Comprehensive Fire and Life Safety Analysis of Building 186, Construction Innovation Center, at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
The report summarizes the analysis of the existing fire protection features and systems installed in the Construction Innovation Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The center is divided into three individual buildings (Buildings A, B and C) and are connected at each floor by an exterior balcony. The analysis includes two different approaches. A prescriptive analysis approach has been used to examine if the installed fire protection features and systems compliance with the latest edition of the codes and standards in California. This approach includes an evaluation of the fire structure protection, means of egress, fire alarm & communication, and fire-suppression system of the center. A performance–based analysis approach has also been used to assess whether the building occupants will egress the center before conditions become untenable. Fire Dynamics Simulator and Pathfinder, two computer software programs, have been used to determine the available and required safe egress time. A fire scenario has been selected for Buildings A and B to assess its tenability conditions. Building C was not selected as part of the tenability analysis due to time constraint and low existing ignition sources
