter 3, a road or a way around the
buildings of the malls so the ability for civil defence to reach the building from all
sides is available.
B. Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.
9.9.1.5 Level of contents hazard
The level of contents hazard in the commercial occupation is classified as being a
normal hazard according to the codes mentioned in 4.1.
9.9.1.6 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The types of allowed constructions in commercial buildings are specified by table
9.9.1.
• The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning tunnels and other through the
fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.
9.9.2 Means of egress
9.9.2.1 General
• The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
• Enough and suitable means of egress should be available in all the residential
buildings and they should lead outside the building according to the codes of
chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.9.2.2 Occupancy load
The allowed occupancy load in the commercial buildings is specified according to
the occupancy load factors mentioned in table 5.1
9.9.2.3 Means of egress components
Is allowed to use doors and stairs and horizontal exits and ramps and passages
and temporary refuge areas in the means of egress and this is done according to
the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.9.2.4 Number of exits
At least two independent exits should be a available for each floor or fire
compartment in the building and they should be easy to reach from any point in the
floor or in the mezzanine and they should submit to the codes of clause 5.4 and
one exit can be enough in commercial occupancy of type 3 if the travel distance
from any point in the commercial shop to the exit or to the main path in the malls is
no more than 23 30 meter.

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9.9.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
A. The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
B. The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths which is mentioned in table 5.2 should be considered.
C. The width of the passages leading to the exits should be no less than 110cm, in
the shops of type 1 there should be one passage at least with a 150cm width and
this passage should lead directly to one exit at least.
9.9.2.6 Exits discharge
A. Exit discharge should be according to the codes mentioned in 5.9 in addition to
these codes.
B. It is allowed for half of the required number of exits to lead into the lobby in the
ground floor according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.

9.9.2.7 Means of egress capacity

A. The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
B. In the commercial buildings of type 1 or 2 the exist in the ground floor should be
enough to facilitate for all the occupancy load of the ground floor in addition to
facilitating the occupancy load for the stairs and ramps of the other floors which
leads to these exits.
9.9.3 Protection
9.9.3.1 Vertical openings protection
• All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10, with the following exceptions:
A. Between two nearby floors(see sketch 12)
B. Between the ground floor and the floor below it or the floor directly above it (or the
mezzanine).
C. The middle space connecting more than 3 floors according to clause 6.3.10.6.
D. In the commercial shops of type 3 it is allowed to leave vertical openings between
the ground floor and the mezzanine without protection.
E. It is allowed for a middle space that connects between 3 floors to exist according to
clause 6.3.10.7.

9.9.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading

The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.

Page 189 of 239

9.9.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
The commercials buildings of should be separated into fire compartments
according to the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the codes mentioned in this
chapter.
9.9.3.4 Protection from dangers
A. All the dangerous areas should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.5 in addition to these codes.
B. The dangerous areas like boiler rooms and heater and ovens and maintenance
workshops including the carpenter workshops and the places of paint and other
should be protected. The protection is done by separation from the rest of the
building by barriers with at least one hour of resistance or by covering the areas
with water sprinklers.

9.9.3.5 Interior finishing

A. The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A Or B for the exits, from type A or B or C for the passages.
C. The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.9.4 Special arrangements
9.9.4.1 Commercial operations in open air
When commercial operations are done in open air, like in open markets and gas
stations, then the necessary arrangements should be done to keep the means of
egress passable and vacant of any barriers at all times without the existence of
any dead ends.
9.9.4.2 Buildings of malls
The target of this clause is to specify the minimum safety measures for the mall
that have a height of no more than 3 floors. If the mall needs to be more than 3
floors, then it should submit to the acceptance of civil defence, where each case is
considered individually. After providing a full study for protection of souls and
property, it is the right of civil defence to reject or ask for additional precautions.
9.9.4.2.1 Means of egress in malls
A. When calculating the means of egress in shopping building is treated as a single
building that applies to the general conditions mentioned in this chapter. The width
of the covered mall should be enough to facilitate for all the occupants

Page 190 of 239

B. Contradicting with the first clause it is allowed for the covered mall to be used as a
passage for people where it is possible for the maximum limit for the travel
distance from any point in a shop to the closest exit or to the covered mall is 45
meters (or any other number according to the type of the occupation and an
additional 45 meters that are allowed for traveling from inside the covered mall butt
all the following should be provided:
1. The width of the passage should be enough to facilitate for all the occupants of the
place and it should be no less than 6 meters.
2. The net width between the showcase of the shops and any obstacle in the covered
mall like chairs and display case or shakes and others, should be at least 3 meters
and the passage should continue to at least one exit and it’s width should be no
less than 165cm.
3. The needed exist should be distributed equally over the length of the covered mall.
4. Protection of the covered mall and all the buildings connected to it using sprinklers.
The sprinklers should be arranged in a way that if any part of the sprinkler system
that covers the shops goes out of service then it wont affect the rest of the other
part of the system which covers the covered mall.
5. The separation walls between the rented shops should continue from the ground
and up into the ceiling, with the exception of the sides facing the cesarean passage
and with the exception of the walls of the shops that contains a smoke control
system.
6. Providing the covered mall with smoke control system.
9.9.4.2.2 Means of egress details
A. It is not allowed to store or show high hazardous goods in the range of 30 meters
of the exits unless they are situated within protection bins.
B. The needed number of means of egress should be provided according to the
codes mentioned in 5.4 and this should apply for every floor in the malls and they
should be no less than two exits.
C. The number of means of egress for the shops of type 1 and 2 that are connected
to the covered mall should be no less than 2.
D. Every primary shop that is attached to the mall should have an independent means
of egress or it should be taken into account when calculating the total occupancy
load for the mall.
9.9.5 fire protection equipments and devices
9.9.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers
The following commercial occupancies should be protected with water sprinklers:
1. Commercial occupancies of type 1 unless the contents are of low hazard level.
2. All the commercial buildings where the area of one Fire compartments is more than
2000m2 for the buildings that are composed from one ground floor only and
1200m2 for the multi floored buildings, unless the contents are of low hazard level.
3. Malls according to clause 9.9.4.2.1.
4. Underground floor if it has an area of more than 250M2 and it was used for selling
or storing or treating the flammable goods.

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9.5.5.2 Alarm and extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.9.2.
9.9.5.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions for utility services should be available according to the
codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.9.3.

9.9.6 Operation and monitoring

A. The periodical training should be done for the evacuation actions and virtual
trainings should be done for every employee of the commercial occupancy.
B. All the employees of all the commercial occupancies should be trained on using
the manual extinguisher and other basic extinguishing equipments.

Page 192 of 239

 Table 9.9.1, Types of allowed constructions in commercial buildings
Type of Floor
super
structure
Undergrou Ground Upper floors
nd

1 2 3 or
more

First (443) Allowed but Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332) only for two
Second(222)
floors

Second(111) Allowed but Allowed Allowed Allowed Not

only one allowed
floor

Second(000) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not

area no area no allowed allowed
more more
than than
1000m2 1000m2

Third(211) Not allowed Allowed, Allowed, Not Not

Fourth(2WW) area no area no allowed allowed
Fifth(111)
more more
than than
1000m2 1000m2

Third(200) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not

area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
800m2

Fifth(000) Not allowed Allowed, Not Not Not

area no allowed allowed allowed
more
than
400m2

443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional element
in hours and they where cleared in the table
2WW is a shortcut for wood.

