Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 9.1
Functional requirements of the Building Regulations 2000
Title
Regulation (functional requirement)
Summary
B1 Means of warning
The building shall be designed and constructed
This section outlines the principles of horizontal
and escape
so that there are appropriate provisions for the
and vertical escape within buildings and provides
early warning of fi re, and appropriate means of
detailed guidance of how the requirement of B1
escape in case of fi re from the building to a place
may be met.
of safety outside the building capable of being
safely and effectively used at all material times
.
B2 Internal fi re spread
1)
To inhibit the spread of fi re within the
This section provides defi nitions and classifi cations
(linings)
building the internal linings shall
for the linings of ceilings and walls.
(a) Adequately resist the spread of fl ame
over their surfaces; and
It also identifi es those areas within buildings that
(b) Have, if ignited, a rate of heat release
should be fi nished to the standard classifi cations.
which is reasonable in the circumstances
.
2) In this paragraph 'internal linings' means the
materials lining any partition, wall, ceiling or
other internal structure
.
B3 Internal fi re spread
1) The building shall be designed and
This section defi nes the load bearing elements of
(structure)
constructed so that, in the event of fi re, its
the structure and describes the nature and
stability will be maintained for a reasonable
importance of fi re resisting compartmentation.
period
.
2) A wall common to two or more buildings shall
It includes guidance on how openings within
be designed and constructed so that it
compartment walls and fl oors should be designed
adequately resists the spread of fi re between
and managed.
those buildings. For the purposes of the sub-
paragraph a house in a terrace and a semi-
detached house are each to be treated as a
separate building
.
3) To inhibit the spread of fi re within the building,
it shall be sub-divided with fi re-resisting
construction to an extent appropriate to the
size and intended use of the building
.
4) The building shall be designed and
constructed so that the unseen spread of fi re
and smoke within concealed spaces in its
structure and fabric is inhibited.
B4 External fi re spread
1) The external walls of the building shall
This section provides detailed guidance relating
adequately resist the spread of fi re over the
to the fi re resistance of external walls, space
walls and from one building to another, having
separation between buildings to minimise the risk
regard to the height, use and position of the
of fi re spread through radiation and discusses the
building
.
requirements of roof coverings.
2) The roof of the building shall adequately
resist the spread of fi re over the roof and from
one building to another, having regard to the
use and position of the building.
B5 Access and
1) The building shall be designed and
This section exclusively deals with access and
facilities for the
constructed so as to provide reasonable
facilities for the fi re service when attending fi res at
fi re service
facilities to assist fi re fi ghters in the protection
the building. It details the requirements for
of life
.
the provision of fi re mains, vehicle access, access
2) Reasonable provision shall be made within
to buildings for fi re fi ghting personnel and the
the site of the building to enable fi re
venting of heat and smoke from basements.
appliances to gain access to the building
.
This guidance is provided to allow the fi re service
to deal with serious incidents in a way that
minimises the risk to the building and themselves.
Both of these Building Regulations lay down certain
'functional requirements' that all buildings must satisfy.
In the regulations, these functional requirements are
nothing more than brief descriptions of the function of
various aspects of the building, for example the Building
Regulations require that all buildings have 'adequate
drainage'. The specifi c design and construction methods
used to achieve the functional requirements of the
Building Regulations are, in the UK, left to those who
design and construct buildings. So in the example given,
