Scribd
Upload
560 views1 page

Definition of FIRE LOAD

The fire load of a building is defined as the amount of combustible material present per unit area that could potentially fuel a fire. It is calculated by multiplying the mass of combustible materials by their calorific value and dividing by the floor area. For example, 1 tonne of propane stored in a room of 240 square meters would result in a fire load of 197.08 kilojoules per square meter. Proper calculation of fire load is important for establishing the severity of potential fires and informing fire safety planning.

Uploaded by

AbdulSamad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
560 views1 page

Definition of FIRE LOAD

The fire load of a building is defined as the amount of combustible material present per unit area that could potentially fuel a fire. It is calculated by multiplying the mass of combustible materials by their calorific value and dividing by the floor area. For example, 1 tonne of propane stored in a room of 240 square meters would result in a fire load of 197.08 kilojoules per square meter. Proper calculation of fire load is important for establishing the severity of potential fires and informing fire safety planning.

Uploaded by

AbdulSamad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Definition of FIRE LOAD:

The weight of combustible material per square foot of floor space.


The combustible contents or interior finish of a building per unit floor
area, often expressed as pounds per square foot or as Btu per
square foot.
The amount of fuel within a building which has the potential of
burning and releasing heat to feed the growth of a fire.
Fire load can be calculated as follows:Weight of material in Kg (mass) X Calorific value of the material - Answer in Kj
For example:
1 tonne of propane @ a calorific value of 47.3 x 103 Kj/Kg
= 1000 x 47.3 x 103 = 47300 Kj
If you want to relate this to wood equivalent the formula is:mass x calorific value divided by the calorific value of wood,
for example (with the calculation above):
1000 x 47.3 x 103 divided by the C of wood (17.6 x 103)
= 47300000 divided by 17600
= 2.7 tonnes (wood equivalent)
Calculating the Fire Loading of a Compartment
The fire loading of a compartment is a way of establishing the severity of a fire
and the measurement (kj) is related to the heat output. As stated by Drysdale
(1985) the formula for calculating the fire loading is noted as:
Calorific Value x Mass (or volume)
Floor Area

Area Fire Loading Kj/m2

Ex: 1 tonne of propane stored in a room having 240m2 area (10mx8mx3m)


47.3 x 1000
=
197.08 Kj/m2
240
Information on the mass of materials should be obtained from a number of
sources using different methods, these included: contacting the manufacturer,
consulting information currently available at the location and using relevant
standards. The classification of the fire load in each area should be shown using
the above formula.

You might also like