Page 193 of 239

Table 9.9.2 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for commercial buildings

Type of equipment Type Areas concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All Types All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses 1,2 All floors if the total

area is more than
2000m2

Dry riser 1,2 According to 8.3.1

Wet riser 1 According to 8.4.1, for

all the commercial
malls

External fire hydrants For big complexes

3-fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic 1,2 All floors if the total

alarm system area is more than
2000m2

Page 194 of 239

Table 9.9.3 Utility services for fire protection in commercial buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system According to the accepted

standards of civil defence

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress

Emergency lighting All floors

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 195 of 239

 9.10 Group G
Industrial occupations

9.10.1 General
9.10.1.1 Definitions
9.10.1.1.1 Normal industrial occupations
It is the buildings and establishments where people do production, assembling,
producing operation inside normal buildings that are specialized for these
operations and the density of the workers and employees is high. The industrial
occupations are split into two secondary groups according to the danger level (in
addition to the high hazardous industrial occupancies according to chapter 9-12):
1.Group G-1 Industrial occupations with normal level of hazard
Like laboratories that contains materials and liquids that are flammable, like power
stations, laundries, dry-cleaners, bakeries, bicycles industry, ships and boats
building, industry of equipments and office equipments, cameras production,
canning including food goods, clothes, milk production both concentrated and dry,
disinfectants production, electronics production, the industry of machinery and
engines, plants of cotton and carpets and tents and sackcloth and fabric, calyx
industry, industry of vegetarian oils, carton industry, furniture spraying and
upholstery , tobacco industry, vehicles industry, photographic films industry, food
making, clothes laundries, industry of woodworks, cartoon movie making, musical
instruments industry, paper mills, plastic industry, printing press, garbage burning
ovens, shoes industry, soap industry, sugar recycling plants, airplanes industry,
sport equipments industry and others.
2. Group G-2 Industrial occupancy with low hazard level,
Like the industry of mineral water, ice industry, gypsum and cement and bricks and
porcelain and glass materials, blacksmithing, production and assembly of metals,
small workshops(electronic workshops, plumper, lathes), water pumping stations
and others.
9.10.1.1.2 Special industrial occupancies
It contains the industrial operations of low and normal level of hazard that are done
within special buildings which are suitable only for a certain type of industrial
operations. These occupancies have a low number of workers and employees and
the most part of the area is occupied with machines and big equipments like Iron
factories and power generation stations and others.
9.10.1.1.3 Industrial establishments in open air
Refer to clause 4.2.7.

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9.10.1.2 Implementation
A. The codes mentioned in this chapter on the normal or special industrial occupancy
The high hazardous occupations are exempted from this chapter codes and they
apply to the codes of chapter 9.12.
B. If the industrial establishments are in open air, then they should be built and have
the minimum level of fire protection and safety according to the general accepted
engineering standards and when there exists an accepted standards then they can
be referred and they are relived from the codes mentioned in this chapter.
C. The industrial buildings which are open from every side that are according to the
definition mentioned in 2.1 are relived from the codes mentioned in this chapter
that are about protection using water sprinklers and rubber hoses and alarm
systems and they are relived from the codes about the super structure if they were
constructed from fire proof materials.
9.10.1.3 Mixed occupancies
When other occupancies exist within the same industrial building then the codes
mentioned in 4.5 are applied.

9.10.1.4 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence

A. The access for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.
B. Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3.(see also sketch 6)

9.10.1.5 Construction requirements

• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The types of allowed constructions in the industrial buildings are specified
according to table 9.10.1
• The openings for the passage of the pipes and the conditioning tunnels and others
should be protected by being put in fire resistant barriers.
9.10.2 Means of egress
9.10.2.1 General
The means of egress should be available according to the codes of chapter 5 as
well as these codes.
9.10.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load should be specified on the base of the number of people
expected to be in the building and it should be at least 1 person for every 9.5 m2 of
the total area of the place.

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9.10.2.3 Means of egress components
It is allowed to use doors and stairs and horizontal exits and ramps and passages
and temporary refuge areas in the means of egress. This is done according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.10.2.4 Number of exits
A. At least two independent exits should be available for every floor or section or
area. The ability to travel directly to one exit at least in the same floor without
needing to move to another floor.
B. It is allowed using one mean of egress in the floor or the area or the section but the
travel distance for reaching the exit should be no less than 15m (30 meters if the
building is fully protected with sprinklers).
C. The number of means of egress for the floors or the areas that have an occupancy
load of more than 500 should be no lower than the limits set in table 5.4.
9.10.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
• The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
• The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths which is mentioned in table 5.2 should be considered.
• When the places for the industrial operations are not clearly fixed which could lead
into having obstacles and confusion in the paths, then a reflecting paint should be
used to line the paths and the places of the production area and the storage places
and others.
9.10.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance from any point to the closest exit should be no more than the
following:
A. Normal industrial occupations: 60 meters (75 meters when the building is covered
with sprinklers)
B. Special industrial occupations: 90meters (120 meters when the building is covered
with sprinklers).
9.10.2.7 Exits discharge
It is allowed to discharge exits according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.
9.10.2.8 Means of egress capacity
• The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
• The width of the passage should be enough to facilitate for all the expected load
occupancy and the width should be no less than 110cm.

Page 198 of 239

9.10.3 Protection
9.10.3.1 Vertical openings protection
A. All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and others should be protected according to the codes mentioned in
6.3.10and it is possible to use all the exceptions mentioned in 6.3.10.
B. The special industrial occupations are excluded from the rules of this clause when
the presence of the unprotected vertical spaces is needed for the industrial
process, but there should be at least one exit chance or more from every floor and
it should lead to one stair or more that is separated from the rest of the buildings by
fire resistant barriers according to the codes mentioned in 5.1.4.
9.10.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.10.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
• The offices and the stores and the dangerous areas and the high hazardous
occupancies should be separated from each other and from the industrial
processes by fire resistant barriers that has a resistance of no less than 1 hour (45
minutes for the doors) according to the coeds mentioned in 6.3 in addition to the
codes of this chapter.
• It is allowed no to separate the mezzanine and other areas that are needed for
completing the industrial operations.
9.10.3.4 Protection from dangers
All the dangerous places should be separated from the rest of the building using
barriers with a resistance of at least one hour.
9.10.3.5 Interior finishing
• The codes mentioned in 6.5 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A Or B for the exits and passages, from type A or B or C for the places of
industrial operations.
• The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.

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9.10.4 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.10.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers
All the industrial buildings with normal hazard level (Group G-1) should be
protected with water sprinklers and for the area that have an fire compartment are
of more than 200m2 for multi floored buildings and 3000m2 for one floored
buildings.
9.10.4.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.10.2.
9.10.4.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be
Available according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.6.3.
9.10.5 Operation and monitoring
9.10.5.1 Emergency plan
In the cases specified by civil defence an emergency plan should be done for the
establishment with coordination with civil defence. All the employees should know
the plan and they should be trained on the action that needs to be taken during
emergencies.
9.10.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments
All the employees of the industrial buildings should be trained on using the basic
extinguishing equipments available in the buildings.

