• KIEAE Journal
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.21-28
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• 2009

In apartment buildings, casualties, especially fatalities have occurred in balcony areas in fires if residents fail to escape to the main entrance. Potential consequences of a particular infrequent event should be considered. In attempting to design apartment buildings for fire safety, alternative escape methods such as vertical penetration could be considered. The purpose of this study is to investigate present building regulations regarding apartment buildings and examine pros and cons of the current escape method and alternative escape methods. Focus group interview was conducted to discuss problems of fire escape methods. In addition, questionnaires were distributed to field professionals working in architecture, construction and related industries. Among 500 questionnaires distributed, 192 questionnaires were collected. Usable 162 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 15. Regarding alternative fire escape methods, several concerns were mentioned. Safety, privacy, security, effectiveness of escape, water proof problems were raised. Based on the opinions, vertical penetration between apartment unit appeared more safe, secure, effective than horizontal penetration. However, both methods have its own pros and cons under specific contexts. Alternative escape methods need be considered for a selective options for residents in case of fire.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.227-240
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• 2022

Under the Korean Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, all high story apartment houses more than 5 stories high are mandated to install a fire evacuation system to ensure safe evacuation from fire accidents and providing quick and easy bidirectional escape route when main entrance is blocked by flame or toxic smoke. However, the current fire evacuation system shows a lack of understanding from residents and thus is widely ignored for having insufficient safety functions, especially vis-à-vis fire emergencies. Studies have found that an alternative evacuation method, the escapable fire evacuation system, has been analyzed for safety evaluation compared with the conventional passive fire escape system and can bring efficient and safer solutions, providing high rise residents escape from fire accidents. Evaluation for safety evacuation has been performed by the Fire Dynamics Simulation and applying Pathfinder simulation. This resulted in providing appropriate escape routes within the safety escape time and allowed for people in high rise building fires to get to safety.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.184-193
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• 2001

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.50-59
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• 2018

Recently, huge life losses occurred in the elderly long-term medical care fires due to lack of escape safety. As part of the measures to enhance the effectiveness of fire escape safety, while they prolong the available safe egress time (ASET) of non fire compartments, a measure to shorten fire-fighter's arrival time by fire alarm notifying device should be implemented in these facilities. The four categories from the aspects of fire prevention/protection engineering were provided with the necessary component technologies for carrying out these helper-guided evacuations. Fire prevention engineered technology was presented by two provisions; one for ensuring small compartment sections by installing the fire rated wall between bed rooms and another for ensuring the fire retardant or/and non-flammable performance of finishing materials. Also fire protection engineered technology was presented by two items; one for imposing cooling effects by sprinklers and another for providing automatic fire alarm notifying functions to fire stations. In order to improve the escape safety of these facilities in Korea, alternative revisions may presented by considering insufficient provisions in the architectural/fire law provisions by analyzing the provisions of Japanese and domestic laws in detail.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.49-56
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• 2001

There have been the current controversy over effectiveness of the pressurized smoke control systems, which are installed within escape shaft to provide 'smoke-free' access for escaping peoples. Therefore, many effective measures were given in this paper by means of the production of a design guide for various types of escape routes used in domestic buildings. The solutions were established on basis of both an investigating current door closing device application in existing facilities and global standardization for pressurized smoke control system, especially in British Standard. Finally, the design guidance for open door air velocity with introduction to three door protection clauses was presented on the basis of consideration of the safety and economical factor,

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.511-519
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• 2007

This study provides comprehensive design improvements covering technical issues concerning life safety matter In case of fire train stoppage in the middle of a tunnel. Recently Government announced that most of subway platforms will have screen doors in 3 years. Therefore, many fire safety engineers considered that they may contribute on life safety on train stoppage in tunnel. Especially The screen door can protect platform from smoke along tunnel ceiling when fire train stopped in tunnel. The study showed that platform ventilation ducts and the a tunnel ventilation chimney in the middle of tunnel in exiting subway tunnel could not guarantee life safety ability in terms of RSET vs. ASET comparison. Furthermore during evacuation process many peoples may be threatened from the smoke spread from the origin of fire. Although only additional vertical route can be installed in tunnels In order to decrease RSET, it will costs high or no spaces remains in outside on the road. The study suggested that increase of ASET can be best solution without additional escape route, therefore alternative design methods suggested on the base of simulation results. Finally the study shows alternative methods can give good result in terms of evacuation performance evaluation. The evacuation performance evaluation helps the decision-maker to determine the preferred alternatives or upgrades to existing tunnel infrastructure and other measure to meet safety objectives. Finally, the study details the effectiveness of measures the can be taken to reduce the risk of incidents in subway tunnels.