High Rise Fire

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

That is a bloody good idea. Some sort of chute like in the old pools for kiddies. I can't understand how in this day and age the isn't some sort of appliance that could lift some sort of flexible chute up to windows/balconies.
A cloth tube pegged out at the right distance would work.
Bet half the reason that cladding was put up was to make the building look pretty for the rich luvvies that live nearbye who are now spouting off about the "sense of community" they feel.

I was thinking more like a permanent arrangement in a protected environment within the building, with access 'chutes' from each floor.
Kinda like the old laundry chutes.

But your idea has been in use before.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

I am a bit confused. This is a summary of London Fire Appliances, dated 2011

Aerial appliances
Before the introduction of new aerial appliances in 2002–2007, the LFB typically used hydraulic platforms like this 1996-registered Volvo FL.
The LFB currently uses two main types of aerial appliances: the aerial ladder platform (ALP) and the turntable ladder (TL). Based on the Mercedes-Benz Econic chassis, they are used for high-rise fires and rescues, aerial water dousing and other specialised requirements.

The present fleet consists of four TLs and seven ALPs, with five more ALPs kept spare as reserves, and one used at the Brigade's training centre in Southwark.

The ALP's platform can carry up to four firefighters and reach a height of 32 m; a monitor in the cage can deliver up to 2,400 litres of water per minute.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Fire_Brigade_appliances

1. I only saw about 2 of these appliances in use. None of them anywhere near half way up the building.
2. Apparently they can reach up to 32 meters, yet we are informed by the media that they only reach to 15 meters.

Can anyone shed any light?

Edit: Just noticed, recent media reports that the ALPs can reach 32 meters.

 

[tony1851]

This puts a new perspective on fire safety in high-rise blocks.

The normal approach is that a fire usually breaks out in 1 flat and is usually contained by the fire door.
In that case, it is not necessarily bad practice to advise people to stay put until advised otherwise.
The staircase is usually a place of safety from a fire, but if everyone tried to use it at the same time, it would be
dangerous.

But if the fire was spread by the faulty design/installation of the cladding, it shows how vitally important fire breaks are at the windows.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Trouble is, a chute idea may work when there are fewer people, but if suddenly everyone takes to a chute, there can be worst case of fatalities and injuries as people down below get crushed by those landing on top of them, and how would you arrange a systematic evacuation, if you take a single chute, there would be people sliding through it at very large velocities, and those on other floors would not be able to join the chute as there would be risk of collisions, so even a chute system needs some planning and system, where only one floor at a time can be evacuated. Otherwise it would become more or less like a motorway traffic and you are trying to join into a fast flowing traffic from a side turning. and if you were to make this chute well designed with slip chutes, so as to avoid collisions, then everyone landing at the bottom simultaneously end up in a huge pile of bodies.

 

[Deleted member 63160]

Knock em down and sacrafice a few quid and a bit of land out of town. Limit the height of new builds and have drop down steel stairs like the yanks do. I find it fooking ridiculous that people have to wait to choke/burn to death in a fire, in this day and age.

 

[Brigadier]

I was thinking more like a permanent arrangement in a protected environment within the building, with access 'chutes' from each floor.
Kinda like the old laundry chutes.

Christ!

Given the height of the building vs its footprint, these shafts would be almost vertical.

Half the users would probably die of fright, while the other half would be fighting with the firefighters for another go!

 

[motorbiking]

Did anyone else notice there were electric cables running up the outside in a duct formed of insulating panels . Its possible rats got into the duct and had a go at the cables and caused a short on the 3 phase supply which might account for the fridge exploding?

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

Trouble is, a chute idea may work when there are fewer people, but if suddenly everyone takes to a chute, there can be worst case of fatalities and injuries as people down below get crushed by those landing on top of them, and how would you arrange a systematic evacuation, if you take a single chute, there would be people sliding through it at very large velocities, and those on other floors would not be able to join the chute as there would be risk of collisions, so even a chute system needs some planning and system, where only one floor at a time can be evacuated. Otherwise it would become more or less like a motorway traffic and you are trying to join into a fast flowing traffic from a side turning. and if you were to make this chute well designed with slip chutes, so as to avoid collisions, then everyone landing at the bottom simultaneously end up in a huge pile of bodies.

A traffic light system, like that used on water flumes?
I would have thought that reasonably simple electronics could control access at various entry points.
Especially if those systems for evacuation control/access were linked to the fire alarm and its seat/source.

Fire marshalls at the bottom?

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

Christ!

Given the height of the building vs its footprint, these shafts would be almost vertical.

Half the users would probably die of fright, while the other half would be fighting with the firefighters for another go!

Systems can be inbuilt into near vertical chutes to slow down the rate of fall.
If people would prefer to jump to their deaths instead of burn, I suspect they would overcome their fear.

But yes, I can foresee the other half wanting another go!

Queues for evacuation drills? Sell tickets for evacuation practice?

 

[motorbiking]

plenty of news stories of fridges exploding due to faults. Combine a faulty 3 phase supply with an old fridge and there is a possibility of 450v going through a 210v compressor

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

cost of which in itself could be enormous,

And the (monetary) cost of unsafe high rise buildings?

 

[SirGalahad]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...se-building-social-housing-tory-a7790921.html

The former Conservative housing minister warned against increasing fire safety regulations to include sprinklers because it could discourage house building.

 

[SirGalahad]

It's a perfect storm of austerity cuts to council budgets and deregulation or lack of appropriate regulation that has led to this tragedy. It may not be the last such case.

 

[JohnD]

possibility

but not a probability

 

[bernardgreen]

http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/14/resid...-own-stuff-before-warning-neighbours-6709573/