Page 200 of 239

Table 9.10.1, Types of allowed constructions in industrial buildings

Type of Floor
super
structure
Underground Ground Upper floors

1 2 or more

First (443) Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332)
Second(222)

Second(111) Allowed Allowed Allowed Not

but only Allowed
one floor

Second(000) Not Allowed Allowed, area no Not

allowed more than 1000m2 allowed
for group G-1, or
2000m2 for group G-2

Third(211) Not Allowed Not allowed Not

Fourth(2WW) allowed , area allowed
Fifth(111)
no
more
than
800m2
Third(200) Not Allowed Not allowed Not
allowed , area allowed
no
more
than
400m2
Fifth(000) Not Allowed Not allowed Not
allowed , area allowed
no
more
than
400m2
443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional element
in hours and they where cleared in the table
2WW is a shortcut for wood.

Page 201 of 239

Table 9.10.2, alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for industrial buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses -Buildings of group G-2, (with the exception of the

single floored buildings with an area of less than
800m2 and the multi-floored buildings if the total area
of the building is less than 1000m2.)
-The buildings of group G-2, (with the exception of
the single floored buildings with an area of less than
2000m2 and the multi-floored buildings if the total
area of the building is less than 3000m2.
-Open sided buildings are relived from these
requirements.

Dry riser According to 8.3.1

Wet riser According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big industrial complexes

3-Fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All closed floors (with the exception of the
system buildings where the area of one fire
compartment is no more than 600m2 and
multi floored buildings if the total are of the
building is less than 1200m2) and it is
allowed to not use fire detectors in
sprinklers protected areas.

Page 202 of 239

Table 9.10.3, Utility services for fire protection in industrial buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system Group G-1 if the area of one smoke

compartment is more than 2000m2
according to the accepted standards

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress with the exception

of open air industrial establishments

Emergency lighting All places and floors, with the

exception of the special industrial
occupations and the side open
industrial buildings and the open air
industrial establishments

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 203 of 239

 9.11 Group H
Store occupancy
9.11.1 General
9.11.1.1 Definition of partial store occupations
It is the buildings used for storing of goods, products, cars or animals and is
categorized into the following groups (while taking into considerations the codes of
clause 9.11.1.3 into considerations):
H-1 Store occupancy with ordinary hazard level
It is the buildings used to store products which have ordinary hazard level, like
plastic bags, fabric, paper, jute, reed, chains, leather and fabric belts, books,
shoes, carton, clothes, ropes, furniture, fur, glue, leather, sheep skin, used
furniture stores, cars repair workshops, lubes stores with flash point of 93OC or
more, closed parking, silk, soap, sugar, tobaccos and smoking cigarettes, beds,
candles and others.
H-2 Store occupancy with Low hazard level
It is the buildings used to store low hazardous products( it is possible that these
products are stored in carton boxes or carried on wood crates/pallets, but plastic
covers should be kept minimal and should not surpass the level of thin plastic
covers and plastic handles), like juice and mineral waters, bagged cement, chalk,
cheese and yogurt products, dry batteries, electric coils, electric engines, food
products and food products in non-flammable containers, vegetables and fruits in
non-plastic containers, frozen foods, glass, glass bottles that empty or full with non-
flammable liquids, gypsum boards, meats, metal safes, metal tables, metals,
mirrors, empty metal cans, electric converters, open parking from the sides,
porcelain, electronic washers and others.
9.11.1.2 Definitions
• The codes mentioned in this chapter are applied to the main store occupancies.
• When there exist a store occupancies that are not listed explicitly under 9.11.1.1
then they are classified by the same bases mentioned in 9.11.1.1 and this is after
studying the nature of the stored materials and the covering materials and the
hazard level and other elements.
• When the buildings of store occupancy or parts of it are used for canning, for
labeling, classification, re-packing or other operations that needs a higher
occupancy load than what is expected from the store occupancy then they should
be classified as industrial occupancy (Group I) while applying the codes mentioned
in chapter 9.10.
• When there exist secondary store occupancies within the buildings that contain
another main non-storage occupancy then those buildings should be classified
according to their primary occupancies.
9.11.1.3 High hazard store occupancies
The high hazardous store occupancies are exempt from the codes of this chapter
because they apply to the codes of chapter 9.12.

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9.11.1.4 Open store buildings
The stores that are opened from the side according to the definition mentioned in
1.2 are relived from all the codes mentioned in this chapter like water sprinklers
and hoses and alarm systems. These buildings are exempt from the codes of
super structure too if they are constructed from fireproof materials.
9.11.1.5 Mixed occupancies
When other occupancies exist within the same store occupancies then the codes
mentioned in 4.5 are applied.
9.11.1.6 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
A. The access for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available
according to the codes of chapter 3 in addition to these codes.
B. Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3(see also sketch 6).
9.11.1.7 Construction requirements
A. The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The types of allowed constructions in hotels are specified by table 9.11.1.
C. The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning tunnels and other through the
fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.
9.11.2 Means of egress
9.11.2.1 General
The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.11.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load should be specified on the base of the maximum number of
people that could be present in the building and it should be no less than 1 person
for every 28m2 of the total area for the normal and 1 person for every 18.5m2 for
parking.
9.11.2.3 Means of egress components
it is allowed to use doors, stairs including spiral, smoke protected stairs, horizontal
exits, ramps, passages, temporary refuge areas in the means of egress.This is
done according to the codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.

Page 205 of 239

9.11.2.4 Number of exits
A. At least two independent exits should be a available for each floor, part or area
B. One exit can be enough in the following cases:
•        Group H-2.
•        Group H-1 and the travel distance for reaching the exit is no more than 15 meters
(30 meters if the building is completely protected with sprinklers)
C. The number of the means of egress for the floors or the areas that has an
occupancy load of more than 500 should be no less than the minimum requirement
mentioned in table 5.4.
9.11.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
• The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
• The maximum limits for the travel distance and the dead end and the compulsory
movement paths that are mentioned in 5.2 should be considered.
• When the store places are not fixed which could lead for the paths to not be clear
then reflective paint should be used for lining the paths.
9.11.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance from any point to the nearest exit should be no more than the
values mentioned in table 5.2.
9.11.2.7 Exits discharge
Exits discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.
9.11.2.8 Means of egress capacity
A. The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
B. The passages should have enough width to facilitate the passage of the expected
occupancy load and it should be no less than 90cm.
9.11.3 Protection
9.11.3.1 Vertical openings protection
All the vertical spaces like the stairs compartment and the ramps and the well of
the elevator and the and others should be protected according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.10, with the exception of open sided buildings and the mezzanine
and other vertical spaces that connects between two floors only according to
clause 6.3.10.4.

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9.11.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.11.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
A. The offices and the industrial operation areas and the hazardous places and the
high hazardous places should be separated from each other and from the store
places with barriers that have a resistance of no less than one hour (45 60minutes
for the doors) and according to the codes mentioned in 6.3 in addition to these
codes.
B. The incompatible materials should be separated from each other by making special
places for each material or by storing them in metal closets according to one of the
accepted standards.
9.11.3.4 Protection from dangers
All dangerous areas should be separated from the rest of the building by barriers
that have a resistance of no less than one hour.
9.11.3.5 Interior finishing
• The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A or B for the exits and the passages, from type A and B or C for the store
areas.
• The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.11.4 Additional codes for the car parking
9.11.4.1 Implementation
The following additional codes are applied to the buildings of car parking whether
they are open from the sides or closed or above the ground or below it and for the
codes mentioned before in this chapter then they are applied to the car parking
without contradicting with the additional codes.
9.11.4.2 Mixed occupancies
• When performing car maintenance operations side to side, in addition to car
parking in the same place, then the codes mentioned in 9.10 that are for the
industrial occupancies are applied. But when the car parking is separated from the
maintenance area by barriers with at least one hour resistance then it is considered
as an independent part.
• Enough and suitable means of egress should be available for all the car
maintenance areas according to the codes of chapter 9.10.

