Building/Disaster Prevention Equipment Layout Guide

7-3. Guide to Fire Compartments, Fire Extinguishing Equipment, and Fire Shutter Placement in Logistics Warehouses

1. Mechanism of the 1,500㎡ Compartment and 3,000㎡ Compartment (Relaxation Provision)

Based on Article 112 of the Order for Enforcement of the Building Standards Act, fireproof logistics warehouses must in principle be compartmentalized every 1,500㎡ or less using walls of fireproof buildings or specific fire prevention equipment (fire shutters, fire doors).

However, there is a relaxation provision (double relaxation) that allows the compartment area limit to be expanded up to "3,000㎡ or less" by installing automatic fire extinguishing equipment throughout the entire building.

2. Installation Requirements for "Automatic Fire Extinguishing Equipment" Such as Sprinklers

To apply the 3,000㎡ relaxation and clear the Fire Service Act, it is necessary to select appropriate fire extinguishing equipment according to the warehouse's rack structure and ceiling height.

Main Fire Extinguishing Systems Adopted in Logistics Warehouses

• For Rack-Type Warehouses (Elevated Racks):
  • In-rack Sprinklers: Heads are placed inside pallet racks (between tiers) to spray water directly on areas shaded by cargo.
  • ESFR Sprinklers (Early Suppression Fast Response): Large water pressure and large discharge volume heads used in high-ceiling warehouses with ceiling heights up to about 13.5m. Because it can eliminate the need for in-rack piping, it makes changing shelf layouts easier.
• For Frozen/Refrigerated Warehouses:
  • Dry-pipe (Pre-action) Sprinklers: Normally, the piping is filled with air instead of water, and water is passed through and discharged only when a fire sensor detects a fire. Prevents "freezing and bursting of water in pipes" in sub-zero environments.

3. On-site Precautions for Placing Fire Shutters and Fire Doors

These are key points to prevent operational obstacles and personal injury when placing fire shutters at openings where large forklifts and AGVs pass each other.

① Detector Linkage and "2-Stage Descent" Control

• Shutters descend automatically in linkage with smoke and heat detectors.
• To buy time for people and forklifts to evacuate and take shelter, a "2-stage descent system where it stops once around 1.8m (intermediate stop) upon detection, and fully closes after a certain amount of time" is standardly adopted.

② Strict Enforcement of "No-Placement Lines" Directly Under Shutters

• Trouble Case: Cargo, pallets, or cage carts were left directly under the shutter, so during a fire, the shutter got caught halfway, resulting in an incomplete fire compartment and the spread of fire.
• Countermeasure: It is necessary to apply yellow-and-black hatched painting (band lines) on the floor and employ designs and operations that forcibly eliminate the stacking of goods using sensors or safety guards.

③ Co-installation of Wicket Doors (Pass-through Doors) for Evacuation

• To allow on-site workers to evacuate even when the fire shutter is fully closed, it is necessary to install a "single-swing evacuation door (wicket door) conforming to specific fire prevention equipment" beside the shutter, or incorporate an emergency evacuation door into the shutter itself.

4. Precautions for Vertical Shaft Compartments (Elevators, Vertical Material Conveyors, Slopes)

"Vertical openings" spanning across floors require stricter vertical shaft compartmentation because fire and smoke rise rapidly due to the chimney effect during a fire.

• Openings of Vertical Material Conveyors (VMC): At the openings of automated transport conveyors, smoke-blocking high-speed fire shutters with smoke-blocking and fireproof performance are linked. An interlock is incorporated to keep them closed except when cargo is passing through, and to shut off immediately in the event of a fire.
• Rampways (Slopes for trucks): Because they form large vertical shafts structurally, large water curtain equipment or heavy shutter compartments are constructed at the slope entrances and exits.