Ask the Architect

About these tall buildings, Part 2

Posted

Q. I work in the city, and my sister and brother-in-law just moved to a high-rise apartment building as well. My question is, after seeing the horrible fire in London and thinking back about the World Trade Center, how safe are we, working and living in tall buildings?

A. As I stated in last week’s column, U.S. buildings follow stringent codes these days. Designers, inspectors and builders are held to high standards, and testing of components and systems, such as exterior wall materials, are strictly enforced. On average, four people die in tall commercial buildings each year in this country.
In London’s Grenfell Towers, 79 people lost their lives, trusting that when they went to bed, such a fire wasn’t possible. A refrigerator, under known recall because of a plastic back panel, burned. Fire spread on the building’s exterior, burning through supposedly fire-retardant cladding and creeping from level to level through gaps in the building face where the floors meet the exterior walls. While it’s common practice to seal these gaps with fireproof or fire-retardant putty, fire-retardant doesn’t mean fireproof. Just to clarify, every material is consumable, even concrete and steel. Newer buildings have more synthetics and combustibles, however. Sadly, the builders of Grenfell saved $6,500 by avoiding the use of less combustible insulation.
Public safety is based on factors intended to slow the burning process: Containment, where fire is intended not to spread; delay, where safety-regulated materials are assembled to slow the progress of a fire, giving firefighters a chance while people escape; and suppression, where fire is slowed by retardants, automatic sprinklers and chemicals. Most people think a fire won’t happen to them. But complacency can lead to disaster, so you, the occupant, whether sleeping or working in a building, must be safety-conscious. The fire department posts signs in every separate tenancy, on the door inside an apartment or near the exits in an office, showing evacuation routes. Sprinklers are placed throughout modern structures, and emergency lights and exit signs illuminate to guide you out.

Fire survival is a shared responsibility between occupants and rescuers. Code enforcers, designers and builders set the stage, but you have to know what to do to survive. Examine escape routes. Is the stairwell nearby, and wider than the minimum 44 inches per stair? Firefighters state that when carrying rescue packs up those stairs, 44 inches is narrow when a line of tenants, shoulder to shoulder, are descending, so stay to one side and let rescuers pass you. Newer buildings have public address systems directing you to “shelter in place” or evacuate, but ultimately you decide, based on the circumstances. If you leave a contained space, leave immediately. Get to a stairwell. Lingering in hallways has led to deaths. Know about firewall rescue balconies and places of refuge. Consider reality, plan an escape, don’t panic, decide quickly and you can survive. Good luck!

© 2017 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.