Page 207 of 239

9.11.4.3 Open side car parking
Building structures use for car storing and/or parking, the following codes must
apply:
a. Regular openings distributed over the outer walls from two sides at least and over
a length of no less that 40% from the border of the building.
b. The total area for these openings in each floor should be no less than 20% of the
total outer walls area for that floor.
c. The walls and the internal separators should have openings with a percentage of
no less than 20% and the openings should be distributed in a way that will ease
natural ventilation.
9.11.4.4 Classification of occupation
When there exist a secondly car parking within main occupations the classification
is done according to the main occupancy.
9.11.4.5 Means of egress
• The means of egress should be according to the codes mentioned in 9.11.2 in
addition to these codes.
• It is allowed to use the car passage gate from and to the building as exits on the
ground floor, but they should be left open without installing a door or a gate on it.
• It is allowed to use the car ramps as an alternative means of egress in the open
car parking, but there is a need for another main mean of egress and the ramp
should lead directly outside and it should no submit to gate closing.
• For the car parking that extends to at least one underground floor then it is allowed
to use a car ramp as an alternative for one of the means of egress. But there is a
need for another mean of egress and the ramp should lead directly to the outside
and it should no submit to gate closing status.
9.11.4.6 Ventilation and smoke discharging
Natural and mechanical ventilation should be provided for car parking with an air
changing average of no less than 6 times/hour.
9.11.5 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.11.5.1 Protection with water sprinklers
a. The buildings of store occupancy of normal hazard level (Group H-1) and the
buildings of closed parking protected, should be protected with water sprinklers
and this is when the area of the fire compartment is more than 2000m2 for multi
floored buildings and 3000m2 for one floored buildings.
The side opened buildings and the side opened parking and the buildings of group
H-2 are exempt from the sprinklers code.

Page 208 of 239

9.11.5.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.11.2
9.11.5.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be available
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection utility services should be according to table 9.11.3.
9.11.6 Operation and monitoring
All the employees of the store buildings should be trained on using the basic
extinguishing equipments available in the building

Page 209 of 239

Table 9.11.1, Allowed constructions in store buildings

Type of Floor
super
structure Underground Ground Upper floors

1 2 or more

First (443) Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed

First (332)
Second(222)

Second(111) Allowed Allowed Allowed Not

but only Allowed
one floor

Second(000) Not Allowed Allowed, area no more Not

allowed than 1000m2 for group allowed
H-1, or 2000m2 for
group H-2

Third(211) Not Allowed, Not allowed Not

Fourt(2WW) allowed area no allowed
Fifth(111) more
than
800m2
Third(200) Not Allowed, Not allowed Not
allowed area no allowed
more
than
400m2
Fifth(000) Not Allowed, Not allowed Not
allowed area no allowed
more
than
400m2
443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the constructional element in
hours and they where cleared in the table
2WW is a shortcut for wood.

Page 210 of 239

Table 9.11.2 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for store buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses -Buildings of group H-2 and parking, (with the

exception of the single floored buildings with
an area of less than 800m2 and the multi-
floored buildings if the total area of the
building is less than 1000m2.)
-The buildings of group H-2, (with the
exception of the single floored buildings with
an area of less than 2000m2 and the multi-
floored buildings if the total area of the
building is less than 3000m2.
-Open sided buildings are relived from these
requirements.

Dry riser According to 8.3.1

Wet riser According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big store complexes, group H-1 only

3-Fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All closed floors (with the exception of the
system buildings where the area of one fire
compartment is no more than 600m2 and
multi floored buildings if the total are of the
building is less than 1200m2) and it is allowed
to not use fire detectors in sprinklers
protected areas.

Page 211 of 239

Table 9.11.3, Utility services for fire protection in store buildings

Type of equipment Areas concerned

Ventilation system Group H-1 if the area of one smoke

compartment is more than 2000m2
according to the accepted
standards+ closed car parking

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress

Emergency lighting All places and floors, with the

exception of the open store
buildings, all parking

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 212 of 239

 9.12 Group I
High Hazard occupancy

9.12.1 General
9.12.1.1 Definitions
High hazardous occupancy
It is the buildings used for the occupancy of production or usage or storing of
hazardous materials in high quantities, like explosives, oxides, plant and stores of
gases and flammable or fast flaming liquids in high quantities, stores for dangerous
materials in high quantities, flammable dust, flammable fibers, fast flaming solid
materials, radiating materials, poisonous materials, production and treatment of
chemicals, alcohol materials filtering, mills, harvest cells, plants of paint and
varnish, treatment of rubber and plastic, spraying paint, paper recycling
establishments, rubber tiers in high quantities and others.
Open-air establishments
They are the establishments that the industrial and store occupations are done in
open air like some of the chemical establishments and oil refineries.
9.12.1.2 Implementation
• The codes of this chapter need to be applied for buildings that contain a main
occupancy that is highly hazardous.
• The following cases are relived from the codes of this chapter, where they can be
classified within the closest occupancy group after taking the necessary
precautions:
1. Secondary high hazard occupancies within other occupancies
2. All the buildings and establishment that contains small amounts of hazardous
materials must be in accordance with accepted standard.
3. Any building where the number of rubber tires stored inside is less than 10000 tires
and the weight of each tire is no more than 11 kg but the building must be
completely protected by sprinklers.
4. The places that contains fast flammable liquids, which are stored in small quantity
of no more than 3.8 liter per container. Amount must be no more than 82 liter/m2
within the total area.
5. The paints in retail shops must be no more than 82 liter/m2 within the total area.
6. Closed systems that contain liquids and fast flaming gases or flammable and are
used for the operation of the machines and the devices.
7. Cleaning companies where flammable liquids with a flashpoint point of 600C or
more must be separated from the rest of the building by fire resistant barriers of at
least one-hour.

Page 213 of 239

8.   Other cleaning companies where liquids which have the a flash point of no less
than 930C.
9. Cooling systems.
10. Fixed batteries used to provide the building with secondary power, sufficient
ventilation should be provided for the battery room.
11. Dissolving , agitating and sensitive materials present within there original container
and are used for selling in parts or for home use.
12. Buildings used for the production or storage of the aerosols but these occupancies
should be classified as H-1 or G-1 according to the usage type.
C. For open-air establishments, should meet the requirements of safety and fire
protection according to the accepted engineering standards. When there is an
accepted standard, they are exempt from the codes mentioned in this chapter.
D. The open sided buildings according to definition 1.2 are excluded from these codes
for water sprinkler, rubber hoses and alarm system. These buildings are exempt
from the condition about the super structure if they are constructed from fireproof
materials.
9.12.1.3 Necessary information
A detailed plan should be provided for all the main high hazardous occupancies.
This plan should should include the assumed positions for the high hazardous
contents to be reviewed and accepted. The information of the future production
operations to be added to the plan, also an explaining report should be provided
about the hazardous materials that will be used or treated or stored and the
hazards connected to it and the protection methods of those hazards.
9.12.1.4 General requirements
• It is not allowed to store dangerous materials which has a tendency to interact with
each other, if so, a special storage facility should be provided or they should stored
in special metal closets
• The flammable finishing materials should be minimized as well as other
unnecessary materials which could emphasize the spread of fire.
• The high hazardous materials are to be transported, dealt with and stored
according to the special accepted standards for each material alone.
• For radiating materials and explosives are referred to the special codes which are
specified by civil defence.
• Smoking is prohibited in high hazardous occupancies.
• It is not allowed to use heat-producing equipments within the high hazardous
occupancies unless it is necessary due to the nature of the production process but
only after the necessary precautions are taken and approval of civil defence.
• The cables and electric devices should be of intrinsically safe and the electric
cables should be in conduits, while providing the necessary electric grounding in
addition to connections between the equipment.

