Every compartment wall or compartment floor shall be required to:

a. Form a complete barrier to fire between the compartments it separates;

b. Have the appropriate fire resistance to comply with the requirements of Cl.3.3; and

c. Be constructed of non-combustible materials (together with any beam or column which forms part of the wall or floor and any structure which it carries).

A compartment wall or compartment floor shall have no openings in it, except for:

a. A door which has the same fire resistance rating as the compartment wall and complies with the relevant requirements of Cl.3.4, unless permitted by other provisions of the Code, or

b. A protected shaft which complies with the requirements of Cl.3.8, or

c. The passage of a pipe or ventilation duct.

Such openings in the compartment wall or compartment floor shall be protected to comply with the relevant provisions of Cl.3.9.

a. Junction with other structures

Where a compartment wall or compartment floor forms a junction with any structure comprising any other compartment wall, or any external wall, separating wall or structure enclosing a protected shaft, such structures shall be bonded together at the junctions, or the junctions shall be fire-stopped to comply with the requirements of Cl.3.12.

b. Opening in curtain walling

The opening occurring at the junction between the edge of a structural floor and the curtain walling shall be sealed to prevent the spread of smoke and flame from the lower floor to the upper floor via the opening. Materials to be used for sealing the opening shall have the requisite fire resistance rating as the elements of structure.

Where a compartment wall forms a junction with a roof, such compartment wall shall be carried up to form a close joint with the underside of the roof and shall be properly fire-stopped or shall be carried up above the level of the roof covering and the junctions between such compartment wall and roof shall be properly fire-stopped so as not to render ineffective the resistance of such compartment wall to the effects of the spread of fire.

No combustible material shall be built into, carried through or carried across the ends of any compartment wall or compartment floor or carried over the top of any compartment wall in such a manner as to render ineffective the resistance of such wall or floor to the effects of the spread of fire.

a. General

A fire shutter is permitted to be used as compartment wall, except for the fire compartmentation of FCC, exit staircases, firefighting staircase, smoke-free lobbies, fire lift lobbies, internal exit passageways, etc. The station shall be separated from the non-transit occupancy by fire-rated shutters having at least 2 hrs fire resistance.

b. Fire resistance

The fire shutters, which are used to protect opening in compartment wall/ floor, shall have the necessary fire resistance including thermal insulation, not less than that of the compartment wall/ floor. However, fire shutters, which are installed at the edge of atria, voids such as escalator void areas and between floors, and door-way, need not have thermal insulation.

c. Operation

Shutters such as vertical, horizontal, and lateral fire shutters shall comply with SS 489 and the following:

(1) Vertical fire shutter operated by gravity during a fire

Upon activation, the operating mechanism of curtains/ leaves of the vertical fire shutter shall be released. The curtain/ leaves shall descend under gravity at a controlled rate.

(2) Electrically-operated vertical, lateral and horizontal fire shutter (fusible link is not required)

Upon activation, the electrical motor shall drive the curtains/ leaves to descend and shall be backed up by emergency power supply. The power and signal cables shall be fire-rated

(3) Activation time and closing speed

(a) For vertical fire shutter with height not exceeding 6m, the maximum time for full closure of the fire shutter shall not exceed 30 secs from time of activation, with a descending speed not exceeding 0.2m/sec.

(b) For vertical fire shutter with height exceeding 6m and not more than 12m, the maximum time of full closure of the fire shutter shall not exceed 60 secs from time of activation, with a descending speed not exceeding 0.2m/sec.

d. Mode of activation

The mode of activation for fire shutters at different locations shall be as follows:

(1) Fire shutters as separating wall between station and non-transit occupancy

The localised smoke detector shall be provided on both sides of the fire rated shutter. The fire-rated shutters shall be activated by the:

(a) Localised smoke detector(s) on either side (i.e. one side) of these fire shutters, or

(b) Adjacent building fire alarm zone(s) in adjacent building.

Upon activation of the localised standalone smoke detector, an alarm signal shall be sent to the fire alarm panels of both the station & the adjacent building.

Where fire-rated shutters are provided, the fire-rated shutters after closing shall remain closed and be rendered inoperative until the alarm has been reset. This alarm signal is not to be used to trigger the station’s or building’s fire alarm and only to provide the status that the shutter is activated. The fire-rated shutters can be re-open after the fire alarm signal has been reset.

(2) Fire shutters as compartment wall/ floor for limiting compartment area and cubical extent

Fire shutters as compartment wall/ floor for limiting compartment areas and cubical extent, as compartment between different purpose groups, as compartment of special rooms such as kitchen, electrical room, store room, etc. and as compartment of basement passenger/ goods lift lobby:

(a) For gravity-operated vertical fire shutters, activation by fusible link is acceptable.

(b) For electrically-operated fire shutters, activation shall be by local smoke detectors.

(3) Fire shutters as compartmentation at atrium/ voids or between floors (being part of the engineered smoke control design)

Only electrically-operated fire shutters are permitted. The signal to operate the respective fire shutter shall be from a dedicated smoke detector installed at the respective smoke zone.

a. Exit directional signage marked with an arrow and the word “EXIT” shall be prominently painted/ pasted on fire shutters/ smoke curtains to redirect station occupants to the nearest exits if the activated shutters visually obscure the station exit and/ or directional signs. The sign shall be reflective and the letters at least 100mm in height.

b. Signage for alerting persons not to impede the operation of fire shutters/ smoke curtains shall be permanently displayed at prominent locations and suitable intervals close to the descending paths of the fire shutters/ smoke curtains. The lettering of the sign shall be at least 25mm high in a colour contrasting with the background and states the following where applicable:

(1) “FIRE SHUTTER – KEEP CLEAR”

(2) “SMOKE CURTAIN – KEEP CLEAR”