Sustainable Construction - Building & Construction Authority

Introduction
Sustainable Construction -
The Building and Construction Authority has been actively promoting
sustainable construction to the construction industry. Various efforts have
been put in place to encourage wider use of sustainable materials and
products such as steel, drywalls and recycled materials.
One major concern on the use of sustainable construction is the level of fi re
protection required and the effectiveness of these protective measures.
Traditionally, designers follow a set of prescriptive Fire Code requirements
in applying the required fi re protection. However, in recent years, performancebased
fire safety engineering has gained popularity among designers,
especially for big and complex buildings as more economic designs can
be obtained through analysis and modeling.
This Guide attempts to provide useful information on passive fi re protection
and fire engineering for building practitioners who are involved in the
development, design and construction of buildings using sustainable
materials. It comprises four sections. Section One explains the general
requirements pertaining to fire resistance. Section Two elaborates the
application of metal decking system, drywall system, fi re-rated ceiling board
system and other dry construction. Section Three highlights the different
types of passive fire protection and Section Four explains the concept of
performance-based fi re engineering.
Detailed engineering analysis and/or calculations and active fi re protection
measures such as sprinkler system and mechanical ventilation are beyond
the scope of this Guide. Designers are advised to refer to technical journals
for comprehensive design and analysis.
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