Page 214 of 239

9.12.1.5 Mixed occupancies
When other occupancies exist within the same high hazardous occupancies then
the codes mentioned in 4.5 are applied.
9.12.1.6 Arrival of the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
A. The access for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence should be available to
all the areas of the high hazardous occupancies according to the codes of chapter
3 in addition to these codes.
B. Parking should be available for the vehicles and equipments of civil defence
according to the codes of chapter 3 (see also sketch 6)
9.11.1.7 Construction requirements
• The codes of chapter 6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
• The opening for pipes and tunnels and conditioning tunnels and other through the
fire resistant barriers should be according to chapter 6.
• The types of allowed constructions in high hazardous areas are specified by table
9.12.1 while taking into considerations the following:
• It is not allowed for occupancies which contains exploding materials in buildings
that has a height of more than one floor and these buildings should be made of fire
proof materials.
• It is not allowed for underground occupancies to contain exploding or fast flaming
materials.
9.12.2 Means of egress
9.12.2.1 General
The general codes for the means of egress should be applied according to the
codes of chapter 5 in addition to these codes.
9.12.2.2 Occupancy load
The occupancy load should be specified on the base of the maximum number of
people that could be present in the building and it should be no less than 1 person
for every 28 m2 of the total area in the store places and 1 person for every 9.5m2 for
production area.
9.12.2.3 Means of egress components
It is allowed to use doors and stairs including the spiral and smoke protected stairs
and horizontal exits and ramps and passages and temporary refuge areas in the
means of egress and this is done according to the codes of chapter 5 in addition to
these codes.

Page 215 of 239

9.12.2.4 Number of exits
A. At least two independent exits should be available for each floor, part or area. At
least one exit in the same floor must be reached, without the need to move to
another floor.
B. One exit can be enough if all the following is available:
• One floor only.
• Total occupancy load is no more than 5.
• Maximum travel distance is no more than 10 meters.
C. The number of the means of egress for the floors or the areas that has an
occupancy load of more than 500 should be no less than the minimum requirement
mentioned in table 5.4.
9.12.2.5 Arrangement of the means of egress
A. The means of egress should be arranged according to the codes mentioned in 5.5.
B. It is not allowed for dead ends or compulsory movement paths in the high
hazardous occupancies.
C. Reflective paint should be used for marking the escape paths in production and
store areas.
9.12.2.6 Travel distance
The travel distance from any point to the nearest exit should be no more than 23
25 meters.
9.12.2.7 Exits discharge
Exits discharge should be done according to the codes mentioned in 5.9.
9.12.2.8 means of egress capacity
• The means of egress capacity is estimated according to the codes mentioned in
5.3.4 in addition to these codes.
• The passages must be wide enough to facilitate the passage of the expected
occupancy load and it must be no less than 110cm.

Page 216 of 239

9.12.3 Protection
9.12.3.1 Openings protection
A. All the openings like stairs, ramps, elevator wells and others should be protected
according to the codes mentioned in 6.3.10.
B. It is allowed to leave the openings without protection if they are not used as exits
and connects only between two nearby floors in a way that it passes through one
ceiling.
C. Where the presence of unprotected openings that is necessary for the industrial
operations, at least one direct mean of egress should be available from any floor
and it should lead to a stair that is separated from the rest of the building by fire
resistant barriers according to the codes mentioned in 5.1.4.
9.12.3.2 Protection of external fire spreading
The protection from the external fire spreading is according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3.5.
9.12.3.3 Separation into fire compartments
A. The office and store areas should be separated from each other, as well as
separated from industrial areas with fire resistant barriers according to the codes
mentioned in 6.3 in addition to these codes.
B. It is allowed to include the mezzanine and other areas necessary for completing
the industrial operations.
9.12.3.4 Interior finishing
A. The codes mentioned in 6.6 should be applied in addition to these codes.
B. The interior finishing for the walls and the ceilings should be as the following: of
type A or B for the exits and the passages, from type A and B or C for other areas.
C. The interior finishing for the grounds of the exits and passages should be of type 1
or 2.
9.12.4 Fire protection equipments and devices
9.12.4.1 Protection with water sprinklers
• Every high hazard occupancy should be protected whether it is used for storing or
for productive operations and this should be done with sprinklers if the area of one
fire compartment is more than 1000m2 for the multi floored buildings and 2000m2
for the single floor buildings.
• When the sprinklers are not enough or incompatible then they are replaced by
alternative protection systems that are compatible with the danger like ventilation
for discharging the flammable or exploding dusts and powders and also the
ventilation for discharging the explosive vapours and other necessary precautions,
by an accepted standard.

Page 217 of 239

9.12.4.2 Alarm and other extinguishing equipments
Alarms and fire extinguishing equipments should be supplied according to table
9.12.2
9.12.4.3 Utility services
A. The necessary precautions in the field of utility services should be available
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 7.
B. The fire protection for utility services should be according to table 9.12.3.
9.12.5 Operation and monitoring
9.12.5.1 Emergency plan
An emergency plan should be available for the establishment in coordination with
civil defence. The employees should have knowledge of the plan and be trained on
the necessary precautions to be taken during any emergency. All in Arabic and
English or pictograms
9.12.5.2 Basic extinguishing equipments
All the employees of the high hazardous establishments should be trained on using
the extinguishing equipments available in the building.

Page 218 of 239

Table 9.12.1 Allowed constructions in high hazard buildings

Type of Floor
super
structure
Underground Ground Upper floors

1 2 or
more
First (443) Allowed Allowed Allowed Allowed
First (332) but clause
Second 9.12.1.7
(222) should be
considered

Second Allowed Allowed Allowed, the area Not

(111) but clause of the floor is no Allowed
9.12.1.7
should be
more than
considered 2000m2.

Allowed,
Second Not the area
Allowed, the area Not
(000) allowed of the of the floor is no allowed
floor is
no more
more than
than 1000m2.
1000m2.

Rest of Not allowed

types

443 and other are a short-term for the fire resistance of the
constructional element in hours and they where cleared in the table

Page 219 of 239

Table 9.12.2 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments for high hazard buildings

Type of equipment Areas of concerned

1-Manual extinguishing equipments

Manual extinguisher All floors

2-Fixed equipments

Rubber hoses All the floors (with the exception of the single
floored buildings with an area of less than
800m2 and the multi-floored buildings if the
total area of the building is less than 1000m2
and with the exception of the cases that water
is not allowed for extinguishing.)

