QCVN 06:2022/BXD Fire safety of Buildings and Constructions – Updated Code

1. Overview

QCVN 06:2022/BXD stipulates mandatory technical requirements for fire prevention and fighting in the design, construction, renovation, and repair of residential buildings, public buildings, production buildings, and warehouses with a height of 7 stories or more or from 2 basements or more, with the purpose of ensuring safety for people and property in the event of a fire.

The regulation specifies technical classifications of fire for structures, building materials, fire compartments, buildings, and works; sets out requirements for ensuring human safety such as escape routes, staircases, emergency lighting; measures to prevent fire spread through solutions for structures, materials, layout – space arrangement, and technical equipment; requirements for firefighting water supply systems; conditions to serve firefighting and rescue such as fire truck access, parking lots, and firefighting elevators.

The requirements in the regulation are applied to the design of new works or when changing the structure or function of existing works that affect fire resistance or fire hazard.

2. Comparison of the main contents of QCVN 06:2022/BXD with QCVN 06:2021/BXD:

In terms of content, QCVN 06:2022/BXD has some new points or adjustments compared to QCVN 06:2021/BXD such as:

– Adding some definitions: Fire safety height, accessible floor area, refuge floor, refuge area.

– Adding a provision that when designing and constructing production buildings and warehouses, the regulation may not be applied if foreign fire safety standards are used in accordance with the law and approved by the fire safety agency.

– Modifying the table of building classifications according to fire hazard by function.

– Adjusting the required fire resistance limit values for some components of buildings with fire resistance levels I and II, such as floor slabs, roof components, and stairwell walls.

– Adding fire separation requirements for mixed-use buildings, between residential and non-residential parts, between parts with different functions and fire hazard ratings.

– Adding technical requirements for fire truck parking lots (size, structure, location, signage), high-level entry points for firefighting forces.

– Adding regulations on arranging refuge floors and refuge areas for buildings over 100 m high.

– Adding regulations on fire safety distances between buildings.

– Adding regulations on apartment buildings with a fire safety height from over 75 m to 150 m including: Fire resistance requirements for components, fire compartmentation, fire and smoke protection, provision of refuge floors – refuge areas, firefighting elevators, smoke extraction systems.

– Adding fire safety regulations for karaoke and nightclub buildings (multiple escape routes, finishing materials, fire alarm systems, etc.)

3. Conclusion

In summary, QCVN 06:2022/BXD has added or adjusted some regulations on fire prevention and fighting for residential, public, and production buildings compared to the previous QCVN 06:2021/BXD.

The new points focus on clarifying and strengthening requirements for human safety, fire resistance of structures, preventing fire spread, and facilitating rescue operations, especially for high-rise buildings.

The new regulation also provides more specific provisions for some specialized building types such as high-rise apartment buildings, karaoke and nightclub business establishments.