Basis for Appropriate Safety Levels for Tall Buildings.
Basis for Appropriate Safety Levels for Tall Buildings.
(89 K)
Bukowski, R. W.
CTBUH2005;
Renewing the Urban Landscape. 7th World Congress.
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH2005).
Proceedings. October 16-19, 2005, New York City, NY,
2005.
Keywords:
high rise buildings; urban habitat; fire safety;
regulations; decision making; egress; occupants
Abstract:
Safety levels are a public policy decision made by
regulators and not the technical community. It is
appropriate for the technical community to suggest
technical justification for safety levels, performance
levels that can be achieved, and their associated costs.
These should serve as the basis for the public
consultation process and the ultimate policy decisions
of regulators. Public policy should not be dominated by
the outcome of a single event but needs to reflect
public expectations and societal objectives, realizing
that these may be influenced by a single event of
sufficient magnitude. This presentation will discuss the
unique characteristics of tall buildings that influence
the decision on safety levels for structural safety,
fire safety, and emergency egress (of occupants,
including those with disabilities) and access (by those
who may be responding to emergencies of various types).
These are presented in the context of the findings and
recommendations of the NIST World Trade Center
Investigation with regard to recommended changes to
Codes, Standards, and Practices.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899