Dry riser According to 8.3.1

Wet riser According to 8.4.1

External fire hydrants For big store complexes

3-Fire alarm equipments

Manual and Automatic alarm All floors (with the exception of the buildings
system where the area of one fire compartment is no
more than 1000m2 and multi floored buildings
if the total are of the building is less than
1500m2)

Page 220 of 239

Table 9.12.3 Utility services for fire protection in store buildings

Type of equipment Areas of concerned

Ventilation system If the area of one fire compartment

is more than 1000m2 according to
the accepted standards+ noting
clause (9.12.4.1)

Lighted guiding signs Means of egress

Emergency lighting All places and floors, with the

exception of the open buildings and
open-air buildings.

Secondary power source High buildings

Fire elevator High buildings

Fire resistant doors According to this chapter and

chapter 5 and 6

Page 221 of 239

 Index of chapter 10
Special buildings

Subject Page
10.1 Underground buildings 223

10.1.1 Implementation 223

10.1.2 Definitions 223

10.1.2.1 Underground building 223

10.1.2.2 Entrance opening 223

10.1.3 Special requirements 223

10.1.4 Exits 223

10.1.5 Smoke discharge system 223

10.2 High Rise Buildings 224

10.2.1 General 224

10.2.1.1 Implementation 224

10.2.1.2 Safety employees 224

10.2.2 Fire extinguishing 224

10.2.3 Detection and alarming of fire 224

10.2.4 Ventilation and smoke control 225

10.2.5 Elevators 225

10.2.6 Secondary power source 225

10.2.7 Main surveillance room 226

Page 222 of 239

 Chapter 10
Special buildings
10.1 Underground buildings

10.1.1 Implementation
These codes are applied to all underground buildings while committing to the
codes mentioned in chapter 9 according to the type of occupancy in addition to the
additions and modifications mentioned in this chapter.
10.1.2 Definitions
10.1.2.1 Underground building
Refer page 4.
10.1.2.2 Entrance opening
It is any window or door or similar inspection openings like in the following:
• The dimensions should be no less than 60x60 cm and they should open in full so
they can be used for rescue and ventilation.
• The height of the sill should be no more than 110 cm relative to the ground.
• They should open from inside and outside.
10.1.3 Special requirements
• If the occupancy load in any underground part of the building goes over 50 persons
then the underground part should be protected with sprinklers.
• Emergency lighting should be installed for all the underground floors.
10.1.4 Exits
If the occupancy load for the underground floor goes over 100 persons and the
count of the underground floors is 2 or more then all the following is taking place:
• Separation of the exits of the underground floor of the ground floor according to
clause 5.1.4.
• Supporting these exits with smoke ventilation (mechanical or natural) or by a
pressure system.
10.1.5 Smoke discharge system
The underground floors should be supported with an accepted smoke discharge
system when the following criteria are met:
• The occupancy load of the underground floors is no less than 100.
• The number of the underground floors equals two or more.
• The contents of the underground floors and flammable.

Page 223 of 239

 10.2 High Rise Buildings
10.2.1 General
10.2.1.1 Implementation
A. The codes of this chapter should be applied to all the buildings mentioned in
chapter 9 and that contains inhabited floors that are more than 28 meters if height
from the sideway until the last inhabited floor, while committing to the codes
mentioned in chapter 9 according to the type of occupancy in addition to the
supplements and modifications mentioned in this chapter.
B. The following buildings and establishments are excluded from the codes of this
chapter:
• Air Traffic Control towers in airports
• Open car parking
• Open-air assembly occupancy, group (A-5).
• Transition towers and electric towers and similar buildings.
• The mosques high parts.
10.2.1.2 Safety employees
At least one employee trained in safety procedures must be available. provided for
every high building. and this is according to the estimation of civil defence, for
monitoring the safety precautions from fire and evacuations while providing the
necessary training.
10.2.2 Fire extinguishing
1. High buildings should be completely protected with sprinklers with the exception of
residential apartments (group D-2). Every floor should have a control valve
equipped with a temper switch electrically connected to an alarm board in addition
to a flow key equipped with a flow switch which is also connected to an alarm
board.
2. All high buildings have wet fire risers and the diameter should be minimum of 2.5
inch or in accordance with the requirements of the building
10.2.3 Detection and alarming of fire
A. A manual or automatic alarm system should be installed in all the floors of high
buildings.
B. When there is the possibility of connecting directly with civil defence then the main
alarm board should be connected to the closest civil defence center.
C. A sound communication system that is connected to the main alarm board and the
surveillance room should be installed and it should cover all the floors in addition to
the elevators, to be used in emergencies for the safety employees of the buildings
and by civil defence personnel.
D. The alarm system should be connected to other utility services like ventilation
system and elevators and fire extinguishing equipments and others according to
the codes of civil defence.

Page 224 of 239

10.2.4 Ventilation and smoke control
A. All the escape stairs should be protected from smoke according to the codes
mentioned in 5.2.3.
B. All the floors should have ventilation and smoke discharge through the ventilation
windows or by using a mechanical ventilation system.
C. When the ventilation windows are used the following should be provided:
4. They should be distributed on the outer walls of each floor.
5. It’s area should be no less than 1% of the outer walls area for each floor.
6. They should able to open from inside without any special equipments.
7. They should be safely designed. so that they don’t make dangers on the people
present outside the building when they are opened during fire.
D. When using a mechanical ventilation system the system should be independent or
a part of the ventilation and conditioning system of the building but in all cases the
system should provide the following:
1. It should be enough for changing the air in any floor or area with an average of 6
times/hour.
2. It should be provided with a secondary power source in addition to the main
source.
3. It should be connected to the alarm system.
10.2.5 Elevators
• The elevators should be according to the codes of civil defence in general and they
should undergo periodical inspection and maintenance.
• There should be no less than one elevator for the use of civil defence personal and
it should be according to the accepted standards with all it’s special protection for
the shaft,cabins and installations.
10.2.6 Secondary power source
• A secondary power source should be provided. It should be in accordance with the
accepted standards and it should have enough power for operating all the needed
equipments at the same time for at least two hours and it should be connected to
the surveillance room.
• If the secondary power source is a generator then the room of the generator
should be separated with fire resistant barrier with at least two-hour resistance.
• The secondary power source should be connected with all the following:
1. Emergency lighting and guiding signs in Arabic and English.
2. Fire elevator.
3. Alarm system and voice communications.
4. Electric fire pumps.

Page 225 of 239

5. Ventilation and smoke discharge equipments and devices.
6. Main surveillance room and its equipments including the lighting equipments and
other equipments.
10.2.7 Main surveillance room
• A main surveillance room should be available and its location is specified in
coordination with civil defence.
• The main surveillance room should have the following:
1. Main alarm board and main communication boards.
2. Elevator monitoring board.
3. Sprinklers valves monitoring board and flow keys monitored by temper switches.
4. Secondary power source monitoring board.
5. The doors for the stairs control board if they are electrically connected,
6. Fire pumps monitoring board.
7. Control board for smokes and pressure systems.
8. Gas supply monitoring board
9. All signs, written in Arabic and English or pictograms

Page 226 of 239

 Index of Chapter 11
Fire Safety Precautions in construction and demolition sites and tents

Subject Page
11.1 Temporary buildings for site offices and workers residence 229
11.1.1 Implementation 229

11.1.2 General requirements 229

11.1.3 Protection from external fire spreading 229

11.1.4 Means of egress 230

11.1.5 Super structure 230

11.1.6 Protection from dangers 230

11.1.7 Utility services 230

11.1.8 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments 231

11.1.9 Operation and monitoring 231

11.2.1 Buildings under construction 232

11.2.1 Implementation 232

11.2.2 General requirements 232

11.2.3 Site arrangement 232

11.2.4 Electric cables 233

11.2.5 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments 233

11.2.6 Operation and monitoring 233

11.3 Codes of fire safetyDuring building demolition 234

Page 227 of 239

11.3.1 General requirements 234

11.3.2 Demolition using explosives 234

11.4 Codes of 235

Safety from fire in tents
11.4.1 Implementation 235

11.4.2 General requirements 235

11.4.3 Means of egress 235

Page 228 of 239

 Chapter 11
Fire Safety Precautions in construction and demolition sites and tents
11.1 Temporary buildings
for site offices and workers residence

11.1.1 Implementation
The codes of this chapter are applied on the temporary buildings and the
construction sites (whether they are ready or assembled at the site), for special
uses like temporary offices and temporary workers residence.
11.1.2 General requirements
• The construction sites including the temporary buildings should be arranged to
provide access for civil defence vehicle and equipments to reach all the buildings
and establishments according to the codes mentioned in chapter 3.
• The plans of the temporary buildings site should be provided explaining the roads
and the nearby street and the services.
• An emergency phone should be provided.
• The area of the building can be no more than 200m2, unless it is separated into fire
compartments and each compartment area is no more than 200m2 and fire
resistant barriers should separate those compartments from each other with a
resistance of no less than one hour.
• The residential units should be separated from each other and from the rest of the
parts of the building by fire resistant barriers with a minimum resistance of half an
hour.
• The ground floor should be separated from the first floor by a ceiling that has a fire
resistance of no less than half an hour.
• It is not allowed to use the temporary buildings mentioned in this chapter for
storing.
11.1.3 Protection from external fire spreading
• To limit external fire spreading, enough distance should be provided between the
buildings and separation with fire resistant walls and should be done according to
the codes mentioned in 6.3.5, Temporary buildings should be separated from
each other and from other buildings like stores and workshops and the buildings
under construction. In all cases the separating distance between the temporary
buildings mentioned in this chapter and the hazardous places should be no less
than 6 meters.
• An empty space should be without any grass or trash or any flammable materials
and it should be away at least 3 meters from the nearby temporary buildings.

Page 229 of 239

11.1.4 Means of egress
A. At least one main door should be available for every residential unit and it should
lead directly out and it should open from inside easily and without usage of keys.
B. Also one external window should be available according to the codes mentioned in
5.2.9.4 and this should apply for every sleeping room and every living room in
every residential unit that contains two or more rooms and the window should open
from inside without needing to use keys, the window can be ignored if the room
has at least one door that lead directly to the outside.
C. The travel distance from any point until the main road outside the buildings should
be no more than the following:
• 15 meter when one mean of egress exists.
• 30 meters when two independent means of egress exists.
11.1.5 Super structure
• The number of floors should be no more than 2
• It is allowed to use any of the constructions mentioned in table 6.1 for the buildings
of temporary offices and the temporary residential buildings.
11.1.6 Protection from dangers
• A building should be specified for the kitchen if it exist and it should be away from
the rest of the buildings with 6 meter distance and it should have fire proof
materials from inside.
• If gas cylinders exist then they should be in the open and they should be in a cage
with a locked door to prevent tampering.
• It is not allowed to use any heat producing equipments like ovens and heater
inside the residential unit or inside the offices.
• The temporary buildings should be away from other heat sources.
11.1.7 Utility services
• All the electric cables should be placed inside conduits while committing to the
standards and the instructions of the ministry of electricity. The necessary
grounding point and the automatic electric breakers should be provided but it is
needed to notice the electric load on those breakers. The breakers should be put
inside a metal box that is easy to reach and one breaker should be available in
every residential unit or office and a separate breaker should be available for every
conditioning unit.
• Other utility services should be according to the codes mentioned in chapter

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11.1.8 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments
A. When there exist an internal passage that connects between many sleeping rooms
in the same residential unit and the occupancy load for the unit is no more than 30
individual, then smoke detectors that are connected to the general alarm system of
the site for all these passages.
B. All the buildings should have manual extinguisher according to clause 8.2.
C. A rubber hose cabinets should be provided for the big complexes according to
clause 8.6.
D. A mean for alarming the workers when fire happens should be available, like a
whistle or a bell or any other suitable means.
11.1.9 Operation and monitoring
A. The workers should be trained on using the basic manual extinguishing
equipments available in the site.
B. Guiding and warning signs in Arabic and English or pictograms should be hanged
in the project site and inside the temporary buildings and they should clarify the
following:
3. No cooking and no usage for other cooking ovens and other heat producing
devices may not be used inside the temporary buildings.
4. No smoking inside the sleeping rooms.
5. Precautions actions that needs to be taken to limit the fire dangers.
6. Clarifications of the safety precautions that needs to be taken in case of fire.

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 11.2.1 Buildings under construction

11.2.1 Implementation
The codes of this chapter are applied to the buildings under construction and its
secondary buildings on the site that are necessary for the construction operations.

11.2.2 General requirements

A. The projects sites should include the temporary buildings and the workshops and
the buildings under construction should be arranged to provide access of civil
defence vehicle and equipments to reach all the buildings and establishments
according to the codes mentioned in chapter 3.
B. The plans of the temporary buildings site should be provided explaining the
position of the permanent and temporary buildings and the roads and the nearby
street and the services.
C. An emergency phone should be provided.
D. Enough and suitable means of egress should be available for the buildings under
construction and temporary buildings at all times. The means of egress can be
composed of doors, passages, stairs, ramps, ladders and other accepted means of
egress that are mentioned in chapter 5.
E. All the storage and dealing with hazardous and fast flaming materials and gases
and other works should be according to one of the accepted standards in addition
to the instructions of civil defence.
F. The industrial operations like electric cutting and joining and other dangerous
operations should be according to the accepted standards in addition to the
instructions of civil defence in a way that they don’t create great dangers and they
should be done in places specified for those operations and If it is needed to be
inside the under construction buildings then a special approval should be sought.
11.2.3 Site arrangement
A. Paths and ways for the civil defence equipments and vehicles should be provided
before starting the project according to the codes mentioned in chapter 3.
B. At least one working stair should be provided at al times and it should rise above
the building during the construction.
C. Special places should be available for storing and others for the workshops and
maintenance and other operations and those buildings should be made of fire
proof materials and they should be separated from each other according to the
codes mentioned in 6.3.5.
D. The hazardous areas should be separated from other places by leaving a distance
according to the codes mentioned in 6.3.5, in all situations the separation distance
should be no less than 6 meters.
E. The site should be cleaned and trash and wood and other flammable materials
accumulation should be minimized and the ways and paths should be kept
passable at all times.
The flammable materials should be removed when they exist in high amount that
can pose a threat and this is done by either transporting them to a safe place
inside the project or by transporting them completely outside the project

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G. The temporary buildings used for the residence of the worker and the offices
should submit to the codes of chapter 11.1.
H. It is not allowed for the workers to the under construction buildings as living
quarters.
I. Fall barriers should be made around the vertical spaces and the holes and other
places that have the danger of falling.
11.2.4 Electric cables
The electric equipments should be protected from shocks and others while
committing to the standards and the instructions of the ministry of electricity, the
necessary grounding point and the automatic electric breakers should be provided
but it is needed to notice the electric load on those breakers.
11.2.5 Alarm and fire extinguishing equipments
A. All the buildings should have manual extinguisher according to clause 8.2.
B. A water tank or a permanent water source should be available for fire extinguishing
in big complexes should be available.
C. In the buildings that require a dry or wet risers then the rising pipe the risers should
be installed while building the establishment, so it should rise with the building and
at least one riser should be available for every floor and it is allowed to install one
temporary rising pipe with the necessary risers.
D. A mean for alarming the workers when fire happens should be available, like a
whistle or a bell or any other suitable means.
11.2.6 Operation and monitoring
A. The workers should be trained on using the basic manual extinguishing
equipments available in the site.
B. Guiding and warning signs in Arabic and English and the languish spoken by the
majority of the worker or pictograms should be hanged in the project site and inside
the temporary buildings and they should clarify the following:
C. Precautions actions that needs to be taken to limit the fire dangers, including the
precautions for dangerous materials and hazardous materials.
D. Clarifications of the safety precautions that needs to be taken in case of fire.

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 11.3 Codes of fire safety

During building demolition

11.3.1 General requirements

A. The means of egress at the site of demolition should be kept passable and suitable
during the demolition process, while putting the suitable guiding signs in Arabic
and English.
B. The permanent guarding should be available at all the time of official work and the
guards should be given the necessary instructions about fire protection actions and
basic extinguishing equipments available at the site.
C. An emergency phone line for calling civil defence should be available.
D. A surround for the building should be done and the surrounding materials should
be fire proof or of slow flaming type.
E. The necessary precaution conditions should be done while committing dangerous
operations like cutting and joining.
F. The fixed fire extinguishing equipments should be kept for the longest possible
time and they should be removed from the site one floor at a time.
G. A special pipe outside the building should be done for trash and derbies
transportation from the high floors/ and the trash and flammable materials should
be discharged from the site before they pile up in big quantities and they should
not be burned within the site.

11.3.2 Demolition using explosives

A. When using explosives for demolition then the approval of the concerned
authorities in the ministry of interior including the civil defence should be given.
B. The necessary precaution to prevent the passage of people and cars and others to
get close to the explosion area.
C. The site should have no less than two rubber hoses before committing the
explosion according to the codes of chapter 8.6 and they should have enough
length to reach any fire that can happen in the site directly after the explosion.

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 11.4 Codes
Safety from fire in tents

11.4.1 Implementation
The codes in this chapter applies for the tents with all there types and sizes and
uses.

11.4.2 General requirements

A. The tents should have the needed flexibility to provide the needed safety for its
occupants.
B. It is not allowed to use tents for storage.
C. It is not allowed to use any heat producing equipments like ovens, heaters, ovens
and other inside the tents.
D. The internal conditioning should be done by putting the air treating units outside
the tents and providing the tent with air through a conditioning tunnel with a length
of no less than 1.5 meters from the condition to the tent.
E. The electrical lights used for internal lighting should be away from the fabric of the
tent with at least 50cm.
F. The electric cabling should be put inside conduits in addition to providing an
electric breaker while taking into considerations the distributions of the electric load
on the automatic breaker. As for the conditioning systems then they should be
provided with an automatic electric breaker for each of them.
G. The internal decors and the show fabrics should be treated with fire slowing
materials.
H. The fabrics and materials used for making the tents should be fire resistant and
should submit to the accepted standards for that.
I. Enough number of manual extinguishers should be available and with the needed
capacity.
J. A safety watcher or more should be available from the authorized party for tent
installment to monitor the emergency situations and he should know how to use
fire extinguishers and other emergency actions and he should have a direct mean
of calling civil defence in emergencies or when a consultation is needed.
K. A separation distance between the tents should be provided which is no less than
4 meters, while leaving the same distance between the tents and the nearby
buildings.
L. A space should be left without any trash or grass or any flammable materials on a
range of 3 meters at least from all the sites around the tent.
M. The super structure of the tent should be sturdy and the tent needs to be fixed in
the right way so it can resist falling down due to winds and other expected loads.
N. It is not allowed to deliver electric current to the tents in all their types and sizes
unless the acceptance of civil defence is taken.
11.4.3 Means of egress
• Enough and suitable means of egress from the point of number, capacity,
arrangement and width of the passages should be available according to the codes
of chapter 5 and these codes as well.
• If the occupancy load foes over 50 individuals then the codes of clause 9.1.2 in
addition to emergency lighting.
• At least two independent exits should be provided at least and they should lead
directly to the outside and the doors should open from inside easily without the
need for keys.
• The travel distance from any point to the main road outside the tent should be no
more than 30 25 meters.

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E. For the parties and restaurant tents the chairs and tables should be arranged in a
way that allows for the occupants to get out of the tent easily in emergencies.
F. The means of egress should have the suitable guiding signs in Arabic and English
and pictograms that should be placed at the doors of the exits and in the paths
leading outside and they should be lighted at all the times when the tent is
occupied.

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 Index of Chapter 12
Fireman elevator

Subject Page

12.1 Buildings of concern 238

12.1.1 Structural requirements for the elevator shaft 238

12.1.2 Structural requirements for the elevator cabin 238

12.1.3 Technical safety and security measures 238

12.1.4 Means of egress 238

12.1.5 Signs 238

12.1.6 Exceptions 238

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12.1 Building of concern
A. The codes of this chapter are applied to buildings with 40 meters or more in high
from the level of the sidewalk up to the level of the last resident floor.
B. The fireman's elevator may be used for normal usage for the building services.

12.1.1 Structural requirements for the elevator shaft

A. The fireman’s elevator shaft must be separated from all other shafts, openings,
elevators, chutes or shafts used for other purposes except for the smoke release
and air supply flap.
• The entire shaft must be constructed with a fire resistance rating of 120 min.
including super structure, rails, anchorage.
• All doors,power supply and emergency light system must have 90 min. fire
resistance.
• The shaft must have an air supply opening (bottom of the shaft 0.25m2) and smoke
exhaust opening (top of the shaft 0.25m2) The opening must function automatically
on heat detectors.

12.1.2 Structural requirements for the elevator cabin

A. The cabin must be constructed of none inflammable materials.
B. The floor size must be 3m2 minimum.
C. The load bearing capacity must be designed for 6 persons (90kg each) plus 200 kg
equipment.
D. The cabin roof must have a flap opening of min. 60x60 cm.
• Each cabin must contain an aluminum ladder 2m high , 50cm width, properly
stored.

12.1.3 Technical safety and security measures.

• The power supply and all cabling must have a fire protection encasement and must
resist up to 340oC.
• The separate emergency power supply must be provided without interruption.
• The shaft as well as the cabin must have emergency lights.
• A special fireman's key must override all other switching functions.
• A fireman’s key control access must be available at each floor outside of the
elevator door.
• The fireman’s keys must be identical for all buildings within the the City of Abu
Dhabi.

12.1.4 Means of Egress

All elevator doors must have a quick opening device to be operated manually
from the inside of the shaft.

12.1.5 Signs
The fireman’s elevator must be clearly marked (in Arabic and English) on each
floor level. Inside the shaft, each floor must be clearly numbered with florescent
paint for emergency purpose.

12.1.6 Exception
In cases of lack of space for existing buildings or for architectural design reasons,
the cabin may be located on the outside of the building, having no shaft at all.

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Sketch 13

Fireman’s
elevator

C
L C
L C
L C
L

Three cabins are permitted within one shaft, however the fireman's
elevator must be in a separate shaft.

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